Sun October 11, 2009 at 10:29pm
Romans 1.28 In other words, since they have not considered God worth knowing, God has given them up to worthless ways of thinking; so that they do improper things.
While reading Romans Chapter 1 today, I was struck by verses 16-32. My wife and I just finished a trip up north to CT to visit our oldest daughter and while we were there we went to Southern Vermont to spend the night with my youngest brother. We decided to take the scenic route driving on secondary roads rather than the interstate. As we were motoring along US 5 and crossed the Vermont state line (the gateway to Vermont as it was once called) – we noticed that the once scenic highway was filled with trash and most yards were junk-filled as well.
As we spent the evening with my brother and his wife, we were talking about the area and what had been occurring through the years. Since I left in the very early 70′s, Vermont has made many transformational changes – most unfortunately for the worse (IMHO). The people of the state embraced change, going from conservative to liberal, alternative life styles, “gay” unions, and other changes. They had a bout of public nudity where the town selectmen would not make a public nudity ordinance because “they did not want to legislate morality”. In the minds of the liberals for the better, I am sure. Now they have a transvestite that not only teaches school, but is the town celebrity and has been the grand marshall of a number of the local parades.
Where is the “Church” in all of this? The same place that it is in the rest of the country. Asleep at the wheel.
What I believe that we were being shown is what everyone will recognize – what goes on on the inside will eventually show up on the outside. Unfortunately, by the time it shows up on the outside we have been so conditioned to the mess, we don’t recognize it for what it is and by that time we believe that it is the norm.
I am also of the mind, that we (by we I mean the USA) are getting exactly what we have asked for… The condition of what we have in this country is not necessarily the fault of all the liberals. I believe that because of a church/congregational leadership failure and an apathetic Body of Messiah, we are getting exactly what we have not stood for.
Romans 1.28 In other words, since they have not considered God worth knowing, God has given them up to worthless ways of thinking; so that they do improper things.
Romans 1.29 They are filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and vice; stuffed with jealousy, murder, quarrelling, dishonesty and ill-will; they are gossips,
Romans 1.30 slanderers, haters of God; they are insolent, arrogant and boastful; they plan evil schemes; they disobey their parents;
Romans 1.31 they are brainless, faithless, heartless and ruthless.
Romans 1.32 They know well enough God’s righteous decree that people who do such things deserve to die; yet not only do they keep doing them, but they applaud others who do the same.
For the most part, we have not left the confines of our comfortable congregations – we have failed to go into the highways and byways and compelled them to come in. Can we say that we are “Watchmen” standing on the wall ready to sound the alarm?
Ezekiel 33.2 “Human being, speak to your people; say to them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword on a country, and the people of that country take one of their men and appoint him their watchman.
Ezekiel 33.3 Now if, upon seeing the sword coming against that country, he blows the shofar and warns the people;
Ezekiel 33.4 then, if the sword comes and takes away someone who heard the sound of the shofar but paid no attention to it, the responsibility for that person’s death will be his own —
Ezekiel 33.5 he heard the shofar but paid no attention, so the responsibility for his death is his own; whereas if he had paid attention, he would have saved his life.
Ezekiel 33.6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the shofar, so that the people are not warned; and then the sword comes and takes any one of them, that one is indeed taken away in his guilt, but I will hold the watchman responsible for his death.’
Ezekiel 33.7 “Likewise you, human being — I have appointed you as watchman for the house of Isra’el. Therefore, when you hear the word from my mouth, warn them for me.
Ezekiel 33.8 When I tell the wicked person, ‘Wicked person, you will certainly die’; and you fail to speak and warn the wicked person to leave his way; then that wicked person will die guilty; and I will hold you responsible for his death.
Ezekiel 33.9 On the other hand, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he doesn’t turn from his way; then he will still die guilty, but you will have saved your own life.
I firmly believe that we are in the “Last of the Last Days” and the soon appearing of our Lord for His body. – That does not negate the responsibility of the Body not for just looking for Him, but that we should be actively being His hands, His voice, His feet, showing His compassion, love and mercy to the people of a lost and dying world.
Isaiah 52.7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
What do we do? We need to tell the truth in love, do not back down from the truth of the Word – use it to measure our lives, our successes, and even out failures. Stand up for the Word and all of it’s principles. Remember that our relationship with Yeshua is vertical but the love of Yeshua is shared horizontally. And, above all remember time is short.