Some environmentalists, for one, believe the American way of life is the root of all evil and citizens of the U.S. are ruining everything for everyone with their destructive ideals and habits.
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Watch FOX News for any length of time (something I don't do at home because I don't have television but am now doing a lot of at my mother's house) and you quickly see how many people, from all different professions inside every level of local, state and national government, are "putting on" for the camera. Rush Limbaugh once said politicians are wannabe actors too homely to make it in Hollywood.
Just before his death, renowned Bible teacher Keith Blades' (1953-2010) quarterly e-newsletter (www.enjoythebible.org) summarized what Believers could expect going forward.
“Man’s ungodliness will not only continue to evolve, but it will worsen; in particular man’s emphasis will be upon proudly promoting himself and his achievements like never before,” wrote Blades.
“Accordingly, therefore, rather than acceding to the truth of evolving ungodliness, man will boldly and increasingly protest against any such thing . . . In support he will point to his impressive achievements in areas such as scientific knowledge, discovery, advancements, invention, technology, exploration, culture, society, quality of life, and the like."
Blades emphasized that the "growing darkness” accompanying a man-devised alternative reality should make it overwhelmingly apparent to us that "the wisdom of this world" is useless and worthless to us.
“But more than this, we should begin to clearly see that it is not only fraught with the foolishness and emptiness of ungodly men’s vain imaginations, sophistry, and corrupt reasoning, but that any attempt to incorporate any of it into our (Christian) walk actually will do damage to our edification and to our vocational training. Hence we should recognize that it is harmful and even dangerous to us.
“In like manner should we also become increasingly disenchanted with, and so unimpressed with ‘the fashion of this world.’ For this world’s criterions for determining what is meaningful in life, what is noble, what is honourable, what is worthwhile, and the like, are clearly not founded upon godliness.
“Instead, ‘the fashion of this world’ is primarily and predominantly hedonistic. As such its pronouncements regarding what can bring a person happiness, satisfaction, and contentment, and therefore what makes one’s life full and rich, are founded firmly upon the pursuit of carnal pleasures, and the acquisition and possession of material things.
“ . . . The expectation is that as we are taught more about these 'works of darkness' we would become even more unimpressed with them, perceiving them to be even more distasteful and detestable than what we first recognized.”
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While Paul says in the KJV, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," the New English Bible translates the verse to incorrectly state that God will supply ALL your needs.
“He doesn’t say God’s going to supply all of your needs, or rather greeds,” says Jordan. “People, do you realize most of things we want and desire strongly we can do without? Did you know you can do without health, wealth, education, social standing? You know Paul did all that.
“He says in I Corinthians 4:9, ‘We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.’ You reckon that’s a pretty good social standing?! Not much. He says, ‘We are fools for Christ’s sake.’ The world didn’t think he had much education. They thought he was a nut. One guy said to him, ‘You’re mad; you’re a crazy man.’
“Paul says to the Corinthians, ‘You’re honorable but we’re despised. We’re weak but you’re strong. Even in this present hour we hunger and thirst.’ Paul says, ‘I warn you that there's a lot you can face.’
“If the health and wealth preachers are right, Paul must have been one of the most wicked men who ever lived because he’s a guy who says, ‘I’m hungry right now. I don’t have enough to eat. I’m thirsty. I’m naked. I haven’t got clothes to wear.’
“He didn’t open up a closet and say, ‘I can’t figure out what to wear today.’ He said, ‘I don’t have it to wear.’ He says, ‘Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place.’ And yet he says, ‘I labor with my hands.’
“Now, there’s a guy working and still can’t make it! You ever had that problem?
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“This idea about health you hear preached all the time on the radio and tube—let’s be honest, you can get by in your life without being healthy.
“Go to the bookstore and get the book by Joni Eareckson Tada. Read the stories of people like her if you want to see the victory of God’s grace and His power being made perfect in weakness.
“Paul says, ‘Be careful for nothing. Don’t worry about things.’ That word ‘careful’ there has the idea of anxiety and worry and fretting. Let me give you a quick illustration of that carefulness.
“In Luke 10:38, Martha’s complaining. She’s worrying, she’s overwrought, she’s weighted down with all this serving and gets distraught; she’s all in a dither about it.
“Jesus answered and said unto her, ‘Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful and Mary has chosen that good part.’
“Rather than all the fuss and fuming about having the house perfectly straightened, the roast cooked just right, the gravy just right, the potatoes just right and everything just so, He says, ‘You know, Mary’s doing the better thing sitting here getting the Word.’
“Paul says, ‘Don’t be that way. Don’t be all caught up.’ You know how you get that way? Pride.
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“Worry is totally inappropriate in the life of a Believer. Why? Romans 8:24 says, ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?’
“We have a day coming where God is going to declare us before the whole universe as His adult sons. Paul says, ‘You look around you and see all this undeserved suffering and your participation with it. You’re saved from being dragged down into the earthy by our hope.’
“You have a realm of doctrinal understanding that tells you what you see isn’t what’s lasting and with the eye of faith you know ‘the sufferings of this present world aren’t worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.
“Isn’t that wonderful stability? You operate in the realm of the reality of who you are in Christ.
“ ‘Be careful for nothing’ doesn’t mean you’re flippant; it just means you’re not going to worry about it. You’re not going to be troubled and brought to the place of inactivity through it as Martha was, just throwing up her hands and yelling, ‘Aghhhhhh!!!’ ”
(new article tomorrow)
(new article tomorrow)
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