January 14 Choose Today! James 4:4
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
Regardless of your political persuasion or your “social awareness,” if you claim to be a “born again believer,” then your life, your actions, your attitude and your opinions ought to reflect that fact! How can one hold a world view about sin and sinful activities and continue to profess to be a servant of Christ? How can one support and defend a position that is in direct conflict with the Holy Scriptures? How can one justify the “hatred” and the “perverse” nature of humanity and support its proliferation, and still proclaim that Jesus is their Lord (This is not judgement, it is fruit inspection)? Matthew 6:24 makes it crystal clear: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Just recently, I was engaged in a conversation with two men that I have great respect for, and as the conversation progressed, one of the men asked me about how I felt about a particular current event, and when I stated that I thought that it was unacceptable, he, immediately, scolded me and began to defend this worldly, and may I say, an ungodly position. I asked, “How can you possibly hold that opinion and still profess Jesus as your Lord?” The question seemed to create some anger and hostility towards me and his response was so revealing! “I thought you might be one of those people that are holier than thou! We are all human and God knows our weaknesses and not all of us can be as perfect as you! It is people like you that make folks want to avoid church. I thought you were not supposed to be judgmental! I walked away from this encounter a bit confused and a bit saddened. When I sat in my car, I began to pray for this very special man, a man that has been a friend and encourager, and I asked God to open his eyes to see the folly of this worldview and the amazing gift of God that is ours through the Blood of Jesus Christ! Friends, Satanic forces are active and successful in deceiving folks, good folks, and leading folks into Damnation! Sin, unconfessed sin, destructive and divisive sin, immoral and perverse sin, arrogant sin, in the life of a professing believer is unacceptable! The prophets of old and the believers today are shouting, to the rooftops, REPENT! We must choose who we are going to serve! Romans 12:2 declares the truth about our relationship with the world and with our Savior: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The scriptures warn of wolves in sheep’s clothing and that there are “Tares” among the “Wheat,” and that Satan is roaming about testing and trying to deceive! Who will you serve? Will the twisted hate filled politics of the day rule your thoughts or will you stand strong and serve the one, true and amazing God that loves us enough that He sent Jesus to shed His Blood to Save us and to redeem us and to sustain us until we gather around His throne in praise and glory! I stand with Joshua when he declared this beautiful, yet powerful declaration of loyalty and service: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) As for me and my house, WE CHOOSE TO SERVE THE GOD! Remember this fact: Matthew 7:13-14 … “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” I choose to be one of the few, how about you? Stay Strong, Stay focused … THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
PostScript: Notice the chaos and unrest in Minneapolis, and in the cities across America. Individuals that are defending “Lawlessness,” while challenging the enforcement of our national laws! Where have these folks learned, and been told, that opposition to the Law of the Land, and the destruction of public and private property, and the physical attacks on duly authorized Federal Law Enforcement Officers, is, in any way, acceptable behavior? Arrogant, twisted, unrelenting Sin is the cause of this and other divisive actions by satanic driven individuals! I witness this level of hatred, and animosity for what is “right, noble, just and proper behavior,” and the deepening divide between the “Left” and the “Right!” Sadly, we are told, in the Holy Scriptures, that it will continue to grow worse! Who will you serve? Will it be the World and all of its twisted and perverse, or will you serve the God that loves you enough that He sent His Son to be the One, True and Final Sacrifice for your sins, and has promised that, when you accept His gift of Grace, that you will spend eternity with Him? Never has it been more critical for a decision to be made, and a commitment to be what God has called us to be!