COMMANDMENT #6/10 - "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY"

You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25)

God's ways and reasoning are not man's. He has said so, and we know so. God is pure, righteous, Holy, just. Man is evil, perverted, corrupt, selfish prideful. God is God. We ain't! 

There are two kinds of Adultery, and while God gave this original commandment in Exodus, He illustrates what He means and how man betrays Him, fully throughout the Old Testament and all the way to the end. The two kinds of adultery are physical and spiritual. The physical part is obvious. (See program below from my WLCF TV 45 Bible Teaching Show PLUMBLINE which is also shown every Friday on Comcast Access Channel 4 in Springfield, Il at 3am, 11am and 8pm CDT). Married people are supposed to be faithful to each other sexually and in their thoughts, according to the marriage vows in the eyes of God.

But the spiritual part is just as important. All through the Old Testament we see Israel prostituting themselves before pagan foreign gods. God has to send first Moses, then the Judges and finally the great prophets like Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hosea among the many to speak against this vile evil. Modern Christianity is doing the same thing as carnal Christians (who are not disciples of Christ at all) follow the ways of the world in thought, word, deed, entertainment, politics and more.

Today's program, recorded in the Fall of 2012, examines this Sixth Commandment and the relevance of submitting and obeying His just command:

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY...

KIRK AND WIFE CHELSEA NOBLE

VERSE OF THE DAY: 1 Peter 3:16 (ESV) "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Continuing from this headline,  you know the rest of the story "...don't say it"! That is drilled into our lives from the moment we can understand the first words our moms say to us. Apart from the time I was once part of the media stream in the mid to late high-flying 1980's, I don't know anyone who wakes up in the morning thinking or saying to themselves "I am going to get someone today"!

Granted things are different in the political and business world, but that is not where most normal people live. But what about some of the things going on these days. I am not talking about the Rush Limbaugh controversy or so-called comedian Bill Maher's personal attacks on conservative women. I am not even talking about all this garbage about "the lack of civility" by people don't practice the opposite. But what has seemed to have gotten under a lot of people's skins are the comments by Kirk Cameron, about an oxymoron called "gay marriage"!

In brief, here is what the former GROWING PAINS star, Cameron, said on the Piers Morgan Show (CNN) recently: 

- He called homosexuality unnatural.

- He called it  "destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.

- He said Marriage between a man and a woman was "older than dirt"

So was he correct? Yes, on all counts.

Why did he say it? - He was asked by the interviewer, Morgan and did NOT volunteer it.

SHOULD he have said it or punted like most modern day American christians, including Joel Osteen, who can't take a real stand for anything Biblical? Yes on all counts again!

But what if Kirk offends people?  Doesn't he know that in 2012 his belief in the 6000 old story of Creation and the Bible is outdated? Doesn't he know that more and more young Americans and even seven American states are allowing 'gay marriage'?

I have seen and heard Kirk speak as well as spoken to him when he came to town about 10 years ago. First of all, this brother is the real deal. He has not changed his beliefs one bit and neither has his sister Candace Cameron. They are firm believers in God; live according to the Bible and follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

The new move in America, according to certain high government officials is this - it is okay to have these views and "freedom to worship", just don't take it outside the walls. This is not only wrong, but unAmerican and unconstitutional. The very first Amendment guarantees Freedom of Religion. That is, freedom to practice whatever your religion is! This is how the country was established - by people who left oppressive Europe and sought out the new world!

So not only did Kirk Cameron call homosexuality a sin against God (as is adultery, lust etc) but he had the nerve to quote God in Genesis 2:24 " Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." This is a most important Scripture verse because Jesus Himself quoted it in Matthew 19:5 and other parts of the Gospels.

Marriage was instituted by God Himself at Creation - for Adam and Eve. Why can't a man who believes the Truth speak it? Have we gone totally off our rocker that we must bow down to the false gods of this world and deny Him? This is what the god of this world wants. This is what many so-called Christians from the highest positions in the land to the lowest, live in the course of their lives. 

Knowing Kirk Cameron and his ministry, he will never back down from God's Word. The man is as solid as it comes. He may not sell as many books or TV shows as the rich TV preacher from Houston with the big smile and positive message. However, when he stands before God, he will not have much answering to do as he stood firmly in the face of the culture and lived up to the commands of the Word, in our Verse of this Friday at the top of this page!


This verse is not just about what the Word of God says about the Great issues of the Day. It has everything - from cover to cover - about the only Hope of ALL mankind, if they (all the world) will only receive it. 


This animosity to Kirk Cameron and anyone who proclaims the Word of Truth in the public arena, is really an attack on the One Who gave it, not just His messengers. Those potential attacks should never deter us from preaching the Good News of Jesus from sea to shining sea, no matter what the cost! Those attacks should never detour us, from preaching the Gospel and if possible, at times, even use words! Amen.



But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
(Romans 10:8-11 ESV)

Keep on speaking up, men and women of God! He will honor you for it, on that Day! Amen!

THIRTY DAY PRAYER CHALLENGE - DAY 23

PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD

DAY 23
GOD IS WRATHFUL


Think about this for a second - Holy Father, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are up in heaven looking down on the unformed mass called planet Earth. Jesus speaks our world into existence and then all Three say "Let Us  make man in Our Image".

Adam the perfect man is breathed into existence, given everything and a beautiful woman....except one thing - Do not eat from that Tree! Sure enough, Adam broke covenant with the Maker and all hell has since broken loose! It got so bad around the time of Noah that God Himself regretted publicly that He even made mankind (Read Genesis 6).


There was not just vile and evil acts of men - murder, mayhem, greed, pride, idolatry, devil-worship etc.. - but the fallen angels were committing a no- no! Angels, who were created before man, began having sexual relations with women, because they saw how beautiful women were. This created the Nephillim as well as a breed of giants. 


In His Wrath, God destroyed the earth once by the Great Flood, when only Noah and his family were spared.
In His Wrath, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, not just for sexual perversion, but for the sins of pride, greed and idolatry.
In His Wrath, God destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel, after they abandoned Him and committed the worst acts any human can devise.
In His Wrath, God destroyed Judah and Jerusalem by sending the Babylonians, after they did the same and both ignored prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah.


This is God's Corporate Wrath, where He judges an entire people. But what mortal men and women should be concerned about is His Personal Wrath! For 2000 years, the world has ignored the plain-as-day Message of Reconciliation brought from Heaven by Holy God, in the form of the Lord Jesus. The Ancient of Days, stepped off His Throne, gave up all His Rights to be born a baby in Bethlehem and lived for 33 years as a lowly man.


He showed us the Father in Heaven. 
He showed us the Love of God.
He showed us the Salvation of God.
He showed us the Way to God.
He showed us the Grace of God.


He was beaten. He was humiliated. He was persecuted and then killed by religious men. Yet He said not a word except "IT IS FINISHED". For that living Sacrifice of God, Who gave the explicit way back to Him, so that Adam's sin can be paid for, through all time, has been trivialized by evil men and women until today.


The majority will continue to rebel against Him. While they see no judgment coming, they live in perpetual sin and degradation. They mock God. They blaspheme God. They spit in His Eye. They curse Him. They deny Jesus Christ and more. They have no idea they are storing up Wrath for themselves. But a day is coming, declares the Lord. Read the following two distinctive passages from the prophet Nahum and then pray with me:

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
the LORD is avenging and wrathful;
the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries
and keeps wrath for his enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
(Nahum 1:2-3 ESV)

Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
The LORD is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
But with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
(Nahum 1:6-8 ESV)


Father in the Name of Jesus, I thank You that You are patient with us. I thank You that You did not destroy us again, after the Great Flood, where You gave Your rainbow as a covenant You will never flood the earth like that again to wipe out evil man and his sin.


I thank You that You gave a way of escape from the coming Wrath and Judgment through the Passover Lamb, Who died on the Cross for my sins.  I thank You that You gave us the church age so that we may be saved, before the Day comes when it is no longer available.


Lord, day after day, night after night, many of all ages, including those who call themselves Christians die in their sins because, for their own stupid personal reasons, they refuse to come to You, to seek forgiveness and make their peace with You. Countless billions will spend eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire, away from You, because they believed the Lie from the Pit.

They believed the Lie that it's okay to believe what they want.
They believed the Lie that they can say what they wish against the Lord Jesus.
They believed the Lie that there are other ways to You and Heaven apart from Jesus.
They believed they Lie that they can live as they wish, with no cost..."because in the end, it will all work out"!
They believed the Lie that a "Loving God won't send me to hell", while rebelling against You all the days of their lives. 

While they believe all those Lies, Father, they stored up Wrath for themselves, which they will realize on the moment of their death, means eternal separation from You. Still, while they stored all of that up, You gave them the way of escape through Belief and Forgiveness through the Son, Jesus...and they continue to ignore it. You could wipe all that away, if they would just come to the Cross!!!!

Father, in these last days, I pray many will open their eyes and hearts, before it is too late for them...and I pray many will see the signs of the Times and confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord....and BE SAVED through His Blood and His Name, amen and amen! Oh God, let it be so, in Jesus' Holy and Precious Name, amen!

TOMORROW: GOD IS FULL OF GRACE

(image by google images)