Philippians 2:14-18 ESV
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.”
A Crooked and Twisted Generation
In our day and time, with the invention of social media
where people can gather together virtually and engage in conversations with one
another covering all sorts of topics, this whole thing of grumbling and
disputing has skyrocketed (increased rapidly). Professing Christian is now
publicly fighting with professing Christian over some things that probably don’t
even exist.
They are largely fighting over politics and politicians and whose
side is right and whose side is wrong. But I believe both sides are just two
sides of the same whole and that both left and right work for the same people
toward the same ultimate goals which are not for the good of the people but
which are for the bringing in of this rule of the beast (Revelation 13).
One of the tactics of those who are working to tear down our
nation so that out of the ashes of the old order the New World Order can rise
and take over is to divide and conquer. And so they instigate these rivalries,
some of which have existed for many years, but they ignite them afresh and they
blow them way out of proportion because they want us fighting each other.
Another one of their tactics is to create or to ignite chaos
so that they can bring order out of chaos. First they create the crisis
situation and then they come in as “saviors” with their pre-planned solution to
our “problem.” I believe that is what is happening in our world today. Some
things they totally make up and others they twist and exaggerate to instill
fear and to ignite uprisings among the people.
On that same line of thinking, they (world powers) like to play
two sides of the same issue on purpose, for their goal is to cause mass
confusion. Disinformation is their game on both sides because they want us
being tossed back and forth and fighting each other. If they can get us all
confused and fighting each other then they can conquer us, and that is the goal.
Don’t Bite!
A lot of what we see on the internet, in the news and on
social media, is manipulative and mind controlling. Social media all the time
has all these questions they ask so that they can try to get information out of
us they would not otherwise have. And they instigate fights and fear, and they
persuade people emotionally in certain directions.
A lot of the religious memes are the same. They are
manipulative and they twist the truth but make it sound good so that people
will accept it. They put enough truth in these memes to make them sound
biblical but they add enough lies to make them lies and not the truth. A lot of
them are traps. A quick read gets a lot of likes but there is often a “hook”
involved.
One of the popular memes this time of year is an image of Santa
Claus big and bold with his bright red suit supposedly bowing to a tiny baby in
a manger with the saying on it, “He is the reason for the season.” Now, you are
supposed to think that Jesus is the reason for the season, but it doesn’t say,
and Santa takes up ¾ of the screen and is very identifiable, so I believe there
is a subtle message going on there.
So, we have to be students of the Scriptures and ones who
are listening to our Lord and who are following him in obedience or we are
likely to get caught in some of these webs of deceit which are out on the web.
We need to not make quick responses to news stories or to tweets or to Facebook
memes, but we should stop and pray and inquire of the Lord about them.
First of all we need to inquire of the Lord as to whether or
not what we are hearing or reading or think we are seeing is real or if it is
fake or partially fake. We need much spiritual discernment in our day and time
so that we are not ruled by our emotions and by these manipulative tactics
being used against us. For just about anything can be faked these days. Just
think Hollywood. Anything can be reproduced to make it look real.
We are not to believe everything we read or hear or think we
see, but we are to test everything in prayer and in spiritual discernment,
realizing that the days are evil and that lies and liars abound. Don’t be
gullible. Don’t let yourself be tricked. And don’t let what may not even be
real get you into a tizzy to where you begin fighting with other people.
Hold Fast the Word of Life
The Lord did not put us on the earth so that we will get
caught up in the trappings of the world and be overcome by the world and by
Satan. He put us here so that we would give honor to him with our lives. He put
us here to give him all our worship and our praise. And he put us here so that
we would die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness.
So, don’t get caught up in all this stuff that is here today
and gone tomorrow and that has nothing to do with our salvation from sin and
our eternal life with God. Don’t waste your time and energy defending a
politician or a political party. Spend your time and your energy spreading the
truth of the gospel for time is short and many people don’t yet know Jesus.
Shine as lights for Jesus in the world, and don’t shine like
the world shines and just talk about all the same junk the ungodly talk about.
Talk about Jesus on social media and with your friends and with your family
members. And walk in fellowship with the Lord, and study your Bibles, and obey
the Lord and his teachings and live in holiness and righteousness.
And be willing to die if need be to see others hear the
gospel message and find true salvation through Jesus Christ. Be willing to be
hated, rejected, and persecuted for the sake of the gospel and for
righteousness’ sake. Make Jesus your Lord and master and surrender your all to
him and let him rule supreme in your life and one day all this stuff on this
earth will be over and we will be with the Lord forever. Amen!
Lyrics by Noah
White, Music by Virgil Stamps (1935).
As I travel thru
life, with its trouble and strife,
I’ve a glorious hope
to give cheer on the way;
Soon my toils will
be o’er and I’ll rest on that shore,
Where the night has
been turned into day.
Up in paradise
valley By the side of the river of life,
Up in paradise
valley, We’ll be free from all pain and all strife;
There we’ll live in
the garden, ‘Neath the shade of the evergreen tree,
How I long for the
paradise valley, Where the beauty of heaven I’ll see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcfpFmzHqos
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