Forward
. . . “BE HOLY, FOR I THE LORD YOUR GOD AM HOLY” was {and is} God’s instruction to His people. Seems simple in theory, I know. But just take a look at how we’ve jacked-up this world. In the fall of 2019, wickedness abounds. In the news, we find constant reports of terrorism and mass murders, of sexual assaults, and of financial and political corruption, primarily from the left. We glance around us to witness cursing and lies, drunkenness and gluttony, materialism and false religions, pornography, fornication, and homosexuality alike. . . all blatantly accepted and promoted as the status quo.
What’s more, I’m not positive that people are getting even stupider by the day, but it sure seems like it to me.
And these are only a portion of the setbacks we face as the results of our own depravity. Yeah, I said it: of our own depravity. Dear reader, let’s not live in denial. As we’re all far from perfect, we’ve all contributed to some measure. Though we Christians may feel all comfy putting ourselves on some sort of righteous curve, and consider ourselves as much better than others, well, we’re not. We can’t deny that pride, gossip, laziness, selfishness, and not loving others as we should. . . even the lust of our eyes, and the coveting of our hearts count against us. God sees everything, knows everything.
So, it’s only by His mercy that we can write “forgiven” on the flip~side of our “sinner” signs. What’s more, if we are able to do any good in this world, it’s only because God has blessed us to do so.
Still, in going back to what a mess this world is now. . . What must God think, eh?!? And how must He feel?!?
Recall that back in the days of Noah, The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Pathetic. Yet even now, we’re truly not far from such a state, are we, dear reader?!? I realize everything probably seems pretty normal or at least not- so- bad to most of us, maybe ’cause we’re used to our surroundings, and maybe we’ve even grown comfortable in them. So hey~ I’m sorry to be such a downer at this point, but trust me when I say that the reality of things is basically shitty.
Consider, if you will, the following passage from II Timothy: “But realize this, in the last days, difficult days will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. . .” The Apostle Paul was seriously going off, but it all rings fairly true of the present day, doesn’t it? (What’s more, today’s society is so blatantly shameless! Have you noticed? Do I sound like an old man? 🙂 Fair enough. I’m 55 now, in case you young whippersnappers were wondering. Anyway, all this isn’t to say that we’re necessarily in the early stages of ‘The End Times’, though it’s definitely worth considering.
Regardless, I also believe we Christians need to ask ourselves a few basic but pivotal questions. Like~ How many of us are loving The Lord as we should? And living for Him above everything else? And are we truly concerned for His feelings, and His best interest above our own?!? ‘Cause if we were, I think we’d be doing everything in our collective power to adopt God’s heart and mindset as our own, that we might do better by Him.
In fact, we might ask ourselves where things went so wrong in the first place, and what’s the key for us to do better? Well~ since God and His Word are The Authority on everything, let’s take a look at things from the very beginning. . .