Everybody has to come to grips with life.  Both the natural aspects like family, women, and work.  But everybody must also come to grips with their creator and deal with their soul.”
              –Cliff Hudgins  (Viejo and the Outlaw)

    “For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.”
              –1 Corinthians 1:18 (Amplified)
—————————–
How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.”  –1 John 5:19 (HCSB)

    Look at the news, if you dare.  The state of the world is baffled, skeptical, and cynical.  If you don’t think so just look at the way in which they have handled COVID-19.  They cannot make up their mind about it.  Mask to three masks, the vaccine works, but not all the time.  They keep changing their minds–they are baffled.  Being baffled they tend to just put bandaids on the sore instead of digging out the root of the disease.  
    Yet the world refuses to look at Christ.  He is the cure.  Why is it that people have such trouble with the truth?  Instead of accepting the truth, the world will pour out its mockery and in some places it wrath upon it.  Ted Baehr writes, “The Church once shaped Western civilization…  Now our culture is shaped by the mass media of entertainment.  The results are confusion at best and vile paganism at worst.”  The new progressive culture will get rid of Dr. Seuss yet allow the filthiness of rap music to be allowed.
    The Christian has been saved from the false hope of the world.  He knows that the explanation is not a particular idea, nation, or man; the explanation is man’s rebellion against God.  This act of rebellion produced fear–then jealousy, envy, and sorrow.

         “It can all be traced back to the fact that men and women were really meant to live a life in communion with God, and that happiness, in a full and final sense, is only really possible when they obey the law of their own being; and that as long as they refuse to do that, they can experience nothing but turmoil and unhappiness and wretchedness.”
                   –D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The world rebels against God and, therefore, produces its own miseries.  Man, in his own sin, brings about misery to this world.  “Because of sin we are in a world like this, and the world is like this because of sin.” (Lloyd-Jones)
    One problem is that Christians and others in the world, think that Christian behavior is to be expected.  How can this be in a world that does not believe or accept Christ?  Why should the world then apply Christian principles?  They have pushed His moral code aside (and with the last election many Christians did as well).
    There is unrest in the world because of the rejection of Jesus Christ.  The world is baffled because they have gone against God’s moral code and value system.  “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our souls are restless until they find their rest in Thee,” said Augustine centuries ago.  Man is restless, man is rebellious, man seeks to go his own way and therefore there is no rest, no security, no peace–only a delusion.  
    “The supreme need of the world, and of people as individuals, is a knowledge of God, fellowship with Him and communion with Him, and that, says the Bible, is the central need.” (Lloyd-Jones)  Yet man, in his foolishness, thinks that he has a better way.  Man with his new enlightened woke culture knows better than the Almighty God, and thus we have the wickedness, the evil, and the miseries in this world.

Dull can get a man killed in these parts.  You tend to let up and get lazy with your caution.”
              –Lou Bradshaw (Hickory Jack)

    “The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor.”
              –Proverbs 21:25(NKJV)
————————–
I have never seen an angel (unless you count my wife who is continually serving, which is something that angels do).  I know that there is the chance that I have encountered an angel, for at times we entertain them unawares.  Most of the time there are hidden, as Elisha had the eyes of the servant opened to the army of angels.  They are definitely there, and I don’t know fully what their duty is but to be ready when the Lord calls them into action.  There is much wrong teaching and thinking regarding angels, they are not cute, but magnificent; they are not chubby little rascals, but tremendous warriors.  
    Peter had been shut up in prison, and not for the first time.  He was resting peacefully when the angel appeared telling him to ready himself to leave and also to take time to strap on his sandals.  Nothing could save him, but then God sent the angel and together they left the prison.

         “When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.”
                   –Acts 12:10 (NKJV)

Prison cells are no match for God.  You can shut out the world, friends, family members, but there is no power that can shut the angels out.
    The angel escorted Peter out of the prison and down a street then “departed.”  There could be many reasons for the angel to depart, but here it left because his work was accomplished.  There was no more need for the angel, Peter could find his own way now.  He did not need protection, he did not need a further miracle.  One thing that is vital to remember, that even though the angel departed God was still there.
    Often we ask for miracles when none is needed.  Sometimes we want to bask in the miracle when God wants us to be on our way down the street.  He will provide the miracles if He deems the miracle is necessary.  “It [God’s dealing] means that in extraordinary difficulties we may reasonably look for extraordinary help…  But when the claimant need goes, so does the angel.  In the open street, under the common sky, do not expect miraculous intervention.  It was better for Peter’s manhood, and it is better for yours, that only the hour of the dungeon should bring that.  The angel departs, but the law of God abides.  The angel departs, but the love of Christ remains.” (George H. Morrison)
    Peter still had work remaining for him to do, and he could not do it from the prison cell, nor could he free himself.  The angel had to help.  However, do not expect an angel at every corner or in every problem.  “And if at every turn the angel met us and the vision of a dream enchanted us, we should lose heart and nerve and power for the struggle and be like the lotos-eaters in ignoble quietude.  The angel may do, but duty still remains.  The vision may disappear, but truth abides.” (Morrison).
    When the angel departs it is time for us to continue on down the street.  When the miracle has taken place and we are whole again, it is time to fulfill our duty.  We are not to become lazy in our faith expecting an angel at each intersection of life.  We are to walk through this life in the power of the Holy Spirit and if needed, God will send an angel to help, but do not expect it to stay.
    One final word, miracles are gifts of God.  They are not performed by the majesty of an angel.  The angel is empowered by God to fulfill a duty just as we are empowered by God for duty.  Do not give too much credit to the activity of angels, yet do not discount their activity either.  The key–trust in God!  If an angel is needed He will send one.

We’d been wet before, and we both knew we’d be wet again, so it was uncomfortable at worst.”
              –Lou Bradshaw (True Blue)

    “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”
              –Psalm 37:25 (NKJV)
—————————–
How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we are children of God and that all the rest of the world around us is under Satan’s power and control.”  –1 John 5:19 (TLB)

I want us to begin by looking at some questions.  Perhaps they have crossed your mind before, but let’s consider the following:

    1)  Have troubles changed today or are they the same as in the past?
    2)  Have troubles seemingly multiplied or are they probably the same as in the past?
    3)  Do we talk about the problems of the world or do we talk about the disease itself?
    4)  Is there a joy that cannot be defeated and can triumph over any condition?

One thing that I think that is wrongfully taught is that the world is going to get better and be put right.  This does not go along with Scripture, especially in light of what Scripture tells us concerning the Tribulation.  We are not to convert the world, that is not part of the Great Commission.  Karlbach said, “It is not the business of the Church to try to discover world unity and order but to witness to the finished work of Christ.”  Globalism is a subtle evil and not all religions serve the same God just in different methods.  NO!  It is only through the finished work of Christ that a person can have eternal life.
    What the aim should be is the individual.  The world cannot be made right, but the individual can come to know Christ and live in an evil world.  “It [New Testament] does not tell them how the world can be put right, but it does tell them how they can be put right in spite of that world, and how they can triumph in and over it, and have that joy in spite of it.” (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)  The world is under the control of the devil, however, the believer can and should live with joy and have an overcoming life.
    It is time for the Church to declare and not compromise or be complacent.  It is not time to join forces with the world, to be namby-pamby in our beliefs, but to boldly declare, “thus saith the Lord!”  The Church must be separate from the world, for that is one of its purposes, to draw out of its sway and influence.  Why would a person become a believer if they were to remain the same?  
    We should live in joy and it should remain full.  We have eternal life, that in itself should make us able to face the world and walk in joy.  “Life outside God is not life, it is existence.” (Lloyd-Jones)  People are fooling themselves (foolish world) thinking that there is no life after death or thinking that they can be good enough to make it to heaven.

         “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  I have glorified You on the earth.  I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”
                   –John 17:3-4 (NKJV)

Life apart from God is really death.  Man is born in trespasses and sin and thus is doomed unless he finds redemption in Jesus Christ.  One thing to ponder and understand–eternal life is not only duration, but also quality.  Wow!  Think of the wonders of eternal life!
    As a believer we should be certain of what we have–there is a definite and certain experience.  Assurance may not be essential to salvation, but it is essential to the joy of salvation.  Think of David’s prayer of repentance, “restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51:12, NKJV).  He wasn’t questioning his salvation, but he wanted the joy to be there as well.
    Understand this:  salvation is based upon objective truth, it is based upon the same truth.  Do not listen to those who proclaim a “new truth” or a “progressive gospel.”  

         “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” –1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NKJV)

         “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”  –2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)

         “I know not what of good or ill
          May be reserved for me,
          Of weary ways or golden days,
          Before His face I see.

          But ‘I know whom I have believed,
          and am persuaded that He is able
          To keep that which I’ve committed
          Unto Him against that day.'”
                 –Maj. D. W. Whittle