11-05-2009, 11:17 AM
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#264 (permalink) |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: South...Thank God!
Posts: 19,835
Rep Power: 3575   |
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Forever the Same Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. — Hebrews 13:8 The Bible describes a time in Israel's history when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6). But I also think that is a good description of our time. Rather than living by a set of absolute standards like the Ten Commandments, many people are making up their own standards and using a sliding scale for morality, thinking they are at least better than the next person. It reminds me of the prophet Isaiah's warning, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). That is where our culture is today. We mock what is good and pure, and we celebrate what is wicked and sinful. Good is called evil and evil is called good in our upside-down world. That is why I think our generation could easily be called the iGeneration, because we think it is all about us. It is all about our getting what we want, when we want to get it. Now that we can get our information on demand, we don't want to be told what we can see or hear—or let others decide when we can hear and see it. We want what we want, and we want it when we want it. And many are taking the same approach to morality. So how do we reach a culture like this? Answer: we reach it the same way Christians reached their culture 100 years ago and 300 years ago and 500 years ago and 2,000 years ago. We reach our culture with the authority and the message of God's Word, because that never changes, no matter what. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). |
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11-05-2009, 11:17 PM
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#266 (permalink) |
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Super Moderator
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 355,885
Rep Power: 8572 |
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."
Matthew 7:24-25 NIV |
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11-07-2009, 11:47 PM
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#268 (permalink) |
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Super Moderator
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 355,885
Rep Power: 8572 |
Knowing God's Word will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from knowing His Word.
God has given us His Word as a guide for our life. However, His Word won't help us if we don't study it, know it, and live by it. Therefore, we must diligently study and apply God's Word if we wish for it to have an impact on our lives. Jesus promised, "If you abide in My word ..., you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32, AMP). That's a promise that if we abide in His Word, we will know the Truth, because His Word is the Truth. So it makes sense that God told the Israelites, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:8). Joshua later repeated a similar instruction: "Be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left" (Joshua 23:6). Why is it so important to follow God's Word? Because His Word keeps us from turning aside to the right or to the left; it keeps us on the straight and narrow path that leads to life (see Matthew 7:13-14). Therefore, abide in His Word, because His Word will keep you from sin. |
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