No Time for Business as Usual – Part 1

Isaiah 5:20 “ Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Michael writes this week about Christian living and life application of of God's Wood in this day and age. He writes: In the midst of a crisis, we respond as we have been trained. These are the days that try men's hearts, they say. Crisis situations are characterized by an attack causing acute pain in the midst of an emotionally significant event or life changing situation. In a crisis situation there is a distinct possibility of an undesirable outcome. A crisis is a situation that has reached critical mass. Today there is a crisis in our culture where the “politically correct” call evil good and good evil. When the crisis comes, God expects his children to respond as they have been trained as disciples of Christ. The Adversary's goal is to take the culture captive and hold it against its will. 

Business as usual is to carry out normal activities as if there is no crisis. However, a crisis requires immediate corrective action.  William Bennet writes that people in our culture have been marginalized and relegated to a position of dishonor and insignificance in our “politically correct” culture. The danger is that we aspire to succeed in things that do not matter in the light of eternity. According to George Gallop in "The Search for Faith in America," never before has the gospel of Christ made such inroads yet at the same time making so little affect in the lives of people ... with no requirement that men repent, turn around, and turn from their wicked ways. A time when men think they are in the light, yet living in the dark. This was the same situation in Leviticus chapter 33. The people came before God and listened to the word of God, the songs of praise and worship, but did not put them into practice.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Jesus, during an urgent time in Matthew 26 just before his crucifixion, asked his disciples to watch while he prayed.  Jesus prayed, "If it be possible, allow this cup to be passed from me, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done" – Luke 22:42.  Though He had asked His disciples three times to watch and pray, he found them sleeping in the crisis of the spiritual battle.

We'll finish Michael's message tomorrow,
In Christ, Brian