| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net I love science fiction. I need chronically a venue whereby I can escape reality if just for a time, and recharge. Don't get me wrong, I spend time with the Lord daily, and this isn't a substitute for Him, but just occasionally, I engage in a reality sabbatical if you will. We in our society, have been encouraged to have an aversion to thinking. Think = "muse". When you put an "a" in front of a word, it reverses the meaning IE atypical; so, a-muse = to not think. This is often substituted by feelings. Nugget: All medium follows this structure - news, interviews, voting for candidates, picking Churches, music style, etc. All of this is at the expense of thinking, where style > content. The Biblical emphasis on thinking rather than feeling is huge. "For as he (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he" - Prov. 23:7. Or, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:" Isaiah 26:3 "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind" Acts 20:19 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind" - Romans 1:28 "Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth" Col. 3:2 In short; if Satan can obtain control of your mind, he can control your will, and ultimately, your actions. Let's turn the Applicational Switch: Years ago (when I was a kid and prior), politicians had a wonderful, transparent and honest thing called a "platform". Imagine a wooden pallet, made up of your heartfelt positions on a variety of social and economic issues. In the good ole days, a person would have a "platform", and would then strive to be elected in order to implement said platform. Nugget: The implementation of the platform was the end goal. Now, the power or title is the end goal, and folks will alter, flip flop, or flat out lie about their platform in order to achieve the goal of power. This carries over to other governmental bureaucracies. Fish and Game for instance, used to use their budget to manage the game. Now they use the game to manage their budget. The pointer has become the object. Let's turn the Spiritual Switch: The Lord's Supper is supposed to point to Christ. "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show (put on display) the Lord's death till he come (returns)." 1st Cor. 11:26. So also, baptism where one is symbolically "buried with Christ" (Rom. 6:1-10) and raised to a newness of life. It is the first act of obedience we are eligible to partake in as Christians. It is to point to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit all Christians share in. But somehow, it has for some, become the object; the end game if you will. Biblically, baptism doesn't save you, you are in fact, not eligible for baptism till you are saved. "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doeth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest...." Acts. 8:36-37 Whether politics or with the Lord, use your strudel. "Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" - Isaiah 1:18. God bless. |
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