So about a month ago while roaming around in the woods I came up with an idea for a blog. But within itself it was lacking something. Through circumstances in life this morning I found the piece that I was missing.
So awhile ago I was hauling some brush out into the woods I realized I had to go through some stick tights. Well even though I was seemingly careful as I traversed the nasty little weeds, their seeds stuck to my socks. I was intrigued at the fact of how I barely had to brush against them. But despite how minimal the contact was and how easy they stuck to me, removing them was another story. The barbs were firmly rooted into the fabric of my socks. It took a conscience effort to remove them and about 4 times as long. As I was gathering them in my hand I came to this realization. These stick tights are much like sin in our lives. We think that we can just be careful and barely brush up against it. But in the end it so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1). So much more time would have been saved if I had just gone all the way around those weeds. But in the moment it looked like it would save some time. In all reality it took much longer and resulted in several pulls in my sock.
Today I was being told by someone that Joseph was a widower before he married Mary. This extra-biblical story was being presented as fact by someone who was sold on the idea. Fortunately deep within my mental database of information I knew that the book they were quoting was a fiction piece written in the 1880's. I told them so and that I had doubts about that story. So I did some quick research and found out the origins of that account. It appears to be both an Eastern Orthodox tradition as well as an Eastern Catholic tradition. It is used to explain the brothers and sisters of Jesus while still being able to maintain Mary as a Virgin her whole life. I relayed my information I had found to the person who had first approached me. They interestingly enough accepted that and then said "Well that's why you have to not take things at face value". HELLO!!! What they said is sooooo true, but if they would only live that. If you can't back it up with the Bible then I'm going to have a hard time believing you.
But just think how easy it would have been to go "WOW... really?? Joseph??" Not to say that is sin. BUT the point that rolled around in my head is, how careful we have to be with all of the deception around us. The media is one area. Everything they are trying to sell us as truth. Are you taking these things and accepting them?? Or are you stepping back to weigh it with what the Word of God says?
Just like a recent conversation I had with someone who now believes that you can be an Christian while embracing and acting out on your same sex attractions. Because God is love and He loves everyone. True, to a point. But He doesn't love their sin. And I don't care how you try to twist the Scriptures. It's still a sin. Whether you try to discredit certain passages by saying that the word really has a different meaning or they were just talking about temple prostitutes. You can't discredit the countless Scriptures that tell us what a healthy God honoring sexual relationship is to look like. A great study book for this is The Truth about Sex by Kay Arthur.
Oh, and back to the stick tights. At least that is what we call them. Another name for them interestingly enough is Enchanter's Nightshade.
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