Playing With Fire: Befriending The World

The church's habit of playing with fire is getting the church burnt. 

The Christian church has befriended the world is so many ways, that it is unable to discern right from wrong (Hebrews 5:14). Popular cultural has so been absorbed into the church, that the church is blinded to its effects and unable to conceive in its mind what holiness or righteousness even are. This is an enormous stumbling block, and an obstacle which prevents the church from being what God has called it to be. Yet the true Church cannot ultimately fail, those who are the called are the true Church. It is the institutional "church" which fails to live up to its professed calling. 

This is not a process which happened over night, but a process that has been going on since Christianity began; only perhaps to be expanded and easily exampled in recent decades. This is a tragedy which can only be prevented or solved by radical faith, and a willingness to risk ridicule and temporary discomfort for the treasures of heaven (Hebrews 11:6). 

What is sad, very, very, sad, is that few professing Christians, know, or even care. This is only evidence of the craftiness of Satan, and the dominion he wields over those who fail to use the power for deliverance which is available through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To those who grow up in the worldly "Christian" church, this type of talk seems to them to be nonsense. Something must awaken them, and unblind them or they cannot understand. 

Reason for but a moment... Not only is the Church's love of the world condemned in scripture as sin, but it is not even logical. How can a Christian profess to be a Christian, when they fill their minds with the same things as those who are not Christian. Can we really continue to fool ourselves into believing that we are Christians when we watch and hear movies, music and television which blasphemy God and promote what His Word detests? How can we say "Oh, we're mature enough to handle it." Really? I guess that's what the devil wants you to think isn't it. God knows the saturation of the minds of individuals with television and modern music has corrupted them nearly beyond repair. Dare we promote what God hates and excuse ourselves by saying "it's just for entertainment." Entertainment in its self, (for no other purpose), is nothing other than an excuse to delay doing that which God has for us to do (James 4:17). That is why there is no excuse for "cheap" entertainment. "Cheap" entertainment is herein defined as entertainment that does not teach some lesson or value to make us the wiser and better equipped for the purpose we as Christians have. We must ask ourselves if our acting or thinking places us within the will of God as it is proclaimed by scripture; weather it diminishes or allows or enhances the fulfillment of verses such as Romans 12:1-21, Colossians 3:17 and Philippians 4:8. 

I would venture so far as to say that many professing Christians do not even know what "the world" refers to in the phrase "love not the world." Neither do they understand what "befriending the world" is. In part, they imagine it as gross materialism or illegal acts to avoid doing; they fail to realize that it involves every aspect of their life; that they have been living in error, deceived into thinking that music, television and dress do not affect who they are. To love God, and not the world, is not something which can be done without deliberate effort; and yet, it cannot be done by the will of man (John 1:13, Romans 9:16). We must actively guard against the craftiness of the devil, and not be unwise dealing with an enemy which we, apart from Christ, are powerless to withstand (Matthew 10:16). The cares of this world have choked the spiritual life of many, and the love of it has turned many aside to death and destruction, though they know it not (Mark 4:19, 1 Timothy 6:9).

Not only have churches befriended the world; they have redesigned themselves by the philosophies and standards of the world. To the extent that they have done this, they have lost the power of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit; giving themselves to be naught but institutions of man, becoming fodder for the fire of the wrath of God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Revelation 14:10-11, Luke 3:9).

The verses below have much to do with this subject, and their reading provides further insight into what it means to obey and believe the God of the Bible concerning the key topic of avoiding worldliness. We can see from the verses below that it is desirable to be unspotted from the word, and to deny friendship to the world. We also observe that those who love the world are enemies of God, and that those who are chosen by God are hated by the world. We also see that the Gospel is foolishness to the world which is perishing, but to those who are saved it is the power of God. 

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. – James 4:4 

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. – James 1:27

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. – John 15:19

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.  – 1 Corinthians 1:18-24

King Of Bashan and King Of Heshbon: The Destruction That Awaits The Wicked

What do Og the King of Bashan and Sihon King of the Amorites (a.k.a. Sihon King of Heshbon) have in common?

They were both destroyed by the Israelites. We can read part of the account below.

“Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining. And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many. And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.” - Deuteronomy 3:1-6 (also see Deuteronomy 29:7-8, Deuteronomy 31:4, and Joshua 2:10)

This is the destruction which comes upon the wicked. Except this is only the story we see.

The coming judgment of God is much worse than death by the sword, for the wicked who should fear that day.

I have heard of some people who detest what God did in the Old Testament. These must be the same people that scoff at a literal Hell. People who feel this way do not hate sin, they do not detest wickedness. Neither do they understand God, nor even the gospel.

Why did God will this? Because the wickedness of these people was great, “but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (See Deuteronomy 9:5). God is a Holy God who detests wickedness.

“God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” - Psalm 7:11

“Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.” - Nahum 1:6

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.” - Isaiah 59:2-4

“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” - Deuteronomy 32:4

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” - Romans 11:33

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” - Isaiah 55:7-11

I thank our Lord Jesus Christ “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” - Galatians 1:4

Our Lord Jesus Christ by whose death we are justified, so that our iniquities no longer separate us from God (see Isaiah 53:11).


“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” - Nahum 1:7

Take Time to be Holy: Hunger and Thirst Before the Door is Closed

Take time to be Holy?

That is a tough charge in the society in which we live. We are constantly driven to do this and that. Productivity is good but for what end (Ecclesiastes 2:4-11)? But our very being we are to offer as a sacrifice to the Living God (Romans 12:1-2). For we are even a Holy Priesthood, chosen by God to offer up spiritual sacrifices, which are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5).

We are taught to take time to be Holy. God says “Be ye Holy, for I am Holy” (Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Leviticus 11:44-45). If commanded by God, this cannot be an impossible feat. For man himself it is certainly and most indubitably impossible. But with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23).

Certainly, we cannot expect to be Holy without allotting time for it. Every pursuit requires effort, yielding to God is our task, which we, by the prompting and continued influence of the Holy Spirit are lead to do.

For man does not only live by food, but he lives by the very word that precedes from the mouth of the LORD (see Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4).

That is why we may Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness, and we Shall Be Filled (Matthew 5:6)!

If we hunger and thirst, we shall seek and find (Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9), then we shall be filled. When we are filled with righteousness are we not Holy?

In Psalm 1:1-6 we see that “the righteous” has “his delight in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

When we are able we should “seek the Lord while he may be found“, and “call upon him while he is near” (see Isaiah 55:6-7). We do not know when our opportunity to call upon the Lord may be taken from us, if we wait it may be too late. For we know not when our time on earth will end, and we must seek the Lord while we are able lest our heart be hardened. Lest we are hardened by pride, such as happened to king Nebuchadnezzar, until he learned the lesson that “the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will” (Daniel 5:18-22).

In Proverbs 1:24-31 we see the reward (not a reward for good) of those who hate knowledge and did not fear the Lord. They did not listen to reproof, but despised it, they refused to listen and had no regard. When calamity and fear comes upon them they will “eat the fruit of their own way.” It will be too late to repent. “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.”

In Matthew 25:1-13 we see how the five wise virgins were prepared and the five foolish virgins were unprepared. And for the foolish it was too late. For the door was shut and the foolish virgins said “Lord, Lord, open to us.” “But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” So we must always be ready for we know not when Christ shall come again. If we wait until he comes to prepare, it will be too late.



“Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” - Proverbs 28:14

See the Hymn "Take time To Be Holy"