I have written on the following Scripture passage before, but feel the need to address it once more. I may even do so again sometime in the future, if we’re still here.

Romans 1:18-23

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.”

It is my opinion that we as a nation have declined to a spiritual abyss of which we cannot recover. I fault much of this, but not all, to the rise of Hollywood from the 40s, and especially the 60s, through today. What comes from Hollywood has a tremendous influence on society and it can be seen all around us.

We, as any other nation of people, love to be entertained, and we have allowed entertainment to mold our lives in what we see portrayed in the theaters and on television.

Movies and television, in and of themselves, are not bad, no more so than guns are bad. The corrupt hearts behind these avenues are the source of the problem. Corrupt hearts produce corrupt actions.

Many good movies have come from Hollywood, and many Christian movies and shows have been used as a source to tell others about Jesus Christ. However, by far, the majority have only gone from innocent in the beginning to scenes of the most violent and decadent nature coming from the projectors’ lens today.

What is shown on the screens of America today leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination when it comes to the evil of mankind. It entices man to it, like flies drawn to a corpse.

Murder, vulgarity, sex, hate, lust, theft, blasphemies against God, nothing is taboo. Whether from movies, biographies, news, political events, music, most religious shows, talk shows, game shows, weekly series, “real life” shows, soaps, and sports all are used to promote any and everything opposed to our Creator God.

I do believe we have been turned over to repeat the “rewards” of our own sins. We have snubbed our noses at God, kicked Him in the shins, and spit in His direction. We have made it quite clear we do not want or believe in Him, and want to be left alone, and that is exactly where we are now as a nation.

I agree with one Bible teacher that the following verses are the result of verses 18-23 shown above in Romans chapter one. In three stages, God has turned us over to our own desires.

Romans 1:24-25

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

Sexual sins have always been a problem with people of all ages since the beginning of time. Only God knows for sure if we are the most decadent society that has ever existed, but if not, we’re right up there on top with the best of them.

We must certainly be in first place however when replacing God’s truth for a lie. We of all societies should have more belief in an Almighty Creator God than any before us. Why? We have traversed the heavens and seen so much more than any before us. We have traveled through the lens of the microscope and seen God’s mighty wonders. And yet we are more adamant than any society in history that there is no God. As Hitler, we think we are the super race. Science is our god.

From microbiologists, to geologists, to astronomers we think we have all the answers, and we are now our own gods. “So be it,” says God, “you think you know so much, have at it.”

I’ve heard it said of some people, “I’d like to buy them for what they think they’re worth, and sell them for what they’re worth.” God says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 6:18)

Romans 1:26-27

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

Homosexuality is not new. God warned about it in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah?

Satan pulls man down to his level a little at a time until finally he has them right where he wants them, in the sewers.

When I was growing up, this type of sin against God was rarely mentioned. People just didn’t think along those lines. If it were discovered that someone had fallen into this trap, it was too horrible to think about, but not so now. Not only is it thought about, it’s talked about, applauded, and shoved in the face of every decent person. We hug a corpse and reap the maggots.

Why has this happened? Why have we as a society allowed this? Satan is much more manipulative than we could ever imagine, and this is one of his tools to destroy the family which God originated with our first parents, Adam and Eve. I think it’s plain to see that we, as a society, have fallen prey to the lion who seeks to devour, since we are rotting from within.

Remember Sodom and Gomorrah?

Romans 1:28-32

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

This final phase of our fall into certain judgment shows hearts totally blackened and without any light from God. We are in that phase, now, as a nation. There is nothing in the verses just read that we are not consumed with. The waste waters of the sewers are above our nostrils. All that remains is drowning in our own filth. No evil imagination of the heart is foreign to us. We embrace them all.

Is there any hope whatsoever? As a nation, in my opinion, there is no hope, but as individuals, our hope is always in Jesus Christ. Any individual, regardless of the sins in their life, can be saved from the wrath to come by putting his or her faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus can clean them up and make them white as snow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Only Jesus can take a blackened heart and change it to one that shines with His own brightness.

Our blind hearts will bring nothing but judgment down upon our heads, but by trusting in Jesus, we can be forgiven and assured of our home in Heaven.

 

Grant Phillips

I was listening to a message by Adrian Rogers the other day and he stated that most Christians think they’re on a cruise ship instead of a battle ship. I’ve thought a lot about that and it makes a lot of sense.

He was referring to the fact that we Christians are in a spiritual war, but most don’t even know it. Most Christians think they’re just passengers, out to enjoy the ride and soak up the sun.

The Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Jesus says to His disciples in Luke 10:3, “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”

In the previous verse (Luke 10:2) Jesus says, “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Deviating just slightly from what Adrian Rogers was saying, I began thinking that on a cruise ship there are two groups of people; crew members and passengers, which takes me back to the previous verse where Jesus is talking about so few laborers.

Whether considering cruise ships vs. battle ships or passengers vs. crew members both lists comprise passengers, those who are working and those who are playing.

In any church I’ve ever been in, a very small percentage of Christians in the church actually do anything that is work related. They are the crew members. Everyone else just coasts along for the ride. They are the passengers. Of course they always want a piece of the action, if there is any, but they won’t lift a finger to get there. Mention food for example, and they’ll be right there with an appetite but little else.

Funny thing though, if you mention contributing some elbow grease to work that needs to be done around the church building only a handful will show up. If you mention going out together and visiting people, even fewer show up. They disappear like rats on a sinking ship.

I’ve noticed in some Baptist churches before that some members rarely show their face, but if there is something important at business meeting that concerns their interest, they’ll be right there.

Well let’s face it. This is just the nature of most people. What we should strive for is to overcome that about ourselves, if it applies to us.

As a Christian I need to be occupied in whatever the Lord requires of me. Now I’m not busy working in order to be saved or to keep my salvation. That is already settled in Heaven. Jesus saved me. Jesus keeps me. So that isn’t it at all. My work is totally obedience related. How is that you say? We work at whatever He calls us to do because He is not just our Savior, but also our Lord. We live to serve Him.

Sadly, far, far too many who claim they are Christians are not serving the One they say saved them. Since there are only two masters, Jesus Christ and Satan, and they are not serving Jesus as Lord, then it must be Satan.

Yes that’s right. If we are not serving Jesus, who we say is our Savior and Lord; we have to be serving Satan. Now I’m sure if we are truly Christian we do not consciously say, “I’m going to serve Satan today.” We must realize however, that by not serving Jesus, our actions default to Satan, because when we don’t walk with Christ, we get off on the wrong path. Another reason would be; Satan makes it look like we were on his side all along. Now none of us want that.

Probably all of us would like to be a passenger on a cruise ship, having all our needs met while we just relax and do nothing but have fun. Who wants to be a crew member and work the whole time while we could be playing? That seems to be the attitude of most Christians when it comes to serving Christ.

The one thing they miss though is that being the Lord’s crew member is by far more satisfying than being a vacationing passenger for the world. Some of you understand what I’m saying, while most of you probably think I’m nuts.

Okay. I’m not talking about vacations on a real cruise ship which involves crew members and passengers (vacationers). I’m talking about life. What mode is our life in? Are we a faithful servant of our Lord, or are we avoiding our Christian responsibilities? Is our life just one big “What can I do for me” or “What can I do for Jesus?”

It’s sad that most people strive their whole life for material things and activities in search for happiness, not realizing that true happiness is found in serving Jesus Christ. In other words, they strive for what is temporary instead of what is permanent.

Now let me put the brakes on for a minute. I am not anti-fun, anti-vacations, etc. and neither is God, but when that consumes our time so much we have none left for Him, then it’s a problem.

How many would avoid being fired if they just loafed on their job and did nothing? They’ve returned from vacation and think they’re still on the cruise ship. I don’t think so. They would either immediately shape up, or be shown the door; no more job.

Enjoy your leisure time, but be sure there is plenty of time to do what you were called to do as a Christian; i.e. serve the Lord. Then do it.

If every Christian got this message and acted upon it, many of our pastors would pass out from the shock. They wouldn’t know what to do or say when so many of the flock would actually volunteer to serve.

Grant Phillips