But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
2 Timothy 3: 1 - 5 NKJV
The other day my friend sent me a news story of some political angle along with the quote..."This will make your blood boil." My response to him? Not really. For many of the injustices and events described in this video I have been aware of for some time. I guess I pride myself to being a follower of most things political as well as history. The late Rush Limbaugh had a saying that he knew liberals like he knew himself. Why? Because those on the left end of our political arena have been using the exact same tactics for years on end. So, not much of what they do surprises me anymore. While thinking about this the other night I asked myself, is it possible to be a Christian in todays world? Now, I know that many a believer might have asked the same question at some point, so I cannot claim to be the first. From what I know about my faith and the God which I serve, I know in my heart that one can indeed be a Christian in this world without falling victim to it. Indeed, we are warned in scripture of just how many troubles and tribulations which we will face in life. We have warnings from Jesus {Matthew 6:25-34}. We also have the apostle Paul warning young Timothy about the ways of this world {2 Timothy 3:1-5}. So, the warning bells have been there for some time. I cannot say for sure, but I believe that one of the reasons which Paul gave such a strong warning to his young apprentice was to prevent him from falling victim to the desires of this world. Even back in Paul's day I'm sure that there were plenty of temptations to go around. That will never change. For as long as we are living in this physical world, we will always be faced with situations and temptations which will run contrary to our faith and beliefs. On a personal note, I have fallen victim more than a few times to bad behaviors and thinking wrong of others. I would venture to say that anyone who claims to have never engaged in such things are lying to themselves {1 John3:10}.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater then he who is in the world.
1 John 4: 4 NKJV
I am not naive enough to trust that all Christians will stick to their beliefs like white on rice. Hey, if I could stumble and fall before then it's possible for any believer to follow that wayward path. My advice to these people is simple, never forget who you are. I've been through many occasions where I've acted out and followed what the world believes. Does this change the fact that Jesus is my true identity? Not in the least. One of my favorite passages from scripture is that of the prodigal son {Luke 15:11-31}. With this parable, Jesus tells us that in spite of ourselves, the love of the Father is absolute. That is the wonderful thing about God, His love is unchanging throughout our life journey. I have heard many a Christian claim that God has changed over time. Brother, God hasn't changed, WE'VE CHANGED. I believe that this nation of ours once had a deeper faith and respect for the Lord. However, over time we as a people have chosen on more than one occasion to follow the path of the world over the path the Lord has given us. Granted, since He is in all of His creation and is all knowing, He most certainly knew we would do just that. Just as He was aware that His chosen people, Israel, would follow the ways of the world as well. Does God withdraw His love for us once we decide to follow the worlds lead? No, but He does allow us to make that choice despite it being the wrong one. At the end of the day, when we're weary and beat up from what the world has dished out to us, God is there to love us. There is nowhere we can go that is out of His reach. There is also nothing we might do that His grace and forgiveness cannot overcome.
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
John 16: 33 NKJV
~Scott~
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