We Live In a Good World That We Have Turned Bad

I just started a series on YouTube called The Bible Project.  The best place to start is, of course, at the beginning.  So,  I'm viewing Genesis 1-11, listening as the narrator gives the overview and I'm watching the drawings depicting the scene of that period. Very Interesting!  I am at the close of this video when the conclusion of the narrative catches my attention and I was shaken with the reality that this relates to TODAY.  This is happening in my own country!  In fact ...  this is a description of what is happening before my eyes.  I'm stunned!  Ok.  Here's the concluding narrative I am referring to:

We live in a good world that we have turned bad ... that we've all chosen to define good and evil for ourselves, and so, we all contribute to this world of broken relationships, leading to conflict and violence, and ultimately ... death.

Stop right there.  In the beginning, God created a beautiful world for us to inhabit.  Sin entered and ruined it for all of us.  Sin has made life hard for every person born after Adam and Eve.  Even though Jesus came and died on the cross to redeem us from sin, we still live in a fallen world.  Life is not fair.  Life is even hard, at times.  

I want to highlight one phrase of the narrator's conclusion:  we've all chosen to define good and evil for ourselves.  

Here's where I stopped and said, "Whoa!" - this is happening today in my beloved nation of America.  This is happening in our government,  our society, and even in our churches.  We've all chosen to define good and evil for ourselves.   You may ask me to explain ...  thank you .... I will.

Our society as a whole along with many liberal judges, are siding with anti-God organizations to determine what is good and what is evil.  They are openly calling evil, good -- and good, evil. 

Isaiah 5:20 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!

ABORTION:  I've watched as women celebrate killing of babies in the womb.  I saw government leaders cheer boldly as the legislation to murder a baby after birth.  Our own legislators declare this kind of evil to be a good thing for women.

TRANSGENDERS:  We now have those in authority paving a wide path for gender identity ... calling it good instead of evil.  This is nothing more than rebellion against God's creation of man and woman.

ISLAM:  If we stand against the idealogy (no, it is not a religion) of this war faction, we are labeled Islamophobic.  Currently, we hear the war cries from some in our own Congress as they demean us for being a free nation - free from their Sharia laws.  They are turning our good into their evil.

We are living in a world turned bad  because people want to be like God  and determine what is good and what is evil instead of following the wisdom and instruction of our Almighty Creator.   Unfortunately, some people don't have the sense God gave a goose when it comes to decency and goodness.  Otherwise, this nonsense wouldn't be happening.  Left alone, we yield to our sinful nature and all hell breaks loose in our society.  

We are being raided of righteousness, devoured of decency, and we are being drug down a barbaric road to ruin by political correctness ... led by people who are deciding to define good and evil for themselves.  They can't leave their own house of hate alone.  They will not rest until they spread their dung of decisions on society as a whole.

We are watching a mass mental disorder of degenerates being played out before our eyes.  News channels parade babbling heads empty of knowledge ... with talking points repetitive with rancor intended to brainwash those not grounded in common sense.  

We are getting exactly what we want.  A good world that is turning bad,  really bad.   We are becoming a nation that is opposite of goodness.  A country that will not be safe for our children and grandchildren. 

Why are we in this battle?  Because humanity is giddy with rebellion against God.  The highest goal in our country is to call evil, good.  One writer says it this way:

"To call evil good is practical atheism.  To call good evil is practical blasphemy."   

Where do we go from here?  Unless we turn back to God, there is little hope.  Will churches become houses of prayer once more?  Will pastors once again preach hell as hot and heaven as real?  
I don't know.  

I do know that Jesus Christ is the answer.  He is the only answer for a world turned bad.

PLAYING CATCH UP !

We are on the go a lot. Home a day or so, then off again.  This is my fifth day following our last trip away from home.  I'm still trying to 'catch up' ... for a while, anyway.  That is an interesting phrase: catch up.  We use that phrase in numerous ways to express different circumstances.... such as:

Slow down so I can catch up with you.
All those late nights are beginning to catch up with me.'
Old age catches up with everyone in the end.
Gotta run, catch up with you later.

For me, it's catch up on laundry, housework, and even physical rest.  We Americans find it difficult to stop.  Stop the rat race.  Stop pressuring ourselves to do more, go more, have more....just a day or more of doing very little is foreign to many of us. 

Have you ever felt guilty if you are not always busy?  I read about seven deadly dangers of being too busy.   In that article,  I noticed among the seven points listed that we can rob ourselves of joy when we are overly busy.  Or, we can be unfruitful if we are busy with things that are unnecessary.  If you are not filled with joy, perhaps it's time to slow down and do as our GPS says, recalibrate.

John 15:11  clearly shows that Jesus intends for us to be full of joy.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

There are times when our lack of joy might be due to our own busy endeavors - and not because of the behaviors of those around us.  Perhaps it would be helpful to slow down and get caught up  on our relationship with the Lord.  Too much of the natural and not enough of the spiritual causes a drought and our joy river runs dry!  We end up parched and in time, can suffer dehydration.  Spiritual dehydration is just as damaging to our joy as physical dehydration.

Dehydration for the body is where the water content is below the value needed to function.  It can be a dangerous thing for human life.  Spiritual dehydration for the soul is where the spiritual content is below the value needed to function ...  it shows up in our lack of joy, peace, patience, righteousness, and faithfulness, to name a few.  

If severe dehydration can be a medical emergency, then can't our lack of joy be a spiritual emergency?  I think so !!  We function so much better when we are full of joy.  Jesus knew this when he said that he wanted us to be FULL of joy.   So what is the answer?   Play catch up !  Slow down and catch up !!  That's what I'm doing.  Guilt???   Nah.   I'm catching up so I can be ready to go again!  

PUNGLE. A new word for me...

It's never too late to learn.  The word of the day for Merriam Webster is PUNGLE.  A new word for me!  Here's the meaning:

...to make a payment or contribution of (money) - usually used with up.

I've always been interested in words and meanings of words. One web site describes our curiosity of learning this way: 
        People who love to learn don't depend only on classrooms or professors.  They seek answers for every question, their minds are always clouded with 'how' and 'why'.  They have innate desire to please their inner curiosity and dig deeper until their thirst for answer quenches. 

I suppose that's me.  I can spend a day on the computer ...  searching ... actually, I prefer the word:  researching.   I especially love learning the deeper meanings and revelations from the Word of God.  Listening to a minister who preaches the Word with insight into scripture also catches my attention.

But, at times, simple  explanations are powerful.  I remember a pastor from my teen years who was referring to eschatology, the study of future events and the future coming of Christ.  He described it in a few words.  "He's coming and I'm going" -  I got it.

Jesus is coming again.  And I'm going in the Rapture.  Here's another opportunity for a word study.  The word 'Rapture' isn't found in the Bible.  The Latin word, rapio, is used in verse 17 when Paul says we will be caught up, and it is from this association with being “caught up” or “carried off” that we get the word, rapture.  You will find this in the following verses of I Thessalonians 4:16-17.

16: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

17: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Pungle is a new word for me, but I have understood the word Rapture for a long time.  "Caught up" in the clouds has not happened yet - but I expect it to occur any day.  This brings us to another word, imminent, meaning: likely to happen at any moment.  This means that Christ could come back for His church, the Bride of Christ, at any moment.  There are numerous scriptures indicating the imminent return of Jesus.  So, here you go.  Do your research.  It's never to late to learn.  You might have an epistemophilic personality like Edison...an excessive love or reverence for knowledge....An impulse to inquire. 

I pray you have an impulse to inquire about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And, as the song goes,

"I'll see you in the Rapture

... see you in the Rapture

I'll see you at the meeting in the air.

There with our blessed Saviour

We'll live and reign forever.

I'll see you in the Rapture some sweet day." 

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A BEAUTIFUL LADY NAMED ANN

Yesterday I attended the celebration of the life of Ann Minick.  I met her a only few times during recent years.  At this point, Ann was not well.   I listened as her life story was shared, and I could picture her vitality for living, her wit, and just how much she was loved by so many.

To be honest, the service caused me to think about my life.  I wanted to hurry home and dig out all of my pictures.  Get a flash drive - pick out snapshots of me that I approve - then, present it to my girls, so that, when it's my turn to go HOME  I would not be miffed at photos they might display on the screen. !!  :)

Ann's life depicted one of dedication and service to the Lord Jesus Christ.  When she stepped out of this house of clay - she moved right into the presence of Jesus.   

Psalm 116:15 says, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.  

From this side, death is a time of sorrow, of loss, defeat, and separation.  From the other side: it's a time of release, reunion, rest and reward!    

John 14: 2,3 "In my Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you. 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Christians never say goodbye.  We just say, I'll see you later.  Eternity will provide opportunity for me to get better acquainted with A Beautiful Lady Named Ann.

I am thankful for that still, small voice that offered the gift of eternal life to me as a young girl.  I accept it.  I treasure that gift.  

I pray that you, too, will receive Jesus as Savior if you have not done so.  It's easier than  you think....to have eternal life in heaven with the Lord.   His invitation is still extended to all who will believe.  

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that heareth say, Come.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

One word.  Come.  Just come.  It will be worth it all...

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