He is to go out among wild men. He must have strength of the spirit. He must also have a strength of the body that they will understand and respect.”
–Max Brand (Rider of the Silences)
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
–Romans 8:35(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 the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” –1 John 5:19 (NKJV)
Foolishness! Wickedness! Have you seen that Nabisco, using their top-selling cookie, OREO is sponsoring the movie promoting the gay lifestyle? They are joining with the moral bankruptcy of Disney. Someone recently wrote that “Memory Lane has been turned into the road to perdition.” My question is, what are you doing to keep yourself and your family strong in the Lord? What stand are you taking?
The world is becoming more and more hostile to Christians. For years, other countries have faced severe persecution and still are but we are seeing an insidious move now in America. Where is the person who will stand in the gap? Notice how John finishes his epistle. It is almost like a postscript. He didn’t forget to put it in, but he wanted it to stand out in closing.
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen” –1 John 5:21 (NKJV)
You can almost hear him shouting in closing — “Keep from idols!” We are to know the true, living God. Do not be duped into universalism or globalism in your doctrine. Stand firm in the Lord.
What is idolatry, you may ask? When we think of idols we think of those of Canaan or Egypt: Baal, Molech, Dagon and others. Figures made of wood or carved in stone. However, partaking of the world and what it has to offer is idolatry. Idolatry defined is anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone.
We must be careful for idols sift in subtly. If not careful, the excuse of a family outing every Sunday may soon become an idol. It is keeping you from God’s house and you then are making your family vulnerable to the onslaughts of this pagan world. Listening to the voices of the “antichrists” and you may find yourselves hovering over an idol in your life. “Did God really mean this?” Yes, His Word means what it says!
Go look in the mirror and you will see the biggest idol that you must face–the idol of self. Some have it worse than others. Some have the “barbie-doll” complex, while others want that rugged, macho look. Remember, how you see yourself in the mirror is not the way that others may see you. But it is good to look in the mirror, the mirror of the soul that is. What is that mirror–God’s holy Word. What is your reflection when you look into it?
The times are not going to get easier. Reflection, true reflection, on God’s Word is part of what Paul meant when he said, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” (Philippians 2:12-13). Remember the truth about God and live in communion with Him.