CONFLAGRATION

I Was Just Thinking About - - - 

For the past few weeks there have been reports and videos of the fires on the west coast that have been near an uncontrollable point. The devastation of the woodlands, the destruction of homes and personal properties, and the loss of life is incalculable. The world continues to spiral out of control as well. It is almost as though a gigantic whirlwind is gaining strength and nations are being sucked into it. There is a sense that man cannot do anything to stop the trends of the time. The entitlement culture will quickly learn that there are insufficient resources to maintain them. It is predictable that when national resources diminish there will be an increase of crime so people can satisfy their cravings  and appetites.

At one time, we were a society and culture that believed their were certain absolutes by which we should live and standards that would survive the greatest onslaughts and upheavals. The Bible was viewed as a necessity and foundational for moral absolutes; the Church was the place reenforcement of Biblical verities and standards; and God was feared and reverenced. The conflagration (a destructive fire, usually an extensive one) is occurring within the culture and the foundations are being shaken. The Bible is viewed as just another book; the Church is seen as another social gathering place; and God is viewed as no different then any other god or imagined spiritual entity. 

Equally devastating is the influence the culture has gained within christian institutions and churches. Just this past week, Christianity Today is reporting that two Presidents of Christian Colleges have been “outed” in the Ashley Madison scandal where nearly 40 million people have contacted the organization that offered facilitation for adulterous relationships. Other notables have had to leave ministries and been defrocked for their extra-marital affairs. As these reports emerge and are written about, a caution that needs to be present is: “but for the grace of God go I.”

The Scriptures emphasize the proclivity potential by which one can become beguiled and fall prey to the lusts of the flesh. It comes from the conflagration of the human heart and becomes an uncontrollable force and fire within one’s soul. The words in Jeremiah 17:9-10 indicates that the heart is deceitful and wicked. The MSG states: “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.” In Mark 7:20-23 (ESV), Jesus said: “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Jesus is describing a type of cesspool that can erupt if it is not brought into submission to His authority and control. Lust is similar to an ember that has the potential for being fanned into flame by circumstances and opportunities that are allowed in one’s life. 

Jesus was very forceful and direct when He said: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it (Luke 9:23-24, Berean Study Bible). There should be no glee regarding those who have succumbed to the temptations of life, but there should be prayer for their Biblical repentance and a readiness to rejoice in their being restored by the grace of God. Consider these things with me!