2013-07-19
Good Morning Dear Ones,
In the last couple of weeks, I have been led to write about Christ’s enemies and will continue this week. We’ve seen how Satan masquerades as an angel of light [1 COR 11: 13-15] and his evil slyness in sending out his followers as “wolves in sheep’s clothing” [MT 7: 15]. The example of the description of idolatrous Israel just prior to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities allowed us to see evil’s infiltration [EZK 6: 9; 8: 7-10]. This led to the belief in the wooden idols of paganism being mixed with Judaism in Israel [HO 4: 12-13] and the love of worldly ideals in our own time [1 JN 2: 15-17]. It is to this last issue that we, as God’s covenant partners, must turn our attention this week.
It’s easy to condemn what we see as wrongs in our society from the comfort of our own homes, but it’s a lot more difficult to actually do something about it. Evil has crept into our own society now, taking its forms in the expunging of any mention of God or the Lord Jesus in our schools, institutions, and even in many of our homes. This evil can range from the wearing of sexually-alluring clothing by pre-teenagers to as horrific as the work of hate groups in organizing and taking wrongful actions against innocent citizens. All over our country, homosexuality and lesbianism [lifestyles God abhors-LV 18: 22; RO 1: 18-32] are being legalized and made acceptable in the media. Our society is weighed down with the problems and cost to our citizens arising from addictions, the breakdown of the family unit, and children not being nurtured by their parents. So many people don’t understand the principles of PS 127: 3 and 5 that children are a blessing from the Lord. They represent our future, and the way things are now, that’s looking bleak indeed. Those seculars and others not following the Lord’s teaching don’t realize the gravity of our covenant commitments. That makes it incumbent upon us to take up the reins of responsibility in acting to reverse these trends. This author believes they begin with a child’s upbringing in the home. We need to make our homes a sanctuary for the Holy Spirit, always seeking out the Lord. PS 63: 1-2, “You, God, are my God. Earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory.”
The spiritual degradation all over our society takes its toll on the generations to come. Students are taught a history that never happened, altered by bias of those trying secularize our society. A friend who is a teacher in an elementary school told me that a nine year old girl came to her after being raped. This unfortunate youngster had been repeatedly raped by a family member. Such things shouldn’t happen. And where were her parents, the watchmen of her life? They were out at a night club at the time. We must remember the principle of the watchmen expressed in EZK 33: 6-7, 10b-11. If the watchman knows danger is approaching, it’s his job to warn others. If they don’t heed the warning, then the responsibility for it rests on them. But if the watchman doesn’t do his job and thus, doesn’t warn the people, then the responsibility (with negative consequences) rests on him. Another teacher, this time of senior high history, shared this vignette with me: A colleague had a student in his biology class who objected to his teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution, by expressing intelligent design (the epithet given to the Biblical point of view) and sharing GN 1: 27. His student was immediately scolded and made to write an essay that night about the reasons for not discussing God in the classroom. This example is why we need to see ourselves as watchmen with a covenant responsibility to do exactly that with our children and to place them in schools and churches that encourage us to know the truth accurately [2 TIM 1: 13-14] and to witness to it with love and accuracy [MT 28: 19-20].
There is nothing new about this principle. Way back when King Jehoshaphat and the Jewish people were about to face a combined army of Moabite, Ammorite, and Edomite enemies, this exchange went on between this Hebrew king and the seer, Jehu, at his palace in Jerusalem. Jehu asks in 2 CH 19: 2b-3, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.” (Asherah is the female god of Baalism, and babies were burned and their bodies posted on these poles as an expression of that pagan practice). Jehoshaphat ruled Judah from 873-848 BC. We might ask from where does relief from evil’s consequences come? PS 121: 1-3, “I look to the mountains, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let us fall; our Protector never slumbers.” These precepts should never be forgotten: PS 119: 24, 93, “Your instructions give me pleasure; they are my advisors…I will never forget Your precepts, because they have preserved my life.”
PRAYER: O Lord, we have learned that You have both present and future purposes for our lives. You want us to overcome the evil to which we are exposed, by making right choices and placing You at the center of our lives. Our present purpose is to be alert, to know Your teaching, to be wise, courageous, and compassionate in applying it to our lives and our covenant relationships with You and with other humans. To that end we pray PS 51: 6 and PS 119: 125, “Sincerity and truth are what You require; fill my mind with wisdom…I am Your servant. Give me understanding, so that I may know Your teachings.” We open our hearts and our homes to Your Spirit and pray often, listening for Your words to us. And once we well know Your teaching, we take our covenant responsibility to be good watchmen and to witness to Your word. We understand that witnessing to the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ is your will. We may not know our future purpose, other than that we need to leave a legacy of faith and wisdom to those who come after us. However, we should never forget that when we are obedient to You and faithful in following the lead of the Holy Spirit, then our future purpose will be fulfilled. IS 55:11 [God speaking], “So is My word that goes out from My mouth! It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Yes, Dearest Abba, we know Your purpose is for as many people to be saved and brought back to You in heaven for eternal life as possible. We look around us and see the spiritual degradation of our society. That tells us we are not doing the best job at this that we can. As Your covenant partners, we accept that Satan and his followers are Your enemies and thus, also ours. We ask for Your guidance and Your help in remaining able to avoid the enemy’s temptation and slippery slopes and to boldly witness to the truth of Your Son. 2 COR 4: 6, “For God Who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” We know we can find comfort as depicted in PS 37: 23-24. “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” For everything You have given us, including the power to dash evil from our lives and our salvation, we are deeply grateful. We offer You praise and glory for Who You are and what You do for us. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am directed to begin a new segment of these “Our Covenant” messages called “Covenant Strength and Power.” We begin it by looking at the treadmill on which non-believers find themselves. All those first 25 years of this writer’s life were indeed a treadmill of slow progress, doubt, and lack of self-esteem. Perhaps if you look back on your own lives, you spent some time like that. Many people do. I have come to the conclusion that one can’t overcome the evils of this life without God’s love, guidance, and intervention. Look at the promise we find in IS 30: 20, “Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.” We must begin by asking God to know His will. PS 143: 10, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” He will answer us, if we listen for that answer and keep our eyes on Him. Moreover, He will give us peace. IS 26: 3, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose eyes are fixed on You. Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the Eternal Rock.” While I can’t speak for you, the Lord is one Rock I want to stand on forever! Praise and thanks be to God now and forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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