 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
deRodes
Honored Fellow Grover
| Joined: | Fri Aug 31st, 2007 |
| Location: | Washington USA |
| Posts: | 739 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: |    |
|
Posted: Fri Dec 14th, 2007 07:21 am |
|
http://www.cclmaine.org/artman/publish/Pastor_s_Update_24/A_Sick_Society.shtml
by Rev. Dallas E. Henry
From the decadence of Sodom and Gomorrah to the debauchery of Herod and Herodias we have seen in times past the despair, the decay, and the decline of a dysfunctional and dilapidated humanity. Solomon in his God-given wisdom declared in Eccl. 1:9, that "there is nothing new under the sun".
I've said it a number of times; just when you think that you have heard and seen it all, sin becomes so bold and debased that it shocks you one more time. At this very moment there are hundreds of same sex marriages taking place in this country. We hear of gunshots and mayhem going on in some communities with one troubled young person randomly killing as many as possible and them himself and also people killing themselves with chemicals and running with fools. We are definitely living in a sick society.
We are living in a time where people call good evil and evil good; a time when despair and despondency have become the dominant influence in many communities. We are truly living in a sick society. Yes, spiritual, emotional, psychological sickness and dysfunction have become as common as the common cold in many of our homes and has pervaded and perverted the institution of "The Family".
The family is not the only institution affected and infected by the agenda of a devil who is hell bent on destroying everything that God and His people hold dear. The Church also has become infected by the spirit of "faithlessness, perversion and indifference". Someone once said that the Church in the world is good, but the world in the Church is very bad. It is like a ship in the water and water in the ship.
It seems today that people run to church and cry out to Jesus about their children who are driving them crazy. At the same time they leave the children at home when they go to church. They say things like, "I believe in waiting for my children to become old enough to make up their own mind about coming to church. After all, they're too young to understand the Bible anyhow". That is the most ignorant statement I've ever heard. If their children can sit down, listen, and quote cartoon characters on Saturday TV, they can sit down and listen and learn to quote, "The Lord is my shepherd," etc! We don't let them make up their minds on other things like brushing their teeth, eating nutritious food, and bed time.
Jesus challenged the disciples to operate and function in the power and authority that He gave them, but they failed. This seems to be the picture of the church today. There ought to be consistency between the worship in the church and the work of the church.
There are a couple of basic principles of Christianity that some have forgotten:
1. You can't cuss, lie, cheat, steal, and live like a devil and have power over him! Gal.6:3, "If a man thinks he's something when he is nothing he deceives himself".
2. You can't reject the authority of God by rebelling against those that He has placed over you and expect the enemy to come under your authority. Remember, the enemy can easily identify a weak saint. Acts 19:15 quotes a demon statement to a fake believer, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"
So many believers today are part of the "can not crowd"? Is your church a "Can not church"? Many churches can have a big church supper or perhaps even a business meeting, but they can't have an effective prayer meeting. God is looking for a "can-do" church that is on fire in worship and in work.
Look at how Jesus responds, "And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither." He called them faithless. Hebrews 11:6 says "But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him".
Without faith it is impossible to be used by God to accomplish anything. By faith Moses stretched out his rod and split the Red Sea. By faith Daniel survived a night in the Lion's Den. By faith Grandma could say, "I know that things might look bad, but I know that the Lord will make a way somehow!" If the church is going to be all that God has called and ordained her to be, she must live by faith! If we're really walking with the Lord then we'll walk by faith and not by sight!
Jesus called them "faithless". Then He called them "perverse". "And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation,.." Perverse means "twisted, backwards, out of order, screwed-up, mixed-up, messed-up". He is saying in effect, "This thing is not about you feeling good as though it's all about you. You've got this thing all wrong." The saints have been commanded to go out into the world and bring sinners to Christ but they have instead brought the "world into the church!" Jesus calls them PERVERSE!
There are three things that we must do. (1) Remember, (2) Repent and (3) Return.
1. We ought to "Remember" how everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before and say, "Lord take me back to when I first believed".
2. But then when "Faithless" we must "Repent". (We must have a change of heart and mind)
3. And finally, "When perverse"- We must "RETURN" (Change our ways and walk toward Jesus)
There does indeed exist within our world an overwhelming abundance of pain, panic and pandemonium unlike anything that has been experienced. But thank God Almighty we have a "Strong Savior" Who is "Able to do exceedingly and abundantly above and beyond all that we can think or ask according to the power that worketh in us". Praise God, there are a few witnesses left in the church who will testify that "The Lord is able."
So the question for each follower of Christ is: Am I a witness out there that will testify that He's able? Can I honestly say, "Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. It was grace, etc."
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN A SICK SOCIETY
Phil. 2:15 - "That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."
Rom. 1:24-32 - "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting: being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."
John 17:15-17 - "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the vile one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE SANCTIFIED BY THE TRUTH."
We cannot and must not become assimilated into this present, wicked world. Ephesians 5:15-17 - "See then that you walk carefully, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." It is so easy to "get used to" or "adjust" the wickedness that is around us. It doesn’t take too long before we hear Christians say, "I don't see what’s so bad about that!" Many can remember to illustration of the frog in the water.
I Tim. 6:11-12 - "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
WE MUST KEEP THE BIBLE AS THE STANDARD!
This cannot be a "watered down" or adapted version of the Bible. We need to confront our desires, thoughts, and actions...examining whether we have bought into worldly standards and reasons. It is so important that the men listen to others who raise objections to what they allow... especially he needs to listen to his wife when she thinks that something is wrong.
II Cor. 13:5 - "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified." We must keep the standards of God...not only for our own spiritual well-being...but also as an example and light to a wicked and dying world.
I Peter 2:11-12 - "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."
We need to understand how bad it is and get a burden of urgency for the people in this world. Matt. 24:37-38 - "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark." The world is much closer to the coming of Christ than it has ever been. We don't have the luxury of waiting for a better time or talking to a more receptive person. Eph. 5:16-17 - "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise*, but understand what the will of the Lord is."
(deRode's notation *: Ephesians 6:12 "For we do no wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities (governments), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
2 Cor. 10:4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.")
The times are getting worse and so is our society. There will come a day when no-one will listen just as in the days of Noah. There will come a day when Gospel preachers will be thrown in jail for preaching God's word. That is happening NOW just over the boarder in Canada. We need to act now...before the eternal night falls, and our voices are silenced forever. John 9:4 - "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."
With the charge that Christ has made to us, will we escape a punishment if we either are assimilated by this world, or stand idly by while we hold the solution in our hand? Heb. 2:3 - "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him." The important question is; What does "neglecting so great a salvation" fully mean? Does it refer to our salvation or others' salvation or both? If we adopt the things of this world...and defend them...and attack all who would point out the wickedness...THEN WE HAVE BECOME THE WORLD!
It doesn't really matter that one attend services...sings loudly...takes the loaf and cup...gives to the work. If one absorbs the world's standards and pleasures...one is really of the world and not of Christ.
All of us...collectively and individually, need to map a course for our lives. This course will...of necessity...be different from so many around us. Our course should be set and checked by the compass of the complete word of God. The Word needs to move us. And when it does, we need to move and ...CHANGE! Following being moved by the Word, there should come some strong convictions. These convictions will deal with the temptations of the world to stay silent but instead, stir things up outside the safety of our church. No person... ABSOLUTELY NO PERSON ...will long endure without these steps being taken. The same is true with the Church. No Church can endure being silent.
What is the conclusion of all this? Caring enough to do something, we will be excited about the danger that the world around us is in and begin being part of the solution rather than remain part of the problem.
The bottom line is that there needs to be a sense of urgency developed in every Christian. The world is going over the brink and only we can make a difference. We must make sure that we don't go over the brink with them because we got too close to that which was pulling them. Our militant attitude towards the alluring things of Satan must never change. Neither time nor circumstances change the danger. The danger is real for the people of the world and also for the Church, as well. No one is immune to the forces of this wicked world. We must work...and we must work now....but we must also be alert...careful...lest we also should be destroyed by a love for the things of this world.
____________________
Politicians and diapers should be changed often - for the same reason!
_________________
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21
|
Current time is 03:49 am | |
|
|
|
|
