What Rights We Demand
I was listening to a Christmas message from Dr RC Sproul, and he was using a few texts of scripture that weren't usually used in the season messages. One of them was Rev 21 as a way to look at how we should be thinking because of Christmas, not about Christmas. The passage reads,
6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
That got me thinking about today's culture and what we demand from each other. This culture is replete with those people in those categories. How many cowards are surrounding us? Those who won't stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Those who won't face justice on a daily basis. Those who let others pay their sentences. We celebrate pluralism in this country like it's a commendable attribute, but God doesn't see it that way. We like the vile and the tawdry, as we have been celebrating Tiger Woods fall from grace.
Murderers? We are now instituting abortion funding as "Health care". I won't take part in that! I will not be numbered in the ranks of the 21st century Nazis as we exterminate children as inconveniences. We hold up the sexually immoral and act like they have some virtue. How does anyone not say that Gay rights is an abomination? It is replete throughout scripture, and the one defense I have heard from Christians is, "Jesus never said it was". Well if you believe that Jesus is God, and God inspired the OT definition of sexual morality, and then He states in Revelation that sexually immoral people aren't numbered as citizens of heaven, you have your answer.
The practice of magic arts, horoscopes, pagan rituals and the like are forbidden, likened to rebellion. Idolatry? Where do we start? Money, career, status, leisure, self, anything that you put in front of God as a priority in your life. We all fall there. And finally liars. Some of us are them, all of us know some. Even the "white lies" that we seem to have no problem with are condemned.
So this Christmas, show the Lord that you love Him, not by being nice for a week, or buying a gift for someone you usually wouldn't, although those are good things. But instead make Him a priority in your life. Read His words, learn His mind and heart. He sent the message for our benefit, not His. After doing that for a while, you'll see that the rights you have been demanding for so many years, won't seem so important anymore. I encourage you to let God through His Son's sacrifice and His Spirit's leading renew your mind, and then this culture won't hold as much sway over you as it is now.
Romans 12:1
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Numbers 6:24
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Mat the Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you
and give you peace
6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
That got me thinking about today's culture and what we demand from each other. This culture is replete with those people in those categories. How many cowards are surrounding us? Those who won't stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Those who won't face justice on a daily basis. Those who let others pay their sentences. We celebrate pluralism in this country like it's a commendable attribute, but God doesn't see it that way. We like the vile and the tawdry, as we have been celebrating Tiger Woods fall from grace.
Murderers? We are now instituting abortion funding as "Health care". I won't take part in that! I will not be numbered in the ranks of the 21st century Nazis as we exterminate children as inconveniences. We hold up the sexually immoral and act like they have some virtue. How does anyone not say that Gay rights is an abomination? It is replete throughout scripture, and the one defense I have heard from Christians is, "Jesus never said it was". Well if you believe that Jesus is God, and God inspired the OT definition of sexual morality, and then He states in Revelation that sexually immoral people aren't numbered as citizens of heaven, you have your answer.
The practice of magic arts, horoscopes, pagan rituals and the like are forbidden, likened to rebellion. Idolatry? Where do we start? Money, career, status, leisure, self, anything that you put in front of God as a priority in your life. We all fall there. And finally liars. Some of us are them, all of us know some. Even the "white lies" that we seem to have no problem with are condemned.
So this Christmas, show the Lord that you love Him, not by being nice for a week, or buying a gift for someone you usually wouldn't, although those are good things. But instead make Him a priority in your life. Read His words, learn His mind and heart. He sent the message for our benefit, not His. After doing that for a while, you'll see that the rights you have been demanding for so many years, won't seem so important anymore. I encourage you to let God through His Son's sacrifice and His Spirit's leading renew your mind, and then this culture won't hold as much sway over you as it is now.
Romans 12:1
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Numbers 6:24
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Mat the Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you
and give you peace
posted by Jerry | 6:45 AM
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