Tags
1 Peter 3:8-16, Defacing The Landscape?, Isaiah 5:18-24, JESUS, John 16:7-11, John 3:16-19, Matthew 5:10-16, Matthew 7:13-15, Repentance, Romans 1:28-32, SIN, Sin Or Salvation, Truth, Wickedness
Bible Ballistics: Vol. 13 No. 20 Defacing The Landscape???
Deface: 1. to mar the surface or appearance of; disfigure,
2. to efface, obliterate, or injure the surface of, as
to make illegible or invalid…
Landscape: 1. A section or expanse of rural scenery,
usually Extensive, that can be seen for a single viewpoint.
2. a picture representing natural …scenery.
3. Fine Arts, the category of aesthetics subject matter in which natural scenery is represented.
America is a great land—its landscape spans acres of beautiful geography from great ocean expanses to vistas and heights of trees and boulders that seem to touch the sky. You can find almost any type of landscape that suits your fancy. But it would seem that as a nation we are speeding down a path of rack, ruin and destruction not of our geographical landscape but a cultural one (and if you are in another land, you surely face the same challenges)! We are heading down a road that I pray we will veer from, but only God can help us out of the situation that we find ourselves in! God, through Isaiah, aptly describes the state of our land!
“Woe unto them
that draw iniquity
with cords of vanity,
and sin
as it were with a cart rope:
19 That say,
Let him make speed,
and hasten his work,
that we may see it:
and let the counsel
of the Holy One of Israel
draw nigh
and come,
that we may know it!
20 Woe unto them
that call evil good,
and good evil;
that put darkness for light,
and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them
that are wise
in their own eyes,
and prudent
in their own sight!
22 Woe unto them
that are mighty
to drink wine,
and men of strength
to mingle strong drink:
23 Which justify the wicked
for reward,
and take away the righteousness
of the righteous from him!
24 Therefore
as the fire
devoureth the stubble,
and the flame
consumeth the chaff,
so their root
shall be as rottenness,
and their blossom
shall go up as dust:
because they have cast away
the law of the LORD of hosts,
and despised
the word of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 5:18-24
This passage is so full of truth and warnings and I want us to assess our own ‘landscape’ with that described in the message that Isaiah delivered to his own people. With a heart of love for you, and a burden for our culture, I share it with you!
God proclaims His ‘woe’ on those who cling to sin and its trappings—like clinging to a rope to pull a cart. Paul also describes the nature of those who reject God as those who cling to sin, but not only cling to it themselves, they pursue others to propagate their wickedness, sharing their heart for evil, and their despite toward God. It leads to only one fate.
“And even as they did not like to retain God
in their knowledge,
God gave them over
to a reprobate mind,
to do those things
which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all
unrighteousness,
fornication,
wickedness,
covetousness,
maliciousness;
full of
envy,
murder,
debate,
deceit,
malignity;
whisperers,
30 Backbiters,
haters of God,
despiteful,
proud,
boasters,
inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers,
without natural affection,
implacable,
unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things
are worthy of death,
not only do the same,
but have pleasure
in them that do them.” Romans 1:28-32
Oh friends, God will grant your desires, even when they will lead you to destruction, death and hell. It’s your choice and mine. What are you choosing? Remember: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8) And HE said:
“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.
15 Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly
they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15
According to Jesus, when we choose HIS way we won’t often be fighting ‘crowds’! We must keep our Lord’s warnings in mind as we deal with others (it’s why I write these articles and posts without regard for the number of respondents—my job is to sow the seed, the numbers and the harvest is God’s business)– understanding that just as Jesus wasn’t always popular, if we share truth, we may not be either! (Take some time and read John 13-17, and you’ll see that Jesus warned us that when we follow HIM, we will experience the same responses that He did—some will heed but not all.) Jesus also reminded us in John 3 of the fate of those who choose sin over Him. (And remember that ‘not making a choice’ IS making a choice!)
“For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world;
but that the world
through him
might be saved.
18 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.” John 3:16-19
Our landscape is cluttered with the choices of those who relish sin over righteousness. We must pray for God’s mercy, His grace, and the conviction of His precious Holy Spirit to show us our failures, as well as to convict the lost of their need for Jesus.
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth;
It is expedient for you that I go away:
for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart,
I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come,
he will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness,
and of judgment:
9 Of sin,
because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father,
and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment,
because the prince of this world
is judged.” John 16:7-11
Steeped in the same message that God shared through Isaiah, God has always called men and women, boys and girls, to come to Himself through faith in the promised ‘deliverer’! Those in the Old Testament believed and looked forward to His coming, those of us after the cross believe in the completed work of Jesus to save people “from their sins”! (See Matthew 1:21). Just as Isaiah described the wicked of his day, we see that same evil flourishing in our day, and yet we have often responded in an ‘other than biblical’ way. If you take your spiritual ques from social media (which we shouldn’t) then you will follow the mindset that we are to rise up and ‘put a stop’ to this or that; well my friends, what we are experiencing is exactly what scripture says we will experience, and we are to respond as Jesus did! We are to “stand fast in the evil day”; we are to be “salt and light”; we are to understand that in these last days/times “perilous times shall come”! We must remember and know that even in these times we are saved and called to be faithful proclaimers of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, sharing His truth with all those whom God places in our path; not hateful and crude, but full of HIS Spirit, and not our flesh, as Jesus so aptly put it:
“Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye,
when men shall revile you,
and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely,
for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
for great is your reward in heaven:
for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you.
13 Ye are the salt of the earth:
but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted?
it is thenceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out,
and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world.
A city that is set on an hill
cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle,
and put it under a bushel,
but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all
that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine
before men,
that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:10-16
While we must never be those “that call evil good, and good evil”, or those “that put darkness for light, and light for darkness”, nor ever replace truth with the poison lies of the enemy by being those “that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter”, we are called to love (not compromising truth, but to exhibit compassion). The Apostle Peter called us to recognize our call to spread truth not lies, to share love not hate—remembering that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood”! (See Eph. 6:10+)
“Finally, be ye all of one mind,
having compassion one of another,
love as brethren,
be pitiful,
be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil,
or railing for railing:
but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that ye are thereunto called,
that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life,
and see good days,
let him
refrain his tongue from evil,
and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him
eschew evil,
and do good;
let him
seek peace,
and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord
are over the righteous,
and his ears
are open unto their prayers:
but the face of the Lord
is against them that do evil.
13 And who is he that will harm you,
if ye be followers of that which is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake,
happy are ye:
and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and be ready always
to give an answer
to every man that asketh you a reason
of the hope that is in you
with meekness
and fear:
16 Having a good conscience;
that, whereas they speak evil of you,
as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed
that falsely accuse
your good conversation
in Christ.” 1 Peter 3:8-16
I know this is a lengthy passage, but so necessary in this day and age in which we live. So, I pray that we will humbly hear God’s voice speaking to our hearts through His Word, and be those who will fulfill Peter’s admonition, and fill our landscape with the “beauty of holiness” rather than the corruption of the world. Let’s think, live and respond with biblical truth? May we truly “stand fast in the evil day, and having done all, to stand”! God’s way not man’s! We can change the landscape for Jesus, with Jesus and to HIS glory, and for the redemption of the lost!
“Having a good conscience;
that, whereas they speak evil of you,
as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed
that falsely accuse
your good conversation in Christ.”
Amen and Amen!
