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Permission has been given by the author
to post his comments on Circuit Rider's Range
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The past decades have seen a considerable change in the American people and their attitudes toward God and the church. While this has never been a perfect nation nor a people totally committed to the Lord God, the change in beliefs and culture have been dramatic.

The mad rush for physical possessions has truly become an obsession with economic wealth often being equated with God's blessings. We have slowly but definitely turned Christianity into part of the free-enterprise system.

Along with this has come the emergence of sports and their relegating the worship of God into second place in the lives of people. Sundays have now become a time for the participation or observance of sporting events. Professional football, basketball, baseball, golf and soccer have taken over what used to be the Lord's day as much of the other days in the week and no one really seems to notice; if they do, they don't care! All forms of recreation are deemed necessary to help relieve the strain on a society collapsing under the pressures of daily living. The pressures coming about because of a mistaken belief that being busy will bring about a life of happiness and peace.

Although we have never taken our jewelry and melted it down to form a golden calf as the ancient Israelites did, we most certainly have made idols of money; sports; cars; clothing; and anything else which can help us have a feeling of superiority to other people.

It is true that we have not placed these items on an altar in our homes and bowed down in front of them, but our worship of them is just as strong as if we were doing so. We ridicule the pagan in a far off land who worships a wooden idol and yet are just as firm in the adoration of our own gods although we refuse to recognize that we are doing so.

If we are ever to have true peace and joy in our lives we must turn away from the physical demands of the world and look to the one who can supply that which is so needed to bring us eternal happiness. The time has come for us to make a decision: If the Lord be your God, follow Him. If Baal be your god, follow him and he will take you to hell.

Max R Tyner, Pastor
Good Shepherd Evangelical Church
Geronimo, Texas
Email: mtyner@mail.nbtx.com