The Comfort Of God

Isaiah 66:10-16

There is nothing more comforting to a child than the love and care of his mother.  A loving mother, caring for her baby is a universal picture, and is something that most people can look back on and relate to.  There are times, even as an adult, that one might wish they could run to their mother, and just as when a child, she would pick them up, calm their fears, and wipe away any tears.  Several times in Scripture, God portrays Himself with some of the characteristics of a mother.  In today’s passage from the prophet Isaiah, we have such an example.

Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jewish people since the days of King David, has been a chief love of theirs.  Many times the city has come under enemy attack, going back to before the days of Isaiah.  Those were times of deep mourning for the people.  The message that Isaiah brought in our Scripture passage was one of hope for the people, that despite what they would go through, despite days, and even years when they would mourn, there would come a day when their beloved city of Jerusalem could rejoice (vs. 10).

There would be days when the people would be both physically hungry and also emotionally and spiritually hungry, particularly in the time during the Babylonian invasion, the destruction of Jerusalem, and their captivity.  However, Isaiah told them that there was a day coming when the Lord would feed them, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and they would be satisfied, just like when a mother nurses her baby until the little one is satisfied (vs. 11).  Yahweh pictures Himself like a nursing mother to His people.  A nursing mother cradles and snuggles her little baby in her arms, often rocking and softly crooning lullabies.  That is the picture that the Lord wants us to see, that His love for us is just like a mother’s for her child.

When a baby or young child is distraught over something, is hurt and crying, what does a good mother do?  She will comfort the young one, often holding them in her lap.  That is what the Lord promises to do for His children.  God extends comfort to His children (vs. 13).  Tender, trustworthy, and diligent are His efforts to calm us.  When we are weary or upset, He carries us affectionately in His arms.  When the troubles of this world weigh heavy on our hearts, we can find comfort in the knowledge that God protects and fights for us as a loving parent.  Just as a mother will often carry her little one around on her side, the Lord will carry us (vs. 12).  He will never leave us unconsoled, to cry by ourselves all alone.

Isaiah continues, as he foretells the day when the Lord will raise His people up, and the nations of the world will come and find refreshing and peace in Jerusalem.  God promises peace to Jerusalem and His people, which will flow like a river (vs. 12).  Since the days following King Solomon, there has been very little peace in Jerusalem.  Even today we don’t think of that city as a haven of peace.  But that day will come.  All of this will occur following Jesus’ Second Coming.  At that time the city of Jerusalem will be a nurturer of peace to the world.

At that time believers and followers of Jesus will rejoice (vs. 14).  This will be a time of refreshing for His children from the Lord.  New life shall enter them, and health and growth shall follow.  Prosperity will belong to the faithful remnant, but wrath to those who oppose the Lord.

Our Scripture closes with a picture of end-time judgment (vs. 15-16).  We see that the wrath of God will come to those who have rebelled against Him.  The many who fight against the Lord when He returns to establish His kingdom will die.  That is not a sight that any should want to see befall them.  How much more would you rather be cradled in God’s arms like a child who has been comforted!  That is a privilege that only those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior can have.  Rather than experiencing the just wrath of God, call upon Jesus, and receive His comfort and love.

Excuses

Luke 9:51-62

Excuses.  Most of us have made them at one time or another, often to get out of doing something that we might have agreed to do, but really don’t want to do.  Sometimes that excuse might get us off the hook, but then there are the times that we get caught, reprimanded, or even have consequences for these excuses, especially if we keep giving them.  God is one we really shouldn’t give excuses to, as He can see right through them.  He knows what’s really behind all of our excuses to Him.  In today’s Scripture we read about some people who gave Jesus a lot of excuses, and how He responded to them.

Today we’ll start with the second half of our Scripture passage, and then go back and look at the beginning portion.  As Jesus and His disciples were journeying on to Jerusalem, He encountered three men, who each separately gave Him some excuses for not following Him.  The first person was a man that came to Jesus with a promise that he would follow Him wherever He went, that he would be a disciple (vs. 57).   Knowing what is in everyone’s heart, Jesus responded by pointing out that there is a cost to following Him (vs. 58).  All the creatures of the earth have homes to go to, but Jesus didn’t, and to truly follow Him, we must be willing to give up anything, including if need be, basic things like a home and bed.  Jesus reminds us to count the cost of true discipleship (Luke 14:25-33).  Following Jesus means denying our selfish goals.  Was that man really willing to pay the price of discipleship?

Jesus gave the second man an invitation to come and join Him (vs. 59-60).  However this man said he wanted to bury his father first.  That might seem like a reasonable request, but it wasn’t what it seemed.  He wasn’t simply wanting to bury a relative.  Jesus wasn’t wanting to show disrespect for the dead, or shirking responsibility.  Jewish people usually buried the dead within 24 hours.  This father might not have even been dead, but the man wanted to stick around to get his inheritance and then follow Jesus.  He was focusing on “dead” worldly desires.  We cannot pursue worldly goals and still follow Christ (I John 2:15-17).  There are plenty of people to perform worldly tasks, but precious few to preach the Word of God.  Jesus must come first in all things.

The third man said he would follow Jesus, but wanted to go back home and say goodbye to everyone first (vs. 61-62).  Jesus tells us that half-hearted, lukewarm faith is unacceptable (Revelation 3:14-16).  Having a single-minded purpose must be paramount in our life if we are to follow Jesus as we should.  He wants total dedication, not half-hearted commitment.  We can’t pick and choose among Jesus’ ideas, and follow Him selectively.  We have to accept the cross along with the crown, judgment as well as mercy.  Count the cost and be willing to abandon everything else.

As we look now at the first part of our Scripture passage, we read that Jesus and His disciples were passing through Samaria, on their way to Jerusalem.  During the days of Jesus, Jews and Samaritans did not get along.  The Jewish people looked on the Samaritans as half-breeds with a corrupted religion, a mix of Jewish faith with paganism.  The Samaritans didn’t like the Jews, either.  When the Samaritans saw that Jesus and His group were heading to Jerusalem, they refused to receive them (vs. 51-53).  This got the brothers, James and John, very angry, and they requested that Jesus allow them to call fire from heaven to destroy them.  Their hatred and anger were the exact opposite of what Jesus wanted.  He did not come to destroy people, but to save them (vs. 55-56).  Jesus came this first time to save, not to destroy.  His response was grace, not destructive fury.

Sometimes we don’t act like the new people the Holy Spirit is transforming us into.  We must do our best to represent Jesus with love and mercy, so that others will believe and be saved.  The Holy Spirit so changed John that he later became known as the Apostle of Love, because the message of loving others was so prevalent in his epistles.  Also, of note is that a few years after Jesus returned to heaven, John joined Peter in preaching the Gospel in Samaria, and some of these folks who rejected Jesus at this time, may have accepted Him then (Acts 8:14, 25).

How do we respond when others rudely reject our witness of Jesus?  Do we get angry and feel like cursing them out?  Our Scripture reminds us that this isn’t the response Jesus wants us to take.  And what about excuses?  When Jesus calls us to serve Him in one way or another, are we willing to step up and follow Him, even if there is a price to pay?  Or do we give excuses?  Jesus is saying to each one of us today, “Follow Me!”

 

The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:16-25

One of the tastiest things I have ever eaten was a perfectly ripe peach, picked fresh off the tree in a fruit orchard.  Though that was many years ago, I can still remember its luscious sweetness.  It was a really good piece of fruit.  If someone has some fruit trees, bushes, or vines in their yard, naturally they want them to produce good fruit.  Nobody wants bad, nasty, rotten fruit!  In our Scripture for today we will read about the type of fruit the Holy Spirit desires to bring forth in our lives, in contrast to bad or rotten behavior.

The Book of Galatians, like the other epistles written by Paul, were written to believers.  As our Scripture opens, Paul was urging these believers in the type of behavior that Christians ought to follow.  What he taught them then is equally applicable to us today, and we ought to heed these instructions.  Paul begins by urging us to walk in the Spirit (vs. 16).   Christians should be walking, or living, in the power of the Holy Spirit every day.  We should be in a habitual lifestyle of allowing the Holy Spirit to control our mind, will, and emotions, and not letting our unregenerate flesh, or sinful nature be in control.  When a spiritual confrontation arises, we need to submit our desires to those of the Holy Spirit.  One who walks by the Spirit will not carry out the strong desires of their sinful nature.

There are two forces conflicting within us - the Holy Spirit and our sinful or flesh nature (vs. 17).  The desires of our sinful human nature, and that of the Holy Spirit are contrary to each other.  The flesh opposes the work of the Holy Spirit, and will lead us into sinful behavior.  Though the Holy Spirit is infinitely stronger, who controls our life and walk depends on who we are turning and listening to.  These two are mutually exclusive.  One is either led by the power of the Holy Spirit, resulting in righteous behavior and attitudes, or by the flesh, leading to unrighteous behavior.  When we are led and guided by the Holy Spirit we can turn away from evil desires.

Continuing on in his epistle, Paul gives us a list of the works of the flesh (vs. 19-21).  These sins characterize all of unredeemed mankind.  After listing these sinful behaviors, he states that those who practice these will not inherit the kingdom of God.  The word “practice” means continual, habitual actions.  Although believers can, and sometimes do, commit these actions, it refers to people with uninterrupted and unrepentant practice, who cannot belong to God.  Someone whose life is habitually characterized by these sins would be convicted by the Holy Spirit when committing these actions and would strive to cease such activities rather than continuing practicing them. If they are not convicted by the Holy Spirit, this shows that they are not truly a Christian.  The unsaved cannot enter God’s kingdom.

Our Scripture passage ends on a much more positive and uplifting note, as Paul then lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which should be evident in the lives of believers as they allow the Holy Spirit to work in them (vs. 22-23).  The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit within us.  These are character traits found in the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The first fruit listed is love.  This is not the emotional, physical, or familial type of love, but agape love, respect, devotion, and affection that leads to self-sacrificial service.  Joy is a feeling of well-being based on the unchanging promises of God.  Peace is an inner calm that results from confidence in one's saving relationship with God.  Long-suffering is enduring hardship and injuries with patience.

Continuing on with Paul’s list of fruit of the Holy Spirit we see kindness.  That is tender and gentle concern for others.  Goodness is moral and spiritual excellence.  Another fruit is faithfulness, which is shown in loyalty and trustworthiness.  Gentleness or meekness is having a humble and gentle attitude, and being patiently submissive.  Lastly there is self-control, which is restraining passions and appetites.

We cannot genuinely produce these qualities on our own because our sinfulness mars them.  When we are saved, and are depending on the Lord, and obeying Him, they will freely flow from us.  A person who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit is fulfilling the law far better than one who is just observing rituals.

As we look at our lives, do we see the good fruit of the Holy Spirit, fruit that an unbeliever would be drawn to, just as someone is drawn to delectable ripe fruit on a tree or vine?  Or do we see works of the flesh popping up more frequently?  Let’s be walking in the Spirit, so there is more of His desirable fruit!

A Good Inheritance

Psalm 16

At some point or another in many people’s lives, they wonder about whether they will receive an inheritance when their parents pass on.  This is especially true if their parents were wealthy people.  There are financial accounts to divide among the siblings, along with property, cars, and personal belongings.  Some people end up with a rather nice inheritance.  For the rest of us, though, that’s generally not the case.  In our psalm for today, David talks a bit about the type of inheritance he has.  Let’s look at what God’s Word has to say.

Though we remember David as king over Israel, he was not from a royal family.  David’s father, Jesse, was an owner of a sheep ranch, and possibly also a farmer in the small village of Bethlehem.  The family wasn’t poor, but they weren’t extraordinarily rich, either.  David had seven older brothers, along with a few sisters, too.  As the youngest male, he was not likely to receive much inheritance.  According to Jewish tradition in the days of the Bible, the oldest son would receive half of the parent’s inheritance, and the remainder would be divided among everyone else, so David’s portion would have been small.

That might have bothered many people, but it didn’t bother David.  Instead of looking at land, bank accounts, or jewelry, David looked at what his real inheritance was.  He saw God as his inheritance.  Though his brothers may have been given a good amount, and he left with little, David felt he had something even better.  He had the Lord (vs. 5-6).  His family may have written down a list of who would get what, and if the property was divided, where the lines for each person’s lot would fall.  David didn’t care about that, as he claimed God as his inheritance.  Though the lines for his portion of Jesse’s inheritance might not have been much, it might have only been pocket change or just a rocky corner of the property, he knew that with God he had a good inheritance.

When all we have is God, we have all we need. The way we view our circumstances is more important than the circumstances themselves.  We can be content, because our ultimate satisfaction comes from God, who never changes.  This was David’s perspective in life, and is a good one to follow for ourselves, as well.  He sought throughout his life to listen to, obey, and follow God.  When God is our focus, it is easier for us to hear Him when He speaks (vs. 7).  Listening to God is essential to walking with Him.

One of the benefits from David’s inheritance that he was rejoicing over, was a fullness of joy (vs. 11).  There are many benefits in a life lived in companionship with God, and one of them is joy.  We can enjoy these benefits now and in eternity.  True joy is deeper than happiness.  We can have joy in spite of our deepest troubles when we have Jesus.  Joy is lasting, because it is based on God’s presence with us.

Christians need to refill their tank with joy.  We do that by spending time with God in prayer, by reading His Word daily, and getting to know Him more intimately.  In order for God to fill us with His joy, we need to be emptied of everything of this world.  When we have done that, He can then fill us with Himself.  The level of our joy will then determine the spiritual strength we have to face our day (Nehemiah 8:10).

Unbelievers have a sense of hopelessness in life.  We see that a lot today, with everything happening in the world around us.  They have nowhere to turn and no one to truly put their hope in.  However, that is not the case with Christians when we are actively following the Lord.  Those who seek God can be confident, and have a sense of security which comes from Him (vs. 8).  God will keep us from being moved off of His path.

Where is your inheritance?  Where is your joy?  Is it in the Lord, or are you looking for a material worldly inheritance and putting your hope and trust in that?  David knew what was important in his life, and thus he was able to have fullness of joy in his life.

A Faithful Remnant

I Kings 19:14-21

This world sometimes seems to be such a morally and ethically dark place.  We look around and see very little godliness or morality, with evil and sin seemingly triumphing.  We might become discouraged, and even begin to feel like we’re the only one who believes in or follows God.  This is how the prophet Elijah felt during one period of his life.  We read a little about that in our Scripture passage for today.

The prophet Elijah was a great man of God during some of the darker days in the Old Testament.  He ministered primarily to the northern Kingdom of Israel.  That nation had turned their back on the true worship of Yahweh, and had fallen into idolatry, worshiping many pagan gods.  Shortly before the events of our Scripture, the prophet had won a great spiritual victory on Mt. Carmel over the priests of Baal and other pagan religious leaders (I Kings 18:19-40).  However, following that great event, King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel sought to kill him, and Elijah had to flee for his life, hiding in a cave near Mt. Horeb.  Rather than focusing on the great spiritual victory over Satan and the pagans, he feared the death threats and became discouraged and depressed.

As our Scripture begins, Elijah was in prayer with the Lord, and the Lord questioned why he was so discouraged and in hiding.  Elijah answered that all of the people in Israel had forsaken God and His Word, torn down His altars, and killed all of His prophets, those who preached His Word (vs. 14).  Elijah felt like he was the only one left who really worshiped God.

We might sometimes feel like that.  When we look around the world today, and see how far society has strayed from God’s Word and commandments, from any semblance of godliness, we might feel that we are the only ones left who follow Him.  What did God say to Elijah when he had answered Him with those comments?  Did He agree with Elijah, telling him that he was correct, and to continue to hide out in the cave?  Did He get angry at him?  No, God told him to get up and go back, as He had some work for Him to do.  There were three people that God wanted Elijah to anoint for special tasks.

God also reminded Elijah that he was not the only one in the nation of Israel that followed Him.  Though that northern kingdom had, as a whole, turned away from God and never returned to true worship, He pointed out to Elijah that 7,000 people had refused to worship Baal and other false gods, and still truly worshiped Him (vs. 18).  That wasn’t many out of a whole nation, but that was some, and God knew about them.  They were not lost to Him.  Even in the worst of times, God will not leave Himself without a remnant as a witness.  When we feel isolated and all alone in our faith, we aren’t.  The Lord is still at work in hearts that we may not even know about.

God had a job for Elijah to do at this time, and that was to anoint three different people for tasks that He wanted accomplished.  The first was to anoint a man named Hazael to be king over the Kingdom of Syria, to the north of Israel (vs. 15).  The Lord was going to use, a bit later, the Kingdom of Syria to chastise and punish the nation of Israel for their abandonment of Him and idolatry.  Sometimes God will use unbelievers and heathen to accomplish His purposes, as He did here, and later with the greater Assyrian Empire, and also the Babylonian Empire against Judah.

The second person Elijah was to anoint was Jehu to become king over Israel instead of the descendants of Ahab (vs. 16).  Jehu did put an end to the public worship of Baal, but not of other idols, and he never brought the country back to the worship of Yahweh.  The country remained in their heathen ways.

The final person Elijah was to anoint was Elisha, who would be his successor (vs. 16, 19-21).  Elisha lived in the village of Abel-meholah.  Nearby there was the school of the prophets, sort of an Old Testament Bible school.  Elijah was not instructed to anoint any of them to be his successor.  Instead, God instructed him to anoint Elisha, who was a farmer.  God does not always pick who we think He should.  God doesn’t always use the ones with multiple theological degrees to spread His message.  He chose the farmer Elisha.

This probably took Elisha by surprise, as Elijah was the well-known preacher, and Elisha from a simple farm family.  Throwing the mantle over him was a definite symbol that Elisha was chosen to be his disciple and successor.  Elisha accepted the call, and by killing the oxen and giving the meat to the people to eat, Elisha was showing he was giving up his former life to follow Elijah.

When we feel that we are alone in our faith and ministry, listen to what the Lord has to say to you.  God will always have a faithful remnant.  There may not be many, but they are there.  God cared about what Elijah was going through, and He gave him a faithful companion for his remaining years.

Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Luke 9:18-26

If we were to go to many universities and take a poll of who people think Jesus is, we would get all sorts of answers.  Some would say that He was a great teacher or a great philosopher.  Some might say Jesus was a religious radical.  Some could possibly say that He was crazy or even mentally ill.  There would be some who would say that Jesus was a myth, and never even existed.  And then there would be those who confessed that He was exactly who He said He was, the Son of God, and our Savior.  In our Gospel passage for this week we see Jesus asking the same question to His disciples.  Let’s take a look at our Scripture.

As our passage opens, Jesus is part way through His time of ministry on earth.  His fame had spread throughout Galilee and Judea.  Many people had heard about Him, and crowds had come to hear Him preach, see or receive a miracle.  Now Jesus asked His disciples what these crowds were saying about Him, who they thought He was (vs. 18).  The disciples gave several answers, and as like people today, there were a variety of things people were thinking about who this Man, this Teacher was.  Their answers included that a number of people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, or some other prophet come back from the dead (vs. 19).  Jesus didn’t fit the common belief at the time that the Messiah would be a conquering king or hero who would destroy all of the Jews enemies, particularly the Romans.  Since Jesus wasn’t doing this, most of the Jews didn’t think He could be the Messiah.  Jesus then asked them who they felt He was (vs. 20).  Immediately Peter spoke up and professed that he believed Jesus was the Messiah, sent by God.

This is a question that each and every one of us will have to answer.  Who do we say that Jesus is?  Our answer will determine our eternal destiny.  The Christian faith goes beyond knowing what others believe about Jesus.  It requires us to hold beliefs for ourselves, and not just riding the coattails of our parents or grandparents.  When Jesus asks “Who do you say I am?” He wants us to take a stand.

To say that we believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, is to say we believe that He is God incarnate, born of a virgin, was crucified, died, was buried, and that He rose on the third day.  We believe that He is fully capable of forgiving our sins, and reconciling us to Himself.  We believe all that He taught is true, and that we can have eternal life because of Him.

Jesus then proceeded to tell the disciples what was going to happen to Him, that He would suffer and die for the sins of mankind (vs. 22).  This was certainly not the picture that the majority of the Jewish people had of their Messiah.  Jesus was not the conquering hero right then, but later He will return as the Conqueror.

As our Scripture passage continues, Jesus shares a very important teaching with His disciples and with us.  To be a true Christian, a true disciple and follower of Jesus, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross each day, and follow Him (vs. 23-26).  The self-denial Jesus is talking about is not some sort of reclusive asceticism, but a willingness to obey His commands, serve one another, and to suffer, perhaps even die, for His sake.

Christians follow the Lord by imitating His life, and by obeying His commands.  One cannot truly call themselves a Christian, a true believer, if they do not obey and follow what Jesus said in His Word, the Bible.  Christians must identify completely with the message of Jesus, even if it means death.  We must deny our own selfish desires, and quit focusing on self altogether.

One cannot have both Jesus and the world.  One or the other must go.  If one gains the whole world, and loses his soul, he has nothing.  Which is more important to you - this present life, or Jesus and eternal life?  Nothing material can compensate for the loss of eternal life!

There will come a day for each of us when we will stand before God, and He will ask us, “Who do you say that Jesus is?”  What will your answer be?  Our life is only for a brief moment in comparison to eternity.  Gaining what the world has to offer will only last for a moment, but then there is an eternity lost from God.  However choosing Jesus in this life will gain us an eternity in heaven with Him.

The Dangers Of An Unequal Yoke

II Corinthians 6:14-18

Whenever you see a carriage or a wagon being pulled by animals, you will always see that it is pulled by two or more of the same type of animal.  Carriages used in historical reenactments or romantic rides around a downtown area will always have a pair of horses.  Wagons on farms will use a pair of horses, or perhaps oxen.  You never see a horse and a cow, or a donkey and an ox harnessed together.  Why?  The horse wants to go, but the cow wants to stay and eat grass.  The donkey wants to go this way, but the ox another way.  Their desires are different.  They are unequally yoked.  In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul speaks about the dangers of believers being unequally yoked.  Let’s take a look at what God’s Word says.

This is one passage of Scripture that some people do not like to hear, and will often toss aside.  However, it is in God’s Word, and should be heeded.  As our passage opens, God tells us that as believers, we should not be “yoked together” with unbelievers (vs. 14).  Being “yoked” has the idea of being joined together and united as one.  God tells us here not to be bound to unbelievers, either in marriage or in business partnerships, or even in very close “best friend” friendships.  We are to show the unbelievers love, kindness, and concern, but they should never be our closest of relationships.

We have several tragic examples in the Old Testament of a believer who made the mistake of being unequally yoked.  One example was with godly King Jehoshaphat of Judah who made a bad alliance with the evil, ungodly King Ahab of Israel (II Chronicles 18:28-19:3).  This alliance did not turn out well.  God sent one of His prophets to sternly reprimand King Jehoshaphat.  The prophet, speaking for God, said “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?  Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you.”  Another example was with King Solomon.  He married pagan women, women who did not believe or worship Yahweh.  These women turned his heart away from God, and led to the eventual destruction of the people (I Kings 11:1-13).    Helping people in need is godly, but making unwise alliances, business partnerships, and even marriage will prove disastrous.

Why is this so important for believers?  Quite frequently an unbelieving spouse will slowly (and sometimes not that slowly) draw the believer away from a close relationship with the Lord.  Through word or action they lead the believer to stop attending church as often as they might like, or reading the Bible as frequently.  Solomon’s wives slowly got him to forsake Yahweh and instead worship pagan idols.  An unsaved business partner may lead a believer into unethical business practices.  Maybe not right away, but over time they begin to compromise their standards for the sake of the business.  Jehoshaphat's standards slowly fell as his relationship with evil Ahab increased.

Someone seeking to live for the Lord should have nothing in common, no fellowship, harmony, and compromise with the unbeliever, those in darkness (I Corinthians 10:20-21).  The word “Belial” in verse 15 is a word that means “worthless”, and is a name given here for Satan.  As believers, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, and are His temple.  God says here in verse 16 we are not to be united with those who are children of the devil, which Jesus called those who did not accept Him (John 8:44).  Idols and God do not mix.

We are to be separated from the world, separated, but not isolated.  We are to share the Gospel message with others, but the call to follow Jesus is also a call to be separate and distinctive from the worship and lifestyle of the world.  This also includes Christians, and particularly pastors, joining with false and pagan religions for any religious enterprise or ceremonies.  Those could never be done to God’s glory.  We cannot belong to both Jesus and the world.

We need to be careful how we live.  Anything that occupies the place that belongs to God in our life is an idol.  We need to purge ourselves of our idols, and get into a right relationship with God.  We must set ourselves apart from the world.  Unfortunately many Christians have chosen to be entertained by things of the world.  We need to ask the Lord to lead us into what is pure.  If the enemy (Satan) gains a foothold in our lives by tempting us to compromise, then our faith, our relationship with God will suffer, along with our witness.  Through the Blood of Jesus, every bondage that takes our focus away from God can be broken.  We must separate ourselves from that which is not of God, and get the ungodly things out of our life.  The more separate we become in God, the more pure and powerful we will be for His Kingdom.