|
Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness? Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an unbeliever? Can God's temple contain false gods? Clearly, we are the temple of the living God. As God said, "I will live and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people." The Lord says, "Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean. Then I will welcome you." The Lord Almighty says, "I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters."
|
For decades the practice of compromising has been a common experience in all facets of our society. It takes place in the professions, the world of business, the arena of politics, within the tainted realm of the entertainment world, and tragically, within the church that professes to be Christian in faith.
Less than half of our population in the United States can find itself in a place of worship on Sunday mornings. Of those involved in Sunday worship, pastors and laity, compromise concerning the Christian faith has accelerated through time!
Compromise regarding the Christian faith really got started in earnest in the beginning years of the 20th Century. "Doctrines of devils" were imported from the continent of Europe at that point in time, and as a fast growing malignancy, they spread throughout the republic.
Basic doctrines of the Christian faith were denied, such as the virgin birth of Jesus Christ - a human mother, but with no biological father being involved. The miracle deniers had a field day with other reported miracles such as the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, Jonah being swallowed by a great fish, and Jesus' feeding of a huge multitude of people with a few loaves and fish! Many other supernatural events were the targets of skepticism and denial. And it follows that the literal resurrection of Jesus from the dead following His crucifixion would be denied - it simply could not have happened, could it? A few of us respond by asking a simple question - "How can you be personally acquainted with a Person whose body lies in a grave, and how can you be in daily conversation with Him?" Conversing with a corpse is strictly a one way street, wouldn't you say?
The problem of denial was the result of taking the position that the holy Scriptures were not trustworthy but simply literature that was solely produced by humans such as you and I. This literature was saturated with a lot of myth and fairy tale type of stuff - you know, human imaginations running in overdrive with some really wild stuff recorded!
And we have always had those individuals around who say that it doesn't matter what you believe when it comes to the Bible - any and every interpretation is possible - just pick and choose what fits your lifestyle and it's OK.
As the rebel seed was sown over months and years, the compromising became more obvious.
Sunday used to be a day when businesses shut down completely. Only the essentials were in operation such as hospitals, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and those companies which maintained furnace operations such as making steel and glass every day. For a majority long ago Sunday was a day of worship, rest, and time spent with families.
But then over time "blue laws" were discarded with stores and entertainment enterprises beginning to do business on Sundays. Manufacturing expanded and Sundays became just another day to make stuff for sale in the world of commerce. This became acceptable to Christians without much objection.
Compromise on religious issues began in earnest with more and more Christian church groups going on record as saying that other "faiths" outside Christianity also have legitimate claims when it comes to addressing the issues of life, human relationships and responsibility, as well as the all-important matter of eternal destiny. Further, that Christianity does not have sole authority in such matters! This means that Jesus Christ is deceived or simply does not know what He is talking about in those "I am…." claims He stated about Himself and the absolute demands He placed upon us humans such as you read in the opening statements of John 3.
Compromise on a most destructive decision took place in 1963 - the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that Bible reading and prayer would no longer be permitted in our public schools. Most professing Christians seemed to accept that with little or no objection. And there were those in the community of "faith" who even said it was a good thing. But now in retrospect can any person honestly say that conditions have greatly improved and our schools are all the better and more superior after that decision than they were before it was handed down?
Then a very critical moral issue came before the court a few years later. In 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court made the most deadly decision in its entire history in which it became a "constitutional right" for a female to intentionally have her unborn child mutilated and murdered for whatever reason she chose to spew forth from the bottomless pit of ignorance! Many professing Christians, along with not a few church leaders, went along with this without serious objection. There are church groups that accept this practice of destroying thousands of unborn children each month without so much as a whimper of protest. Perhaps a major stumbling block on this is the fact that within the ranks of professing Christianity there is colossal ignorance concerning God's view of human life and His planned purpose for every conceived human life! Make sure you are familiar with Jeremiah 1:3,4 and Psalm 139. Note the phrase that mentions about the days outlined for a person's life before birth! Since the SCOTUS decision on Roe v Wade a few months ago which placed the issue upon the states to determine whether abortion will be legal within their borders, there have been comments and protests everywhere declaring support for a woman's "constitutional right" to conspire and have her unborn child mutilated and murdered if she so chooses! The recent midterm election in 2022 involved a lot of ads in which candidates indicated their support for a "woman's right to choose!" And many of these characters won the seat for which they were campaigning. Plus we have a president and vice president that are on public record in an aggressive campaign regarding their support of abortion on demand! And the Pope a while back referred to Joe Biden as a "good Catholic" > when you get that one figured out, let me know, so that I too can understand
Unborn Babies Brutally
Mutilated and Murdered
since Roe vs. Wade
January 1973
Watch this for 60 to 90 seconds
and see what happens!The counter is no longer functioning -- to see the latest
update numbers for the United States and also the whole world, go to
Number of U.S. & World Abortions
The issue of sodomy and lesbianism surfaced within churches with the very divisive question, "Are these practices morally acceptable?" Over time we have witnessed the trend of professing Christians to accept same-sex activity and relationships as being "normal" - more and more church "leaders" are going on public record in favor of same-sex unions and marriages. A number of states have approved marriages for same-sex couples and more will give approval in the future. Even the present resident of the White House in Washington DC has given his stamp of approval to marriage between persons of the same sex. The National Cathedral in Washington DC recently announced that same-sex marriages will be performed within that institution. Just a few days ago (as of the writing of this commentary) the Boy Scouts at the national level announced that the "ban on gays" is being reconsidered. That is most likely a preparatory word which tips us off that soon sodomites will have all the rights and privileges that go with active involvement in the Boy Scouts! So the pressure is mounting day by day - if you are Christian in your professed faith, you better accept these changes. All kind of reasoning is used to convince us that compromise is a good and healthy thing for all concerned due to our being a pluralistic society and our "diversity" will make us a much better and stronger culture, IF we don't refuse to go along and accept it all!
The extent of a Christian's compromising will depend on a number of things. First, our position on the holy Scriptures - are they God inspired and the absolute authority on all matters pertaining to our faith, our relationship with fellow humans, and our relationship to Almighty God Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord? Or is the information contained within those pages simply the production of a number of very active minds with a lot of imagination thrown in for good measure? Second, are we disciplined in diligently searching the Scriptures on a daily basis along with the practice of daily prayer in order that we may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Third, do I view other religions as being on an equal level with Christianity or is Christianity the only true faith and all other religious expressions in this world are totally false and deceptive? And fourth, do I agree that same-sex activity and relationships are just as legitimate as that existing within heterosexual relationships? Or do I take the position that God has drawn the boundaries of sexual expression and experience and this is strictly confined to the covenant of marriage between a male and a female?
To refuse to compromise on such matters as those just mentioned is to open yourself up to attack in times to come. The worst of all possible accusations will be made against the Christian who attempts to be faithful to his/her Lord and clear teaching of the Scriptures. Extreme negative labels will be used in describing who and what you are by those angered due to you not accepting and digesting the lies and the deception such as they have already done.
In those times of extreme pressure to just "go along in order to get along" it is very wise to keep in mind statements by Jesus and His promises to those who overcome this world with its many pressures, temptations, and deceptions:
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven! The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways." (Matthew 5:10-12 - God's Word)"To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit down with me on my throne, as I myself have overcome and have taken my seat with my Father on his throne." (Revelation 3:21 - Centenary Translation of NT - see other promises to overcomers in Revelation 2 & 3)
A Post Script: On January 20, 2021 Joseph Biden took the oath of office to become President of the United States and Kamala Harris took the oath of office to become Vice President of the United States. Both of these persons have gone on public record as to strongly supporting the practice of abortion! They have also let it be known that they will do all in their power to oppose all legislation that seeks to limit abortions in any way. The Democratic Party has a plank in its platform spelling out support of abortion on demand. The party has attempted to bring itself into line with the destructive and deadly decision of the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled in 1973 that it is a "constitutional right" of a pregnant female to conspire and have her unborn child murdered if she so chooses! This of course is in direct contradiction of the historical documents of our republic which contain the statement that all are created equal and that all persons have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! We are a nation of fools of the first magnitude if we believe God is looking the other way and will never, ever make a response to this massive shedding of innocent blood which as of January 8, 2024 amounted to over 65.3 million victims! This does not include millions killed when a pregnant female takes a couple of pills in the early weeks of pregnancy and the unborn child is ejected from the womb a few days after ingesting those deadly pills! These are not counted!
"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it." --- Jeremiah 18:7-10
A Significant Selah Moment!
O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds.
Habakkuk 1:2-2 (NKJV) It can be said that our nation is now in what could
be described as a "graveyard spiral!" That is a term
applied when a pilot becomes disoriented in bad
weather and fails to trust his instruments in that moment.
His plane goes out of control and he crashes!
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.... It is time for You to act, O LORD, for they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.
Romans 1:18; Psalm 119:126-128 NKJV However, never forget, our Lord Jesus is going to come back for us - be sure you are ready!
