BBD 02.11.04 The Way It Ought To Be

#1 · February 11, 2004, 4:08 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on February 11, 2004, 4:08 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

If you have an addiction The Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group
could be a helpful tool. The archives of the group contain a large amount of
material to help those with addictions. You can also send prayer requests
and share what has worked for you in your battle with addiction. To
subscribe send a blank email to: tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
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Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front
page at www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 10,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

02.11.04

The Way It Ought To Be

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved
in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from
the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the
air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the LORD. - Genesis 6:5-8.

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not
know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of
the Son of Man be. - Matthew 24:37-39.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will
be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a
form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For
of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of
gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always
learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes
and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of
corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no
further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. - 2
Timothy 3:1-9.

Recently I watched movie called “Timechangers” which was thought provoking.
In the movie a seminary professor from 1890 visits the 21st Century and the
professor is horrified by the moral decay that he finds. He goes to a movie
with a group from a church and is shocked to hear the Lord’s Name taken in
vain by an actor. He is shocked by the immodest dress and complains about a
window display. He is shocked that people are working on the Lord’s Day. At
his motel, he briefly scans through some of the television channels
available and is so shocked he spends the night kneeling by his bed in
prayer. At a burger place, he overhears two teenage girls planning to sneak
around and have a party, which includes drinking alcohol. When the professor
confronts them, they think that he is some kind of crazy nut. Because of the
decay, the professor believes that this must indeed be the last days and
that Jesus is coming soon.

We do seem to have become desensitized to many forms of immorality, which
would have been shocking beyond belief a century ago. Because we are living
in the 21st Century and have space age technology does that make it okay to
participate in the immorality that lurks around every corner of modern day
life? Because everyone else thinks it is okay and acts like it is okay to
behave in a manner the Bible clearly indicates is immoral does that make it
okay? Because we have grown up hearing and seeing all kinds of disgusting
things, does that mean that it is right? Because our society has evolved
into a godless mess of immorality, does that mean that we have no choice but
to be a part of it?

I once heard a sermon preached about how everyone knows “the way it is” in
the church and the world but he then preached a sermon about how ”it ought
to be.” We know, at least I hope we know, that “the way it is” in this world
of ours is not the way “it ought to be.” In 100 years, has the Bible changed
so radically that we think that “the way it is” is good? The fact is that
the Bible has not changed. God’s Word is unchangeable just as He is
unchangeable and is the same yesterday, today, and for eternity.

The apostle Paul not only tells us the “way it is” in 2 Timothy 3 but he
also tells us the way it ought to be, “But you must continue in the things
which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have
learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15).” Evil men, imposters, and deceivers will
multiply (2 Timothy 3:13) but we must continue in the Truth. The Bible has
not changed and will never change. We must not give in to the lies of the
world. Let us continue in what we know to be true.

Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited.

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
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Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

If you have an addiction The Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group
could be a helpful tool. The archives of the group contain a large amount of
material to help those with addictions. You can also send prayer requests
and share what has worked for you in your battle with addiction. To
subscribe send a blank email to: tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front
page at http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 10,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

02.11.04

The Way It Ought To Be

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved
in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from
the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the
air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the LORD. - Genesis 6:5-8.

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not
know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of
the Son of Man be. - Matthew 24:37-39.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will
be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a
form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For
of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of
gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always
learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes
and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of
corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no
further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. - 2
Timothy 3:1-9.

Recently I watched movie called “Timechangers” which was thought provoking.
In the movie a seminary professor from 1890 visits the 21st Century and the
professor is horrified by the moral decay that he finds. He goes to a movie
with a group from a church and is shocked to hear the Lord’s Name taken in
vain by an actor. He is shocked by the immodest dress and complains about a
window display. He is shocked that people are working on the Lord’s Day. At
his motel, he briefly scans through some of the television channels
available and is so shocked he spends the night kneeling by his bed in
prayer. At a burger place, he overhears two teenage girls planning to sneak
around and have a party, which includes drinking alcohol. When the professor
confronts them, they think that he is some kind of crazy nut. Because of the
decay, the professor believes that this must indeed be the last days and
that Jesus is coming soon.

We do seem to have become desensitized to many forms of immorality, which
would have been shocking beyond belief a century ago. Because we are living
in the 21st Century and have space age technology does that make it okay to
participate in the immorality that lurks around every corner of modern day
life? Because everyone else thinks it is okay and acts like it is okay to
behave in a manner the Bible clearly indicates is immoral does that make it
okay? Because we have grown up hearing and seeing all kinds of disgusting
things, does that mean that it is right? Because our society has evolved
into a godless mess of immorality, does that mean that we have no choice but
to be a part of it?

I once heard a sermon preached about how everyone knows “the way it is” in
the church and the world but he then preached a sermon about how ”it ought
to be.” We know, at least I hope we know, that “the way it is” in this world
of ours is not the way “it ought to be.” In 100 years, has the Bible changed
so radically that we think that “the way it is” is good? The fact is that
the Bible has not changed. God’s Word is unchangeable just as He is
unchangeable and is the same yesterday, today, and for eternity.

The apostle Paul not only tells us the “way it is” in 2 Timothy 3 but he
also tells us the way it ought to be, “But you must continue in the things
which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have
learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15).” Evil men, imposters, and deceivers will
multiply (2 Timothy 3:13) but we must continue in the Truth. The Bible has
not changed and will never change. We must not give in to the lies of the
world. Let us continue in what we know to be true.

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org and you can unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer requests
to over 300 members. Send a blank email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com