Historical Posts
It is Hip to Call Evil Good and Good Evil
It May Be “Hip” To Call Evil Good, But God Says, “Woe Unto Them That Call Evil Good, And Good Evil”
In Isaiah 5:20, the prophet of the Lord pronounced “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!” Lately, I find myself shaking my head more and more frequently at the news that comes from every corner of the United States. Things that once were universally considered evil, wicked and sinful seem no longer to be seen as such by the majority of the population. Things that were once universally considered good, wholesome, and right are now seen as hateful, oppressive and wrong by an increasing number of people. When I was young, I used to think that old people were irrational for grumbling about how bad things were, in society, when compared with how they used to be. Now, I find myself grumbling in exactly the same way. I guess it means that I’m getting old – but it also means that I’m finding out just how right my elders were in their assessment of the world.
In Isaiah’s day, there were probably quite a few people who thought that he was just a grouchy old man who didn’t know what he was talking about, but they ought to have been listening to him. He tried to warn the people of his generation about the error of their ways, calling evil good, and he pleaded with them to repent before it was eternally too late. But most of the people were bent upon doing what they wanted to do, and they paid no attention to the Lord’s prophet. Jeremiah summed up the attitude of the people very well, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so” (Jeremiah 5:31). We are living in a topsy-turvy world, and it seems that the people love to have it so.
Consider how society’s attitude toward sin has changed. Sin has always been part of the human condition (Romans 3:23). But, in days gone by, people knew what sin is, and if they committed sin, they were not proud of what they had done, calling evil good. People used to feel ashamed of themselves, when they did something they knew they ought not to do, or failed to do something they ought to do (Hebrews 10:26-27; James 4:17). But, nowadays, people are proud of their sins, and because of their pride, they see no need to repent of their sins.
Ezra wrote about people who had a proper perspective on their own sins, “And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased overour head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens” (Ezra 9:6). Jeremiah, on the other hand, wrote about people who are very much like modern Americans, “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: in the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 6:15).
Today, people are proud to be homosexual, fornicators, adulterers, and to commit all manner of abomination. The very notion of “Gay Pride” is an affront to all that is good and holy. But, if any Christian dares to oppose such a thing, he is called “bigot” and “intolerant” and “hateful.” This is how the world calls evil good and good evil. It’s enough to make many Christians want to give up the good fight of faith!
But, I want to encourage Christians to hold fast against the rising tide of the world’s love for sin and hatred of righteousness. We can’t be calling evil good and good evil. Paul said it best, when he wrote to Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But, evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou inthings which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:12-15). Every new generation thinks that the world is only getting worse. From the stand-point of morality, maybe that is true, but the key to coping with the ascendancy of sin in the world is to build your personal faith (Hebrews 11:6).
Without a doubt, society is moving swiftly to transform what people think about sin and righteousness. Things that people once did not talk about, because they were sinful, are now graphically displayed on television and the internet. Preachers and teachers who tell people what the Bible says about sin are vilified, as hate-mongers who want to keep people from being happy. However, now is not the time to shrink from the challenge before us. We all must stand up and speak out for what is true and right, in every public forum. God has not given up on trying to save the world, and neither should we (2 Timothy 4:1-5)!
Content by Russell Kline
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Nurture and Admonition of the Lord
Parents are responsible to teach about Biblical marriage.
Parents, have you considered the fact that it is now entirely up to you to teach your children about Biblical marriage? Once upon a time, in our society, the Biblical definition of marriage was the only one that people knew. It was what was accepted as “normal.” It was the ideal to which everyone aspired. But, that is no longer the case.
Schools, television and internet teach Biblical marriage is oppressive.
Today, our children are being incorrectly taught at school, on television, and on the Internet that the Biblical definition of marriage is wrong, oppressive, and a big part of what is wrong with our society. This idea has been presented to us in very subtle ways, for the past 50 years, but now that marriage has been successfully redefined and reinvented in our courts, there is no longer any need for subtlety. Sadly, society is not going to present a positive view of Biblical marriage anymore. This mean it is up to Christian parents to teach their children things that were once universally accepted by all.
Care about our children means we must “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”.
We must not fail to teach the truth to our children, or the definition of Biblical marriage might become something that is unknown to an entire generation. With the immoral changes that have come to pass in modern society, the world is a much more dangerous place for spiritually minded people than it ever was before. Care about our children means we must “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). We cannot take it for granted that they will learn anything correct about marriage from the world around them. We cannot even take it for granted that the teaching they receive at church will be enough.
It is our parental responsibility.
Children need their parents to direct them and show them the way that they ought to go, in life (Proverbs 22:6). It’s a topsy-turvy world. Our kids are going to live in it and they need to be armed with knowledge of God’s Word, and a good example to follow. It is our parental responsibility.
Content by Russell Kline
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What Went Wrong?
What went wrong with our nation?
The school tragedies in so many states have shocked and dismayed us. What would possess kids to do such terrible things? What went wrong? I don’t claim to have all the answers, but some things are obvious.
First, children are being fed a steady diet of violence on television and at the movies. Much of what they view is pure filth. The language is atrocious. Nudity and illicit sexual activity are common place. Violence has become more and more graphic. But, do I blame Hollywood for exposing our kids to this kind of garbage? No! What went wrong? I think the fault lies with parents who fail to adequately monitor their children’s activities, and especially what they watch on television.
Second, faith in God has been undermined by the teaching of godless evolution as fact. When kids are raised to believe that they evolved from lower life forms, it’s not surprising to see them act like animals.
Third, life in this country is cheap. How can kids who have been fed a steady diet of the pro-choice tripe, grow up with a profound respect for the sanctity of life? They do not!
Fourth, there is no sense of accountability. Rather than hold people accountable for their actions, we make excuses. What went wrong? People (including kids) are not responsible for bad choices. Instead, we blame the system. They are merely products of their environments. Government has let them down. The educational system has failed them. Poverty is to blame. They have a genetic flaw – it’s all because of faulty DNA. Until people are once again held accountable for their actions, there will be no incentive to make good choices.
Fifth, parents have neglected their parental duties. I suspect all the others are really by-products of parental failure. What went wrong? Where are the parents? For too many years, kids have been raising themselves. Parents are often so selfish and self-involved that they never think of the welfare of their own offspring. Marriages are crumbling. Homes are being destroyed. And, children are the ones who suffer most.
What this nation needs is not stricter gun laws, but more loving and caring parents (especially fathers) who are willing to take an active role in raising their children. Listen to the apostle Paul: “…fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). God’s plan from the beginning involved the union of one man and one woman in the loving bonds of holy wedlock for life. Children were to be reared in the home formed by this union. When God’s plan is circumvented, disaster is inevitable! Only by returning to God’s plan for the family can we truly address what went wrong. Are you following His plan in your life?
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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Cause to Weep
Until we all embrace God’s laws and live by them, there will be cause to weep!
The Bible speaks of tears being shed on many occasions. David had cause to weep when he learned of the death of Absalom (2 Samuel 18:33). The captives sat by the rivers of Babylon and wept as they remembered Zion (Psalm 137:1). Jesus was moved to weep as He made his way to the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus (John 11:35). He wept again as He looked upon Jerusalem and foresaw her impending destruction (Luke 19:41).
As I read each of the accounts mentioned in the previous paragraph, as well as others like them, I am reminded of something from the Psalmist’s pen. He wrote: “Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law” (Psalm 119:136). As I get older I understand more and more what the Psalmist meant, what caused him to weep.
Tears should come to our eyes and we should weep as we gaze upon the moral decline which has swept through our land. Long held standards of decency and morality have crumbled before us. A few decades ago the prospect of abortion on demand, the acceptance of homosexuality, the staggering rates of illegitimacy, and the brutal violence of today were unthinkable.
There is cause to weep when we see man’s inhumanity to man and the staggering toll in human lives. In Africa and the Middle East, thousands have died and continue to die, innocent victims of man’s brutality. Right here in our own country violence claims lives daily. Some see what is happening and blame God, but the fault is not His, it is ours!
The restraints of space will not permit a detailed listing of all the problems which fill our land and bring tears to our eyes. Now I simply must ask, “What is the real cause for our tears?” The Psalmist gives us the answer. It is because men do not keep God’s law (Psalm 119:136)! What a different world it would be if only men would acknowledge God and honor His commands.
We may not be able to change the world, but we can change ourselves. We must adopt God’s laws as our own, and live by them every day. Then, and only then, can we begin to make a difference in our community and the world. Until we all embrace God’s laws and live by them, there will be cause to weep!
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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What Has Happened to America?
What has happened? Immorality is America tearing it apart. There is but one solution.
Are you troubled by what you see and hear in our country? I am! I keep asking myself, “What’s happened to America?” The country I knew as a boy is no more. Violence, vulgarity, drinking, drugs, illicit sex, pornography and a host of other problems pollute the land.
I am not saying that there were no problems when I was a youngster, but at least then they were still recognized as problems. Divorce was much rarer. People worked to keep their marriages together. Most babies were conceived after the wedding, and those who were not were usually born after the wedding. Now kids are having kids in record numbers and marriage is not even in the picture.
Values are warped now in America. One evening I sat down to watch the news. The first story regarded a new law to protect abortion clinics and to restrict protests by anti-abortion advocates. The story was slanted in favor of the pro-abortion forces and against the anti-abortion movement. The fact that there would be no protests if America simply stopped killing innocent babies never entered the picture. But what really upset me was what followed. The next two stories involved the alleged mistreatment of animals. In one it was argued that carriage horses in New York City were not being properly cared for, yet the horses shown in the segment all looked in good health and were receiving what appeared to be excellent care. The mayor still thinks horse drawn carriages should be outlawed. The other item involved a wrestling bear which was supposedly being mistreated. As far as I know, the bear won every match. It, too, was well fed and received proper care. Naturally, however, it was clear we should feel sorry for the animals. The mistreatment of animals cannot be tolerated by an enlightened society. It’s alright to kill our babies, but don’t abuse an animal! Now, I’m not in favor of abusing animals, but there is something desperately amiss when people in America oppose the mistreatment of animals and support the wholesale slaughter of the unborn. We have a serious problem!
It’s not hard to figure out what has happened to America. And, there is but one solution. In the words of Solomon, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Are you living a righteous life before God, having had Jesus remove your sin?
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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Immorality
A survey some years ago revealed that most Frenchmen no longer believe they sin. They make mistakes or commit errors, but they do not sin. Sin and immorality are not part of their vocabulary. Sadly, the same can be said of our own society. Morality involves the concepts of “right” and “wrong.” For centuries the word of God has been the standard for both acceptable and unacceptable conduct, but that is no longer the case. Recent trends have directed men away from the Bible and into a kind of “amoral” attitude in which nothing is inherently moral or immoral. Right and wrong are not a matter of divine pronouncement, but subject to the feelings and emotions of men.
Today, if it feels good and makes one happy, it is pronounced good. If it feels bad, or produces pain, then it must be evil. Abortion, adultery, homosexuality, drug use, and a whole host of other sins are now viewed as amoral, neither right nor wrong in themselves. There is no absolute standard in moral matters, and few seem to be really concerned. As a result, we have a president who is pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, and, by his own admission, has smoked marijuana. When men of either party can be elected without regard to the important issues of integrity and morality, this nation is in serious trouble.
I reject this amoral philosophy completely. The Bible is still the only standard for determining right and wrong. To reject it is to reject the only hope we have for a happy, productive life here, and for life with God in the hereafter. Even though many are unwilling to accept and abide by the divine standard, that does not make it any less true. There are some things which will always be right, and some which will always be morally reprehensible.
If an immoral revolution has swept our land, and I am convinced that it has, it is because the Bible has been discarded as the only acceptable standard for proper conduct. Only a return to the Scriptures can reverse the moral decline of recent decades. The Psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11).
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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