January 15 – Live Resolutely

       Galatians 6:14 - “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

       Living in an ever-increasingly depraved society in 2019, it can sometimes be discouraging to see the older generation rejecting the morality with which they grew up, and the younger generation who knows nothing of morality, except for what is expedient. The generation from the 50s and 60s knew of God's morality. They either embraced it or discarded it as outdated cultural clothing. At the very least, however, they knew of it. The younger generation, by and large, were not raised knowing God's ways; they are foreign to them, since the cultural stigmatism of moral disobedience has disappeared. Conservative people who still believe in a higher moral code are now considered bigots and narrow-minded. One can see the amoral societal agenda being promulgated through the TV commercials, which are widespread.

       We Christians, who desire to please God in everything we do, are warned in Galatians, chapter 5:7-9 “You were running a good race; who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who called you. 'A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.' “ While this chapter in context is debating the importance of circumcision in a gospel of grace versus works, the concept itself in the above verses works in every facet of our lives. Do we want the world to dictate to us how we should think, act and react? No, we need to guard our hearts against the poisonous waters of the world's fountains of “wisdom”. Psalm 119:9-11 gives us the key to staying true. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you [God] with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

        Paul argued in Galatians that the “circumcision group” was pushing their agenda, in order to avoid persecution. It is the offense of the cross that brings persecution. Why? Because the cross was God's punishment for sin, mine and yours. If we proclaim the need for forgiveness and redemption, then we are insinuating that the human race is in rebellion toward God, both in heart and in action. That is what the world finds offensive. So, where is our allegiance? Is it with God, or with the world? We can only serve one master.   

March 8 – Distressing Times

        2 Peter 2:6-8 - “...if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in this righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard);”

        Sometimes there is a fine line between hating the sin and loving the sinner. We know that Jesus did it perfectly, but we redeemed sinners have a much harder time doing so. I currently work (2018) in the hospitality sector of the workforce, specifically at a hotel, in the center of the universe – in a small town that emphasizes history, arts, New Age philosophy, city-life getaways, and dwindling morality. The basic function of any hotel is to provide sleeping accommodations – comfortable, amenable, and commensurate with one's financial expectations. This hotel also offers spa services, contains a restaurant, and hosts special private events, such as weddings and receptions. All of those functions do not require a great deal of moral decisions, when transacting with the public – except for weddings.

        American society has acquiesced to the trending philosophy of amorality. So, now a heterosexual couple, who are my age, are stressing over the “wedding” plans of their gay son, who is “marrying” another gay guy. (Gay marriage is obviously an oxymoron; hence, my use of quotation marks.) The parents are not stressing about the two young men, only with the wedding details. As I watched this unfold several times, with our wedding co-ordinator, my distress arose, my anger arose, and my stomach turned. The distress came to a head one day, when I was working the front desk on the day of a gay couple's “wedding” reception at the hotel. The couple had asked the front desk personnel to hand out gift bags to their overnight “wedding” guests – an act that was not unusual, and that I had done before. However, this time was different. Giving out arrival gifts is not part of my job, but rather a favor to the hotel guest. So, when I refused to give out gifts this day, my co-workers and boss were not happy. Rather, they questioned my ability to treat people with courtesy and respect. To them, that simple gesture was not a big deal. To me, handing out arrival gift bags, was a tacit approval of an immoral act. As 1 Timothy 5:22 states, I was not going to “participate in the sins of others”. Therefore, I took a stand for what I believed. It was quite an uncomfortable situation for my team that day.

        Just like Lot felt 3500 years ago, I am distressed over the blinded, but filthy deeds of lawlessness today. Psalm 12:8 states, “The wicked freely strut about, when what is vile is honored among men.” The fourth chapter of Ephesians gives us the explanation for this behavior. “....you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking,. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (vv 17-19).

        What is our job as Christians to combat this evil? Ask God to open blinded eyes. He is ultimately the one who has the power to change hearts and minds. Gently instruct “in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth...” (2 Timothy 2:25). Recognize that God is, in some fashion, “sending you to them, to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17, 18). Let us purpose to walk in the light, even as the darkness is glorified among us.