‘Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of the devil; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seated with a hot iron’ (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
We are currently in the latter days where believers now see ‘evil’ as ‘good’ while ‘good’ is now seen as old fashioned and faded. Sadly, this has now become the order of the day and it is gradually eating deep into our youths and the society at large.
‘But mark this in the last day’s perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trust breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those who are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away’ (2Timothy 3:1-5)
Only God deserves the ultimate praise and acknowledgement in my life. I want to seize this opportunity to also thank the people who have worked endlessly to ensure the success of this program. My prayer for all of you is that God in His infinite goodness and mercy will bless you with all the good tidings of life all your days earth through Christ our Lord – Amen.
The main purpose of any programme organised is to bring the members together in unity despite the diversity as well as to look into some challenging issues that have been hampering the growth of the society and its members in all ramifications. At the end of the programme, all present are expected to go home refreshed and encouraged with new ideas that will aid in changing their lives and behaviour which in turn will have a positive effect on the people and the society at large. Hence, due to this indubitable truth about programs, in the same light we are here to look into some issues in our society today which has almost crippled many young ones from morality and religion and these issues are nicely captured by the committee members as ‘youth and challenges of modernism’. There are three basic words that make this topic what it is and in order for us to have a better grasp of it, it is pertinent for us to know the meaning of these three words which are; youth, challenge and modernism.
YOUTH: The quality or state of being young. It could also be seen as the period of time when someone is young, especially the period when someone is a teenager.
CHALLENGE: something that tests strength, skill, or ability especially in a way that is interesting. When someone refuses to accept that someone or something is right and legal. To order somebody to stop and say who they are and what they are doing.
MODERNISM: Modern ideas or methods of seeing and doing things.
From the aforementioned meaning or definitions of youth, challenge and modernism, one would rightly say that this topic seeks to admonish the young ones to stop and evaluate their modern ideas or methods about life, which tests their strengths, skills, or abilities for a good future. As each day comes and goes the young ones are presented with modern ideas or methods that will make them to succeed or fail bringing them to old age or adulthood. And since these modern ideas or methods could either lead to success or failure; the young ones are called with a loud voice to carefully avoid the ideas that would lead to failure and embrace the ones that could lead to success if one desires to approach the adulthood with a fulfilled and fruitful life. This illustration is similar to the illustration given to Christ when He talked about the separation of the goats from the sheep where each of the groups will be given its proper place at the end of time as it is contained in the Holy Bible . Life has always presented us with two choices to make in its entirety and all these ramifications could be subsumed under the substratum of the choice that would lead to success and the choice that would lead to failure. After the person must have taken one of these choices, the person who
exists and has taken one of the choices begins to acquire an existence towards the adulthood of failure or success.
Modernism is one of the trees that can produce both bad and good fruits. Just like the tree in the garden of Eden in the bible; ‘but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it …’ Not everything modernism offers to humanity that is expedient. All things may be lawful to me but we should avoid being under the power of any. Modernism is like a mother who gives birth to both good and bad daughters and you are free to marry whichever you want. If you marry the good daughter, she will conceive and give birth to success and if you marry the bad daughter, she will conceive and give birth to failure. 70percent of the problem we have today in the world is not because of modernism but it is because of our approach to modernism. It is about how we relate with the things around us that determines their influences on us.
What is very important about the human person is the heart and mind and this is the reason why God is very much interested in the two, ‘And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you: and I will take out of their flesh a heart of stone, and give them a heart of flesh.’ St Paul calls us not to conform our mind to the pattern of this world but of the world to come . This shows that our hearts and minds are to be worked upon if we do not want to be mastered or controlled by modernism.
1. DRESSING: Some people act so foolishly that they sometimes are blindfolded to see the beauty and power of wisdom. Youths of this generation complain about colour riot dresses and still say the way you dress does not matter. Oh, what a foolish person I have ever seen. We also complain that he or she is putting on a dirty cloth and yet
2. We say the way you dress does not matter. Oh, what a stupid statement I have ever heard.
3. TECHNOLOGY: Technology is another devil in disguise if not carefully used. It has turned many people to professional liars. Some people have in their phones only nude and pornography pictures/videos that displays sexual acts and images in a way that is intended to make people to feel sexually excited. Sadly, some youths have no pictures of the family relatives or parents but pictures of ladies of different shapes and sizes are in their numbers. What for? I believe you know. The internet is another agent of the devil for pornographers. As long as youths keep embracing the negative things that modernism offers this generation, the church will continue to have empty pews and inactive members who are truly not devoted to the things of God. They will continue to neglect their responsibilities and the roles they are bound to play as youths.
4. HOMOSEXUALITY: Homosexuality, Lesbianism, masturbation as well as other means of sexual gratification is another challenging immoral act confronting the youths today in our society. A person who is termed as homosexual (gay) is someone, especially a man who is sexually attracted to the people of the same sex. For a woman who is sexually attracted to other women she is known as a lesbian. All these are the works of Satan to destroy the beauty of creation. All actors of these immoral vices are simply telling God that they are ungrateful and among God’s creation they are the most foolish. If we have people of that kind still trapped in these acts, may God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour in the Holy Spirit deliver them from this madness in Jesus’ name – Amen. ‘For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in
5. Their lust one toward another: men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was met. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, black biters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgement of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have in them that do them’ .
6. DISOBEDIENT TO CHURCH AUTHORITY OR PARENT: is one of the basic issues that have robbed many a youth from a fruitful and fulfilled future which has in turn launched them into a confused and miserable life without hope and beauty. All those who want to live well and enjoy long days must be obedient to their parents. ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise) that it may be well with thee, and thou may live long on the earth.’ Our parents have a great role to play concerning our future and we need their blessings to succeed. Whatever they say about you stands especially when you are wrong and they are right. ‘And Jacob called his children, and said, gather yourselves together and hear, you children of Jacob; and hearken to Israel your father. Reuben, you are my first born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellence of my dignity, and the excellence of my power: unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed and defiles it: he went up to my couch. Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their
7. Habitations. O my soul, come not into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not united: for in their anger, they slew a man, and in their self-will, they dig down a wall’ ‘And Jabez was more honourable than his brothers: and his mother called him Jabez, saying, because I bear him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh God that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be upon me, and that You would keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested .
8. THE LOVE OF SUCCESS AGAINST VALUES: This is the most sensitive stage to arrive at as a youth. Most youths are more concerned with achieving success and attaining greater heights not minding the route they follow to achieve such success. When success becomes more paramount than our values, then our values (whether good or evil) will increasingly become a norm. Youths will no longer see the need to study before sitting for their exams, rather they will cheat and still come out with good grades, youths will no longer see the need to do the right thing to get a job but will chose to ‘bribe’ his/her way out to get a job, etc. These are currently obtainable in our society today which is as a result of their high drive for success.
