I just happened to over hear the news while working at the computer. The reporter said something about a “big deal” involving Beyonce signing a 50 million dollar contract with Pepsi. Then at the end of the report he said,”Is there anything she can’t do?”. My first thought was, “Yeah, there’s plenty things!”. How about kicking in a door going after a terrorist who wants to kill you? How about spending your life as a school teacher, giving the kids an education and example? How about being a nurse ministering to the elderly in a nursing home? How about being a foster parent giving scores of children a home? How about being a firefighter risking your life to save others? How about being a cop, patrolling the streets arresting drug dealers, pimps, etc.? There are 1001 things people can do that’s far more important than what Beyonce does! It is a shame that so many young girls idolize her and other entertainers. Why should you admire people who are proud, selfish, spoiled, and immoral? We live in a fallen and foolish world. These entertainers might make millions but they are total failures when it comes to real life. Being rich and famous doesn’t make you a success. So, such “Big deals” are not a big deal at all. Think about it!
SIN AND ITS EFFECTS
Exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin– Hebrews 3:13
We cannot help but notice from this exhortation the deceitfulness of sin, the swiftness with which it can deceive us, and the urgency with which we must battle against it.
Sin lies to us, causing us to harden our hearts and draw away from God in unbelief (12). When we give in to any sin, we are not able to think as clearly and joyfully and trustingly as before.
Whether the sin is lust or anger or pride or greed, sin deceives us into thinking that satisfaction is found somewhere else than in God. It promises fulfillment through sensual pleasure, or putting others down, or lifting ourselves up, or gaining more “stuff.”
But this is a lie. True and lasting joy is only found in the path and presence of the living God. Everything else is just a dead, limp substitute that has been painted and polished and perfumed to look enticing.
But how swiftly we give in to the lie! The writer reminds us that we need daily exhorting, lest sin have its hardening effect on our hearts. We can walk faithfully for a week, a decade, or half a lifetime and then suddenly fall in a day! Constant vigilance, and the exhortation of others, is needed in order to avoid sin’s pitfalls today, no matter how successful we’ve been so far.
Finally, the writer presses the urgency of our situation. It is only called “today” for 24 hours! Then tomorrow will come, and soon the end of all days. Do not put off the vital work of repentance and faithfulness. Today is already almost over, and our Lord that much closer to returning.( Baptist Bible Hour)
COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU
We haven’t gone over the cliff yet (or have we?), nor have we hit bottom—but it’s coming! Reports are coming from all directions warning us of impending disaster (go to http://
. As the city attorney in San Berardino, CA recently told citizens to “lock their doors and load their guns”, many are living in fear and sending out warnings.
Times are tough all over, but I’m afraid we haven’t seen anything yet. Just wait until things get really bad and watch what happens then. I’m convinced that the average person has no idea how bad things can get, nor how fast it can happen. Now, you can close your eyes, put your fingers in your ears and refuse to face the facts, but where will that get you? It won’t make anything better that’s for sure. So far we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg–we better recognize it for what it is. The problem is a lot bigger than people think.
Just last week someone asked me about the possibility of another “Civil War”–yeah folks are talking about it. I said it’s clear from what many are saying that if the government forges ahead with some of the things Obama wants to do resistance would be strong. Then I mentioned this– unless things change drastically, that which would meet with stiff opposition today won’t even raise an eyebrow in a few years–ten to twenty perhaps. At this point in time many Americans will stand-up for their rights and defend the constitution that assures them of such. But most younger folks have no affinity for such things. All they know is what they’ve been force fed in the public schools and what they’ve seen from the liberal press. What do you think they will do when push comes to shove? Spoiled by government handouts and deceived by the promises of politicians they will embrace socialism hook-line-and-sinker– they will in fact insist on it. Following in the footsteps of liberal parents they will believe the government owes them. Governed by greed and given to laziness they will put their stamp of approval on anything that gives them what they want, without any consideration of the consequences– even if it means trampling all over the Constitution and the moral principles of God’s Word.With his ego and the longing to leave a legacy, I don’t know if Obama will be patient until it’s easy pickings or if he will bully his way ahead and provoke good men to do things we never dreamed of. Time will tell. But either way trouble is on the horizon.
The big question is–Is there any hope? Well, God isn’t dead, so “Yes” there is hope. But our only hope is in the Lord.Things can change for the better. But, before they do, they might have to get much worse first. Regardless of how much we want to avert a disaster and avoid pain we can’t always get what we want. As much as we want things to improve, we can’t force people to change. What we can do is face the facts and embrace the painful things that come our way that will ultimately change our nation. Just like ancient Israel, sometimes it takes a painful experience to awaken us and turn us back to God. So, rather than getting downcast by the situation we must embrace it as a necessary step in the process and endure it by drawing upon the strength of God’s grace. Any other action would be foolish.
I am not a prophet, nor an expert in anything, but I am a student of the Bible. I know that God Himself raised up heathen kings to conquer and take captive the Israelites so that in their misery they might seek His mercy. He even warned His people against resisting, as it would only hurt them worse. They were to suffer the injustice, endure the pain, and wait for the time of national repentance. Knowing that this could very well be God’s plan for America, let us be careful about making foolish threats or giving way to despair. We might indeed be headed for an economic collapse, rioting, shortages, looting,etc., but getting back on the right track might not be possible any other way. Think about it!
OUR SAFE PLACE
“I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8).
Having repented of our sins and received Christ as our Savior we do not suddenly become perfect. We all fail far more times than we should, and there is always a reason for it. Sometimes it is because we run ahead of the Lord. Other times we lag behind the Lord, or turn back from the Lord, we backslide. The prevention of this foolishness is found in our text. When we set the Lord before us we avoid failure and defeat. Spurgeon wrote:
“This is the way to live. With God always before us, we shall have the noblest companionship, the holiest example, the sweetest consolation, and the mightiest influence. This must be a resolute act of the mind. “I have set,” and it must be maintained as a set and settled thing. Always to have an eye to the LORD’s eye and an ear for the LORD’s voice–this is the right state for the godly man. His God is near him, filling the horizon of his vision, leading the way of his life, and furnishing the theme of his meditation. What vanities we should avoid, what sins we should overcome, what virtues we should exhibit, what joys we should experience if we did indeed set the LORD always before us! Why not? This is the way to be safe. The LORD being ever in our minds, we come to feel safety and certainty because of His being so near. He is at our right hand to guide and aid us; and hence we are not moved by fear, nor force, nor fraud, nor fickleness. When God stands at a man’s right hand, that man is himself sure to stand. Come on, then, ye foemen of the truth! Rush against me like a furious tempest, if ye will. God upholds me. God abides with me. Whom shall I fear?”
THE DAY OF INFAMY
December 8, 1941 F. D. R. started his address to the nation with these words, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.“
Reminding us of the importance of this day, Dr. Paul Chappell wrote:The day of infamy should be our reminder to always heed warning.
Three hundred and fifty-three Japanese planes took off from the flight deck of six Japanese carriers on the morning of December 7,1941; one hundred and eighty-three at 6:00 a.m. and a second wave of one hundred and seventy followed at 7:15 a.m. Pearl Harbor was the objective of their attack.
The USS Condor was on routine mine-sweeping patrol duty offshore near the island of Oahu early that morning. About 3:45 a.m., men of her crew spotted a submarine in the restricted waters near the entrance to Pearl Harbor. Condor’s skipper signaled to the destroyer Ward, which was also on patrol close by, giving the Condor’s position and what they had seen.
As the Condor was only equipped for mine-sweeping, and the Ward was armed with guns and depth charges, they proceeded into Pearl Harbor as their patrol duty time was over. The anti- submarine nets in the channel had been opened for the Condor as she was scheduled to come in at that hour.
The USS Ward responded to the message from the Condor by speeding to the area named but could not locate the submarine. Both the Condor and the Ward considered the idea that one of their own submarines might be in the restricted area by error. The Ward went to battle stations anyways but found nothing.
In the daylight at 7 o’clock, the Ward sighted a submarine and again went to battle stations. They sank the midget Japanese submarine near the Pearl Harbor channel entrance and the commanding officer of the Ward sent the following tense message to the commandant of the 14th Naval District in Pearl Harbor.
We have attacked, fired upon, and dropped depth charges upon a submarine operating in defensive sea area.
Neither the text nor the implications of this message were distributed to the fleet in time to warn them of the impending enemy attack.
So many stories are told of warnings of the Japanese attack on December 7. Yet none of the recipients of those warnings took heed to the messages and acted on them. Close to three thousand lives were lost that day because no one acted on the warnings given.
In our lives, how often do we ignore the warnings of God’s Word?—-As you read God’s Word, do not lightly read over commands. Take them to heart. Recognize God’s message directly to you. Apply them to your life and always heed God’s warnings. Let the day which will live in infamy be a day you remember to heed God’s warnings.
Think about it!
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