Matthew 6:24a "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. "
James 4:4 "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
Matthew 12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Joshua 24:15: "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Ammorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
These are just a few of the verses that God has been using to slowly break through my beliefs concerning the way that I live. I constantly ponder whether my life is pleasing to God and the more I look around me and the more I try to read Scripture for what it truly says, I am ashamed of my actions. I suppose that what I am about to say seems fanatical, almost crazy, but God does not ask us to be of the world, nor to shape our lives to the everyday norms in order to "infiltrate" the darkness, but rather God calls us to be "in but not of" and to be a light that pierces the darkness. That means being something that the world will see as different because the truly lost person is not seeking someone that claims to have an amazing hope, but in reality is just like him, but he is rather truly looking for someone that expresses the love that they are longing for. Which one am I? What does my life show. If I apply this to every aspect of my life what is the result. Movies? Music? Books? Heroes? Attitudes? Actions? Clothing? Possessions? Desires? Thoughts?
How much do we justify something to ourselves by saying "it is mostly clean, it just has a little of this or that"? How often do we watch a movie that we encourage others to watch with the admonition of "It is a great movie! Totally clean. They only swear and take God's name in vain a few times, but otherwise it is great!" or "There are only a few bad parts, but otherwise it is wonderful!"? Who am I to make allowances for the misuse of my holy and righteous God's name?! Is that justifiable in any way? Do I not realize that if I take part in these things in anyway then I am making it acceptable? Do I not realize that everything that I do is a representation of what I believe? What do I truly believe? God does not take His holy name lightly nor does He take any sin lightly. Am I lukewarm in my beliefs as I walk around parading a watered down Christianity and a god who is no longer just, righteous and holy? Or am I someone who proclaims God as He is? Am I at enmity with the world or with God? Who am I truly serving?
Solemn and stirring thoughts, what is even more disturbing is that it will divide the "body of Christ" as well. Are we willing to confront the brethren? There is such a stirring...
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and my "sister", may God sift and stir our hearts that we may challenge each other.
Good thoughts and even more good questions! As I was reading I was thinking of how different light is from darkness...they are OPPOSITES of each other. Sad to think because in many cases, the church imitates the world, there ends up being very little to no obvious difference! No wonder more are not saved, as we don't make it attractive, we don't shine in the darkness, our light has gone dim in this age, it is masked behind wanting to fit in and be hip and trendy. God never calls us to be that! He says, COME OUT and BE SEPARATE! Okay, I feel I am preaching to the choir here my friend! But keep speaking truth in season and out of season, as the time is so, so short. Shalom to you!
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