Bad Advice (ADVENT-URE DAY 19)

The animosity for Jesus in His earthly ministry started early, it seems.  King Herod, upon his contact with the Wise Men was apoplectic about someone who laid claim to the title of King of the Jews.  We find his response in Matthew chapter 2 in a passage containing our theme Scripture for today, Day 19 in our Faith Radio Christmas Advent-ure, "The Story For the Ages."  The chapter says:
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. ’”

There are several groups of people that are mentioned in this vast Christmas narrative, and we are looking at the characters - the players - in this amazing, even intriguing drama. Notice Herod went to the religious leaders to find out more about the one he perceived as a rival King.  It's interesting that throughout the earthly life of Jesus, Roman officials and church officials seemed to be on the same side - the wrong one.  So, this alignment seems to have started early.  Of course, the Romans and the Jews were not exactly allies, either - each group saw the other as potentially useful, though.

So, Herod took the information given to him by these religious leaders and set out to slay all the boys two years and under.  You, see the "chief priests and scribes" were a constant thorn in the side of Jesus, and can remind us of today's principle: We must not merely know the Word, but follow it.  They claimed to be knowledgeable in the matters of spirituality and the ways of God, but did not adhere to His ways and certainly did not acknowledge the authority of Jesus.

In our lives, if we're not careful, we can end up believing and pursuing the wrong things. Such was the case of an 88-year-old Hollywood actress, who knew the fame and fortune of Hollywood, and trappings that came with it.  She related to FoxNews.com recently, "Well, I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried drugs. I’ve tried men. I’ve tried pills. I’ve tried everything. But they were like a Band-Aid that didn’t stick when I started to sweat. So, I had to find a platform, a faith, or a sounding board, something to stand on and base my thinking on. One that doesn’t change."

Between 1965 and 1968, Dyan Cannon was married to the famous actor Cary Grant.  He was over 30 years older than she was.  They had a daughter named Jennifer.  The article says that, "The marriage became stormy..."  The article relates:

Before they married, Grant persuaded Cannon to try LSD, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2011. When their marriage began to break down, Cannon took the psychedelic drug with him several times. According to numerous books and documentaries about Grant, the actor credited LSD for helping him address his childhood traumas.

"He thought it was a gateway to God," she told the outlet. "He thought it was going to help him find peace."  

She continued to seek peace through drug use following their divorce.  She was even institutionalized.

Then, things began to take a turn, according to a CBN.com article, referencing content from the podcast she co-hosts called, "God's Table Hollywood."

She said that several months later, she met some women who began to minister to her. And although she was hesitant at first, she began to open her heart up to God.

And He began to speak to her.

"These are the words He said [to me]: 'My precious child, you need not call as if I'm in the sky. I am the heart and soul of you. I am the reason why you step down into being. So everyone could see that I am one with you and you are one with me," she recalled.
 
"'For it is my master plan to bring the kingdom of Heaven and peace on earth to man. Haven't I fed the multitudes, caused blinded eyes to see? Haven't I shut the lion's mouth and tenderly pacified the sea? So look beyond your circumstance and not to a God in the sky..."

Cannon now refers to herself as a "God girl," according to Fox.  She relates, "When I say I’m a ‘God girl,’ it means that through all the years of seeking and through all the years of trying, it has led me to understand there’s just one God who loves everybody the same," adding, "I actually did a thing called ‘God’s Party’ on the CBS lot for 13 years just out of love and out of gratitude for all the good in my life and that continues to be in my life."

For years, Dyan Cannon lived a life that was opposed to the ways of God.  She had a Jewish mother and Christian father.  She said in the podcast, according to CBN, "I came from a home where there was a lot of turmoil...It became a war." She added, "When I left home, I said, 'I don't want anything to do with You, God. You're a troublemaker. All You've done in my home is cause trouble.'"

Bad idea.  When we don't seek God first, we become vulnerable to ideas and ideologies that are contrary to Scripture and breed hostility toward the things of God.  That was a problem for those who opposed Jesus.  There are influences who in essence give poor direction, even bad advice.  Following the crowd doesn't produce the righteousness of God - unless we're following the right crowd, those who are in the Church and truly following Christ.

So, we should always set out to embrace truth and reject error.  The world's answers will fail us, but God is always faithful - we can trust His ways, which we find in His Word.   We have been created in His image so that we might bring Him glory - that's what Dyan Cannon discovered.  And, we discover a life of love, meaning, and purpose because we invite Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of our lives.