Bible Ballistics: Super Groundhog? February 2, 2014 Vol.3 No.12
Well, as most of you that are local Oklahoman’s know, we are snowed in and I’m loving it. Answered prayer for moisture from our Awesome God and a beauty that only our creator God can make. It’s been lovely and I hope that you are having a great day wherever you live.
As I was up early this morning watching the pre-dawn sleet falling for about an hour, and then the lovely snow that fell until afternoon, I was thinking about the nations focus on the Superbowl and Puxatawney Phil. A nation consumed with sports and ‘mother nature’, while at the same time rejecting the Creator God of the universe. Seems a bit oxymoronic, like part of Romans 1:25 have we, “worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator “. Have we really considered what’s going on around us, maybe even in our own hearts?
We are a nation that has walked the way of Romans 1:21-23,
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”
I don’t mean to be abrupt, but think it through with me. We don’t look to God (as a nation), we don’t acknowledge him in our day-to-day issues, we don’t ask for His provision. Instead we look to a ‘ground hog’ to tell us what the weather is going to be, or we depend on a weather man who credits or blames ‘mother nature’, never realizing that the weather is in the hands of the God of the universe—not the government or the weatherman. It’s amazing that we are so miss-focused.
I believe we are, as Paul says in Romans 1, a people who
‘knew God’ (about Him) and yet ‘glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.’
We have abandoned the truth for a lie—
We have exchanged the Creator of all things, for our own wisdom—
We have become ungrateful for God’s provision not even acknowledging His hand—
We have become vain in our own ways rather than dependent on HIM.
And God declares that the result of our choices is a ‘darkened’ heart.
Hearts that are dark,
having rejected the light.
Jesus himself referred to this in John 3:18-20,
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
Jesus equates darkness with evil, and evil deeds to those who refuse to accept and believe in HIM. Just as he tells us in several other places that:
‘by their fruits ye shall know them’, and
‘ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins’.
So what is to be our response? I believe that scripture is clear, but are we hearing it? Or are we, as a song says, ‘not trying to change any hearts, we’re just getting used to the dark’? Am I getting used to the dark? Are you? It’s so pervasive around us; it’s hard sometimes to even recognize it. Are we so desensitized that we are oblivious to the evil around us? I’d like to share one other passage, make a few comments and let you think about these things today and throughout this week.
2 Timothy 3:1-5, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
1—We are in the ‘last days’ (the last days began when Jesus came, became our sacrifice and ascended to the Father until His triumphant RETURN—which I believe is soon.)
2—The perilous times are upon us—ready or not they are HERE, NOW.
3—Men (and women, all mankind) shall be (are right now):
LOVERS of SELF
COVETEOUS
BOASTERS
PROUD
BLASPHEMERS
DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS
UNTHANKFUL
UNHOLY
WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION (not caring for their own families)
TRUCEBREAKERS
FALSE ACCUSERS (LIARS)
INCONTINENT (without self control)
FIERCE
DESPISERS OF THOSE WHO ARE GOOD
TRAITORS
HEADY (puffed up, usually about themselves)
HIGHMINDED (simply put, conceited, self-exalted)
LOVING PLEASURES, NOT GOD
HAVING A FORM OF ‘GODLINESS’ (but without God’s power—hypocrites).
Conclusion: FROM SUCH TURN AWAY.
The choice is yours—Life or Destruction?
Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Not because it’s not visible but they don’t want it).
Think on these things—they are of eternal import.
Bible Ballistics 