2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
The Word of God is clear that days are coming,or are already here, when men will not want to hear the Truth of the gospel but instead create an alternative gospel, even an American Gospel. Instead of having a love for and desiring truth, believers will begin to want to hear only that which makes them feel good and does not confront their old nature. “Christian happy talk”, one leader calls it. Then He said to the disciples, “ It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! “ Luke 17:1
The offenses that Jesus refers to were actions done to people causing immature believers to turn away from God. But today we have an increasingly toxic,embittered society and a culture of victimhood where the perpetually offended are constantly talking about “their rights”. Fueled by politicians and activists, this has produced an offended culture.In a culture where truth is lacking,this happens. “..(we incite) rebellion and treachery against the Lord,turning our backs on our God,inciting revolt and oppression,uttering lies our hearts have conceived.So justice is driven back,and righteousness stands at a distance;truth has stumbled in the streets,honesty cannot enter.Truth is nowhere to be found,and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.”Isaiah 59:13-15 NIV The church is to be the pillar and support of the truth in any culture but must avoid two key extremes: truth w/o grace,which is legalism & grace w/o truth which is license. Authentic grace is comfortable with truth, the hard facts & the way things really are. Grace works in and out of truth, not to deny it. Americans now spend around 10 hours a day on devices. So it is no wonder we all can have a difficult time staying focused. Focus means:the center of interest or activity.
To say focused,we need to define the priorities God has called us to individually and as a family and not get bogged down in what is happening elsewhere or with others. As our world is more connected and we can know what is happening globally in real time, there is a tendency to get easily distracted from our path and our goals. It takes discipline to stay focused on your goal or goals and not allow yourself to get distracted with all the things going on around you. When we do this we slowly become double-minded and being double-minded robs our faith and prevents us from focusing on that objective or target we need to believe to get to. |
AuthorPastor Marc Lawson Archives
July 2018
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AboutThere are 168 hours in every week. The 166 Factor is the answer to the question: "Who are you the OTHER 166 hours a week when you are NOT in church?" Join the community here as we will be discussing this and other topics related to Reformation in the Church, The End of Church (As We Know It) & The 166 Lifestyle.
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