Sunday, September 07,
2014, 4:57 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Seek the Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 17 (quoting selected verses in the
NIV). I will summarize some of the passage due to its length.
Blessings and
Persecutions
It appears to me from reading the book of Acts that pretty
much everywhere Paul traveled in his missionary journeys that he faced a
mixture of blessings - from seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ - and
persecutions and ill-treatment - from those who lacked faith and who opposed
the gospel. Most of his opposition came from within the Jewish community, and
in particular from the religious leaders of his day. I believe this is still
true today, especially here in America. I believe that most of the strong
opposition against the truth of the gospel comes from within the church and
from the church leadership, and not from the world as a whole. At least, this
has been my experience, and I don’t believe I am alone.
Some of his persecutors, not unlike how he was before his
conversion, were so diligent and passionate about their persecution of
Christians, in fact, that they pursued him wherever he went. They purposefully
went into these cities to stir up persecution against him. Now, that really
hurts! But, that is how Satan works. He goes all out in trying to come against
the Lord’s servants in trying to stop them from doing the work of the Lord, and
to stop them from spreading the gospel of our salvation. We have to know this
about him so that we do not become discouraged and disheartened when we are
opposed and persecuted. We must keep on in our faith and in our commitment to
see that the gospel of our salvation is taken to the ends of the earth, no matter
how much persecution we face in the process.
Idolatry Abounds!
While
Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the
city was full of idols. ~ 17:16
Paul was greatly distressed to see that Athens was a city
full of idols. I wonder, “What distresses us?” Are we in anguish and grief over
the idolatry within our nation, and within the church in our nation? Do we even
notice all the idolatry? Do we even care?
I know that I am distressed at how TV, the Internet, and now
smart phones and tablets have consumed the lives of so many people here in
America, including so many within the church, to the point to where there is a
serious breakdown in communication in marriages, in family relationships, and
in fidelity and morality, across the board. Tablets and smart phones,
especially in the hands of our children, are so dangerous. So many people,
including children, now have private around-the-clock access to the internet
with no or little accountability for what they are doing or seeing on there.
For many it is like handing them a sex magazine and letting them take it back
to their bedrooms where they have total privacy to look and to participate in
the sinful behaviors endorsed by the magazine and their editors. Even parental
controls can be worked around, and these children know a whole lot more about
how to work these things than we will ever know. There are always backdoors.
I am also greatly distraught by all the lies and deceptions
that abound these days, and by how so many people, especially Christians, buy
into these lies and deceptions without ever bothering to test what they see and
hear before the Lord in prayer and in the reading and studying of his word. I
am disturbed within my spirit, as well, by how many people make excuses for
sin, and how many justify their actions by blaming others, so that it seems, at
times, that few people take personal responsibility for their own behaviors.
One of the greatest feeders of this, I believe, is this false grace teaching
that leaves its hearers with the notion that God’s grace gives them a free
license to live however they want and to still have their ticket into heaven. So,
again, they take no personal responsibility, but write it off as God’s grace
covers it all, so they are all set. Oh, how easily deceived we can become!
Another disturbing factor is how the church has convinced
its attendees and members that we should never get in anyone’s face about
anything, because that is rude or unkind, and we should never attempt to
address such things as false teaching or manipulation or deception, because
that is all negative. What they want to hear are feel-good messages, and
nothing that makes them feel uncomfortable. They want to hear “Peace, peace,”
when there is no peace, and they like it when their leaders treat their sin
wounds as though they are not serious (See Jer. 6:13-15). So many within our
churches no longer put up with sound doctrine, but they surround themselves
with teachers who say what their itching ears want to hear, in order to suit
their fleshly desires (See 2 Tim. 4:3). They say, “Tell us pleasant things,”
and “Stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel” (See Is. 30:10-12).
Insolence and
Disrespect
So
he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as
in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of
Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked,
“What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be
advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good
news about Jesus and the resurrection. ~ 17:17-18
Another serious issue I believe we are faced with in our
society today is the breakdown of respect and/or honor for those in positions
of authority over us, or for those older than us, or just in general for one
another. I believe TV, social media, Memes on social media, video games,
movies, music, etc. are all feeders of attitudes and actions showing much
disrespect for one another. Even Christians are entertained by and participate
in the making fun of others for their own enjoyment and pleasure. Parents are
considered old fogies who don’t know anything, and many parents allow and even
feed this disrespect with their children when they cater to their temper tantrums
and when they feel as though their job is to keep their children constantly
entertained and happy all the time.
Along with disrespect comes the entitlement mentality, so
that this generation not only displays much disrespect, but it is also given to
ungratefulness and selfishness. Scripture warns us about such a time as this
when it tells us about the terrible times of the last days.
People
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. ~ 2
Tim. 3:2-5
To Repent
After Paul was called a “babbler” who didn’t know what he
was talking about, or whose words seemed foolish to those who listened, he was
then taken to a meeting where he was asked to explain to the people this
strange teaching that they were hearing from him. So, he told them how he had
seen that they were a religious people, and that he had even found an altar
with the inscription: “To an unknown god.” From this he went on to tell them
about this “unknown God,” i.e. the God who made the world and everything in it.
He told them that God does not live in temples built by human hands. He is the
giver of life, and the one who determines our appointed times and even the
boundaries of our lands (or where we will live). “God did this so we would seek
him and perhaps reach out and find him.”
“Therefore
since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like
gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past
God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to
repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the
man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him
from the dead.” ~ 17:29-31
Today, I believe, the Lord Jesus gave me a practical
application of this truth to today. I believe he is greatly distressed over the
insolence, rudeness, disrespect, entitlement mindset, ungratefulness, ungodliness,
and worldliness of this generation of church here in America. I believe he is
also significantly concerned over the false teaching, the cries for “Tell us only pleasant things,” the lack
of discernment and fidelity, and the idolatry; the lies and deception, and the
breakdown of marriages, families, and true fellowship within the body of Christ.
As well, I believe he is seriously troubled over all the immorality, lack of
accountability, and loss of taking personal responsibility for sin; false grace
teaching, and lack of parental control and/or concern over what our children
are viewing or are participating in. I also believe he is distressed over all
the complacency, apathy, selfishness, and “Let’s
all just have fun” mentality within today’s church and present generation.
He is commanding people everywhere to repent. This is not
optional. This message is to the unsaved, but it is also to his idolatrous and
adulterous church here in America and everywhere (See the Letters to the
churches in Rev. 2-3). He will come in judgment in these last days, and he will
judge his adulterous and idolatrous church, too. I believe very much so that he
will take us back in time, not only to when we first strayed from him so that
we can repent of our sin and be healed, but also he will take us back in time
in removing from us all our idols so that we listen to him, we will repent of
our sins, and so we will worship and serve him only, and will love one another
as he loves us. I don’t know when this will take place, but I feel in my spirit
that it is soon. So, he is asking that we seek him so we can, perhaps, reach
out and find him while he still may be found.
Seek
the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off
Isaiah 55
“Come
to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen
to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And
your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give
ear to Me, and you will live.
I
have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash
in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek
the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let
the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let
him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely,
God pardons him.
“For
My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor
are your ways My ways,”
declares
the Lord, our God.
“My
word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It
will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My
word will accomplish all that I desire,
And
achieve the goal I intend.
You
will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.
The
mountains will burst into song… before you,
And
all of the trees clap their hands.”
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