21. A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.

“How serious are we about Our Faith.” This time I am going to write about “Being in the World but not of the World.” As Christians we all like to think we are in the “Not of the World” category. But are we? Before going any further, I’d like to focus on Sodom and Gomorrah and just to refresh your memory please read Gen. Ch19.v1-11. Now, did Lot love his daughters any less than we love of our children? Did God not love them as much as He loved Lot or his visitors? Come on now, think rationally, God’s love does not discriminate, He doesn’t love men more than women or black people more than white or even parents more than their children or the other way around. So why did Lot even think about sacrificing his daughters to the men of that city? Answer, because it was the done thing. At that time, in that day and age, women were expendable and much lower in the pecking order, in fact they were absolute nonentities. Only useful for bearing children. So why didn’t he drown them at birth? Because being Abraham’s nephew, he knew, Human life was sacred and was a gift from God. But at that time, at that place, a woman’s life was worth less than sodomy. Remember he was foreigner in a foreign land and was expected to do things their way (in the world and not of the world) At sometime we all have to make that “in or of the world” decision. grow up and stand firm for what we truly believe. Lot didn’t do that. The bible tells us that Lot was a good man but like all of us he was being carried along by popular opinion and the laws of the day, of course he knew better but he was taking the line of least resistance. He thought if he fell in with what everyone else said and did then he’d be okay. Well we all know the story of how God intervened and the eventual result on Sodom and Gomorrah. I am trying to convey here that unless we get ourselves sorted, we will be in the same mess Lot found himself. Trying to please two masters. We can’t think God will always intervene as He did with Lot. Especially if we know better and choose to go the other way. We need to think very carefully about some of the decisions that are being made for us these days. We still have the right and the ability to say NO to some things that are being put before us. Use your rights while you have them, you don’t have to go along with the crowd. Think, what is this going to mean for me, my children and grandchildren? After reading this article. The main point I’d like you to remember is,--- THE MEDIA IS THE ENGINE ROOM OF LEGISLATION and therefore has to be very carefully scrutinized. It is said “The eyes are the windows of the Soul.” Have you ever thought that windows allow images both ways? Images have great power and one of the most powerful things that can be done is to create an image, but a more powerful thing is to destroy an image. Sighted people predominantly interpret the world through vision, hearing in most cases is a reinforcement of what is seen. In terms of building images, the entertainment industry is an expert, with the News Media increasingly delving into this realm. The film and media industry has taken on the role of image manufacturer with gusto. “The media is no longer informing the public but instead is now forming public opinion.” Do you agree? As for building images, many a politician has been built or destroyed by the media. Destroying images can be illustrated by the destruction of father figures, on and by television situational comedy. As I’ve said earlier the media is the engine that empowers the Liberal agenda. Our abortion reform laws, the anti smacking bill, the homosexual law reform act, euthanasia bill and homosexual marriage act, were all instigated by the Media. If that’s what the media and T.V. in particular is doing to countries, Governments and Parliaments what is it doing to you, your children and Grand children. Humour on T.V. is primarily based on ridicule, Psalm 1.1 says “You are blessed if you don’t sit in the seat of the mockers.” Conversely does a curse apply if one does sit in the seat of mockers? Every time we read, watch or see something we need to ask ourselves Who is trying to tell me what and why? Every time we turn on our T.Vs we are giving somebody access in to our lives and or the lives of our children. Even though we say things like “I just let all that violence, sex abuse and language go over my head.” Let me tell you(and I quote from two recent British and American studies which show) that E.C.G.’s of the brain when watching T.V. are most like when the person is asleep than at any other time. So nothing goes over our heads, everything goes through our eyes and ears into our brains and what goes in is stored there. Sooner or later what is said and done on T.V. will be the norm and be completely accepted by society. Watching T.V. or having it on all day as a number of people do exposes our brains to whatever the Media chooses to throws at us. Whatever is said and done is going through to our brain via our eyes and ears even if we are all but asleep while watching television. Those two senses have a direct input to our souls. What defences have we got? Those sounds and images are being wired directly in to our brains. The brain is not working, just absorbing whatever is being presented to it. We can’t excuse ourselves, what God has given us for good is being used or should I say abused for evil. The devil works in the most insidious ways, we as Christians know this, therefore we should not be putting ourselves where he can reach us. In The Lords Prayer we say “Lead us not into temptation,” so think about it this way--: Sex without love is okay Same sex relationships are okay Divorce is okay Abortion is okay Tax evasion is okay Homosexuality is okay Euthanasia is okay All these things are being presented to us everyday on our T.V. screens `and we are SLOWLY allowing ourselves to be poisoned, it’s worse than smoking, which just poisons the body. We need to take heed of the Scripture that says “Be more afraid of Him who can take both Body and Soul.” People imitate what they see and hear, like smoking, we older ones will remember the days when billboards advertising cigarettes always had a celebrity actor or actress, sports personality and even Winston Churchill with his famous cigar on the billboards, it’s no different today, the screens are doing the very same thing and why would the devil try something new when the old way still works, are we doing it all for him? He knows all he has to do is get it on screen and we’ll all follow like sheep. Then before we know it, there’s a law passed and we are stuck with it. I understand in Canada they have dispensed with Mothers and Fathers days and replacing them with Parents days, because children who are being adopted by Homosexual and Lesbian parents are getting confused and having identity problems!!! We must not kid ourselves, we are all human, like Lot, we will find excuses to justify ourselves in the areas about which I’ve written, but every time we become part of the world and its values we put ourselves in great danger. Like Lot we like to think we are good people. But unlike Lot we have the advantage of the New Testament, and all the insights of Paul and the rest of the great writers who have succeeded him. We know Our God is a Loving and Just God. Will He intervene? And are we prepared to take that risk? In Prov. 4.23. The Word of God says “Above all Guard your hearts” In closing I want to say I am not judging anyone, that’s not my job, and if I have offended anyone I’m truly sorry, However, I believe I received this message from the Lord and had to obey it. Thank you for reading God’s challenge to all of us today. I pray God’s blessing, guidance, preparation and protection on all His people in these troublesome times. Phaline.