This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Joshua 1:8

Recommended Reading: Psalm 119:1-16  “Blessed are the undefiled in the way,Who walk in the law of the Lord!² Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,Who seek Him with the whole heart!³ They also do no iniquity;They walk in His ways.⁴ You have commanded usTo keep Your precepts diligently.⁵ Oh, that my ways were directedTo keep Your statutes!⁶ Then I would not be ashamed,When I look into all Your commandments.⁷ I will praise You with uprightness of heart,When I learn Your righteous judgments.⁸ I will keep Your statutes;Oh, do not forsake me utterly!⁹ How can a young man cleanse his way?By taking heed according to Your word.¹⁰ With my whole heart I have sought You;Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! ¹¹ Your word I have hidden in my heart,That I might not sin against You.¹² Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.¹³ With my lips I have declaredAll the judgments of Your mouth.¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,As much as in all riches.¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.¹⁶ I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.”

COMMENTS:  We live in a world and society where news media and prominent celebrities like movie stars, sports heroes, government leaders, and influential businessmen openly support by funding and by their words humanistic anti-Christianity world views and goals.  The contrast of their views to Christ centered and Bible taught teaching is becoming more dramatic and further apart.   Even pro-life and pro-choice differences are becoming more dramatic.  The pro-life view 15 years ago, supported abortion up to the third trimester but would not support abortions during third trimester and certainly not killing infants at birth as mother chose.   But today legislations and state governors are beginning to push for legislation allowing abortion up to and including actual births at full term.   The value and sacred importance of human life is diminishing and justification for euthanizing mentally impaired and elderly or handicapped individuals are becoming more in discussion with increasing support from liberal “leftist” groups and individuals.  It is as though with increasing support and agreement with leftist world views coming greater contempt and distance from a Biblical Judio-Christian world view.  One only needs to watch a movie or television program from the 1950’s or 1960’s and then recent popular movies and programs to confirm this to be so and  realize just how far from a Biblical moral standard we as a society have digressed from.

Many would say this is progress and society is better off by being freed from the binding rules of the past.  But why then is violence and school shootings and terrorists bombings and shootings becoming more common?  Why is drug abuse becoming so widespread that has become a national and world crisis?  Why is it much more dangerous for a Christian to travel in many countries of the world?  Why is hatred and violence and war getting worse and infiltrating into more rural peaceful communities and families?  If the world is getting better and kinder and more enjoyable.  If technological advancements and all the new gadgets of communication and labor savers delivered the promise of better lives, why is life today not better in the ways it counts?   Why then are murders and rapes and human slavery and prostitution and child abuse and all terrible evil of past even more widespread today?   Why does more leisure also bring more evil and less good?  Why then is what called evil 2-3 generations ago now called good and good from then now called evil?  The evil of then is good, why does harm keep coming from it?  Why good from then, which built families and productive lives, is now called evil?

Do you see this transition unfolding in your neighborhood and even in your own families?   Do you see the transition unfolding especially in world and national news?  Do you see the transition unfolding and getting closer and closer to you and your family?   I am afraid I do and even signs of infiltrating my immediate family and weakening my own church denomination and local churches, even though the worst of the violence and evil seems to be outside my small community. 

We can also choose to deny God’s existence and deny His teaching and Word.  We can continue to think by denying God, we are free to enjoy the “thou shalt nots” of God’s law and convince ourselves there is no such thing as evil, just those who would hinder or spoil our fun and freedoms. 

Well, like it or not, there is a God and Christ is preparing to return and begin His eternal reign on earth as He already has in heaven.   Not believing this won’t keep His return from happening.  By denying Christ, people only bring His judgment on them.  But Christ’s love and compassion is still in force and He delays His return so more can have opportunity to receive His redemption first.  John 14:6 tells us Christ is the only way to the Father – the only way to heaven – the only way to be forgiven and begin the process of changing from a prideful, selfish, sinful soul into a humble, giving and loving, Christ-like soul.  Is not Christ’s example a better pattern and example to strive to be like or is the example shown us by today’s successful role models.  Examples who neglect their spouse and children.  Examples where broken families are the norm and children don’t know their parents or only visit them rarely. Examples where everyone only works to satisfy their own selfish desires without considering the needs of others.  Examples where rich and powerful people abuse others leaving hurts  and scars and broken lives behind them without being accountable.

I am amazed at the hypocrisy of society supporting “free sex” and “consensual unrestraint sex” and “if it feels good do it” philosophy and “follow your feelings without restraint” and a government that pays “hush money” to keep secret hidden sins while demanding and exposing loss of job and livelihood and position to those exposed of the same sins who have different world views, especially when sufficient proof is lacking.  Social media is becoming the preferred place to freely destroy the character of those with differing world views without the restraint of proof or “due process”.  The destruction of lives is permanent and all too often based on false rumors or deliberate lies while the guilty get off without accountability for their malicious deeds.

But I submit to you that the Bible is full of countless examples of destructive end that comes to those who did this.  Joseph’s brothers who sold him into slavery and wished him dead.   Haman who tried to have all Jews and Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai killed, the high priest and other leaders who organized the scheme to crucify Christ.  The list goes on.  The Bible then gives examples of Daniel and Joseph and Esther and Paul and … the list goes on.  All these example shout to us the evil seems to prosper for awhile but always ends in death and usually drags innocent down with offender.  But good often seems weak and vulnerable for awhile but always ends in redemption and eternal life and usually  carries some guilty with them to redemption and eternal life.

Christians are accused of being intolerant and discriminating.  They are accused of being hateful.   But history tells us the opposite.   It was devout Christians that established the government and organization of the Republic that became the USA.   It was devout Christians that organized schools and hospitals and orphan’s home and even mental institutions all over the world.  Only a few still are Christian affiliated or Christian led but the best of the remaining ones still are.   Granted, there are examples of hypocritical or marginal Christians who betrayed their Savior and acted out their own selfish ambitions or goals or worse.  It is these imposters who are publicized instead of the majority of examples of faithful Christians following their calling and serving their Savior faithfully.

Well, probably most reading this are saying AMEN, but in case one or two or twenty are offended by my words, I say I’m sorry.  My desire and intend is certainly not to offend you but show you another side to the story you have been told and have believed.  I simply ask to read the New Testament with an open mind and write down questions and verses you need explained.  Don’t rely on what others have said or told you, but seek your own answers.    If God is not real, what would it hurt, so why not pray asking Him to reveal truth to you?  Once you have completed this journey, then I would invite you to take a similar journey by reading Psalms and Proverbs and some of the journeys of others recorded in Old Testament like Joseph and Daniel and Noah and Job and Esther and Ruth and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob (and Esau) and …. I am trusting once you start; you will become amazed and excited to continue.   I am praying you and even those who said AMEN will do so too, because I just convinced myself to do so afresh too. 

Today, life in this world can seem like a wilderness, but the principle of success remains the same: Trust the Lord; obey His Word; follow His direction in all things.

“The Bible is the book of my life. It’s the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.”   N. T. Wright

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