Keep in Step with the Spirit

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:16-26 — English Standard Version

Psalm 33

America’s Strange and Sinful Culture

American culture is devolving because fantasies are being lauded as realities. It’s time to return to the light.

Friday, September 16, 2022

By Tom McDonald

Reprinted from American Family Association

Reflecting on the many strange or sinful behaviors in our culture today drove me to look at some concepts that might help explain what’s going on. I thought of several word pair opposites, like truth and lies, wise and foolish, normal and strange, good and evil, righteous and wicked, reality and delusion, sane and insane…

What do we know about truth and lies?

Truth is what is actual – what is real.  A lie is what is not true!

Let’s ally truth with its natural mate in the word opposite pairs:

truth, wise, normal, good, righteous, reality, and sane.

And then,

lies, foolish, strange, evil, wicked, delusion, and insane.

Quite revealing.

Let me list some behaviors today that seem to suggest quite strongly that the one behaving in such a way is not normal, but is a fool; living a lie, in sin. Perhaps even Insane.

Those who…

• identify themselves as other than who or what they are…
• believe and/or indoctrinate in the lies of CRT, DEI, or BLM…
• try to obliterate our true history via Cancel Culture…
• believe incorrectly that Climate Change is caused by man (Psalm 33)…
• believe in or practice homosexuality or other sexual perversions…
• believe murder in the womb is only abortion and not homicide…
• attempt to find the one true God in human-designed religions…
• believe that Communism is an ideal governing system instead of the truth that
  it is the world’s most oppressive, destructive, and failed system…
• use mind-altering drugs because it feels good but destroys them…
• refuse to work but demand the government take care of them…
• can’t see that the mental defectives and the homeless should be properly
  cared for in separate facilities established to house and tend to them…
• work in governments that allow this foolishness, this insanity, this sin, to thrive…
• see all this and yet will do nothing constructive or helpful about it.

I’ve observed that these behaviors are simply defiant foolishness. Such behaviors call into question the mental state of the one behaving in such a manner. The classic case of such behavior is best exemplified when someone claims to be someone they’re not, such as claiming to be Napoleon or Shakespeare, or anyone whom they are not. That is insanity.

Many Americans have adopted these sinful behaviors (Galatians 5:19-21). It’s proof they have lost their way – serving the false god, Satan, not their Creator God.  We are surely headed for the sort of retribution that God’s favored nation Israel experienced many times for its defiance of God’s laws. Let’s get something straight right now: preaching and teaching on biblical right and wrong(sin) are mandatory whether or not it butts heads with politics, political policy, or politicians! One big reason America is in such dire straits may be due to a lack of this type of preaching or teaching by churches, schools, dads, and moms.

How do we avoid God’s certain punishment? Repent of our defiant behaviors. Ask God’s forgiveness. Ask Jesus to be your Lord. Get to reading and practicing the book of truth, the Holy Bible. If it’s you, set a new course for your life based on the righteous teachings in God’s Word, the Holy Bible. And let’s be very clear about this: The Bible is completely relevant today because it deals with man’s heart – the same today as it was in the Garden of Eden – sinful. We need more Spirit-led men and women of God to not shy from proclaiming the truth and to stand audibly strong against sin! How about you?