One might almost think that all the warmth and glow of not only the weather, but also society itself has been sucked into a void of darkness, coldness and nothingness as we contemplate the most recent events in our society.
Just two days ago, the state of New York passed a bill that permitted abortions all the way up until the day of birth to be performed. The passage of the bill was accompanied by a standing ovation of those in the chambers both congressmen and visitors alike.
(https://www.baptistmessenger.com/n-y-abortion-bill-alarming-in-every-sense/)
Today it was announced that the government shut down that was in its 35th day has now ended, as a deal was struck funding the government until February 8th and back paying all non-paid furloughed employees. I'm thankful for the shut down being over, but dread what will come February 9th.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/us/politics/government-shutdown.html)
The Dooms Day Clock which is in reality a farce in itself was set just several days ago to just two minutes before mid-night which represented that the world was on the brink of self destruction. Never before had the clock been this close to midnight since the cold war.
(https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/24/doomsday-clock-how-close-we-midnight/2666319002/)
In Iowa, the heartbeat bill was recently declared unconstitutional by a local county judge, even though it had been passed by our state legislature a year ago. Lawyers of the bill were fully anticipating this, but soon it will move on to the state supreme court and then hopefully onto the federal supreme court where the vote will go in favor of stopping the legal murder of unborn children.
(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge)
Immigrant caravans are entering our southern border, and an argument about a 30 foot wall has ensued.
(https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-migrant-caravan-waits-to-cross-into-mexico-with-hopes-of-reaching-us/)
I look around and just have to wonder, "What in the world has happened to our society?"
Parents torturing or killing their children, witch-hunts in our government, robberies and thefts, violence and wickedness, critics and complainers, and so much more.
The Bible says,
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth."
2 Timothy 3:1-7.
Uffdah. I love how Paul writes, "...Avoid such people..."
If there was ever a time that I wish I could be a hermit and live off in the woods somewhere, now would be the time.
It is extremely hard to "avoid such people" when "such people" seem to be EVERYWHERE.
But as I type this, I'm also moved to remember that it was for "such people" that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to die in our place. It was for "such people" that my Savior was crucified upon a cross. It was for "such people" that my Jesus bled and took his last breath, even though his death was a murder of an innocent man.
Its a reminder to me, that at one time I also walked among "such people".
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"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:13
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"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."
Colossians 3:1-10
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"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith."
Ephesians 2:1-8
There was a time that I was not much different than the rest of the world, and from time to time, I can find myself slipping back into walking the way of the world.
I find myself forgetting that I have been bought with a price, for a debt that I could not pay myself.
I forget that I had been a slave to sin, but only through the Savior's blood could I find redemption and freedom.
Although the world around me may look like its falling, and it may look like its descending into chaos, the same God that created these individuals are is the same one that made a way of salvation for them, if they will only but hear and believe.
In closing I say a post earlier today that I really appreciated.
"When it seems like the chaos of the world is surrounding you, remember it is Christ who is surrounding you." - source unknown.
