Heart Failure: Idolatry - Ecclesiastes 2:3

I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. - Ecclesiastes 2:3

    Despite the technological advances; despite the increased health and wealth of the last 200 years, we remain unhappy and unfulfilled. It’s like the fact that the U.S. has more home exercise machines than any other nation in the world and we are still by far the most obese people on the planet.
    Our restlessness engulfs us in spite of the innovations and inventions mankind has developed and we continue to futilely search for ‘the next big thing.’ How many times have we thought, “If I could only acquire this or that, I would truly be happy?” And the moment we obtain our heart’s desire - we begin to search for something else, something greater. We want more. Coveting is the drive-train behind our dissatisfaction in life. And we know what God’s word on coveting. It is clear. “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” - Exodus 20:17. Coveting gets us nothing but frustration and condemnation.   
    I have been to many a funeral and have never seen a hole dug large enough to bury the man and his possessions. There was no room for his expensive cars and toys. There was no room for his many relationships. There was no room for his successes or failures. There was no room for anything but him and his sin if he died unrepentantly. Are we all not the same? And what will we take out of this world that we did not bring into it? Our opinions? Our egos? I’m afraid a six-foot hole in the ground isn’t big enough. The fact is: we take nothing with us. “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” - Genesis 3:19.
    We are all constantly seeking; it is in our human nature to seek. But what we seek is what defines us both in the eyes of our fellow men and in the eyes of God. A self-aggrandizing man will be recognized by his contemporaries just as surely as a man who seeks God. So it is not the seeking that is wrong but what we in fact seek. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” - 1 Timothy 6:9.
    How often can a man set aside riches and possessions before he realizes that seeking such worldly assets will never bring him the joy that only God provides? Jesus even extolled the idea of heaven as a greater dominion than earthly wealth. “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” - Matthew 6:31-33. We have already been told that everything we receive in this lifetime comes from God. There is no confusion here. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” - James 1:17. No matter what it is, it comes to us exclusively from God, no matter what lies we are told by this world. “John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.’” - John 3:27.
    If all providence is bestowed upon us by God then why would we worship anything or anyone else? Jesus Himself warned us of the consequences of placing too much emphasis on our worldly possessions and by implication, our desires for them. “And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”- Luke 12:15.
    As fallen human beings we simply must keep focus on the things of this life that truly matter and not on those things we merely desire. We desperately need to discern between the things of this world and the things of God. “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” - 1 John 2:16.
    We would all be wise to remember the advice of Jesus Christ - “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21. Idolatry is truly a form of heart failure.

The Prayer That God Hears II - Isaiah 1:15

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. - Isaiah 1:15

    Stories of some curiously ‘Spiritless’ people praying to God have been in the news reports. When I say ‘Spiritless’ I simply mean people who, by their associations and in the case of politicians, their voting record are unabashedly unholy. Much like the Reeses© Cup commercials of late they are very quick to say, “Not sorry.” Many of these people proudly speak of their Christianity and boldly declare that they are “very good Christians” or that their “faith guides” their decisions. It is clear that these ‘clouds without wind and rain’ apparently hold a very low view of Holy Scripture. If the Bible is true (and I believe it is, every word), they are going to be in for a serious disappointment on Judgment day. “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works . . .” - Romans 2:5-6.
    So the cry goes forth - “Whose prayers does God hear?” Perhaps a bit more study of Holy Scripture would clear that confusion up for them. Whoever does God’s will is a sure indicator of whose prayers God hears. “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” - John 9:31. Not much ambiguity there. God has made it clear that we must obey Him and His law. We will slip and stumble at times but God knows our repentant hearts just as surely as He knows the unrepentant heart of a recalcitrant sinner. And that unrepentant sinner’s prayers will not be heard! “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” - Proverbs 28:9. The great Book of Proverbs goes even further - “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” - Proverbs 15:29.
    As God’s people, we are even cautioned about praying like the unrepentant do. No matter what such a man or woman prays; no matter how long their prayers happen to be, no matter how eloquent their words might be - God will not hear them! “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” - Matthew 6:7.
    We are told how we should pray. In ‘spirit and in truth.’ That is why unrepentant sinners are also ‘Spiritless.’ “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:24.
    We must come into God’s presence as we are drawn by the Holy Spirit, who is at work in our hearts. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” - James 4:8. We are told that we cannot entire into God’s presence if we are determined to remain ‘double-minded.’ We can’t ask God for His blessings if we continue to deliberately sin. We must be ‘in the Spirit’ for God to even hear our supplications. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
    It is simply not enough for a person to say, “Oh, I will pray for him, her, or them.” If the supplicant is a remorseless and unrepentant sinner, the prayer will not be heard by God in heaven! The Bible has made this point abundantly clear and we would be derelict if we were to ignore the warnings. When we come to God in contrite humility, He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:19. Until we are cleansed by God from our sins our prays will not be heard.
    Politicians would be wise to understand this eternal truth. We too can profit from such godly wisdom. Let us always remember the prayer that God hears.

Domestic Abuse of Spouses - Colossians 3:19

Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. - Colossians 3:19

    The subject of domestic violence is one that turns the stomach of anyone decent human being whether they be Christian or not. No rational or considerate person can look at the emotional or physical abuse of another human being without it deeply affecting his or her sense of empathy and compassion. Scripture is especially clear when it comes to the mistreatment of one’s spouse whether it be the wife or the husband. Both harsh words and physical treatment of one another violate God’s perfect plan for marriage.
    Holy Scripture explicitly tells us of God’s position on abuse. “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.” - Psalm 140:12. A spouse need not concern themselves with a marriage covenant made with the offending mate when they are the victim of such abuse. Abuse, no matter what form it takes, violates the sacred bond of matrimony as biblically defined. A battered spouse or mate can no more be expected to remain in an unsafe environment than they can be expected to deliberately submit themselves to physical or emotional torture. Such brutish treatment is not only a game-changer; it is a game-ender. Any person who physically batters or emotionally tortures another has effectively ended any relationship that previously existed!
    Scripture has declared to us what God’s view of marriage is and God’s view is not to be scoffed at or ignored. “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’” - Ephesians 5:28-31.
    One has to wonder if a man and a woman become one flesh, why would either so blatantly disrespect or abuse the other? It isn’t rational for a person to deliberately abuse themself. What kind of convoluted logic would one have to engage in to justify this kind of abuse?
    The bond that is formed between a man and a woman in marriage is precious - it is invaluable. Why would a person break something of value in their lives, unless, of course, the item had lost its value or it was simply no longer precious to them? When a person abuses their marriage partner, it becomes clear that, in both heart and mind, they are loveless and have already left the marriage covenant. In the case of a Christian marriage, the abusing mate shows such a low view of God’s design for marriage that he or she might as well be an unbeliever. Remember, the oath of marriage includes providing for our spouses both physically and emotionally. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” - 1 Timothy 5:8.
    Following this line of logic, two distinctive characteristics can be seen by what has taken place; one, the offending mate has shown beyond a shadow of doubt that they are not true believers and two, in their minds the marriage is, for all intents and purposes, over. At this point, short of an intervention that results in a ‘miraculous’ positive attitude change in both heart and mind, the marriage is finished. The victim of the abuse, though physically and emotionally pained and heartbroken, may walk away from the failed marriage without fear of violating God’s covenant and turn to Him for strength and support in their tribulations. “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” - Psalm 9:9
    No one would ever suggest that a marriage is so trivial a relationship that it can be skipped away like a stone across the surface of a pond. The civil magistrates hold that marriage is a legal institution in addition to or in place of any religious consideration. Marriage, separation, and divorce are all costly both in the short term and the long. Marriage should not even be a consideration between two people, let alone faithfully and /or legally entered into unless both a man and a woman are committed to one another for life. Perhaps it all goes back to Paul’s spiritually discerned description of  true Godly love. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
    To the victims of domestic abuse - turn to God and do whatever you must do to separate yourselves from the physical and emotional danger of a loveless and violent partner.

Doubt: The Essence Of Fear - Luke 12:4-5

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” - Luke 12:4-5

    Fear. It permeates human life. Our fears may not constantly hinder us in our daily life but you can be assured that it only takes a split second for fear to raise itself into our consciousness. Given the right catalyst, our fear will jump upon us like an armed bandit, stealing our courage as well as our peace of mind. Fear is a powerful enemy of confidence. It rips away our joy and comfort. It eats our contentment like a ravenous wolf. And fear is a symptom of our sinful hearts. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” - Hebrews 3:12.
    Most of the things which drive fear into our hearts are actually nothing to fear. With the right frame of mind and heart, we need never fear rejection by others, our families, inadequacies, the street judgment of our peers, gossip, back-biting, nor our own shortcomings. Issues such as these may require our attention in a season but to live in constant fear of them distorts both our vision of the world and of ourselves. It certainly doesn’t take an oracle to discern that worrying also restricts our view of God and diminishes our opportunities to focus on all the good He has planned for us. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11.
    Fear is certainly driven by uncertainty and that lack of confidence opens up the anxious fields of conjecture, indecision, and suspicion. These are all satanic conditions of the heart and mind. The devil has always known how, when, and where to sow the seeds of doubt. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” - Genesis 3:1.
    The simple fact is that we begin to fear when we begin to question God, not in seeking His divine guidance in a prayerful manner, but when we question Him about His faithfulness and promises. The sin is obvious: we see the carnal world, its terrors and tribulations yet we, in all our worldly experience, decide for ourselves that it is not the world we must doubt but God! After Jesus Christ condescended to die upon a cold, hard wooden cross to save us - we still choose to doubt Him. And believe me; when we come to the place where we doubt Jesus Christ, that is the essence of fear. We all either worship Christ or we worship Satan. Those who claim atheism as a hedge have simply been manipulated by the devil to believe we have a third option; we do not!
    When Jesus was speaking to His disciples, He said to ‘fear Him’ who has the authority to cast them into hell. He spoke of the Triune God, not of the world or the enemy. Yet we still seem to fear everyone and anyone but God. The devil has no power to cast us into hell. The devil has no power over us but that which we grant him when we doubt God. Humanity has it all backward. We should be doubting Satan and fearing God rather than the other way around. Satan has never provided us with a single good thing; remember that! It has always been and always will be God who brings the sunshine and the rain. It is God who brings life and the providence needed to sustain it. It is God who blesses us with each and every day of our lives. Yet it is God that we choose to doubt. Take this into your hearts; it is Christ who said - “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” - John 14:27.
    The adage is true: “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.”

Forgiving And The Prisoner Of Pain -Matthew 6:12

“. . . and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” - Matthew 6:12

    I have a dear old friend (let’s call him, John). I’ve known him since high-school and have never been able to talk to him about God. You see, I have tried on numerous occasions to discuss faith in God and related issues. Unfortunately, my old friend has always abruptly ended our conversations with a dismissal of any point I was trying to make. Then he would immediately shift the subject to sports or some other likewise inconsequential subject. It is for this reason that I sadly admit I have failed to ever engage him on the more weighty subjects of eternal salvation and the grace of God.
    The end of our attempts at discussing God came one night when I was trying to explain to him that God will forgive us our transgressions if we but go to Him in prayer and contrition. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” - Proverbs 28:13. But my friend remained adamant.
    He countered, “So you’re telling me that if I murdered someone then turned right around and asked for forgiveness, God would forgive me?”
    “The scenario you have described has probably never happened in history; however if your confession and contrition are sincere? Yes, absolutely,” I responded.
    “I don’t believe that.”
    John’s refusal to believe God’s promise led me to two startling revelations about him.
    1) He neither believes God nor trusts Him.
    This mistrust is the most revealing facet of his disbelief. It’s not that God is not trustworthy but the fact that forgiving others is the true source of his discontent And that brings us to number 2) If God will forgive us then it only follows that we must forgive others who have hurt us with their words or deeds. And herein lies John’s greater problem: he cannot bring himself to forgive his own father, who abandoned the family when he was just a child. It wasn’t a generic divorce where time is divided equally between mom and dad. His father left the family and never made contact again. This is an old wound that has continued to fester throughout John’s life. Understandably, his anger and hurt continue to feed one another to this very day. John seldom speaks about the abandonment anymore but it is clearly behind his reluctance to forgive and it remains a pillar of all his other beliefs and attitudes.
    I pray for John constantly. I pray that he would see that none of us are without sin and all of us need forgiveness. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” - Psalm 130:3. I pray that he will see God’s desire for humanity. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” - Ephesians 4:32. And I pray that John’s hardened heart may one day be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” - Colossians 3:12-13.
    John needs to allow his wounded heart to heal through the grace of God. His current attitude shows that only through Christ will healing come. It is only through Christ that joy will come. For the moment John is completely at the mercy of his pain and the satanic voice that continues to accuse. “How dare your father abandon you? How dare he even think that you are capable of forgiveness?” John remains a prisoner to his pain. And Satan is perfectly content in keeping him there. But Jesus Christ wants him to step up, to step forward - “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” - John 16:24.
    Sadly, John’s father passed away some time ago without fanfare as so many others who have hurt people and never bothered to ask for forgiveness. Not that John would have, but his father’s death robbed John of even considering it. It took the option off the table. I just pray that John would understand that forgiving is more for his peace of mind than for his father’s sake. When we forgive others it relieves us of the burden of carrying that anger and hatred like a weight upon our backs. And it shows that we have put our selfish pride in its place. Forgiveness doesn’t erase the crime; forgiveness allows us to cast the hurt behind us and move on.
    Unlike John, who remains a prisoner to his pain and may never know the peace that comes with forgiving, let us all pray that we will have reconciliation without limit in our forgiving hearts, knowing that God has forgiven us.

Depression, Anxiety, And Doubt - Matthew 26:42

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” - Matthew 26:42

    Humanity is wracked by depression and anxiety and doubt. It is, in fact, part of the human nature to suffer from spiritual depression at times while other times we find ourselves overwrought by the angst-fed panic and so much doubt that we are no longer comfortable in our own skin. In fact, if you don’t think depression is in many ways spiritual in nature, depression isn’t your biggest problem. There is one specific cause for the ‘human condition of suffering’: the Fall from Grace. We may want to argue or contest the fact but we can look to history to see that depression and anxiety have existed from the moment Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” - Genesis 3:24. Within the Garden of Eden, man knew perfection. Now, after his ‘fall’, man was forced out of perfection into a sin-filled world of suffering and death - “By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” - Genesis 3:19. It’s no longer about a perfect world. We are no longer, in this life, entitled to perfection. And whatever isn’t perfect is marred by corruption and brokenness.
    This corruption is the natural consequence of living in a fallen world. Humanity cannot escape it. Even the mother of Jesus could not escape it. “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed  (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’” - Luke 2:34-35. All her life Mary knew that Jesus had come on a mission. The pressure of knowing the future to the degree she did must have placed on unbearable weight upon her shoulders. Still, by the grace of God she ‘maintained.’ Despite the knowledge of her Son’s foretold fate, she recognized the necessity of His ultimate sacrifice.
“Mary answered, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.’ Then the angel left her.” - Luke 1:38. You see, Mary placed all her hopes in the promise she had received from God through His messenger, Gabriel - “And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’” - Luke 1:28. Mary understood that she was the favored one of God and that He was with her! It was the soundest foundation she would ever have and the rock-solid authority for her unequivocal faith. No matter what she faced from that moment on, she knew the Lord was with her.
    And what of the Apostle, Paul? “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. There have been many an interpretation for the thorn in Paul’s flesh. We are not here to determine the proper interpretation but to acknowledge that it was so pressing Paul asked three times to be relieved of his suffering. God merely said, “My grace is sufficient for you.” And Paul, a man known to be content in all situations, was indeed content in the Lord’s surety. He would persevere in spite of his pain.
    Finally, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was not immune to human doubt, insecurity, depression, and anxiety. Remember the ‘Agony in the Garden?’ “And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’ . . . Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’” - Matthew -26:37-39, 42. Jesus evidenced His true humanity when (1) He begged His apostles to remain with Him as His ‘support team’ and confessed the depth of His sorrow unto death; (2) He begged His heavenly Father to let ‘this cup’ (His fate) pass from Him . . . if possible. And (3) He returned a second time to prayer to make the same request of His Father, affirming that ‘if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’
    Our bouts with depression, anxiety, and doubt can paralyze us in place. They can keep us from carrying on our normal lives. They can cripple us and leave us defenseless when we are most vulnerable. They can make us strangers to ourselves and our families. They can keep us bedridden and sick for an incalculable time. They can steal our very lives from us. They could have also done so to Mary, Paul, and Jesus if they had not turned to God for help. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” - Psalm 46:1-3.
    Ask yourself just one question: if Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Paul, the Apostle who spread the Gospel, and Jesus Christ Himself turned to God in their moments of doubt and pain, why would you refuse to? As in Mary’s case, the end result did not change as Scripture needed to be fulfilled. As for Paul, he died in Rome never having found relief for the thorn, but His letters, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, have saved billions. And Jesus completed His task despite the depression, anxiety, and doubt - “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ . . . So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” - John 19:28,30. 
    Pills, diet, and lifestyle changes can’t work on their own without faith in God. And faith in God needs no help.

Bad Company - 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. - 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

    My dear mother, God rest her soul, used to tell me that I would be known by the company I kept. How right she was. But aside from being associated with the people I ran with something even more pernicious was taking place: I was actually becoming like them. “If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse’” - Proverbs 1:11-14. “One purse,” an apt way to describe any affiliation that places you and the crew you associate with in one bag.
    The preceding example exemplifies people with near or certain criminal nature, but there are similar associations which, while not even remotely ‘criminal’, are just as corrupt and morally reprehensible. It may be the group of friends we hang out with. It could be that coworkers or school mates fit the bill. God forbid, it could even be members of our family or church! The one thing they all have in common is their immoral and godless way. “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” - 2 Timothy 3:2-5
    Scripture is clear on this issue - avoid these people and people like them at all costs. We will not merely be judged by the people you run with - you will be convicted with them! “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them . . .” - Ephesians 5:6-7. But what of family members and work relations? Are we to strain those relationships by giving them the cold shoulder?
    Jesus never minced His words. Perhaps we should seek an answer to the above question from Him. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” - Matthew 10:34-37. I can already hear the objections to Jesus’ words. Weak and mollifying Christian ministers will try with all their might to minimize the gravity of Christ’s words just to ‘keep the peace.’ But what did Christ Himself say? You see, this is how critical proper exegesis is when interpreting the words of the Bible. When Scripture tells us to separate ourselves from unwholesome people, it means it, and it doesn’t matter what their relationship is to us. We cannot allow unrepentant sin to enter through our hearts, minds, or front doors! “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? . . . Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you . . . .” - 2 Corinthians 6:14-15,17.
    Lord help us to keep ourselves clear of bad company less we are judged by the company we keep.