by GF Herrin
For 2016, I have begun a 365 day that features a selection from a different book of the Bible every day. For example, on Thursday, I read from a book of writings: Job. On Friday, I read from one of the books of the prophets: Isaiah. Saturday, the Gospels: Matthew, and so on. This reading plan suits my taste very well, as I tend to read from several books of the Bible at once anyway. I believe that it is important for all believers to read from the Bible every day to stay grounded in God’s Word and to stay connected to our Heavenly Father.
So, in my daily reading it is my intent to share commentary on this site of impressions I believe the Lord is giving me to give to others based on His word. I am not a Greek or Hebrew scholar or a divinity student. I am simply a Masters level student, one course short of a Religion degree at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC.
What I do possess is a thorough understanding of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible with a special interest in understanding the context specific passages were written. However, even though these passages were written from 1900 to 3000 years ago, they have a broad application to humanity’s daily lives today. For example, while reading my Bible passages from Isaiah for Friday, a couple of verses stood out to me. Isaiah the prophet wrote specifically to the stiff necked, obstinate people of Israel who had rebelled against God and gone astray. Many of the verses from the beginning of Isaiah, though, could apply to the United States, a country founded by Christians long ago.
Isaiah 5:20-21
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
Sin parades itself proudly in the streets of the U.S. today. Homosexuals and others march proudly in the streets and demand to be recognized. Their sin convicts them and they demand that others treat them with respect and assure them that they are “OK”. How dare the rest of the world keep men from marrying men and women marrying women? So what if marriage by its natural law can only truly be understood within the male – female relationship and their ability to mate with the opposite sex. Try to speak out against same sex marriage and you are castigated as evil incarnate, someone who must be stopped and silenced. Nothing else will do!
Isaiah 3:9
The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.
Reality TV brings onto stage the deviant lifestyle of people who are famous for just being attractive. The Kardashian family, that internet TV reality family that has nothing noteworthy to their name except being famous fill us up with junk news on their sinful exploits. Kim Kardashian has babies out of wedlock and proudly updates us constantly to let know when she gets her “baby bump”. She shows displays certain parts of her body in selfies for others to see in the most
A man (Bruce Jenner), is so narcissistic and so consumed with self that he is convinced that he needs to become a woman to become truly fulfilled. He exists as a half man half woman with breasts and male genitals. He startles us with his freakish appearance and presents bathroom gender identity issues. In a previous time, he would have been called a pervert. Yet ESPN proudly gives him an award for courage!
Christians who dare to call out such people out are labeled as bad for following God’s law for morality. Bad is truly being called good. Humanity is celebrated and godliness is mocked. As Israel turned to its idols, the United States has embraced its own idols in so many forms. America entertains itself to death via TV, movies, music, iphones, the internet and with false idols or beliefs such as the “freedom to be who you want to be”. But the Bible says, no one is truly free.
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:16).
Either you are a miserable slave to sin or you are a joyful slave to righteousness. True freedom and peace, though, are found only in Jesus Christ and the forgiveness that only He could purchase for us by His sacrifice on the cross. Have you received it? If not, Pray to Him today!
Good teaching! This is the bold kind of teaching we Christians need to hear! We must not compromise. Up until about a year ago, I kinda struggled with should I “lighten up” on homosexual or transgender folks etc. I found myself working at a job where I was surrounded by 3 of them. So nice but SO confused! Their life was a mess. One was a girl who identified as a guy n changed her name to a guys name n dressed like a guy. She was still dating her ex fiancé who still had feelings for her and stood by her even though you could tell he was in turmoil n pain. The other one same thing – she dressed like a boy n took on a boy nickname except she still dated a guy! Actually 2 guys! Just a confused situation and it goes back to just the flesh having its way and the deception of satin. The other girl was a lesbian and told me she had a wife. I just treated them with kindness because I really didn’t have a clearness of how you’re supposed to minister to them! Other Christians shunned them- 1 was always rude to them and wanting to debate in a not positive manner. One incident, I did defend them when thief debating Christian person tried
to embarrass on of them. I just leaned on the side of just walk in love with them. She felt like I was accepting. I told her we can’t be mean to them. Fast forward-nowadays God is teaching me HOW to approach this sort of spirit and that is with scriptures that speak against that lifestyle. Isaiah 5:20-21 is a very good one to remember and to use when confronted with this. I know better the scriptures in which to combat this erroneous lifestyle. The Word of God says to study to show thyself approved-rightly dividing the word of truth. I asked the Lord to forgive me for not being up to par in this and I’ve vowed to do better! Thanks for this teaching!