The freedom to commit adultery in our country has led to broken marriages, broken families and broken hearts...How is that freedom working out for those who want to indulge? Those who indulge in intimate relations outside of marriage are setting themselves up for marital failure. The mindset that tests the waters and bails out when things get rough, is the foundational evil behind lacking commitment, it follows the live-in shack ups into marriage when they finally decide to tie the knot.
The freedom to drink alcohol to excess has led to drunk driving that kills people and destroys lives, the freedom to act foolish and ruin the lives of others by our evil example has grown out of control. Foolishness is now celebrated while preaching sobriety is condemned as "judgemental."
The freedom to read any kind of filth ones wants to experience has led to child molestation and spousal abuse, filth is defended while a clean and righteous mind is attacked.
The freedom to divorce and remarry on demand has ruined the stability of the hearts of children, bringing discouragement while leaving our culture without a role model that works and loves well.
The freedom to make movies that destroy the moral climate of our culture, has distorted reality in the family structure, while fostering rebellion in the hearts of the children.
The freedom to murder 60 million babies has created the most heinous killing mentality ever seen in this culture. How is all that killing working out for us? We have yet to see the effects of this, in our social security system, in our jobs market in our devaluation of human life and lack of respect for anyone. The same people who advocate abortion on demand will march against war when an evil empire threatens another country.
I do not believe our founding fathers meant to foster the mentality of total freedom for all things no matter who it harms. The freedom they desired was the freedom to worship as one pleased while holding fast to the standards that make for a safe and loving society while honoring God.
Our culture is no longer safe, it is ugly and demeaning and all because some very squeaky wheels in the liberal media wanted the freedom to live as wickedly as they pleased without any restraints or stigmas attached. Hollywood has played a destructive role from the beginning in all this mess. It began with seemingly moral stories with a little lie here and there sneaking in unnoticed, while over time as people became used to and desensitised to sin, they began to add more and more immoral language and actions. Having said all that I must say this, the media only gave the people what they already desired in their hearts. Because the country was not obsessed with their Bibles and prayer, they were easy prey for deceivers in the media.
Since the church moved away from reading their Bibles in favor of massive amounts of television viewing, the church lost sight of truth. Those who went to church didn't know their Bibles and thought the movie industry was getting it right in their insidiously subtle violations of God's Word. It is not only the movies that control us, but sports has also consumed the hearts of many believers, I know this because the church chatter during coffee hour is all about the sports.
The less Bible we read and pray about, the more evil will move into our lives, taking a piece of our heart here and a piece there until eventually the Bible reading will disappear entirely while the media controls our mind and our heart.
Believers we need to spend time with the Lord far more than we spend with devices and stories, only then can we grow in grace.
2 Peter 3:18 "18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."
The Commandments of God are not burdensome, they bring freedom.
1 John 5:2-4 "2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."
Those who want to be free from the commandments and principles of God are placing themselves in bondage to the world and the wicked one who seeks to destroy the lives of those he touches.
There are only two conditions for the human experience, slavery to the devil who loves to destroy us or slaves of Christ Who cares so deeply about our welfare that He gave His own life to cover our sin nature, to be able to have fellowship with Him forever in a paradise that He is preparing for us.
1 Corinthians 10:9-10 " Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer (the devil)."
John 14:3 ""If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."
The devil knows he will go to the lake of fire to burn forever and that's his desire for us, to suffer with him in total darkness forever, with no hope of anything else. He wants to separate us from God. Satan's hate is beyond anything to be imagined. The devil wants us to be soul sick and defeated. Momentary pleasure of sin will lead to a miserable existence, the pleasure will go away but the consequences of it will last forever without Christ.
Christ wants us to trust Him, choose to be changed by Him into a new creation so that we can live with Him forever in paradise, free from sin, sickness and evil forever. God's love is beyond anything to be imagined, His desire is for us is to be healthy in our Spirits, victorious and strong.
With Christ our pleasure changes from rotten, devastating, uncaring and unforgiving reality to a joy that takes us through all things, coming out the other side stronger than we were before with the end reward a paradise that can not be described.
Hebrews 11:20-25
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;"
Often I ponder the amazing salvation of our Lord and all those people He made into new creations, our brothers and sisters who love to love will all be together in one place forever, all meanness gone, all lying, cheating, manipulation, hate and evil will be gone forever, left only with the pure love of Christ in the hearts of those who have been changed and saved by Him. Hallelujah!!!!!
Anyone who says to you, "I have a word from the Lord for you", tell them, "no you don't", there was only one mediator between God and man and that was and is Christ Jesus. If God wants me to know something He will tell me and He will not tell me anything in my future."
When we walk by faith we don't need to know our future, we walk daily trusting God. Christ in us will tell us what to do at the time it is needed.
Matthew 6:25-34 "25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Perhaps we should take special note of that last verse "34."
"34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
