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Who and what are the righteous?  For those who believe there is no God, the righteous doesn’t exist.  If fact, right or wrong, good and evil would only be something arbitrary subject to whatever someone, any person will say it is.  Everyone would determine its meaning for themselves.  This makes the terms essentially meaningless.  If man was made and created by God, then righteousness is behavior and actions approved by God.  Some things can be known by and through conscience.  A conscience informs us of good and evil.  What we wouldn’t want others to do to us our conscience informs us we shouldn’t do to others.  Who then are the righteous among us?  Who among us behaviors and actions are approved by God?  How many would God find among us if He began to count the righteous?  Abraham thought about his nephew lot when God informed him He would destroy the city of Sodom.  Who are we thinking about?  Abraham wanted to save his nephew.  Who do we want to save?  God could not find 10 righteous individuals and destroyed the city.  But for Abraham’s sake, he spared his nephew Lot.  Righteousness is a matter of faith.  It has also been by faith, not by works.  Believing in God, living for God and pleasing God in one’s time.  God is still counting the righteous.  And for their sake, the world is not destroyed.  When the righteous reach a certain point or number only known to God, then God will call for an end of this world.  At that time, the righteous through all generations will be revealed and the unrighteous shall all perish.

Who and what are the righteous?  For those who believe there is no God, the righteous doesn’t exist.  If fact, right or wrong, good and evil would only be something arbitrary subject to whatever someone, any person will say it is.  Everyone would determine its meaning for themselves.  This makes the terms essentially meaningless.  If man was made and created by God, then righteousness is behavior and actions approved by God.  Some things can be known by and through conscience.  A conscience informs us of good and evil.  What we wouldn’t want others to do to us our conscience informs us we shouldn’t do to others.  Who then are the righteous among us?  Who among us behaviors and actions are approved by God?  How many would God find among us if He began to count the righteous?  Abraham thought about his nephew lot when God informed him He would destroy the city of Sodom.  Who are we thinking about?  Abraham wanted to save his nephew.  Who do we want to save?  God could not find 10 righteo

Counting The Righteous - Genesis 18:23-32

People don't usually or normally intentionally do anything for no apparent reason.  We intentionally do things because we desire some outcome for our actions.  The drive to seek that desired outcome or thing is called our motivation.  Motivation can be described as a drive, reason or cause for an action, event or behavior requiring some forethought.  Morality - is the act of doing what is good, what is right, what is correct, just and fair. The proportion of people who are acting on reasons or causes to do what is good is declining.  Morality is on the decline.  Why is that important or why should you and I care about morality?  Because immorality is rising and it is the opposite of morality.  We see the results of immorality growing every day.  Such a decline will lead to a societal collapse.  Instead of morality, people have found expediency a more compelling motivator for their actions and behaviors.  Expediency is doing what is perceived to be in one's best or own immediate interests.  Doing what is expedient isn't always, and may never be, moral. The main reason people are choosing expediency over morality is because people can see and reap the immediate benefits of expediency here and now, but the benefits of morality are less obvious and not always immediate.  People can always see the results of expediency.  Though they may not be the desired results or outcome, they can be seen nonetheless.  Expediency isn't concerned with, connected to or depended upon morality.  We can choose to condition expediency with morality, but we can and may forfeit or cancel the immediate benefits of expediency if tempered with morality.

People don't usually or normally intentionally do anything for no apparent reason.  We intentionally do things because we desire some outcome for our actions.  The drive to seek that desired outcome or thing is called our motivation.  Motivation can be described as a drive, reason or cause for an action, event or behavior requiring some forethought.  Morality - is the act of doing what is good, what is right, what is correct, just and fair. The proportion of people who are acting on reasons or causes to do what is good is declining.  Morality is on the decline.  Why is that important or why should you and I care about morality?  Because immorality is rising and it is the opposite of morality.  We see the results of immorality growing every day.  Such a decline will lead to a societal collapse.  Instead of morality, people have found expediency a more compelling motivator for their actions and behaviors.  Expediency is doing what is perceived to be in one's best or own immediate interes

Motivation For Morality - Psalm 33:13-15

Suppose there is a side to life we haven’t experienced.  A side none of us are aware of.  A side we can’t imagine.  Jesus indicates that there is more than what we know or what we are aware of.  Jesus declared He had knowledge and insight that came directly from God.  He said He was sent by God.  He said the works that He was doing was a testament to what He is saying is true.  It’s up to us to believe or not to believe His testimony.  To believe not only what He is reported to have said about Himself, but what others had to say about Him as well.  We can choose to believe or not believe their testimony concerning Him.  But we must also consider our own testimony.  The witness of our own experiences, own insight into ourselves and others, including those who lived before us.  The witness of rationality and purpose.  Whether you believe Him or not, let’s look at the implications of what He said.

Experiencing Fuller Life - John 10:9-11

Over 50 years ago, the words of a song said that the world is a ball of confusion.  Today, it is just as confusing, if not more so.  Anyone with access to the internet and an opinion is telling people what to believe.  People are being bombarded with exaggerations, distortions, misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, partial truths and outright falsehoods and lies resulting in some not knowing who or what to believe, others choosing not to believe anything and while other will believe almost anything.  People are left confused.  They are confused over sexuality, history, religious faith and practice, ideologies and public policies, race, ethnicity, patriotism and nationality, economics, inflation, climate change, growing and spreading pestilence, violence, pollution of the water and atmosphere, voting and voting rights, the list just goes on and on.  Furthermore, when people can’t make sense of the world, some lose interest in living and in life itself.  Not only do and will they turn on themselves, but they will not value the life of others.  With all this and everything else people have to content with today, no wonder people can’t and are having difficulty making sense of the world

Over 50 years ago, the words of a song said that the world is a ball of confusion. Today, it is just as confusing, if not more so.

Making Sense Of The World - Isaiah 51:1-8

People don't have to be religious to be good neighbors and anyone who is religious should be a good neighbor.  Our neighbors and neighborhood goes far beyond those in our general physical vicinity.  The entire earth is now our neighborhood.  We know what is going on in nearly every part of the world simultaneously.  What happens in one part of the world effects people in other parts of the world.  We are interconnected like never before.  Yet, there are those who seek to divide us over superficial and insignificant physical difference when we all of by one kind - the human kind.  Another racially motivated mass shooting took place because someone successfully convinced another human being that the color of his skin mattered to the point he was willing to kill others whose didn't look physically like himself.  The world's problem is we don't see ourselves when we look into the face and plights of our neighbors.  Those who consider themselves Christians should take the lead in demonstrating to others how to be good neighbors.

People don't have to be religious to be good neighbors and anyone who is religious should be a good neighbor.  Our neighbors and neighborhood goes far beyond those in our general physical vicinity.  The entire earth is now our neighborhood.  We know what is going on in nearly every part of the world simultaneously.  What happens in one part of the world effects people in other parts of the world.  We are interconnected like never before.  Yet, there are those who seek to divide us over superficial and insignificant physical difference when we all of by one kind - the human kind.  Another racially motivated mass shooting took place because someone successfully convinced another human being that the color of his skin mattered to the point he was willing to kill others whose didn't look physically like himself.  The world's problem is we don't see ourselves when we look into the face and plights of our neighbors.  Those who consider themselves Christians should take the lead in demonstrat

Place Of Good Neighbors - Leviticus 19:15-18

Being played is an expression that means someone is using another to accomplish their ends.  Most of the time people are being played without their knowledge.  But sometimes people know and consent to being used or played by others.  In today’s text, someone is attempting to play Jesus.  Someone wanted to use Jesus to achieve a personal or worldly goal.  There was something he wanted in dispute and he believe Jesus could help him to settle it in his favor.  Jesus was chosen for this because His works and teaching were growing in influence, growing in respect and seen as unbiased.  He and it carried divine authority and favor of God.  If Jesus ruled in His favor or sided with him, he saw it as an asset to gain what he wanted.  Jesus saw and refused to be manipulated into being played or used for the covetous and idolatrous desires and practices of humanity.  The same can’t be said for those who claim and have claimed to be His disciples and followers today and in the past.  From the beginning of His ministry, people have attempted to use Jesus and Christianity for their own personal, lustful and ungodly ends.  They are not interested in His teaching, obeying His commands, being His disciples in truth, don’t believe in the afterlife nor want to be a part of it.  But they are interested in how this Man and His Church can benefit them.

Being played is an expression that means someone is using another to accomplish their ends.  Most of the time people are being played without their knowledge.  But sometimes people know and consent to being used or played by others.  In today’s text, someone is attempting to play Jesus.  Someone wanted to use Jesus to achieve a personal or worldly goal.  There was something he wanted in dispute and he believe Jesus could help him to settle it in his favor.  Jesus was chosen for this because His works and teaching were growing in influence, growing in respect and seen as unbiased.  He and it carried divine authority and favor of God.  If Jesus ruled in His favor or sided with him, he saw it as an asset to gain what he wanted.  Jesus saw and refused to be manipulated into being played or used for the covetous and idolatrous desires and practices of humanity.  The same can’t be said for those who claim and have claimed to be His disciples and followers today and in the past.  From the beg

Avoid Being Played - Luke 12:13-15

Our culture is becoming more paganistic as people seek and are seeking things to worship beside the Creator of Heaven and Earth who is also the God of the Bible, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Father of Jesus Christ.  There’s a growing tendency to say all who die are in heaven.   From the unborn to the oldest grandmother or grandfather.  Everybody is in heaven after they die.  This is a type of universalism.  Anything and everything is alright.  You do your thing and I do mine. People are making God into their image of what they want God to be instead of being conformed to the image of the Jesus Christ, the perfect Godman.  The book of Ruth is about a woman who got noticed, as a result she got chosen.  The story of Ruth parallels how God notices us and as a result also chooses us.  We don’t choose God, God notices us and chooses us.

Being Noticed, Being Chosen - Ruth 2:10-13

Worship can be defined as eager or passionate devotion given and shown to that which matters to us the worshipper.  Devotion as expressions of love, honor and care toward someone or something including an idea or thought can grow into worship.  We are creatures of worship.  By that we need and seek devotion and we naturally desire to give or express it.  From the day we are born and throughout our lives until we die, there is this need and desire for devotion.   Passionate/eager devotion becomes worship.

Objects Of Our Worship - Acts 17:22-25

Debt to society is a phase often used to refer to time served by individuals who have been sentenced to jail or imprisonment for some violation of the law.  Debt can be something we owe or are obligated to pay for some kindness or service that has been provided.  Some debts we make like purchases and some are imposed like taxes and fees.  Some are for something good someone did like providing us with something in a time of need.  Other can be for something evil or bad someone did to us like stealing or harm or injury of some sort.  The debts we make are the debts we must pay.  But even debts we didn’t make but are imposed, we still must pay.  Paul says our goal is not to owe anyone anything.  And when it comes to paying our debts or collecting on them, there are some debts owed to us that only God can collect on.  The bible teaches us that vengeance belongs to the Lord.  Furthermore, Jesus taught us to forgive what others owe to us in the same manner we want God to forgive us what we owe him.  As much as I would like and maybe many of you would like to be debt free, it’s almost impossible to live in this world without incurring some debt.  And even if we manage somehow to pay all of our debts, there is one debt that can never be paid.  The debt to love one another will never be paid.  It is our debt to society.  God gave us life.  And we may ask, “How can I repay you?”.  God has forgiven our sins and we may ask the same question.  God’s answer is pay your debt to me by “loving one another as I have loved you”.  This is how you can repay your debt.

Debt to society is a phase often used to refer to time served by individuals who have been sentenced to jail or imprisonment for some violation of the law.  Debt can be something we owe or are obligated to pay for some kindness or service that has been provided.  Some debts we make like purchases and some are imposed like taxes and fees.  Some are for something good someone did like providing us with something in a time of need.  Other can be for something evil or bad someone did to us like stealing or harm or injury of some sort.  The debts we make are the debts we must pay.  But even debts we didn’t make but are imposed, we still must pay.  Paul says our goal is not to owe anyone anything.  And when it comes to paying our debts or collecting on them, there are some debts owed to us that only God can collect on.  The bible teaches us that vengeance belongs to the Lord.  Furthermore, Jesus taught us to forgive what others owe to us in the same manner we want God to forgive us what we o

Our Debt To Society - Romans 13:7-10

I am convinced that God not only made us, but can know each of us intimately or up close and person.  I equally persuaded that in each generation, God has chosen or elected some to dwell with him in eternity.  Man was made to commune with God, but most have not.  Either because they didn’t know how or chose not to.  From righteous Abel to some in our present day and everyone in between, there have been those God has chosen to be heirs of salvation, chosen, elect.  We are living in one of the most idolatrous and corrupt societies in the history of mankind.  People aren’t living to glorify God or seeking to please or obey God.  This is idolatry.  Living as if there is no God or eternal accountability for one’s actions and behavior.  There was a time in Israel where the people were so idolatrous, that a prophet of God thought he was the only one serving God.  This prophet’s name was Elijah.  In every generation, God has an eternal elect – someone who loves Him, believes Him, seeks Him, trust Him and honors Him.  We don’t always see them or know them.  That was the case with Elijah.

I am convinced that God not only made us, but can know each of us intimately or up close and person.  I equally persuaded that in each generation, God has chosen or elected some to dwell with him in eternity.  Man was made to commune with God, but most have not.  Either because they didn’t know how or chose not to.  From righteous Abel to some in our present day and everyone in between, there have been those God has chosen to be heirs of salvation, chosen, elect.  We are living in one of the most idolatrous and corrupt societies in the history of mankind.  People aren’t living to glorify God or seeking to please or obey God.  This is idolatry.  Living as if there is no God or eternal accountability for one’s actions and behavior.  There was a time in Israel where the people were so idolatrous, that a prophet of God thought he was the only one serving God.  This prophet’s name was Elijah.  In every generation, God has an eternal elect – someone who loves Him, believes Him, seeks Him, tr

God's Eternal Elect - 1 Kings 19:13-18

Unilateral Disarmament means to renounce weapons without seeking equivalent concessions from one's actual or potential rivals.  When an enemy can’t defeat someone because they are bigger or stronger or smarter or have something they can’t overcome, they look for a way to take away or neutralize their advantage.  There are the rulers, authorities, powers of this world’s darkness, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms at work against humanity seeking to deny humanity the eternal life promised by God.  You may ask, “why would they want to do this to humanity?  What has humanity done against them?”.  A person doesn’t have to do anything for another to do them harm or wish them harm.  There is something within them that either wants to exploit someone for their own gain, harm someone because they can and/or for some evil or twisted satisfaction of doing it, or they can’t be at peace because of jealousy, envy or anything.  Unlike the Philistines who wanted to destroy Sampson, the enemies of humanity already know the source of our strength and power over death.  Faith is something that can’t be taken, it must be surrendered or declined.  The Philistines couldn’t take Sampson’s power and strength from him, he had to surrender it.  If we unilaterally disarm by giving up our faith or declining faith, we too are left to the mercy of our enemy – death who has not reciprocated or disarmed.  If I could go back and advise Sampson, I would tell him no woman is worth what you shall endure by unilaterally disarming.  I can’t advise Sampson, but I am advising all who will listen don’t unilaterally disarm.  Death isn’t giving up or disarming and faith is the only weapon we have.

Unilateral Disarmament means to renounce weapons without seeking equivalent concessions from one's actual or potential rivals.  When an enemy can’t defeat someone because they are bigger or stronger or smarter or have something they can’t overcome, they look for a way to take away or neutralize their advantage.  There are the rulers, authorities, powers of this world’s darkness, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms at work against humanity seeking to deny humanity the eternal life promised by God.  You may ask, “why would they want to do this to humanity?  What has humanity done against them?”.  A person doesn’t have to do anything for another to do them harm or wish them harm.  There is something within them that either wants to exploit someone for their own gain, harm someone because they can and/or for some evil or twisted satisfaction of doing it, or they can’t be at peace because of jealousy, envy or anything.  Unlike the Philistines who wanted to destroy Sampson, t

Unilateral Disarmament - Judges 16:15-18

What about you or anything you possess is holy?  Holiness is that which is of a divine nature or origin.  Something Divine is superior to us and worthy of praise, worship and devotion.  The only person or thing superior to us worthy of praise, worship and devotion is our Creator.  Anyone or anything that is holy has a direct connection to that which is divine.  What about you or anything you prosses has a direct connection to that which is divine?  If there is nothing holy then we are all heathens.  A heathen can be described as someone who does not belong to a group of people who praise, worship and are devoted to someone superior to themselves who is worthy and deserving of praise, worship and devotion.  Heathens are therefore also lacking of meaningful morals or principles.  As a heathen, a person may say I have morals and principles.  A heathen’s morals and principles are meaningless.  Why?  Because they are derived from within themselves and have no meaning beyond themselves.  However, our Creator doesn’t desire for us (mankind) to be heathens and that is why the nation of Israel was established.  God established Israel to introduced Himself to the world in order to teach us who to worship, how to worship and how to live holy lives.

What about you or anything you possess is holy?  Holiness is that which is of a divine nature or origin.  Something Divine is superior to us and worthy of praise, worship and devotion.  The only person or thing superior to us worthy of praise, worship and devotion is our Creator.  Anyone or anything that is holy has a direct connection to that which is divine.  What about you or anything you prosses has a direct connection to that which is divine?  If there is nothing holy then we are all heathens.  A heathen can be described as someone who does not belong to a group of people who praise, worship and are devoted to someone superior to themselves who is worthy and deserving of praise, worship and devotion.  Heathens are therefore also lacking of meaningful morals or principles.  As a heathen, a person may say I have morals and principles.  A heathen’s morals and principles are meaningless.  Why?  Because they are derived from within themselves and have no meaning beyond themselves.  How

If There Is Nothing Holy - Leviticus 27:30-34

Warnings are a way of giving advanced notice of a coming or future event or situation.  Warnings are most often given to prevent someone from experiencing an unpleasant, unwanted or unwelcomed event or situation.  While there are times when people will heed the warning they receive and adjust their actions to avoid what they have been warned of, the record of people heeding warnings sent and given by God is not good.  The first recorded warning we have is of God warning Adam.  But why didn’t it work?  One reason is because he believed or listened to a lie and liar.  A same reason why God’s warnings won’t work today.  We listen to and believe lairs and lies.   Some may ask “why allow lies”?  One reason is because we are created capable of speaking and understanding truth and capable of the opposite.  In this respect man is made and created in the image of God his Creator.  But this is not the only reason why warnings won’t work.  Warnings won’t work because of the evil imaginations within the hearts.  Evil as defined by all that is and results from disobedience to God our Creator.  In cases such as these, where evil in the heart is the cause of disobedience, the reasons why warnings won’t work is because (1) we don’t fear the consequences of the warning (2) we don’t believe there will be any consequences of the warning (3) we judge and value the evil worth the consequences of the warning and/or (4) we choose not to listen to or ignore the warning.

Warnings are a way of giving advanced notice of a coming or future event or situation.  Warnings are most often given to prevent someone from experiencing an unpleasant, unwanted or unwelcomed event or situation.  While there are times when people will heed the warning they receive and adjust their actions to avoid what they have been warned of, the record of people heeding warnings sent and given by God is not good.  The first recorded warning we have is of God warning Adam.  But why didn’t it work?  One reason is because he believed or listened to a lie and liar.  A same reason why God’s warnings won’t work today.  We listen to and believe lairs and lies.   Some may ask “why allow lies”?  One reason is because we are created capable of speaking and understanding truth and capable of the opposite.  In this respect man is made and created in the image of God his Creator.  But this is not the only reason why warnings won’t work.  Warnings won’t work because of the evil imaginations with

Why Warnings Won't Work - 2 Chronicles 36:15-22

Judgement is over.  God is removing anything blocking or hindering access to Himself.  God is God High and Lifted up.  He inhabits eternity.  His name is Holy.  God also dwells with the oppressed (contrite or repentant) and humble (those who understand place, lowly) in spirit in order to revive, restore, bring back the contrite and repentant and humble. He is not too high to know us, but condescends to those of low estate.  God will not punish His people forever, but long enough to teach us a lesson.  Else it would be too much for us to bear and we would perish.  God was angry and punished us for our sinful deeds.  Yet we kept hitting our head on the brick wall of God’s judgement by pursuing the desires of our hearts.  Despite this, God had mercy upon those who desire change.  God has seen our ways, but He will heal us; I will lead us and restore and comfort us and our mourners.  They and we may cry, salvation, mercy, grace and peace.  God has looked beyond our faults and seen our needs.  Not just for us, but both those near and far.  Close and far away.  Born and yet to be.  For some there will be no peace, no healing.  Can’t be satisfied, God is not enough.

Judgement is over.  God is removing anything blocking or hindering access to Himself.  God is God High and Lifted up.  He inhabits eternity.  His name is Holy.  God also dwells with the oppressed (contrite or repentant) and humble (those who understand place, lowly) in spirit in order to revive, restore, bring back the contrite and repentant and humble. He is not too high to know us, but condescends to those of low estate.  God will not punish His people forever, but long enough to teach us a lesson.  Else it would be too much for us to bear and we would perish.  God was angry and punished us for our sinful deeds.  Yet we kept hitting our head on the brick wall of God’s judgement by pursuing the desires of our hearts.  Despite this, God had mercy upon those who desire change.  God has seen our ways, but He will heal us; I will lead us and restore and comfort us and our mourners.  They and we may cry, salvation, mercy, grace and peace.  God has looked beyond our faults and seen our need

Healing For The Hurting - Isaiah 57:14-22

"It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul" is the closing line of a poem named "Invictus" written by William Ernest Henley in 1875 and published in 1888.  The word “Invictus” means unconquerable and Invincible and is used to describe the soul of a person who has been subjected to hard trials.  But for Christians, the line echoes the declaration of God that we make the choice as to what will become of us.  We have the absolute power to determine our destiny because God stands ready to forgive us if we turn to Him and forsake our sins.  The choice is ours and ours alone.

Master Of My Fate - Ezekiel 33:10-16

Hurdles are barriers whose effect is to impede someone’s forward progress.  Hurdles must be reckoned with, not ignored or side-stepped if forward progress is to be made.  Therefore, they are crossed over.  Hurdles are best known today in the area of track and field racing.    The higher the hurdle, the harder it is to get over. There is a crisis of confidence in faith, hope, love and life resulting from hurdles of unbelief.  People have given up on anything transcendental.  By that it means anything that has to do with the spiritual or non-physical world.  When something is transcendental, it's beyond ordinary, everyday experience or anything going beyond the regular physical realm.  People today say “I’m a realist”.  What’s that?  Someone who hopes for or accepts only what seems possible or likely, and does not hope for, expect or believe more than that.  Realism leads to high hurdles of unbelief.  Those who believe that it can’t get any better than this and that life under God can’t be better than life under themselves in the here and now leads to another high hurdle.  The last high hurdle is letting go of the known to follow the unknown.  We won’t abandon our flesh, our desires, our will for something promised, because something promised is not something possessed.  We know want we have and are afraid we will end up with nothing.  No faith in God.  These are examples of high hurdles people erect of unbelief which makes is difficult or impossible for them to get over.  We have the power to turn these hurdles into stepping stones by realizing what is real can’t be based on what is known to be possible, that life under God could be as different as life between a man and a fly and that we must not be afraid to let go of what we have in order to receive what God has promised.

Hurdles are barriers whose effect is to impede someone’s forward progress.  Hurdles must be reckoned with, not ignored or side-stepped if forward progress is to be made.  Therefore, they are crossed over.  Hurdles are best known today in the area of track and field racing.    The higher the hurdle, the harder it is to get over. There is a crisis of confidence in faith, hope, love and life resulting from hurdles of unbelief.  People have given up on anything transcendental.  By that it means anything that has to do with the spiritual or non-physical world.  When something is transcendental, it's beyond ordinary, everyday experience or anything going beyond the regular physical realm.  People today say “I’m a realist”.  What’s that?  Someone who hopes for or accepts only what seems possible or likely, and does not hope for, expect or believe more than that.  Realism leads to high hurdles of unbelief.  Those who believe that it can’t get any better than this and that life under God can’t 

The High Hurdles Of Unbelief - Numbers 14:3-11

That which connects things together is called a relationship.  From the day we are born, before we have had a chance to do anything ourselves, we are connected and in relationships.  Connected to humankind, to a family, gender, race, nation, color, creed, culture, planet, world besides many others.  Last, but not least, we are born connected to the God who created us.  Christianity informs us that we, mankind, were created for an eternal relationship with God, our Creator.  For that relationship to thrive, flourish, endure, we must voluntarily submit to live according to all the laws and commandments God has established for conduct between Himself and all others.  Those who cannot or will not conduct themselves in that manner, leaves God with no choice but to severe the connection.  The text today is one such example of a people who rejected God’s call to exercise the proper relationship between Himself and others and God’s response to their refusal to heed His call.  The reason their story is relevant is because the same thing applies to us today if we too refuse to heed God’s call to repentance and obedience.  Of all the words I have read in the bible and are reported to have been said by God, none are more shocking to me than when God said to Jeremiah “Don’t pray for these people”. It means God has severed all ties to them.  Their connection to God has been irrevocably and permanently broken.  Our repeated refusals to heed God's call to repentance and relationship will lead God to treat us as those who are not to prayed for because He has cut us off because He knows we will never submit to His authority.

That which connects things together is called a relationship.  From the day we are born, before we have had a chance to do anything ourselves, we are connected and in relationships.  Connected to humankind, to a family, gender, race, nation, color, creed, culture, planet, world besides many others.  Last, but not least, we are born connected to the God who created us.  Christianity informs us that we, mankind, were created for an eternal relationship with God, our Creator.  For that relationship to thrive, flourish, endure, we must voluntarily submit to live according to all the laws and commandments God has established for conduct between Himself and all others.  Those who cannot or will not conduct themselves in that manner, leaves God with no choice but to severe the connection.  The text today is one such example of a people who rejected God’s call to exercise the proper relationship between Himself and others and God’s response to their refusal to heed His call.  The reason their 

Don't Pray For These - Jeremiah 11:9-14

Everything and everyone belongs somewhere or to someone.  If something is not detached from everything around it, then it belongs to something either as part of something or owned by something.  All mankind belongs to the family of man.  Yet, we do not treat and interact with one another as one would think a family would behave.  Instead of behaving intelligently, logically, compassionately and cooperatively but expressing the higher virtues of goodness and mercy and love man has debased himself by yielding to the most depraved passions and desires of his nature.  In such a state, he has sought all manner of places to belong that alienate and put himself in antagonistic odds with his family.  God's children don't belong here.  They belong to and with God as both their father and creator.

Choosing A Place To Belong - Galatians 3:25-29

Imperceptibly Insidious means undetectably harmful or dangerous.  Something that is imperceptible is not detectable by a sense or by the mind.  Insidious comes from a word that means ambush – a sudden unexpected attack.  Something insidious is gradual undetectable and subtle leading to a harmful or dangerous outcome.  It is like someone or something removing something very valuable (money, company, spouse, family, position, health, influence) from you without your knowledge or consent until it is all gone.  When you need it, it is no longer there.  Paul issues a warning to Christians to be aware of certain insidious people and I would include things.  Insidious people or things will slowly remove and erode our faith.  The faith we think we have will becomes worthless.  Because imperceptibly Insidious persons and things remove holiness, commitment, prayer and strip mercy, compassion, forgiveness, discretion, contemplation from the believer’s life until that life has become similar in nearly every respect to that of an unbelievers.

Imperceptibly Insidious means undetectably harmful or dangerous.  Something that is imperceptible is not detectable by a sense or by the mind.  Insidious comes from a word that means ambush – a sudden unexpected attack.  Something insidious is gradual undetectable and subtle leading to a harmful or dangerous outcome.  It is like someone or something removing something very valuable (money, company, spouse, family, position, health, influence) from you without your knowledge or consent until it is all gone.  When you need it, it is no longer there.  Paul issues a warning to Christians to be aware of certain insidious people and I would include things.  Insidious people or things will slowly remove and erode our faith.  The faith we think we have will becomes worthless.  Because imperceptibly Insidious persons and things remove holiness, commitment, prayer and strip mercy, compassion, forgiveness, discretion, contemplation from the believer’s life until that life has become similar in ne

Imperceptibly Insidious - Romans 16:17-20

Isaiah describes a situation where hell has enlarged and open its mouth wide to accommodate the masses of people descending into it.  A majority of people are going to hell with little resistance on keeping them out.  Those who love the Lord must do what they can to look for and rescue people from the handbasket of people being carried there.

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