The Sin Of Indifference

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Indifference, apathy, nonchalance and lack of concern for others are the signs of our calloused, uninvolved age. Could these attitudes have rubbed off on you without your realizing it?

You live in a world gone mad. Riots, muggings, murder, rape, starvation, brutality are commonplace — so much so that unless we are on our guard we can become oblivious and hardened to what is happening around us.

Stop and think. You live in a world where venereal disease strikes children 10 to 14 years old. Where gonorrhea is America’s most common contagious disease, after the common cold and measles. Where young males “prance” up and down the streets in women’s slacks, high heels and long hair. Where high schools are infested with prostitution rings and dope peddlers.

Every base act and foul crime imaginable is committed in our modern Godless society. But it is the rare person today who still has the sensitivity to be moved and shocked into a sense of abhorrence by what is taking place!

Most people today simply don’t care. They lead insulated lives. They are the “silent majority” — the mass of “uninvolved.” Most don’t want to be disturbed by the facts. Most are caught up in a binge of self-love and a driving greed to gorge their desires and glut their appetites. Millions today are filled with indifference toward the welfare of their country, their neighbors and anyone but themselves — having become totally APATHETIC!

It Was Prophesied

The Apostle Paul prophesied that in these last days living itself would be perilous. He foretold that men would be motivated only by an inward, thoughtless love for themselves. They would be incapable of showing the natural affection of one human toward another. Unconcerned for anyone but themselves, they would be arrogant, pushy — even fierce (II Tim. 3:1-4).

These are people so caught up in the swirl of their own family, their own lives, that they can nonchalantly watch children fight a losing battle for their lives and not lift a finger to help.

It is our materialistic, grasping, competitive, “keeping up with the Joneses” way of life that spawns this shoulder-shrugging, indifferent “who cares?” attitude! This is the typical attitude of the society in which we live. You and I live in a world permeated with just such an approach to life!

Geology Reveals: Two Creations, Two Worldwide Floods

findingtruthmatters.org

Here is startling proof — from the Bible and geology — demonstrating not only two widely separated creations, but two world-wide destructions! Few have understood this astonishing truth!

Contrary to what millions have been led to believe — the true facts of science and the truth of your Bible agree! Theologians have long kept hidden this surprising truth. It conflicts with their theology. Atheistic professors have suppressed it. Science has refused to believe it.

Only a few understand where the key which unlocks the amazing geologic history of the earth is. It has been in the FIRST TWO VERSES OF YOUR BIBLE all these years — and you probably never noticed it.

The FOUNDATION of Knowledge

The very first truth revealed in your Bible is: “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). This earth was created so perfect, so beautiful, that “the morning stars {the angels — Rev. 1:20} sang for joy” (Job 38:7).

Yet the very next inspired verse of your Bible reveals that this perfect earth was destroyed by a terrible catastrophe! Genesis 1:2 reveals, “And the earth was without form, and void.”

The original Hebrew word, which the King James translators translated “was” in verse two, ought to be translated “became.” It is so translated in Genesis 19:26, in Genesis 2:7, and in many other verses of the Bible. Turn to the example in Genesis 19:26. In this verse the same Hebrew word which is INCORRECTLY translated “WAS” in Genesis 1:2 is here CORRECTLY translated “BECAME.”

Notice, God warned Lot and his wife not to look behind as they escaped from the burning city of Sodom. Lot’s wife disobeyed this command and looked back longingly at the wicked city of Sodom, “She BECAME a pillar of salt” (v. 26).

Obviously, Lot’s wife had not always been a pillar of salt! But when she sinned, she became a pillar of salt.

In like manner, the earth wasn’t originally created a waste and in confusion! The correct translation of Genesis 1:2 from the original inspired Hebrew makes clear: “The earth BECAME without form, and void.”

This truth is further brought out when we note in Genesis 1:2 that the English “without form” was translated from the original Hebrew word “tohu,” which means “desolation” or “confusion.” Is God the author of confusion?

The Apostle Paul was inspired to write: “God is not the author of confusion” (I Cor. 14:33).

Isaiah said, “He {God} created it {the earth} NOT IN VAIN {“tohu” in Hebrew — that is, not in chaos and confusion} (Isa. 45:18). It BECAME that way!

The Mark of A Great Mind

The Plain Truth, October 1983

Do you know what the mark of greatness is?

Who hasn’t been insulted at some time? Or threatened or falsely accused?

Perhaps we experience situations where individuals are rude or abusive to us, lacking tact or consideration in what they say or do. Perhaps on crowded roads or highways inconsiderate persons suddenly swerve in front of us.

How do we respond to such irritating situations?

Many respond with an impulsive burst of rage or anger: “He can’t do that to me! I’ll show him … !” Then suddenly, a nasty verbal exchange, or worse, a serious accident or injury is generated.

The news media are filled with accounts of human tragedy caused by lack of emotional control under unpleasant situations. Many family and personal problems, costly work mishaps and even senseless killings result.

Harmful Emotional Habits

All of us from time to time face the need to learn control of our emotions under difficult circumstances. Such control is the mark of a great mind.

The Bible repeatedly admonishes us to be slow to anger. “A man of quick temper acts foolishly, but a man of discretion is patient.” “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” “He who rules his spirit [is better] than he who takes a city” (Prov. 14:17, 29; 16:32, RSV).

Slow to anger? Patient and controlling thoughts and emotions under duress? How do we achieve these qualities of character? What values, understanding and attitudes produce them?

The Bible reveals there is a right time and place for anger (Eph. 4:26). But how do we control our temper when confronted with someone’s insults or rudeness or lack of consideration? How can we control emotions under trying personal difficulties so we don’t descend into the pit of resentment, bitterness or depression’?

What we need is the right spiritual perspective, attitude and power of mind! What we need is a positive and loving perspective about today’s confused world and the people in it. We need a right perspective about personal problems and difficulties that will enable us to cope with them in a beneficial way.

God Corrects The Emotionally Immature Christian!

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God doesn’t want us whining and moaning about things, so we have to watch what comes out of our mouths.”Murmurings” means grumbling or complaining (Phil. 2:14).

This type of attitude shows an emotional immaturity and anciently, the Israelites were punished for doing exactly that (Numb. 14:27-29, I Cor. 10:10). Be content with what you have, and if you have a request, make it politely.

What we say reveals a lot about ourselves, with the book of James describing our words as either sweet water or bitter (Jam. 3:8-12). Do we say nice things to some people and mean things to another? That’s not right (Matt. 12:34-35).

Our words reveal the state of our heart (or mind). If evil words come out, then it shows there is evil in your heart that you need to get rid of. A good conversation shows wisdom (Jam. 3:13-16).

Do you fight and argue? That also doesn’t come from God. Learn to recognize whether what you say is wrong and evil, or right and good (Jam. 3:17-18). Controlling our emotions and making peace with all men, despite what confronts us, produces the fruit of righteousness.

The Emotional Perfection Of Jesus Christ

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Emotion is sometimes looked upon as being a negative experience, but in reality this is only because some have not grown up emotionally. This is especially so in mainstream religion, which promulgates emotional fervor as the basis of legitimate religious experiences.  In that sense, God becomes a nebulous sentiment and repentance a hazy feeling. Yet neither Jesus Christ nor His disciples ever set such an example.

Jesus Christ was not some overly sentimental preacher, nor was He emotionally detached, in a catatonic state of nirvana like high. If you study your Bible, you will see He was always in complete emotional control, yet he was able to show emotion at the right time and for the right reasons, setting us an appropriate and perfect  display of emotional maturity. He showed that emotion can be a valid part of religion, if expressed properly.

Here are some examples:

1. He was filled with deep emotion as He looked out over Jerusalem, whose deceived and erring people He loved (Matt. 23:37). He cried out for Jerusalem in an intelligent expression of feeling. In Luke 19, He beheld the city and wept over it (verse 41).
2. He was also moved with compassion for the multitudes that followed Him in Matt. 9:36. Jesus Christ desired to send the Good News to these spiritually bankrupt people and he lamented the lack of labourers for the plentiful harvest (verse 37). He saw the potential if there were only more labourers.
3. In Mark 6, when He was about to get away for some much needed rest, the multitudes kept following. Christ reacted emotionally to this, but in an outflowing and serving way.  He was moved a their religious poverty and desired to teach them, as well as feed them because they were hungry (verses 31-34). See also Matt. 15:30-32.
4. Christ sighed with feeling as He healed a deaf man in Mark 7:31-34. “Sighed”is the same term as used in Rom. 8:23, where God’s people groan within themselves. Seeing someone in need just moved Him too much to stand idly by.
5. Even when confronted with antagonistic Pharisees, Jesus Christ did not react with anger, but sighed deeply within Himself for their lack of faith in seeking a sign (Mark 8:12). Although He was angry at what the Pharisees were doing to people’s religion, He perfectly controlled and expressed His emotions, using them to serve the work of God.
6. The image of a soft spoken Christ is also false, as “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried [aloud] saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink'” (John 7:37). This shows He was a powerful and dynamic speaker.
7. When Christ found men selling in the temple and exchanging money, He deliberately made a small scourge and drove them all out of the temple, overthrowing the tables (John 2:13-14). Rather than being a violent tantrum, this was an expression of righteous indignation and zeal (root – boiling over), as expressed in verse 17. The zeal of God’s house and the vision of God’s plan for all mankind was all consuming for Jesus Christ.
8. When the disciples rebuked those who brought children to Christ in Mark 10, it says He was much displeased. But this wording does not do justice to Christ’s emotions. In the original Greek, it means ” moved with indignation.” He was passionate even about the little children.
9. Christ groaned in the spirit and was troubled (visibly moved, perhaps in controlled anger) at the lack of faith the Jews expressed after Lazarus died. ” Troubled”  here is the same word as used on the night of His last Passover when He was betrayed and ultimately crucified. Jesus wept (shed tears) over this lack of faith in verse 35.
10. At Christ’s last Passover, He was also full of emotion and  a desire (craving or longing) to celebrate this Passover with His disciples. Even though He was about to die, He spoke of being joyful (deep godly joy – John 15:11), showing a deep motivation for the work of God behind His feelings.
11. The final emotional struggle for Christ came when He was near the end of His physical life. He began to react to the gravity of what was about to befall Him, becoming ” very heavy,” (Mark 14:33). Jesus Christ being human, still had to fight His own feelings and was probably terrified. The Greek (Thayers) implies that the phrase “very heavy” is the strongest of three Greek words…in the New Testament for depression.” That is why He was exceedingly sorrowful unto death in verse 34 and ” full of heaviness” (Ps. 69:20). These were not wrong emotions because Christ did not act only on them.  He re-focused on His Father’s will through prayer so fervent, it caused Him to sweat blood (Mark 14:35). He would not allow these emotions to become sinful, which is why Hebrews 12:4 says it was a prayer of ” striving against sin.” He did not allow emotions to control Him.

So we can see that it can be supremely masculine to show proper emotion. He did not allow these emotions because of persecution against Him, or personal suffering, but the anguish of seeing those He loved reject the truth and turn the wrong way. This is at the heart of emotional maturity – the state of development from taking to the state of giving. Christ’s emotions always demonstrated the ” give”  way. This requires control and right direction of feelings, tempers, impulses.

God’s law should always guide us in the right direction because it is the way of love towards Him first, above ourselves, and then to others, equal with love for self.

Emotional Maturity In Prayer

morethancoping.wordpress.com

How’s your prayer? Is it dead earnest and with rending of heart – in deepest, intense feeling? Don’t mistake this for thoughtless and uncontrolled emotion! This is full mental realization of purpose – of need – seeking God with all our strength and might.

Scripture shows that we can pray with superficial emotion, and not the type that God wants (Hos. 7:14). The Moffat version translates this scripture as: “They never put their hearts into their prayers.” This shows that we can have three states of emotional immaturity in our prayer:

1. Emotion getting the better of us.
2. Suffocating emotion because we’re afraid to feel anything.
3. Being indifferent altogether.

God desires proper, thought driven and earnest emotion. He doesn’t want fake emotions or those tied up somewhere else. And He certainly does not appreciate  prayer with absolutely no personality or enthusiasm.

Prayers need to be intense – surrendered and yielded to the great God in tears. The example was set for us in Heb. 5:7 where it says: “In the days of His flesh Christ offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears…” These were His prayers throughout His human life – not just on his last night!

God has graciously granted, by astonishing miracles, many answers to earnest prayers. But Christians will receive no real answer except this prayer comes earnestly from the heart. Casual, routine prayers will never get through to God – will receive no answer – because they are a matter of duty and without feeling or emotion. Perhaps this makes plain the reason why most people have never received an answer in their prayers.

Prayers need to have motivation and emotional connection to God.  Passion, enthusiasm and compassion for others  must fill prayer life. This is the prayer of the emotionally grown-up. It expresses gratitude and joy for self, mercy and sympathy for others, reverence and adoration in worship of God.

“Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” – C. H. Spurgeon. You can feel the emotional connection and expression in prayer if your whole being is in touch with God. Even though the emotion is a physical reaction, it accompanies or reacts from true, spiritual experience.

You Aren't Bipolar, You're Just A Jerk

Truly hilarious. Had to post this one in a summation, but the entirety of the article can be found at Townhall. Give it a read and tell me you don’t agree, or know of someone who has these supposed symptoms. Accountability, or character, is truly lacking these days, as is wonderfully pointed out here by columnist Mike Adams.

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http://www.mha-nc.org

It’s getting old, isn’t it? Everyone these days is bipolar or has some other chic mental disorder that he feels excuses his self-centered conduct. Like the guy who once walked into my class 20 minutes late. I told him it was his last time to come in late. He said, “But you don’t understand, I’m bipolar.” And he said it in front of the whole class.

Having a mental disorder used to be a source of embarrassment. But, now, it’s often a request for special treatment, which, when granted, fuels self-centered conduct. That’s why a pastor friend of mine now hears the claim “But, I’m bipolar!” in approximately 80 percent of his marital counseling sessions. This means that approximately 40 percent of the people he counsels are claiming to be “bipolar.”

Is there something in the water that is causing a massive outbreak in manic depression and other mental disorders? Or is it possible that we live culture of entitlement, which gives us strong incentives to claim some sort of disability rather than face the consequences of our freely chosen actions?

Just about everyone who really suffers from some form of depression (manic or otherwise) has something in common: He is engaged in self-centered conduct, which either a) actually caused the disorder (real or perceived), or b) greatly exacerbates the disorder (real or perceived).

The truth is that changing one’s behavior with an exercise in other-absorption, rather than self-absorption, will cure what most people label as depression. If that fails they should talk to a professional. If that also fails they should consider an experiment with prescribed medication.

But people who shout “I’m bipolar” usually don’t want to be helped. And if we feed their sense of entitlement we hurt them very badly.

Creating Hate With Hate Crime Bills

Editors Comment: The following article, from theTrumpet.com, was so insightful, I decided to post it in its entirety, because anything else would only detract from the excellent content. If you think reverse discrimination is a myth in America, start reading here to find out how your rights are vanishing at an alarming rate.

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weatherlyentertainment.com

Should sexual perverts have more legal protection than you? According to our elected officials, the answer is yes. The House just passed a Senate bill, expanding the definition of federal “hate crime,” last Wednesday. Special rights and benefits for sexual deviants: homosexuals, lesbians, and transsexuals, have now been codified into federal law. But will the new laws actually reduce hate in America?

“I urge members on both sides of the aisle to act on the important civil rights issue by passing this legislation to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance,” President Barack Obama said before the vote (emphasis mine).

The new hate laws do give special legal status and benefits to those engaging in immoral sexual behavior, but contrary to President Obama’s assertion, they do not protect all of our citizens.

Why shouldn’t all Americans be equal under the law?

For example, under the hate crime laws, a person who assaults a minority while shouting derogatory racist or “homophobic” insults would face federal prosecution and receive a much harsher penalty than if that person had assaulted a heterosexual of Caucasian descent.

Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia describes this new law this way: If Miss California had slapped the homosexual judge who derided her on stage (and later across the Internet), under the new law she could be indicted as a “violent hate criminal,” facing a possible 10 years in prison. But if the homosexual judge had slapped her, she would have had no special protection.

Why are lawmakers so intent on pushing legislation for homosexuals? America has numerous protections, rights and freedoms guaranteed to minorities—the same laws that protect the rest of us. How is justice served when a person who kills a white person gets less jail time than someone who kills an Asian or African American? Murder is murder. And the deterrent against it and penalty for it should be the same for all.

Additionally, there is scant evidence to suggest that homosexuals or cross-dressers do not currently receive equal protection under the law. More likely, under the politically correct influence within the justice system today, they may be more inclined to receive preferential treatment. Incidents of hate crimes have fallen across America for the past 10 years, according to the fbi. And America is more open and accepting of deviant behavior and multiculturalism than it has ever been. America has a half-black president. It has openly homosexual members of the Senate and the House. Homosexual judges rule from the bench. Affirmative action and political correctness in the workplace make it extremely risky for many employers to discriminate.

There is nothing new about politicians pandering to special-interest groups, but what makes these laws so dangerous—besides the fact that they promote deviant sexual behavior that destroys families—is that they divide America into groups of more-favored versus the less. Legislating such laws sends the signal that some people are more important or “more equal” under the law than others.

These hate laws are creating the very thing they are supposed to combat.

Few things stir anger and resentment as quickly as perceived or real injustice. Take the case of the New Haven, Connecticut, firefighters. In the past, New Haven used test scores to determine if a firefighter was qualified to become a lieutenant or captain. However, the city decided to scrap those tests because too few minorities scored high enough to pass.

Of the 118 people who took the most recent test, in 2003, 56 passed. The top 15 high scorers qualified for the lieutenant and captain positions. However, 14 of the top scorers were Caucasian, and one was of Hispanic descent. Since no African Americans or Asians qualified, city officials decided the test was somehow racist and threw out the results in order to promote black firefighters.

The city was so afraid of being labeled racist that it was willing to promote minorities—regardless of merit—at the expense of sacrificing the safety of New Haven’s inhabitants.

The 15 firefighters who were passed over for promotion sued the city on charges that they were the victims of reverse discrimination. The case is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. In case you are wondering if the test really was racist, the test syllabus was derived from nationally recognized fire science and tactical textbooks and was composed with the input and approval of the fire department’s top two officials, one of whom is black. Additionally, the candidates took verbal examinations in front of panels dominated by minorities (each of the 10 panels had only one white assessor).

The Obama administration has said it sides with the city, but recommends allowing the lawsuit to proceed on a limited basis. Some business interests have also sided with the city. Why? They are worried that if the court decides in favor of the white and Hispanic firefighters, they would face not only the racial discrimination lawsuits from minorities they are already dealing with, but also from those of Caucasian descent too, according to the Associated Press.

What a mess. But it is going to get messier now that homosexuals, transgenders, and other sexual deviants will have federal hate laws giving them special rights.

America may be about to find that merit-based tests are not just supposedly racist, but also “homophobic.”

The new expanded federal hate laws also have the potential to muzzle free speech, especially regarding freedom of religion.

Churches, synagogues and mosques—anyone who dares say that God regards homosexuality as a sin—could become a target under the new hate laws. According to Democratic Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama, the legislation could be used to prosecute pastors for preaching the Bible under the concept of “inducement” to violence, which is part of the new law.

For example, if an extremist were to listen to a sermon or read a piece of literature that said homosexuality was a sin, or that God killed the sodomites in Sodom and Gomorrah, and he or she then went and murdered a homosexual, the church or minister could be federally prosecuted for inciting a hate crime.

These hate laws hand the homosexual and lesbian lobby, and every other minority with an axe to grind, an industrial-grade sharpener.

The homosexual movement is rapidly progressing toward its goal, wrote Joel Hilliker in his April 15 column—the goal being “to be able to silence, with the full force of the law, anyone who objects to their immoral behavior.”

Mr. Hilliker noted that 20 states and over 180 cities and counties across the country have already passed legislation specifically banning discrimination against homosexuals and, in most cases, transsexuals, prior to the passage of the federal hate laws. Now the full force of this radical cultural engineering will be felt in terms of heavy lawsuits, financial penalties and castigation, as well as jail time.

But far from reducing hate or discrimination in America, legislating special-interest groups’ unique rights will only increase social friction and hate, because to achieve the ends of these groups, the means inevitably oppress others.

God is not a respecter of persons. Anciently, He commanded Israel that all Israelites were to be equal under the law. The law was not to respect certain individuals or groups more than others. “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour” (Leviticus 19:15).

In Zechariah 7:9-10, God says, “Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.”

God loves all people, regardless or race or even sexual orientation—despite the fact that all people are sinners (Romans 3:23). But God also hates sin—and He demands that all people work to overcome it. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

And what is God’s perfect definition of sin? “[S]in is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4)—biblical law. We used to teach it to our children, but no longer. Today we have lost our understanding of what our Maker defined as right and wrong!

Bible prophecy predicted America would reach a time when justice would leave the land; a time when the nation would proudly declare its blatant, mainstream sins, and minority groups and self-interests would rule. You can read about it in Isaiah 3 and Deuteronomy 28:43-45.

The Prophet Zechariah also gives a warning for today. “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. … I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate” (Zechariah 7:11-14).

It is impossible to bring people together by making laws that set people apart. And no lasting peace or prosperity can come to a nation when it creates laws that are against God.

Why Does The Bible Say God Is Jealous?

    

http://www.cashthechecks.com

The verses which make reference to God as a “jealous God” are often misunderstood. The reason is that we are accustomed to jealousy referring to envy or bitter resentment. However, this is not the intended meaning of the word JEALOUS when used in reference to God. A better translation, then, is ZEALOUS. 

“Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary” has this as one of the definitions of JEALOUS: “vigilant in guarding a possession.” This is the proper sense in which we should understand this word as applied to God. Please compare Exodus 20:5 with Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29.