Charlie Sheen vs. integrity

Something happened with Charlie Sheen recently. I don’t know what it was, because I don’t watch celebrity news. I don’t want to discuss it at this point because whatever he did was likely stupid and continuing to discuss it would be stupid on my part. Suffice it to say that the brouhaha is winding down and I don’t want to add to it, except for one blip that remains on the radar for many people. It is that blip I want to talk about.

After Sheen’s debacle concluded, he went on tour. This is something to remark on in itself. The word “shame” seems to be absent from our vocabularies, as people who live immorally are lifted up while Jesus' name is trampled. More people than not waste good money in support of immoral stupidity by choosing to spend time watching  terrible movies or television shows that are nothing more than debauchery. Why spend your time honoring immorality? Isaiah said “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter”. Isaiah 5:20.

Anyway, Sheen went on tour. Detroit was the first stop, and apparently there were plenty of people who chose to spend their hard-earned money to watch and listen to what Sheen had to say.

“It didn't take long for the goodwill to fade, though, as audience members at the Fox Theatre began yelling at the former "Two and a Half Men" star for refunds and walking out in droves. Sheen quipped after an audience member booed: "I've already got your money, dude."

Can you remember a time when a business deal was healthy? When a man's word was his bond? When work was done and done right? When people cared about the product they were putting out?  If you don't remember such a time it wasn't all that long ago that people cared about the kind of job they did. People took pride in putting out a good product. If someone came back and said that the product was not good, there would be shame in their heart and a refund given right away.

It is not so anymore. Sheen boasted that he already had the guy's money and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. Not only did Sheen feel that way, not only did he comment out loud, but he boasted.

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” --Douglas Adams. That is something the Charlie Sheens of the world lack, but they lack it because they know not Jesus.

Paul wrote to Timothy the following warning:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

The timing Paul was referring to was to be all of the end time, including Paul’s day until our day. But that is not even the worst of it. Paul reminded 2 Thessalonians 2:6 about the antichrist. In the verses in 2 Thessalonians, Paul explained what the antichrist will be like. He then reminded them that the antichrist will be restrained until we are taken out of the way. Which means that after we are taken out of the way, there will be no restraint on any of the sinful conditions that plague us now. Like a fungus under cover of darkness, the sinful conditions Paul described above will mushroom exponentially.

Our blessing is that if we have confessed our sins and asked Him forgiveness of them, He is faithful to save. And in that salvation we are told we are not appointed to wrath, (1 Thessalonians 5:9) and when the wrath begins in the Seal Judgments, (Rev 6:17) we will  have been removed from the earth.

Eventually, all sin will be removed! (Dan 9:24; Rev 21:26-27). Won't that be a relief and a glory to Jesus' power! Praise Him in all ways!

Comments

  1. It is such a shame that this world has become so sinful and depraved. It's horrible to look around, sometimes... The wonder of what it could have been, and what it WILL be, thrills my heart.

    My 9-year-old with Down Syndrome prays this simple prayer almost daily: "Jesus, come get us! Please!"

    I pray that prayer, too. I look forward to that day!! Oh, Lord! Come! Until then, I will serve Him, and pray for this fallen humanity. Things like this serve to remind me that this world isn't our home.

    God bless you!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment