When we were growing up, there was prayer in school, many people went to church, perhaps for the wrong reasons often, but they admired and loved the people of God and His ways.
It was a different time, a time long gone away and I am convinced never to return, or if it does it will be brief just like the surge of people into churches after 9-11, after which only a few weeks and everything went back to it had been before.
Too often people run to God for safety, while wanting nothing of Him, except what they can get for themselves, only the safety until they don't need Him anymore, then they return to their vomit as though they never needed Him and as though He never did anything for them.
They do not consider Him in their decisions, they don't thank Him even for their meals each day, they merely use Him when they have no place else to go.
Isaiah 1:14-15 "14"I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,"
Monday, December 26, 2016
Promoting Immorality is Sin
Some of the very things that we think are love are actually promoting immorality, by removing the consequences and the shame that needs to be there.
Jeremiah 6:14-16 "…14 "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. 15 "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD. 16 Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'…"
Deuteronomy 23:2 " 2"No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD."
Hebrews 12:8
"But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
God calls those who are not born again but pretend to be "illegitimate." There is such a thing as an illegitimate child. All this talk about all babies being from the Lord is true in once sense, but not true in another.
Very often God does not bless the families who are not repentant from their sexual immorality and their children are not blessed either. I do not celebrate in a baby shower the birth of the child born out of wedlock it sends a wrong message to celebrate that which offends God, that being the sex act outside marriage.
As for the baby, I would provide some of their needs, love them and care for them, but I would not legitimize sexual immorality by affording the same joy and privilege of a party for those who acted immorally to obtain this baby.
Baby showers and parties to celebrate birth should be limited to those who did it the right way through marriage. We have glorified the status of unwed mother by throwing these parties.
And, guess what, many say it's for the baby, it is not! The baby doesn't even know the party is taking place. The things are for the baby, that's fine, bring them one by one with the message of repentance. To have a party is for the mother, validating sex out of marriage. Our culture is so twisted in this thinking, they have encouraged immorality by affording the same joy and blessings that belong only to the mother who obeyed God in chastity.
Jeremiah 6:14-16 "…14 "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. 15 "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD. 16 Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'…"
Deuteronomy 23:2 " 2"No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD."
Hebrews 12:8
"But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
God calls those who are not born again but pretend to be "illegitimate." There is such a thing as an illegitimate child. All this talk about all babies being from the Lord is true in once sense, but not true in another.
Very often God does not bless the families who are not repentant from their sexual immorality and their children are not blessed either. I do not celebrate in a baby shower the birth of the child born out of wedlock it sends a wrong message to celebrate that which offends God, that being the sex act outside marriage.
As for the baby, I would provide some of their needs, love them and care for them, but I would not legitimize sexual immorality by affording the same joy and privilege of a party for those who acted immorally to obtain this baby.
Baby showers and parties to celebrate birth should be limited to those who did it the right way through marriage. We have glorified the status of unwed mother by throwing these parties.
And, guess what, many say it's for the baby, it is not! The baby doesn't even know the party is taking place. The things are for the baby, that's fine, bring them one by one with the message of repentance. To have a party is for the mother, validating sex out of marriage. Our culture is so twisted in this thinking, they have encouraged immorality by affording the same joy and blessings that belong only to the mother who obeyed God in chastity.
Legalism is a Destroyer
There were many things that fell from my life when I became born again. Not because I thought about it offending God, but because I no longer had a desire for them. The Holy Spirit in me took them out of my heart, they just weren't there anymore. As I grew in Christ I became disdainful of the things I left behind, I hated what God hated and loved what God loved.
Psalm 97:9-11 "…9 For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. 10 Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart.…"
Over the years God began opening my eyes to many things while more beliefs and practices would fall off, replaced by truth. So many things most believers enjoy and do today I am no longer interested in. They may not even be bad or evil things, they are just not commanded by God so I am free to leave them alone if I choose.
Our culture engages in a lot of unBiblical tradition. I am alright with others making their choices to do these things, however, I want no pressure from others to do the same just because everyone else does them.
I remember as a child I drove people crazy with the question, "why do we do this?" Because of my continual questioning everything, I never fit in anywhere. I didn't fit in because others very often did something that was merely their desire and not purposeful in the Kingdom of God while being intimidated by the simple question, "why?"
Often when people are asked to explain their actions or observances, they give a half baked answer using out of context sentences from the Bible, that have little or nothing to do with truth. The explanations are always heavily peppered with human wisdom and desire. And, sadly the very things they think please God are not pleasing to Him because they come from a heart that is looking to please self rather than Christ.
Of course we all, me included, do things God never commanded, the problem is not that we do these things necessarily, the problem comes when we fight and argue over them, demean and mock, even devaluing others who don't do what we do.
Legalists are adept at creating guilt over things that have no basis in Scripture. Those who make extraneous rules not found in the Word explicitly, are full of pride, not because they follow them, but because they look down their nose at others who don't do as they do.
Deuteronomy 4:29
"But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul."
1 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,…"
Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.…"
We are to judge and speak against sin, but much of the fighting going on is not about sin, but humanistic ritual that God never commanded.
Our responsibility as believers in Christ is to ask God for ourselves. Those who do not ask God are more vulnerable to humanistic legalism, that only detracts from our walk and leaves distaste in the mouths of non-believers who are watching our lives.
A suggestion: Ask God to remove all pride from our lives, expose anything we believe that is not truth and ask the Lord what He wants from us while reading His Word that He might speak to us. How can anyone go wrong when they are asking God to reveal truth!!!!
We have no excuse for not knowing something, God promised if we ask He will show us truth.
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"
Matthew 6:5-15
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ..."
James 5:16
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Psalm 97:9-11 "…9 For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. 10 Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart.…"
Over the years God began opening my eyes to many things while more beliefs and practices would fall off, replaced by truth. So many things most believers enjoy and do today I am no longer interested in. They may not even be bad or evil things, they are just not commanded by God so I am free to leave them alone if I choose.
Our culture engages in a lot of unBiblical tradition. I am alright with others making their choices to do these things, however, I want no pressure from others to do the same just because everyone else does them.
I remember as a child I drove people crazy with the question, "why do we do this?" Because of my continual questioning everything, I never fit in anywhere. I didn't fit in because others very often did something that was merely their desire and not purposeful in the Kingdom of God while being intimidated by the simple question, "why?"
Often when people are asked to explain their actions or observances, they give a half baked answer using out of context sentences from the Bible, that have little or nothing to do with truth. The explanations are always heavily peppered with human wisdom and desire. And, sadly the very things they think please God are not pleasing to Him because they come from a heart that is looking to please self rather than Christ.
Of course we all, me included, do things God never commanded, the problem is not that we do these things necessarily, the problem comes when we fight and argue over them, demean and mock, even devaluing others who don't do what we do.
Legalists are adept at creating guilt over things that have no basis in Scripture. Those who make extraneous rules not found in the Word explicitly, are full of pride, not because they follow them, but because they look down their nose at others who don't do as they do.
Deuteronomy 4:29
"But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul."
1 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,…"
Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.…"
We are to judge and speak against sin, but much of the fighting going on is not about sin, but humanistic ritual that God never commanded.
Our responsibility as believers in Christ is to ask God for ourselves. Those who do not ask God are more vulnerable to humanistic legalism, that only detracts from our walk and leaves distaste in the mouths of non-believers who are watching our lives.
A suggestion: Ask God to remove all pride from our lives, expose anything we believe that is not truth and ask the Lord what He wants from us while reading His Word that He might speak to us. How can anyone go wrong when they are asking God to reveal truth!!!!
We have no excuse for not knowing something, God promised if we ask He will show us truth.
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"
Matthew 6:5-15
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ..."
James 5:16
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)