America better take heed!

Isaiah 5:18 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.

We are living in a very sad day. 

It used to be that righteousness and peace were the law of the land. People used to care about each other. People used to know right from wrong. Wrongdoers used to be prosecuted in order to keep the righteous safe. Poor folks used to be helped by their neighbors and their churches rather than being told to go and sign up for a government-controlled handout. Men were willing to work to care for their families and women were willing to be good mothers and wives. Businesses looked to hire and train men of good character rather than looking for someone who just connects the dots they want to be connected. 

Rioting was nearly unheard of. Treating people as equals was expected. People working for their living was the norm as was helping your neighbor. 

Not anymore. 

Now, the culture has been inundated with a me-first attitude. We are told that we should allow what God says is an abomination as normal. People who are struggling are turned away by "God's people" and told to go and sign up for Government help. Men who want to work are turned away because they don't exactly line up with the job qualifications. Employers can't be bothered to train good workers anymore. 

People don't want to protest and sign petitions to right wrongs anymore. Rather, they want to riot and destroy other people's lives. Please tell me how in the world that solves any of the underlying issues? 

Congress passes laws they say are meant to "help" the people. Yet, a careful examination of the laws shows that what they actually passed was something designed to subvert our Constitution and destroy our liberties. And the media pats these evil people on the back for doing it. 

And the masses truly don't care because all they want to do is "eat, drink, and be merry." As long as the party goes on, they don't care about the wrongs of our society. In fact, they endorse them because they believe it makes things better for them!

Noone cares about aborted babies. No one cries for the homeless. No one weeps for the needy that don't know where their next meal will come from. Who cares that millions of illegals are taking jobs that legal citizens should hold? Who cares about the tears of families whose livelihood has been destroyed by riots about a death that was wrong, but was twisted into something meant to cause riots? 

Pastors teach and preach love from their pulpits, but ignore God's judgment of sin so people keep partying on their way to hell- thinking they're alright with God. 

Churches would rather move their congregation than reach out to the hurting masses that surround them. 

God is looking for intercessors! 

God is looking for people who will hit their faces and cry out to the only one who can fix our problems- Jesus Christ!

I pledge to pray! 

Every day, several times a day, I will seek my Lord and cry out for the iniquities of our land. 

He said if we will humble ourselves and pray, repent of our wicked ways, he will heal our lands. 

Come on, people. Pray!!!! If you've never prayed before, now is the time. If you've grown lax in your prayers, today is the day to start over. All people everywhere need to pray as if our country, our communities, and our very lives depend on it. 

Because it does.

America is in the hands of an angry God. The only hope we have is to repent and turn back to him. If we do not, America will go down in flames. 

And don't say it won't happen. 

If he'd take down his people, ancient Israel, he'll take us out too. They went down because of their sins. We will, too.

Every "great civilization" that rose up in the past has fallen. Rome did. Greece did. Great Britain once controlled 1/3 of the world. Now they're reduced to a small bit near Europe. Don't tell me God won't do it to us.

But America has done so much good for the world!

Yet, she's done much evil, too. God doesn't wink at our evil because we do good things.

He's serious. He's angry. And his judgment is even now beginning to fall. 

We had better fall on our faces and pray. 

Today. Right now.

Or we may not be able to in the very near future. 

Do we have rights?

Judges 17:6

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in allthe world for a witness unto all nations; and then shallthe end come.

I enjoy politics, I guess. As a political conservative, I focus mainly on what the Constitution does and doesn't say. I love the Constitution, for it is a document that allows freedom and protects our citizens from the evils of big government.

On the other side of the political aisle are the progressives/liberals. These have spent the last 100 plus years chipping away at the Constitution in order to give the federal government more and more control of our individual lives. This is a very bad thing and I will fight it to my dying breath.

However, in the church world, we have the opposite problem. 

We spend a great deal of time "spreading the gospel" and trying to get people "saved." 

That's all well and good, except our focus is wrong. 

We teach lessons, sing songs, write books, etc the goal of which are to show people what God will do for them. I guess the theory is that, in order to reach the "me generation," we have to "get them saved" by explaining the benefits of becoming a Christian. After all, everybody needs Jesus as their savior, right?

That's true.

But, we do them a disservice because we are only showing them half (if that) of the picture.

Jesus didn't come just to seek and save that which was lost. He came to impose his kingdom and displace the devil's kingdom. 

Every step he took towards Calvary and beyond was in direct and open warfare with the devil's kingdom.  

For example, Jesus didn't heal everybody he met that were sick and injured. He could have. Why didn't he? 

Acts 10:38

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

If he didn't heal someone, they were sick of natural, not supernatural, causes. 

Put simply, the kingdom of God had come to war with the kingdom of Satan. And Jesus won! 

But, there are some things that we must understand.

Jesus MUST be savior AND Lord (supreme controller) or he cannot be savior at all.

Human nature is that if we do not have an authority above us that we must follow and obey, we will do whatever we think is right.

The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We must obey that gospel to enter into his kingdom and become a citizen (John 3:1-8, Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 4:27, 2 Thes. 1:8). 

But, when we enter the kingdom, we have been bought with a price and are no longer our own (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). We can no longer do anything we want. There's a higher authority that we must (and will) answer to.

The kingdom of God has a king. His name is Jesus. As king, he has the right to allow us to do something. He also has the right to tell us no. 

As citizens of his kingdom, we have the right to ask, and we have the responsibility to obey the ruling that the king gives on any given matter.

The reason the church cannot allow a homosexual teacher/preacher/singer in it's walls is not that God (and we) don't love them. It's because the king's decree (the Bible) forbids it.

The reason we must stand against all sin is because our king has decreed that sin will keep men out of his kingdom and condemn them to eternal punishment in hell. 

Politics involves compromise. In the kingdom of God there is no compromise. 

When you become a citizen of the kingdom of God, you willingly submit yourself to his rule over your life- in all areas. 

There is no middle ground. It's the kings way, or the devils way.

Do we have rights? Yes. The right to obey God in all things. Period. 

.

To and Fro, to and fro, which way will you choose to go?

Galatians 6:7-10

King James Version (KJV)

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

Job 2:2

And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

James 1:8 

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 4:8

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Ephesians 4:14

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

This thought hit me today, as I was in church and listening to my pastors sermon. Honestly, it came partly from the scripture he read (Galatians 6:8) and partly from my habit of reading around the scripture being quoted. So, I read verses 7-10. 

At that point, these thoughts began to come to me in rapid fire succession. So, we're gonna put the fruit of the spirit on hold for a few days and concentrate on this thought. 

Verses 7 and 8 read: 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

There are two distinct choices listed here. 

A) We can sew to our flesh and eventually reap corruption. In order to be a child of God, we must be born again (Acts 2:38). In order to remain a child of God we must crucify our flesh and strive to be like him (with his help, of course). If we allow our flesh to have free reign in our lives, we will once again begin to practice the works of the flesh: 

Galatians 5:19-21

King James Version (KJV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

In so doing, we separate ourselves from the spirit of God and we can lose our salvation and wind up in hell. After all, even Paul said: 1 Corinthians 9:27

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

B) Or, we can sew to the spirit. We do this in many ways. Prayer, Bible Study, public worship, hearing the taught and preached word, being careful what we read, watch, and listen to, being careful who we hang out with, etc. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. 

Becoming a Christian is a lifestyle change. We MUST turn away from the world and our flesh. We MUST seek God first and his righteousness.

I love my wife. As such, I try to discover her likes and dislikes. Why? I want to keep my relationship with her and I want it to become deeper and stronger. Therefore, I try to do more of what she likes and try not to do what she hates. I begin to modify my behavior because I love her. Why should I do any less for my Lord and Savior? 

As part of his bride, my purpose is to learn his likes and dislikes. Therefore, I change my behavior in order to deepen and strengthen my relationship with him. 

The problem is that we, as humans, sometimes are double minded. We want God sometimes, but sometimes we want to feed our flesh. This makes us unstable in all our ways. 

Both God and Satan are going to and fro. Satan does it seeking whom he may devour. If we choose to sin, we step into his trap and are ripe for the eating. God does it (with is eyes- he's everywhere, so he doesn't have to move about to see what we are doing. He's already there) to look and see who is loving and serving him (and who is ready to love and serve him). He also does it to see what the sinners are doing as well- he is the righteous judge, after all.

So, obviously, Both heaven and hell are vying for our attention. Both God and Satan will do everything within their power to help us to choose their sides and to help us to stay there once we get there. So, who decides whether we make heaven or go to hell? 

We do! 

And we daily must decide whether we will follow Jesus, or follow this world. With some of us, Jesus must become really frustrated. Did you ever have a relationship where the one you wanted sent mixed signals to you? One day they wanted you. The next, they wanted someone else. Eventually, you grew tired of it and gave them up- if they didn't stop playing both sides and chose you, right?

Eventually, if we don't make up our minds, God will give us over to a reprobate mind. Why? Because we "received not the love of the truth." We have a choice to make. God will not always strive with us. And he doesn't hold onto the double minded for very long.

We must stop being blown about with every wind of doctrine. We must stand firmly on the word of God and seek him first.

The more we go to and fro, the higher the chance of our being lost. 

So: James 4:8

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 

It is high time for us to stop flirting with both sides. We must choose. I choose Jesus. What about you? 

Fruits of the spirit, part 1: Don't get tripped by "the fruit."

Matthew 21:18-22

King James Version (KJV)

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

John 15:1-9

King James Version (KJV)

15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Today, my friends, we begin a study on "the fruits of the spirit." If the Lord says the same, we will study what the fruits are, fruit by fruit. Today, however, we are going to discuss what they are not. 

See, there's a danger when we, as Christians, combine scriptures together that were never meant to be combined- and then try to make a doctrine out of them. 

Yes, Jesus told us to "go into the highways and byways and compel them to come in." Yes, he told us to "go..into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

However, many times, in our zeal to obey these scriptures (and in an attempt to motivate others to try and reach the lost), we can misuse scripture. Two of these sections of scripture are listed above. 

Many a Christian has heard these scriptures used in this way: "We are to reach the lost. Jesus commanded it. If we live our whole lives just sitting on a pew and never reach someone for Jesus, then we are not bearing fruit. Didn't God command Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply? Here Jesus says that, if we don't bear fruit, we will be cast into the fires of hell."

Ever heard this taught in Sunday School, church service, or midweek services? 

Yea. I have too. 

It sounds right. It sounds righteous. It sounds reasonable. The people saying it are definitely sincere. I myself used to teach the very same thing. Unfortunately, both I and the others that have taught this, were sincerely wrong.

Where in scripture does it equate new born babes in Christ with being an individuals fruit? 

Some say that 1 Corinthians 16:15 calls new converts a believers fruit. Not so. It does call the household of Stephenas, "the first fruits of Achaia." Yet, this is the first family born again of the church (corporate body) in that area. If new converts were considered as each individual believers spiritual fruit, then the passage would have read, "the first fruits of (whomever won them to the Lord)."

Many others try to use the concept of sewing and reaping to say that we are commanded to bear fruit (new converts, according to them). Yet, Paul said "one plants, one waters, but it is God who gives the increase." 

This ties in directly with Jesus telling us to abide in the vine. Yet, notice where the emphasis is. It is we who are responsible to abide in him. It is we who are responsible also to sew good seed and water. Yet, in both scenarios, it is GOD who is responsible for both the fruit and the new converts, not us.

It doesn't matter how hard we try to win souls. If God doesn't draw them in, we are laboring in vain. Also, if they refuse to be attached to the vine, they will wither and be cast into the fire. It doesn't matter how hard we try to persuade them. 

Further, how can God hold us accountable for someone else's decisions? We could stand on the street corners every day, all day, and preach/teach the scriptures. But, it is still the choice of the hearers responding to the call of God (or not). God would not be righteous to judge us according to others decisions for or against him.

And don't try the parable of the talents on me, either. Those talents are something God gives us from the get go as his children. Those talents are something we, if we work at it, can add to, but still have control over. 

We are not born again and given new converts that we will forever control. Some folks seem to think and act as if this were so. But, the truth is, new converts are in God's hands and his control. Not ours.

So, what are the fruits Jesus is looking for? When Jesus walks up to each of our trees, what does he expect to see there? What, if he doesn't see it, will cause us to be cursed, whether, and (if not repented of) cast into the fire?  

Galatians 5:22-25

King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.


When we were in the world, our fruits were ungodly: 

Galatians 5:19-21

King James Version (KJV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.


These are the fruits we had before being born again and letting Jesus change us. But, after we are in him, he begins to look for different fruits. His fruits. Godly fruits. 

These character traits are what Jesus wants to build into our lives. If we abide in him, our character begins to change, from hate, to love. From evil, to goodness. From impatience, to temperance. That's the fruit he will judge us by. 

It's not about how many converts we gain. It's about how Christlike we can become. In fact, it is God's desire that we are "conformed (molded into) the image of his son." (Romans 8:29) 

Think about one more thing, beloved. In the passage in Matthew 21, Jesus was hungry and went looking for some fruit to partake of. When the fruit wasn't on the tree, he cursed it.

When people are spiritually hungry for the Lord, they begin to inspect the trees that are supposed to be his- US! If we are bearing his fruit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc), then they will be drawn in to want more of what we have (Jesus). 

This is how we win souls to the Lord. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." If our lives are bearing his fruit, he can use us to draw others to partake of his goodness and be born again.

If our lives are not bearing fruit, the hungry will reject Jesus and try to fill their spiritual hunger in other ways. They will curse us and the God we represent. 

While it is true that the world hates the things of God, many times they hate him because we are not bearing the fruit we are supposed to. At some point, the people who curse Jesus, tried to get some fruit from our trees and found it rotten. 

So, friends, be relieved about the new converts. We all have differing gifts of the spirit (a subject for another time) and callings. And, if you strive to abide in him, someone will want him because of the fruit they see in your lives. 

However, let's recommit ourselves to shunning the works of the flesh. Let's strive to abide in Jesus, so that we can bear the fruit he is looking for- and the world so desperately needs. 

Are we sheep or goats?

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

In this prophecy, the Lord tells us that there will be a judgement. He tells us that there will be two types of people at that judgement. Sheep and Goats. The sheep make it to enjoy everlasting joy with their Lord. The Goats are doomed to everlasting punishment. The difference between the two? One set obeyed their Lord's commands and reached out to others. They were service oriented. The other set cared only about themselves and didn't reach out to others. They were ME oriented. 

Yes, in order to become a sheep in the first place we must be born again (John 3:3-8, Acts 2:38) for we are all born as goats. But, are all of us that claim to be sheep really sheep? Or are some of us goats? 

Matthew 13: 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Apparently, not all of us who say "Lord, Lord" will enter in. (Matthew 7:21) So other than being born again, what are some of the differences between sheep and goats that might help us to see what we are and change (with God's help) if necessary? 

First of all, both sheep and goats are pretty dumb animals. However, sheep know their dumb and need a shepherd. Goats resist authority and try to go it their own way.

Secondly, sheep love their shepherd and follow wherever he leads them. Goats are in it for themselves and only willingly obey their owners when it is for their own benefit (in their eyes). 

Sheep know their masters voice and will only listen to him. Goats are subject to many voices for they follow whatever voice suits what they want to do. 

Sheep are humble and gentle. Goats are always looking for a fight to prove who's right- meaning trying to show that they are right and others are wrong.

Sheep trust their shepherd to provide for them no matter what. Goats only trust themselves and do their best to show how "self-made" they are. 

Sheep usually are content to stay in the pasture their shepherd has provided for them. Goats are always looking for greener pastures. In their eyes, the grass on the other side always looks better than what they already have- until they get there. 

Sheep's wool is good to make others warm and comfortable. Goats have no wool and only a few folks can stomach goat's milk. 

Sheep study their shepherd and recognize him afar off. Goats study only what's right in front of them and usually ignore their master. 

Sheep are accepting of new members of the flock- even helpful. Goats usually try to show a new member of the flock just how high they are and how low the new member is. It's about control.

So, church, let's examine ourselves. Are we sheep? Or are we goats?

Are we vexed or stirred?

2 Peter 2:6-9

King James Version (KJV)

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Acts 17:16-17

King James Version (KJV)

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

Acts 17:22-31

King James Version (KJV)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Sometimes, some of the greatest lessons we can learn through studying the Bible comes from comparing Bible characters. Today, we are going to compare two men who lived in evil cultures. Two men who God calls righteous. Two men who, though they had  calling on their lives, ended with vastly different results. 

The first man we will look at is Lot. Lot left an evil country (Ur of the chaldees) and traveled with his uncle Abram (later called Abraham). He learned a lot from his uncle's walk with God. He watched his uncle grow in faith. He shared in the blessings of his uncle's godly life. He did not stick around to see just how much his uncle's faith would grow.

Instead, being a business man himself, he made choices based not on God, but on increasing his business. He was a shepherd, just like his uncle. His flocks increased and he became rich, just like his uncle. However, when two great businesses try to occupy the same space, something has got to give. 

When Abram gave Lot a choice to solve the conflict with their employees, Lot chose to take what was to him the "best location." Rather than staying in the wilderness, he moved his business and pitched his tents "towards Sodom." To his human vision, the land looked to be richer towards Sodom. He would have more buyers for his wool if he moved closer to the population center of Sodom. So, he chose "the better deal."

After he was gone, God again spoke to Abram and told him how much he was going to bless him, promising him more wealth and property than he could ever use. 

The next time we see Lot, he is now living in Sodom. More than that, he now sits at the gate as a leader of the city. A respected and powerful business man, who's opinion is looked to on matters small and great. Yet, 2 Peter says that Lot's spirit was VEXED. 

The word vexed in the Greek here means: "(to be vexed with something irksome); to feel indignant at:--be grieved at. "

In other words, Lot lived in that evil city, giving people advice, helping them in their businesses, helping them set city policy, but he lived in a state of tolerance. He tolerated their lifestyles. He hated their lifestyles and did not allow their lifestyles in his home, but due to business and political concerns, he did not openly rebuke their sins. It might have cost him his position in the city. It may have cost him customers if he had stood against their sins. So, he silently grieved at the state of his city- doing nothing.

The result was terrible. He lost his position. He lost his business. He lost his wife. He lost his son's in law. He left with his daughters and the clothes on their backs and that was all. The city he had chosen to make his fortune was destroyed. He was still called a righteous man in the new testament, but not much else good is said about him.

In the new testament, we see the Apostle Paul in another ungodly city. He had the same concerns as Lot, for he made his living as a tent-maker and was a leader of men. As such he experienced the same temptation to be tolerant that Lot did, yet, Paul didn't give in. He wasn't vexed by the city. He was stirred.

The Greek for "stirred" here means, "to make sharp, sharpen

1. to stimulate, spur on, urge
2. to irritate, provoke, arouse to anger"

Paul looked around him at the idolatry and evil in the city and didn't give his business or his community standing a single thought. His thoughts were that a) this idolatry and sin was an open affront to the one true God, and b) these people need to know about Jesus and have the opportunity to be saved.

So, he disputed with the religious and a few verses later, disputed with the "great thinkers" of his day. Did he have any converts? A few. But, all were given the chance to know Jesus.

What about us? What do we do?

Do we who know the truths of scripture live with a vexed heart, like Lot? Do we hate what we see around us, but do and say nothing about it because of the perceived ill effects it may have on us and our status and bank accounts?  
Or, do we, like Paul, stand up against the sins of our society and risk it all for love of God and love for their souls?

Paul went on to write 2/3 of the new testament. He was easily the greatest evangelist in church history. Through the process, he was stoned, beaten, imprisoned, ridiculed, scorned, and eventually beheaded. Yet, he could say, "I have fought the good fight. I have won the race. And now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness..."

Lot fades into obscurity. A beaten and defeated man who lost it all by trying to protect it all.

Which one do you want to be like? Lot or Paul?

I for one am tired. I'm tired of being told not to speak. I'm tired of being pressured into tolerating the evil that is growing more and more prevalent around us. I'm tired of hearing folks cuss, but being told not to mention Jesus. I don't want to be like Lot and lose it all by trying to preserve it all. I want to be like Paul, who risked it all and gained it all.

No more vexation for me. Lord, stir me! Let me see through your eyes and feel with your heart. Let me speak with your mouth and act with your hands. I don't want to be vexed, I want to be stirred!

What will it be for you? Will you be vexed? Or will you be stirred? 

The mother's challenge. (Pray for the mothers)

Genesis 2:¹⁸ And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.


Ephesians 5: ²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

²⁴ Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

³¹ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

³³ Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Deuteronomy 6: ⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

⁵ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

⁶ And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

⁷ And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Titus 2: But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

² That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

³ The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

⁴ That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵ To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

I appreciate my wife. Truly, I do! But, I'm very glad that I'm a man. I don't believe that I could do her job. The worst thing that our femenistic society has ever done, is to convince a generation of people that being a wife and mother is a waste of material. Our children and our homes are suffering for this- desperately. 


Understand this also, God in his infinite wisdom created the family BEFORE he created the church. The family relationships are to be a model of the relationship between Christ and his bride. Our homes are MORE important than our callings of ministry. In fact, if we don't perform our duties at home correctly, the word says we are not fir to lead in his church.


So many preachers kids go slap wild because they were neglected in their homes! The parents put most of their emphasis on their ministry, rather than on their family. This is wrong and needs to be corrected- now! 

Lets take a close look at what scripture says about her job. Let's really look at how tough her job is. 

First of all, she is to be a "help meet" to her husband. Many folks have taken these two words and made them mean something they do not. This does not mean that husband and wife, male and female, have equal authority in the home. In fact, the term "help meet", in scripture, actually means, "help help" in the Hebrew. 

The wife is there to help the husband, but as we will soon see, this does not make them equal in authority. It is NOT a 50-50 proposition, as some teach it. And we husbands DO need, probably, twice as much help as the wife does. 

However, the husband is the head (authority) of the wife in the same way that Christ is the head (authority) of the church. It is HIS job to lead the family in the direction that Jesus wants the home to go. It is the wife's job to submit to his leading- even when she disagrees or doesn't like it- just as we must submit to Jesus in the same way. 

Disclaimer: Paul told the church to "follow (him) AS (HE) follows Christ". It's the same in the home. If the husband is trying to lead the wife and children down ungodly path's, she can disobey him and not submit. 

We husbands are to love our lives as Jesus loves the church- AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR US! We are to pray, work for, follow Jesus, and lead our family- even if it kills us to do so. If we will devote our lives to our families, then them following us won't be an issue. They'll be happy to follow us. Just as we are happy to follow Jesus- look at all he's done for us. 

We are to nourish and cherish our wives and children. Our wives are to love and obey us- and nourish and cherish our children. The children are to be taught to submit to the parents and will learn to love and cherish their own families one day by what they see modeled in the homes that they are raised in. 

If the wife is submitted to the husband, then the children see a picture of how the church is supposed to submit to Jesus. If the wife is not submitted to her husband, but rules him or tries to be equal to him, then the children are raised to think that Jesus is to either give them equal say so or even is to submit to them- and they get mad when he doesn't! 

Deuteronomy 6 tells us how we are to raise our kids. But, guess who does most of the teaching? MOM! Read Titus 2. The husband does lead, teach, and enforce. But, mom does most of the teaching to the children since they spend the most time with them. 

If we line our homes up the way God tells us to, then our children will be raised to fear the Lord and come to know him. If we do not, then our children will not only have a hard time in their future marriages and with their future children, but they will have a hard time in their walk with God. Mom's have the tougher job, by far. 

I spent several years in restaurant management. People think that you're the boss and have it made. You're not. The owner is the boss. The supervisor he hires is your direct boss. Yes, you manage the restaurant and the crew, but you are confined in what you can and cannot do by the policies that the owner and supervisor lays down. 

It's not a problem, really, if the owner, supervisor, and manager are on the same page. But, if the supervisor begins to go against the owners policies, problems arise. It is then the managers job to stick to the owners policies, irregardless of what the supervisor says. 

If the manager steps out of line and the supervisor has not, it is the supervisor's job to discipline the manager and bring them into compliance with the owners policies. 

If the crew steps out of line, it is the managers job to discipline them and bring them in line with the owners policies.  

If the supervisor convinces the manager to go against the owners policies, they cause BIG problems. If they don't change, the owner will fire them.

The husband, in a home, is the supervisor. Jesus is the owner. The wife/mother is the manager. She is confined in her job by what her husband allows her to do and not do. 

If the husband tries to do things a different way than Jesus has said, then problems arise. The wife is to hold her ground- standing in prayer on scripture- until Jesus (the owner) disciplines him and brings him back in line. 

If the husband is following Jesus and the wife is not, then it is his job to pray for her and lovingly correct her. No, husbands, you cannot whip our wives. God does a much better job of that than we do.  

If husband and wife are following Jesus, and the children are out of whack, it is the parents job to pray for, correct, and whip them when they need it to bring them in line with God's rules. 

If husband and wife are NOT following Jesus, expect a bad whipping, possibly even being fired (we can lose our salvation). The kids will go slap wild in this case! 

This is why Titus 2:5 says that if the husband and wife don't do their jobs they risk "blaspheming (1) to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme

2) to be evil spoken of, reviled, railed at the word of God!" 

Titus 2: But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

² That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

³ The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

⁴ That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵ To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Mothers do the majority of this teaching, as they spend the most time with the children.

Men are the head of the home, but mom's are the heart. As the heart goes, so goes the body (home). If the mom submits to dad, and dad leads, loves, and corrects, then the children turn out right. 

But, if our homes are not in God's order, then the kids don't turn out right and we risk blaspheming the word of God. 

Lord, help us to fix our homes. Help the husbands to lead, and help the wives to obey and lead the kids. No job on earth is anywhere close to as important as Mom's job. Help us to help them. In Jesus name!