Baiting the hook with promises of fun and excitement with spectacular worldly events like hip-hop and rock music, cool and fun entertainment, craft time, snack time, or game time and with bunch of unbiblical programs. These people act in entertainment-driven, just like the secular world. Most people today are woefully deceived, following their own self-made concept of God to reach others. Some Pharisaical, legalists who erroneously believe that entertainment is very much required to attract children’s and others in order to learn about God and salvation. They are the wolves in sheep's clothing justifying the wholly destructive nature of VBS. In Jesus days, Jesus nor did his disciples not organize worldly entertainment to draw people.
Sin, salvation, death, hell, Gods wrath, judgment, is not fun and amusing. Many professed carnal religious people are collecting registration fee for VBS schools. Some collect money from children for refreshments, crafts, or materials. This discourages those without money or with little interest. During Jesus time, we see that Jesus nor his disciples or apostles pressured the people to give money in any form.
Many churches and VBS schools sell their materials with their selling gimmicks in the name of God, charity and blessings in order to make money for their organization.
Isaiah 56:11 says “And meet impudent dogs, they never had enough: the shepherds themselves knew no understanding: all have turned aside into their own way, every one after his own gain, from the first even to the last”.
2 Peter 2:3 says “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their perdition slumbereth not”.
We see nowadays days where televangelists and greedy pastors are continually begging for more money, twisting the Scriptures in order to exploit people, even asking parents for donation to the church or organizations. God said to give the money to the needy. With the church money, these pastors and their families go to vacation or trips to many places with Gods money.
These people have turned the House of God into a place of greed, gluttony, merchandising, fraud, and a den of thieves and robbers. Jesus was Poor. Jesus never had any luxurious stuff like modern-day preachers. Jesus himself cared for those in need by feeding the hungry. Crowds of four thousand (Mark 8:1-13) and five thousand (Mark 6:30-44) had assembled to listen to Jesus. They soon became hungry. When his disciples suggested that Jesus send the people away to buy food, he responded by saying 'I have compassion on these people...' and 'you give them something to eat.' He proceeded to perform miracles to feed these large crowds of hungry people.
Here is what scriptures says:
How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites...........you are so full of greed and self-indulgence'( Matt 23:25).
'Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they love to parade in flowing robes and to have everyone bow to them as they walk in the market places. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater (Mark 12:38-40).
2 Peter 2-3 says “Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. In their greed, they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.'
He may say he is singing for the Lord, but the appearance and what this portrays to many is not the spreading of gospel and reaching people. Its no wonder Satan was an angel first, the Angel of music. It makes sense that Satan would use music to spread his message. It's no coincidence that world today his much further away from God with the rise of hip hop over the last few decades. Any form of entertainment in which one participates in excess robs the Christian of valuable time with God.
Many kids and teens who follow these people, begin talking like the world, dressing like the world, looking like the world, and acting like the world completely embracing the secular world lifestyles manifesting the ideologies of their humanistic founders when they attend these so-called churches and VBS schools. There is nothing Christian about it, it’s only fun and cool. Usually, the kids have been waiting eagerly for these entertaining events and are not much concerned about discovering the love of Jesus Christ.VBS is giving more importance on the latest worldly stuff, worldly themes, 1 Corinthians 10:21 reminds us that “You simply cannot drink of the Lord's cup and the cup of devils”. James 4:4 says “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (1 Peter 3:15).
Jesus did not need artistic talent, money, musical appeal, and fancy self-centered words, worldliness to reach people and save them. He used the word of God and lived a sinless Holy life full of clear examples of sacrifice, humility and true love for others.
A True Vacation Bible school will teach our kids virtues but those virtues need to be taught through the cross not something that leads to the cross because salvation is not a game or entertainment.VBS should help in fulfilling the great commission (Matthew 28:19), to discover God and Godlier things, soul-winning, emphasizing the importance of teaching our children to seek God while they are young.( Ecclesiastes 11:9), engaging in Bible reading, reading Bible stories, exploring Bible history, learning Christ-centered moral and spiritual values. Its just not studying about God for 2 minutes and focusing the whole VBS on secular entertainment. VBS can be a great opportunity for a church to reach a new generation of children, youth, and their families with a great occasion for evangelism. Apostle Paul says, 'Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ' (Rom. 10:17).
Today’s churches are more tenaciously clinging to man-made, man-centered methodology instead of Christ as the center. As a result the children grow up rejecting the faith because Gods redemptive plan for mankind is not a watered-down, candy-coated. When children’s attend the Vbs schools or such worldly Churches because of the games, fun and attraction, they expect this type of entertainment all the time or else they walk away because it’s boring to them. By this we know that they are attracted to the flesh part. Kids are drawn to these Vbs schools only for fun activities not because they have true love for Christ. It is the flesh that always craves more attention, pleasure and entertainment. We have to educate our children according to Deuteronomy 6:5-8. Paul exhorts parents to raise children in the 'nurture and admonition of the Lord' (Ephesians 6:4).
Deuteronomy 31:12-13 says Assemble the people men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
The true Gospel always lifts up God and his righteousness. 2 Cor 6:14-18 says that we are to come out from the world, be separate and keep ourselves from its spiritual pollutants. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty”.
We say that faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).But How can faith in kids comes when they are acting like world and following the teachers of the world? Children and even adults think the church is boring. So, carnal preachers and lukewarm teachers make God exciting with their man-made entertaining programs. These carnal men have crept the churches to pervert the gospel and destroying the soul of children. Jude 1:4 declares,” For there are certain men, crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men”.
1John2-15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
True VBS school should be Christ-centered which should teach to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15). It should nurture with biblical truth, emphasizing the relationship of each child with Jesus Christ, and magnifying the Biblical standard, soaking up the wonderful promises of God, reading and memorizing scriptures, renewing our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2 ) to live according to God’s principles by learning to live by Gods commandments and statutes, loving others ,forgiving, avoiding sin and temptation, dressing up in modesty, learning to defend the word of God, learning scriptures from early age, meditating Gods word, walking with gifts of the holy spirit. We should seek the entertainment that pleases God and glorifies God and should not be an opportunity to cause others to stumble in their faith( 1 Corinthians 8:9).The entertainment activities can be made edifying like listening to Gods word, listening or playing uplifting music, joining a choir, studying the bible, watching a biblical based movies, helping the poor, helping the homeless and widows,visiting the sick ,caring for the poor, persecuted Christians, sharing the food with others and oppressed.
The Bible advises that the best way to give to the poor is to give spontaneously without your left hand knowing what the right hand is doing, to give anonymously, to give with the passion of meeting a need, not to enhance your image, and finally to expect God to reward you, not people. When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3).
God doesn’t want us to be under the influence of unbelievers. Paul writes, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6). As Christians, we should beware of being brought under the power of anything other than God. Our desire should be to please God with our whole being with all our mind, soul, and heart (Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). When we fail to denounce specific instances of worldliness leads to compromise of holiness.
Conclusion: John 10:10 says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”.
What we need today is Biblical standards not worldly entertainers who pose as Christians, or Christians who pose as worldly entertainers. It's a sin that children’s and our youths today are being led into worldliness that bares no cross, has no concern for modesty, and fits in with the sinful world, compromising with the world standards avoiding Gods standards for life. Be holy, because God is holy' (Lev. 11:44,45; 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15,16).
Jesus plainly stated in Luke 16:31, 'And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.' If the youth of today refuse to listen and obey the Word of God, then nothing else is going to persuade them. The Word of God states that God chose the foolishness of PREACHING to reach the lost world with the Gospel... 'For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe' (1st Corinthians 1:21). The Apostle Paul states in Titus 1:2 that God '...manifested his word through preaching...”.
As John wrote: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)
Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)
Instead of being built up in Christ, one is often neutralized or dulled spiritually simply by over-indulgence. Satan has successfully infiltrated many churches today. Churches today are saturated with ignorance, demonic music, and doctrines of devils. Many pastors and youth ministers and congregation have fallen for the Devil's BIG LIE that the best way to reach today's youth is through so-called Christian music that mimics the unsaved world's music. Truthfully it's just an attempt to justify worldliness.The Bible forewarned of these times when people would no longer endure sound Biblical doctrine. Ephesians 5:19 says “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.'
Colossians 3:16 says 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord
These lukewarm and carnal churches conflict with the teachings of God's Word. Many professed Believers today have sold their soul for money and worldliness These people claim they are simply providing an alternative to reach worldly teens for Christ. Do you think God is pleased when Christians bring the world into the church to attract more young people? Never! 1st John 2:15 makes this plain, 'Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.' It is a sin to compromise our Christian standards to reach the lost!
