BBD 02.22.05 Avoid and Abstain

#1 · February 23, 2005, 12:30 am

Quote from Forum Archives on February 23, 2005, 12:30 am
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be a part of a great ministry. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 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

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The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

02.22.05

Avoid and Abstain

Abstain from every form of evil. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

(Another translation says: "Avoid every kind of evil.")

In Milwaukee a there was a deputy sheriff who was off duty and at 3:00 a.m. in the morning solicited a prostitute. He probably was not expecting what happened next. What happened was that he was robbed by several people and thrown into the trunk of his car. An anonymous caller did contact police telling them where the deputy could be found. Sheriff David A Clarke said, "I am disgusted that this officer would betray his family, the public trust, our organization and himself." The deputy was charged with solicitation and obstruction of justice. He was also suspended from his job as a deputy.

In one year in the United States according to Department of Justice statistics (1997) 155,160 men were injured (requiring treatment in a hospital emergency room) in what is commonly called "bar fights" involving alcohol or drugs. Just 49,923 women were injured in "bar fights" involving alcohol or drugs during that same year.

There are a multitude of other examples that could be found and used but these two illustrate the very practical wisdom contained in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. If the deputy had not been out cruising the streets looking for a prostitute at three in the morning he would not have ended up finding so much trouble. If all of those men and women involved in bar fights had not been in those places to begin with and had not been drinking or doing drugs they probably would not have ended up in a hospital emergency room.

The old KJV translates 1 Thessalonians 5:17 as, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." There are some things that we may consider as borderline as to whether it is evil or not evil, good or bad. However, we should avoid those things that have the appearance of being bad even if it is what we would consider a gray area. When in doubt don't do it. Don't be a part of it if you are not sure.

There are, however, many things that we know very well that we should not participate in, be a part of, partake of, etc. Pornography is one of those things. How would God have us to handle that temptation? Avoid it and abstain from it. If you are tempted, use a filter (Like that available from bsafeonline.com.) and allow someone you trust to have control of the password.

We, also know, that we should not use/abuse illegal substances. However, it will be very hard to avoid using if we are constantly surrounded by people who are using those substances. You may have to change your circle of friends to avoid the temptation and the peer pressure to do those drugs.

The same thing may be necessary for many other situations where peer pressure is involved. It is never easy to give up friendships that we have grown comfortable with and enjoy. But if those friendships have the potential of destroying everything good about our lives - we must make a choice. Will we do what we know God wants us to do or will we continue recklessly down a path we know is filled with danger?

When it comes to evil or even the appearance of evil it is best to avoid it or to abstain from it. And, when in doubt do the same, avoid and abstain.

Copyright © 2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would like to encourage you to visit this great site at www.crossmap.com. Crossmap has recently added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at www.christianpost.com.

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the bottom of the front page www.theburningbush.org. If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are posted at: www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is 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 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

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

A closely related website is Peoplefaces which seeks to help those in need peoplefaces.ohzone.net/index2.htm

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Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be a part of a great ministry. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 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

We are celebrating the Burning Bush website being on line for seven years as of January 31st.

The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

02.22.05

Avoid and Abstain

Abstain from every form of evil. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

(Another translation says: "Avoid every kind of evil.")

In Milwaukee a there was a deputy sheriff who was off duty and at 3:00 a.m. in the morning solicited a prostitute. He probably was not expecting what happened next. What happened was that he was robbed by several people and thrown into the trunk of his car. An anonymous caller did contact police telling them where the deputy could be found. Sheriff David A Clarke said, "I am disgusted that this officer would betray his family, the public trust, our organization and himself." The deputy was charged with solicitation and obstruction of justice. He was also suspended from his job as a deputy.

In one year in the United States according to Department of Justice statistics (1997) 155,160 men were injured (requiring treatment in a hospital emergency room) in what is commonly called "bar fights" involving alcohol or drugs. Just 49,923 women were injured in "bar fights" involving alcohol or drugs during that same year.

There are a multitude of other examples that could be found and used but these two illustrate the very practical wisdom contained in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. If the deputy had not been out cruising the streets looking for a prostitute at three in the morning he would not have ended up finding so much trouble. If all of those men and women involved in bar fights had not been in those places to begin with and had not been drinking or doing drugs they probably would not have ended up in a hospital emergency room.

The old KJV translates 1 Thessalonians 5:17 as, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." There are some things that we may consider as borderline as to whether it is evil or not evil, good or bad. However, we should avoid those things that have the appearance of being bad even if it is what we would consider a gray area. When in doubt don't do it. Don't be a part of it if you are not sure.

There are, however, many things that we know very well that we should not participate in, be a part of, partake of, etc. Pornography is one of those things. How would God have us to handle that temptation? Avoid it and abstain from it. If you are tempted, use a filter (Like that available from bsafeonline.com.) and allow someone you trust to have control of the password.

We, also know, that we should not use/abuse illegal substances. However, it will be very hard to avoid using if we are constantly surrounded by people who are using those substances. You may have to change your circle of friends to avoid the temptation and the peer pressure to do those drugs.

The same thing may be necessary for many other situations where peer pressure is involved. It is never easy to give up friendships that we have grown comfortable with and enjoy. But if those friendships have the potential of destroying everything good about our lives - we must make a choice. Will we do what we know God wants us to do or will we continue recklessly down a path we know is filled with danger?

When it comes to evil or even the appearance of evil it is best to avoid it or to abstain from it. And, when in doubt do the same, avoid and abstain.

Copyright © 2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would like to encourage you to visit this great site at http://www.crossmap.com. Crossmap has recently added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at http://www.christianpost.com.

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the bottom of the front page http://www.theburningbush.org. If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are posted at: http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is 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

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

A closely related website is Peoplefaces which seeks to help those in need peoplefaces.ohzone.net/index2.htm

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