verb (used with object)
1. to caution, advise, or counsel against something.
2. to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner: The teacher admonished him about excessive noise.
3. to urge to a duty; remind: to admonish them about their obligations.
- “This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war. This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America.”
- "We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country, and it is in shambles”
- “America is primarily a Christian nation, and its churches and synagogues are filled with parishioners who are screaming for preachers and pastors and rabbis to speak the truth, and they’re not getting it.”
- “people in many churches and synagogues are getting only “mumbo jumbo…They don’t get the true stuff that they’re going to the churches for”
“Admonish” is not a word that is used commonly in today’s culture. It is equally, not a practice that is practiced today in the churches in America today. The quotes above, appeared in the national news yesterday.
It is a sad commentary on our churches, that they were not spoken by any clergy, or someone considered to be a spiritual advisor. The first two quotes were spoken by Rick Santorum in a 2008 speech at the Ave Maria University. The last two were spoken by Michael Savage, a harsh, conservative, talk radio host of Russian Jewish descent.
It reminds me of the warning God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel to the leaders of Israel:
“God’s Message came to me: 2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherd-leaders of Israel. Yes, prophesy! Tell those shepherds, ‘God, the Master, says: Doom to you shepherds of Israel, feeding your own mouths! Aren’t shepherds supposed to feed sheep? 3You drink the milk, you make clothes from the wool, you roast the lambs, but you don’t feed the sheep. 4You don’t build up the weak ones, don’t heal the sick, don’t doctor the injured, don’t go after the strays, don’t look for the lost. You bully and badger them. 5And now they’re scattered every which way because there was no shepherd—scattered and easy pickings for wolves and coyotes. 6Scattered—my sheep!—exposed and vulnerable across mountains and hills. My sheep scattered all over the world, and no one out looking for them!
7Therefore, shepherds, listen to the Message of God: 8As sure as I am the living God—Decree of God, the Master—because my sheep have been turned into mere prey, into easy meals for wolves because you shepherds ignored them and only fed yourselves, 9listen to what God has to say: 10“‘Watch out! I’m coming down on the shepherds and taking my sheep back. They’re fired as shepherds of my sheep. No more shepherds who just feed themselves! I’ll rescue my sheep from their greed. They’re not going to feed off my sheep any longer!” Ezekiel 34:1-10 The Message
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