Be Careful How You Warn

On another thread today someone made the comment that we should warn people about evil and I would agree with that as far as it goes. Warning someone that something is evil is a little different than putting the evil up in their face to be seen.

We ought to be warning our brothers or sisters not to look at evil things rather than showing it to them.

Psalm 101:3-8
3" I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will know no evil.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
7 He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
8 Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity."

I once knew someone who said he had to look at pornography to fight against it, claiming he needed to know what was in the magazines to fight to be able to tell people why he was against it. I disagreed with this because seeing evil things defiles the mind and heart.

I agreed with a judge who once said that he didn't have to define or go looking for obscenity, he knew it when he saw it. There didn't have to be a formal definition of it because it was obviously offensive.

Matthew 15:19 "19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander."

If evil should not come out of us then it certainly should not go into us through videos, magazines, and other visuals.

I get the desire to warn people but I also understand the damage visuals have done to our culture and the scripture that warns us about passing images through our mind that satan can only torment us later.

Showing evil images to a former porn addict is no different than offering alcohol to an alcoholic or LSD to a drug addict.

Born again believers must be careful to "not do as the heathens do" merely to prove a point.
I can just hear the devil now; "its alright you can look", "go ahead and look it won't harm you", "Eve you can see good and evil", "you have to know what filth looks like to address it." These are all lies the devil tells people to get them to look at filth.

The Tenor Through the Pandemic

The tenor of the culture is exposed during times of stress, such as disasters or pandemics like we are seeing now. It doesn't even really matter if this pandemic is real or contrived, the results of whatever it is are showing us the hopelessness of the hearts of many.

I am surprised at how many people are going into depression. There has been a rise in domestic violence since this lockdown.

These things are clues of a culture that has not trusted Christ. There never was joy in their lives and their "happiness" leaves them when they are not doing all the things they want to do, even things they don't need. Happiness is based on circumstances but joy is there all the time because of Christ in those who have trusted in Him.

This is a very good test and an indication of what it will be like in the tribulation only on steroids.

All playtime has been shut down now but it is all playtime we never had anyway as children growing up in the 1940's and 1950's. Children are far too busy running here and there all the time, they never have time to sit on a hill with the cows and read a book. That was one of my favorite things to do in the summer after spending a day at berry picking to earn money.

Daniel 12:4 " 4 But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro and knowledge will increase.”

We have more knowledge today than ever before and less wisdom. We have more material possessions and less emotional security. Since there is a striving for happiness rather than truth and joy, happiness is fleeting it is only present when everything is going the way the individual wants it to go. And, the children seem so accustomed to playing they don't even seem happy while they are playing.

Unless our culture as a whole repents of its selfishness it will not recover. Things are going to get worse except for those who have trusted Christ. What devastates the unbeliever will have little effect on the born again believer.

Philippians 4:12-13
"12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Born again believers walking daily with Christ have little desire or need for adventure, we enjoy the small things.

God's creation is such a blessing to us, its like candy to those who love Him. Sitting on the porch watching the animals and trees, flowers, and creatures delight us. Looking at the grass and smelling its sweet smell after mowing delights us.

Reading the word of God with a cup of coffee and a breeze through the window gives us much joy.

My hope is that during this time many people will realize what really matters and it hasn't been all the things they have been doing to entertain themselves.

Isaiah 26:3 – You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Psalm 119:2 – Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.

1 Corinthians 10:31 – so whether you ear or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God.

No Man Can!!!

The message was clear, that no man can dissolve a marriage made by God. It is just not possible, that's why God said not to remarry, if a divorced person does they are committing adultery.

Just Ask God!

If you wish to know the truth all you have to do is ask God. Then be willing to do away with all the traditions you have loved to embrace His truth.

The modern church has many unbiblical man-made traditions that they hang onto because they "feel" good. Many of these traditions do not please God nor were they commanded by Him.

I run into people all the time who make good sounding statements they believe is from the Bible but are not found there. They have been raised on cliche's that sound right but fly in the face of God's Wisdom.

James 1:5
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

There is no excuse for any born again believer to lack wisdom.

Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Luke 21:15
"15 for I will give you [a]utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute."

God will give us the words to speak when we seek Him and learn His Word well.

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