You can’t change what you have to face in life, but you can choose to face it with grit and faith.”
–Cliff Hudgins (Viejo and the Hunted Ranger)
“Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”
–Titus 1:9 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Key Verse: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” –1 John 5:19
A new year… a new year of troubles or a new year of victories? Much of the time the choice is ours. Troubles will surely be there, but do you go through them in the confidence of the Lord? That is the key. He is there! He is always there with you despite what is going on. Our job is to obey, be alert, guard the truth in the midst of the evil of the day. Do not take the time lightly, for the days are indeed evil. Repentance is needed. How many need to repent to turn away the judgment of God I do not know, but that is the only way to avoid the evil that is to come. No, I’m not being a prophet, I’m just reading the Scriptures, and I know that the Christian life is and has always been one of conflict.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
–Ephesians 6:12(NKJV)
One of the ways in which we can be victorious is first of all to realize that we are in conflict, in a real fight, not only for our lives here on earth but for our eternal destiny. Choose this day, now in 2022, whom you will serve. My daughter told me of a family who report they are Christian and they have for the first time ventured out to a store in two years. Two years! That is paranoia, that is being controlled by the system of this world. God wants us to be victorious in our faith, not to cower in our homes. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be cautious, but we need a real trust in the Lord, and I think more is to come. There is talk in some places of forcing the vaccine. Where is common sense, where is common decency?
The devil wants you to live in fear. And, I will ask if you live in fear, then where is your faith? The world is out there all the time. How much attention do we give to it? How much time do we spend with the world and its system of evil? I am always reminded of the Shorter Westminster Confession: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever.” Is our fear glorifying Him? Is our compromise and curiosity a means of glorification? Is our complacency about life and they way we go about living glorifying to God? We are to glorify God in every way conceivable and the world is everything that tries to prevent our doing that.
The world is something that we have to reckon with outside ourselves. Our prayers should be: prevent me from attractions and temptations–things that appeal to us that draw us away from God. Let me not live in fear, but walk in this life in the boldness of Christ.
“The world is opposed to God in its outlook, in its mind, in its mentality, in its own wisdom–worldly wisdom. It is against God in its faith, in its own understanding, in its intellectualism that would banish God and ridicule the Cross and the blood of Christ, especially because it does not seem to be philosophically sound–all that is as much the world as the life of the gutter.”
–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The world would ridicule the Christian. It would isolate us, it places peer pressure upon us, it might attack our job security, it may be a physical condition, ailment, or virus that is used to put pressure on us and persecute us. The world is wise in its own eyes and cares nothing or very little about what God’s Word says, so don’t be duped by those who would mock God. Stand firm, guard the truth, and have faith in God.
—————————————
How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Key Verse: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” –1 John 5:19
A new year… a new year of troubles or a new year of victories? Much of the time the choice is ours. Troubles will surely be there, but do you go through them in the confidence of the Lord? That is the key. He is there! He is always there with you despite what is going on. Our job is to obey, be alert, guard the truth in the midst of the evil of the day. Do not take the time lightly, for the days are indeed evil. Repentance is needed. How many need to repent to turn away the judgment of God I do not know, but that is the only way to avoid the evil that is to come. No, I’m not being a prophet, I’m just reading the Scriptures, and I know that the Christian life is and has always been one of conflict.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
–Ephesians 6:12(NKJV)
One of the ways in which we can be victorious is first of all to realize that we are in conflict, in a real fight, not only for our lives here on earth but for our eternal destiny. Choose this day, now in 2022, whom you will serve. My daughter told me of a family who report they are Christian and they have for the first time ventured out to a store in two years. Two years! That is paranoia, that is being controlled by the system of this world. God wants us to be victorious in our faith, not to cower in our homes. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be cautious, but we need a real trust in the Lord, and I think more is to come. There is talk in some places of forcing the vaccine. Where is common sense, where is common decency?
The devil wants you to live in fear. And, I will ask if you live in fear, then where is your faith? The world is out there all the time. How much attention do we give to it? How much time do we spend with the world and its system of evil? I am always reminded of the Shorter Westminster Confession: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever.” Is our fear glorifying Him? Is our compromise and curiosity a means of glorification? Is our complacency about life and they way we go about living glorifying to God? We are to glorify God in every way conceivable and the world is everything that tries to prevent our doing that.
The world is something that we have to reckon with outside ourselves. Our prayers should be: prevent me from attractions and temptations–things that appeal to us that draw us away from God. Let me not live in fear, but walk in this life in the boldness of Christ.
“The world is opposed to God in its outlook, in its mind, in its mentality, in its own wisdom–worldly wisdom. It is against God in its faith, in its own understanding, in its intellectualism that would banish God and ridicule the Cross and the blood of Christ, especially because it does not seem to be philosophically sound–all that is as much the world as the life of the gutter.”
–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The world would ridicule the Christian. It would isolate us, it places peer pressure upon us, it might attack our job security, it may be a physical condition, ailment, or virus that is used to put pressure on us and persecute us. The world is wise in its own eyes and cares nothing or very little about what God’s Word says, so don’t be duped by those who would mock God. Stand firm, guard the truth, and have faith in God.