Our generation is overcome. We are not fighting. We have lost. Where are morals, values, beliefs, and loyalty? We are in a generation that not only accepts sin, but embraces it; “you only live once,” right? Many are without hope, lost in the loneliness of their minds. Pain seems overwhelming. I could go on and on. But it is OUR fault. We blame so many: our parents, people who hurt us, the government, etc. You cannot put your problems on someone else’s shoulder. None of us have had perfect lives, but life is a fight. We can’t blame our problems. “I have anxiety.” “I have depression.” “I was abused.” “I have a disability.” We attempt to numb ourselves with medications, drugs, alcohol, sex, distractions, entertainment. In a state of apathy, we think “Whatever will be, will be.” We are all hurting. WE have got to stand up and fight. We are going to have to get a hold of God and not let go, holding on for dear life. No one is teaching us right from wrong. The prosperity teachers on TV aren’t going to do it. Christianity has become something to mock – As a Christian, I find it disgusting. “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” (DC Talk)
Since no one else wants to say the problem, I will. Per surveys completed, 2/3 of the US feel they know right vs wrong. Perhaps where we should start is with was taken out of the schools: the Ten Commandments (ever heard of them?).
You are to have no other gods besides me. You are not to make for yourselves an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on earth below, or in the water under the earth. You are not to bow down to them in worship or serve them; because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the iniquity of the parents, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing gracious love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
(Exo 20:3-6)
Did you know only 11% of our generation are certain there is a God? Compared to 34% of Baby Boomers – and this includes Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, etc.
… We know that no idol is real in this world and that there is only one God. For even if there are “gods” in heaven and on earth (as indeed there are many so-called “gods” and “lords”), yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being and for whom we live. And there is only one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, through whom everything came into being and through whom we live.
(1Co 8:4-6)
Gods are not the only idols. An idol is anything you put before God. Who do you put first? What would you give up for Him? What do you give your time to? Where is your heart? Many it is just ourselves – we hold the seat of our hearts. We live for us and what we seek, want, desire. Do we ever seek God and His will?
“You are not to misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not leave the one who misuses his name unpunished.
(Exo 20:7)
Why is it that you never hear Muhammed’s name shouted a swear? Buddha? One of the Hindu gods? Oh no! that might be offensive. But “Jesus Christ” is a common exclamation. How about “God damn?”
“Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. Six days you are to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You are not to do any work, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your livestock, nor the alien who is within your gates, because the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, in six days, then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
(Exo 20:8-11)
Forget just going to church every Sunday! Do you ever have one day where you just rest and meditate on God? One hour? How often do our minds even think on Him? Do we give Him any of our time? Yet we wonder why we do not see him doing miracles, we do not hear Him talk?? We ignore Him and yet expect everything from Him in return. We only pray when there is trouble, someone is dying, or we are at the end of ourselves. Now Jesus Christ fulfilled the Sabbath for us. He was the ultimate sacrifice. He gave all and we give him nothing.
“Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
(Exo 20:12)
I will give you this – that many parents out there today are “Do as I say, not as I do.” Or like many, do not feel the need to discipline their child but let the child find their own way through life. What a cop out! You are a parent – that is your job.
But to those children who had parents that at least tried, how often we disobey. I urge you to read the scriptures below:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
(Eph 6:1-4)
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
(Pro 6:20)
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
(Pro 23:22)
He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
(Pro 19:26-27)
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
(Pro 20:20)
“You are not to murder.
(Exo 20:13)
There were 15,696 murders in 2015. Jesus, Himself, goes one step further, commanding:
“You have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, ‘You must not murder,’ and ‘Whoever murders will be subject to punishment.’ But I say to you, anyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be subject to punishment. And whoever says to his brother ‘Raka!’ will be subject to the Council. And whoever says ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hell fire. “So if you are presenting your gift at the altar and remember there that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and first go and be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court, or your opponent may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you with certainty, you will not get out of there until you pay back the last dollar!”
(Mat 5:21-26)
“You are not to commit adultery.
(Exo 20:14)
57% of men report cheating, 54% of women. 22% of men cheated while married; 14% of women. 95% of people have had premarital sex! The very word adultery means sex outside of marriage. Did you know that only 6% of virgin-marriages end in divorce? And that’s just for the woman being a virgin – not both! I find it heartbreaking that people call themselves Christians but do not follow this commandment. You scorn others for their sexual skin (homosexuality, cheating, porn) and yet you are no better – sin is sin. On the subject of porn and “just looking”:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
(Mat 5:27-30)
“You are not to steal.
(Exo 20:15)
27,000,000 have shoplifted or stole – roughly 1 in 11. Not to mention stealing from the government, fraud, etc.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
(Eph 4:28)
“You are not to testify falsely against your neighbor.
(Exo 20:16)
Gossip is an ugly sin. The bible calls it back biting. So often we beat others down, and lift ourselves up. What if they are hurting? If you were in their exact situation perhaps you would do the same thing. We do not always understand each other’s actions, but we are no better.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
(Eph 4:29)
“You are not to spread a false report, nor are you to join forces with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
(Exo 23:1)
If anyone thinks that he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but instead deceives himself, his religion is worthless.
(Jas 1:26)
Do not criticize each other, brothers. Whoever makes it his habit to criticize his brother or to judge his brother is judging the Law and condemning the Law. But if you condemn the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but its judge.
(Jas 4:11)
The power of the tongue is life and death—those who love to talk will eat what it produces.
(Pro 18:21)
“You are not to covet your neighbor’s house. You are not to covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
(Exo 20:17)
For the wicked one boasts about his own desire; he blesses the greedy and despises the LORD.
(Psa 10:3)
Instead, each person is tempted by his own desire, being lured and trapped by it. When that desire becomes pregnant, it gives birth to sin; and when that sin grows up, it gives birth to death.
(Jas 1:14-15)
Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit. Nothing to this world we bring; from it take we nothing. With food to eat and clothes to wear; content we are in everything. But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.
(1Ti 6:6-10)
“That’s why I’m telling you to stop worrying about your life—what you will eat or what you will drink—or about your body—what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn’t it, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren’t you? Can any of you add a single hour to the length of your life by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don’t work or spin yarn, but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won’t he clothe you much better—you who have little faith? “So don’t ever worry by saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ because it is the gentiles who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them! But first be concerned about God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well. So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
(Mat 6:25-34)
“Again, you have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, ‘You must not swear an oath falsely,’ but ‘You must fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’ But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God’s throne, nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King. Nor should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. Instead, let your message be ‘Yes’ for ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ for ‘No.’ Anything more than that comes from the evil one.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evildoer. On the contrary, whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go two with him. Give to the person who asks you for something, and do not turn away from the person who wants to borrow something from you.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you greet only your relatives, that’s no great thing you’re doing, is it? Even the gentiles do the same, don’t they? So be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
(Mat 5:33-48)
Now with all this said, things may feel hopeless – a threshold which we cannot reach. And you know what? It’s true. We will fall short, and that is where Christ comes in. However, that does not give us the justification to continue in it.
So, what am I getting at? The hypocrisy of my generation. You think there is no God? IF there was how could things be so hard, so painful, so full of destruction. Well, we got ourselves here. He is just waiting for us. It’s our move. Are we going to seek Him? – Truly? Because it does involve the above.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
(2Ti 3:1-8)
No wonder there is so much destruction on the world right now…
DesertLilly 