Do We Understand?

Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them. Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully. Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse. A discerning son heeds instruction, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father. Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor. If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable. Proverbs 28:4-9 NIV

When we are given specific, implicit instructions as to how to live to please God and ignore them, we’re opening the door for Satan to walk in and rule. And we see this on a regular basis.

To backtrack our history for just a moment, within the educational systems, across the nation, we see the result of taking prayer out of the schools. When this country allowed a demented woman to convince lawmakers that “prayer in schools” was a violation of the constitutional rights of others, Satan and all his imps–stood on the sidelines–cheering, and turning somersaults, salivating at the opportunity for destroying the minds of the young. Gone–respect of teachers or anyone in authority; teens who feel like misfits deciding to take the lives of innocent people, and many school buildings are more like–airports–with metal detectors at the doors and security personnel searching back packs. Can we see them?

When sociologists decided that “corporal discipline” was child abuse, lawmakers once again (blinded by Satan’s plans) told parents their kids couldn’t be spanked. As a result, we have a society in which kids rule because parents are afraid to discipline them and when parents have no control over kids, neither does anyone else. When we take away authority of parents–we set our society up for failure. Do we see it?

Then, with the outcries of another few demented people, it became unconstitutional for prayers to be said at government facilities, and school events, and other public events and don’t dare mention the name–God–that apparently has the enemy so shaken that he trembles every time the name is mentioned. Even with the celebration of Christmas–the Christians’ celebration of Christ’s birthday, has almost been forsaken–because of the commercial aspect pervaded by all those seeking wealth. Can we see it?

And now, the group that openly and reverently honors the enemy–that master of deception–Satan--is allowed to influence young minds further, by promulgating “the nonsense of religious beliefs” as after school clubs. Parents–who were duped into believing that prayer violates constitutional rights from their earlier era, are probably the ones who will allow their children to attend, “Satan’s clubs.”Are we paying attention?

There is a profound difference between people being religious–ardently acting upon one’s beliefs–and being a follower of Christ. Satan’s followers are religious–they ardently act upon what they believe. Some Christians–ardently act upon what they say they believe–based upon the denominational doctrine. Believers in Jesus Christ–simply live according to The Word–not denominational banners. Why? Within The Word–there is life–and instructions for living life–that pleases God. So, if we’re not living according to The Word, not heeding instructions, we are praising the wicked (figuratively and literally), and the prayers being offered are detestable to God.

Do we understand, yet?

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Open Our Eyes, Lord!

Open my eyes to see
the wonderful truths in your instructions. Psalm 119:18 NLT

In truth, sometimes the blind

See more though their natural eyes

Are seemingly shuttered–from all

Things beautiful and ugly–protecting

Their judgment and promoting imagination

Discerning truth from deep within.

It is amazing–no astounding–how so many people who see with their natural eyes are blinded to truth because of their emotional unrest. When emotions blind us to truth and we proceed based upon the lie built from chemical imbalance–that coating of brain cells that keeps us from connecting truth to the obvious–we create situations that don’t to be.

Throughout the bible, for those of us who read with understanding, we see God’s Truth constantly being ignored by those who were supposed to know Him, yet promoted a truth of their own–which was a lie. Any time we change truth we can see to a truth we misunderstand–we lie. We cannot change God’s Truth in favor of our own truth when His Truth is written and available for all to see–who wish to see.

By the same protocol of assessing truth, we can apply this to any other areas of our lives in which written information is accessible to all, but unfortunately, not all have adequate reading comprehension. And because they lack appropriate comprehension skills, they change the written truth–observed by all–into their own truth and then become antagonistic when their truth is revealed–a lie.

I’ve tried to be optimistic about a situation in which I’m involved as a volunteer, but it’s getting really hard to continue this course. When people allow their misguided emotions to govern in every area of their life and refuse to hear and acknowledge truth from others–the only thing that results from it is drama. I watch scripted drama on television–selectively and I refuse to live drama when there is no need for it. So this morning when I prayed, I asked The Lord to reveal to me in His Word how to proceed. The above-referenced scripture is His answer to me–we must be willing for Him to open our eyes to see the wonderful truths in His instructions and instructions from other venues.

A word of caution to those who love truth–expect the enemy to blind the minds of those who have an agenda other than doing what should be done to promote the betterment of anything in which we’re involved. Stand firm on the truth and provide documentation for the stance you take and never allow the enemy to change who you are. Even when ugliness raises its head, combat the ugliness of lies and emotional impairment with truth–straight up without a chaser. It will sting and sometimes, truth will cause people to run in the other direction sounding false alarms, but stand on truth anyway–knowing The Lord is your shield against the fiery darts of the enemy.

Father, in the name of Jesus, cast the scales from our eyes so we may see truth and all of its many benefits and help us to stand firm on truth, no matter what the enemy does to deter us. Guide and direct us to seek assistance for those areas in our lives in which we lack skills and aptitude so we may glorify You in all we do–with a goal of excellence–laced with Your Truth.

Getting Back to The Foundation of His Truth!

“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.”(I Corinthians 7:2 NIV)

No matter how hard we try–at least some of us–we cannot get away from the fact that the bible addresses every aspect of our living right before God. Through Paul, God’s purpose for us is emphasized in a number of chapters–how husbands and wives should treat each other, how to raise children, how to conduct ourselves in worship services, and how to establish order in the church. Whatever question we could possibly have, the answer–is in there.

The problem for many in accepting what is in there is the fact that whenever a person or persons choose to dispute the information or instruction in the bible, they do so selectively, without understanding, totally missing what is being said because they choose to take things out of context. This verse of scripture is one of those people “prefer to ignore” because Paul said and not Jesus (it’s not written in red).

It’s amazing how people can “discount” the value of what is being said based upon who said it. They do so because they did not read further–“all scripture is written by inspiration of God” no matter who He uses to say it.

Moving along–when the early churches had questions regarding behaviors that were once considered “okay” based upon the environment in which one found themselves, Paul addressed them. There had been “temple prostitutes” and many other unsavory behaviors operating because of unbelief. Adultery and fornication were the status quo and because some dared to seek truth, Paul spoke it as it pertains to sexual activity. Here it is very clear--sexual activity should be reserved for those who are married and then the married should have only sex with their “own husbands” and “their own wives.”

When we choose to ignore righteous instruction because of fleshly dictates, we set ourselves for disaster and until we can right the wrong, nothing will change the devastating course of events that will be the result of sin. If we claim to accept one part of the bible as God’s truth, then we must claim it all–with understanding and keeping all of it in context of God’s purposes for mankind.

This is not the only passage of scripture that is often refuted in the church world. Many in the church have disputed women’s roles within the church because they overlooked what Joel said. Many have claimed that people of color are the result of the curse on Ham, lacking understanding that the first man, Adam–was a man of color–a fact simply deduced by looking at where God formed him and how. People use the bible to promote hatred and superiority because of a lack of understanding. God has no respect of persons and He sees us all as equals–no male or female, Jew or Gentile, all one in Christ Jesus.

But we don’t see us as God sees us and as a result, we tend to overlook passages that go against our flesh. This is why there is confusion, hate, and unrest in the land–we allow our flesh to dictate what we want and when others don’t agree, we rise up and promote hatred–either with the bible or refuting it. Either way–God is not pleased and when He is not pleased, none of us has peace.

The sooner we see things the way God sees them (and we can if we truly develop a relationship with Him), the sooner we’ll see peace in the land. We have no excuse–His written instructions–given to and by all who desired to please Him–provide us the foundation of His Truth. It’s time we got back to that foundation, rather than attempting to build one that is bound to crumble and fall.