As we soberly look at the world we live in today, compromise is abounding. In an age of compromise, God doesn’t want His servants conforming to the standard of the world, but lifting the standard to honor Him. 1 Timothy 6:11 (Taylor’s), “O Timothy, you are God’s man. Run from all evil things, and work instead at what is right and good. Learn to trust Him and love others and be patient and gentle. Fight on for God.” The Message Bible declares, “But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life-a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith.” God’s Word Translations declares, “But you, man of God, must avoid these things. Pursue what God approves of: A godly life, faith, love endurance, and gentleness.” Living a godly life means we seek to engage in what God approves for our lives. Living according to faith means we seek to please and honor God with our lives. Whatever He approves in His Word, we approve in our lives. Whatever He does not approve in His Word, we do not approve. Let’s conduct ourselves properly as people of the light.
Putting Away Childish Things
1 Corinthians 13:11 (God’s Word Translation) declares, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways.” The Message Bible declares, “When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgle and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.” The Amplified Bible declares, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and put them aside.” This present age has in many ways still embraced childish reasoning’s and behavior.
Catering to the flesh emotions are ungoverned by faith and lifestyles are without self-control and restraint. But the traps and snares of the enemy are awaiting those who live carelessly and compromise godly standards. Romans 13:11 (Amplified Bible), “Besides this you know what (a critical) hour this is, how it is high time now for us to wake up out of our sleep (rouse to reality).” We live in a critical hour where sober thinking and living is required. 1 Timothy 4:16 from the Taylor’s Translation declares, “Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.” Staying true to what is right means staying true to the standard of no compromise. We have to conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of God’s Word.
Sober Statistics Facing our Culture
Let’s look at some very unfortunate and sobering statistics facing our nation.
Alcohol: 12 million Americans consume alcohol. Americans spend $197 dollars a day on alcohol. A person is killed in alcohol related car accidents every 30 minutes. 7 million persons ages 12-44 are binge drinkers in the USA. Three out of four adults drink alcohol in our nation. Alcohol is the factor in 73% of all felonies, 73% of all child beatings, 41% of all rapes, 81% of spouse batteries, 72% of stabbings, and 83% of all homicides.
Suicide: Over 1 million die globally from suicide, 16 people out of 100,000, one death every 40 seconds. In the last 45 years, suicide has increased by 60%. Suicide now is the third leading cause of death in ages 15-44.
Abortions: Since January 22, 1973, Row Vs. Wade, 3,000 abortions take place every day in America. Since 2009, 45 million abortions have taken place. Every 23 seconds one abortion takes place.
Pornography: Every second in the USA, $3,075.64 is spent on pornography. Every second, 28258 Internet users are viewing pornography. Every second, 372 Internet users are typing for adult sites. Every 39 minutes, a new pornography video is being created in the USA. It is a $13 billion industry yearly, more than annual revenues of Coca-Cola and McDonald Douglas. There are 4.2 million pornography websites. 68 million search requests daily. 350 divorce lawyers were surveyed and it was proven that in 3 out of 4 divorces the Internet played a significant role. Over 100,000 websites offer illegal child pornography.
Prescription Drug Abuse: It is estimated that over 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. More people die in America each year from prescription drug abuse than heroin and cocaine combined. 6.2 million Americans say they have abused prescription drugs. In 2008, 20,044 people overdosed from prescriptions and 14,800 from narcotics.
Our culture is facing very difficult problems. We need God in this nation like never before. God expects us to shine in the midst of a crooked generation. Let’s keep the standard high and life honorable.
We love and appreciate you greatly.
