What is going on with the real estate market lately? 🏡

 

Today is Sunday, and right now as I write this article, many Christians are waking up to get ready to "go" to church. And just before they walk through those church doors, many put on a mask. Inside they'll smile, meet and greet, sit in their pew or seat, sing songs, listen to announcements and a prayer, maybe another song, then the sermon, be told by the pastor to greet their neighbor (whoever happens to be sitting next to or around them) listen to the rest of the sermon, more singing, another prayer, be excused, head towards the doors, say hi to the pastor and maybe tell him what a great message it was, then head out to go home or to breakfast or lunch. Does this sound familiar? Yes, Rich and did this for many years, too.

The monotony of it all coupled with stiffness and the unspoken rule that this is how we "do" church, left much to be desired. When I left the catholic church around 1992 with all its rules, rituals and formalities, I assumed that non-Christian churches would be different and that they understood how that was man-made, not required by God (do they even ask God if that's how they want them to worship Him? All they have to do is read John 4:23-24. Even Hebrews 9:1 says, "Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthy sanctuary." Are we still under the law? Of course not. But if we judge by what we see in the churches one might think we were (generally speaking). 

After attending and becoming a member of a local church and attending other churches over the years, I've come to realize that human nature is the same no matter where we went. That helped me understand why people are still stuck in the routine of rituals (in this I'm including programs and many so-called ministries). I admit, I'm not one for routine, especially when it comes to the Lord. He is anything but routine and He is well aware that we are creatures of habit, so to speak. Human nature will never and can never change. This is why God makes us new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We need to put on Christ and kill the old nature in us because it will never and can never submit to God (Galatians 5). 

I recently listened to a book on Audible called, Connecting by Dr. Larry Crabb. Both Rich and I read the book back in the 1990's and thought it was just what Christians needed to hear. We gave the books to the pastors and elders at our church and sadly it fell on deaf ears. I can only guess that wasn't the direction they wanted to go in. 

I'm currently listening to another book by Larry Crabb called, Understanding People. It's a little more technical but the message is similar to that of Connecting. The books complement each other in that they promote Christian community and healing within instead of sending those hurting and in need of healing to outside sources (psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, therapists, counselors, etc.). Where there is a void, someone or something will fill it. Case in point...continue reading.

I'd like to bring something to your attention. Here is just one example that I'm sure not many people are aware of - "KOOTH." Read this article and even look it up to get an idea of what it's about. If you have children in school, you have no time to waste. 

Kooth is a London-based mental health service or better known as a social application that uses children as a psychological experiment to collect information about them. Children can sign up on Kooth and anonymously engage online without parental notification or consent. It is packaged and promoted in such a way that that makes it look so appealing and needed. On the surface they state that it's meant to help students who are having difficulty living life and coping with hardship. But deeply imbedded in this program, is nothing more than a means to influence and control the minds of children. If you're on Facebook, I'd encourage you to watch this video.

Questions we should be asking are:  Have we become so stuck in routine that we lack time or space for the important work God has called us to? If we all tended to our own 'flock,' would a program like Kooth flourish, to the detriment of our children and society? Does anyone even know about this program, and do they realize that children in our area have already been indoctrinated with Kooth?"

Is repeating the same rituals and programs week after week, month after month, year after year what God has called us to? It seems like we’re still living in Old Testament times in the churches with all the formalities, rituals, and programs. Where is there room for the Holy Spirit and how does He guide us into all truth if everything is so planned out?

We're living under the New Covenant. The Old Testament was a shadow of what was to come. Now that Jesus has come we know that He is the fulfillment of the law, of the Old Testament. It's all in and through Him now. That's why He says in John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So how is it that while the world takes advantage with its fruitless and godless solutions by targeting and pursuing our children that Christians and the churches hide their head’s in the sand? Doesn't the Lord tell us to train a child in the way they should go so that when they're old they will come back it (Proverbs 22:6)? Isn't this our best defense against the influence of the world? Are we unaware of satan’s schemes and how he masquerades like an angel of light? Do we realize that technology, especially cell phones, are meant to isolate us and keep us from "connecting" and "understanding people?" Have we asked God what He thinks about that? Are we listening to Him or to the world?

Here's an article from WHYY that is promoting a London-based mental health service using professional sports players. Have you heard of it? In case you haven't, I've listed some excerpts from the article to give you an idea of how Kooth was able to sink its teeth into our children: 

“We [students] just want to stay to ourselves and not really share anything, we just want to be alone, that’s really what is happening to our generation,” said Scotland. 

Seeing friends lose their life to gun violence, suffer in poverty, or face struggles at home can all contribute to their mental health suffering.

Scotland shared, “A lot of things can affect your mental health. School, work, especially at home, a lot of kids go through things at home,” which he says can have a negative impact at school. 

“They come to school, and it messes with their whole emotion, your mood.” Banks shares it’s more common that you think. 

“Rebounding from COVID things pile on top of each other. It’s not just one issue, it’s a multitude of issues that affect our family.” She says just some of the feelings they face daily can be overwhelming, including “anxiety, feelings of depression, feelings of anger because of all that has gone on.”

Don't be deceived by Kooth. It's neither innocent nor coincidental that it's being promoted as the solution to our children's problems. If you haven't noticed, we are in the middle of a hostile takeover. I'm not talking about war, I'm talking about a takeover of our hearts and minds. They've openly declared their intent to target the children. They know that if they can get into their minds while they're young, they'll be able to change a whole generation in one fell swoop. If you weren't aware of that, then maybe you've had your head in your phone too much, or somewhere else. Look up. Look to the Lord. He'll show you what you need to know if you look to Him. It all starts there, and with Him.

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Article from WHYY: https://whyy.org/articles/lane-johnson-eagles-northeast-high-school-philadelphia-mental-health-kooth/

More articles on Kooth:

1. https://www.kooth.com/ (Kooth employs over a hundred engagement leads across the UK and US to ensure that we can spread our message of free, safe and confidential support deep into the community.) (emphasis mine on "deep into the community.")

2. Mike Cabell - Ban Kooth bill https://www.repcabell.com/News/33778/Latest-News/Cabell-to-Introduce-Bill-Banning-Third-Party-Vendors-Like-Kooth-from-Soliciting-Student-Participation-

3. Phila School District welcomes Kooth: https://www.philasd.org/blog/2023/02/21/koothlaunch/

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• © Lisa Small 2024. We reserve the rights over the materials published in this article and on this blog (Small Talk with Rich and Lisa).