Category: Worldliness

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).

The world equates wisdom with the accumulation of technological insight, and the continual progression of moral change. People today are smarter, and less encumbered by outmoded superstitions and prejudices – so they say.

Oh really? Are we to equate political corruption, amoral lifestyle, extreme self-indulgence and a rejection of absolute values to some modern version of deep thought? If so, I choose to remain out of style and out of step.

As Paul wrote, “…the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

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“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12).

• Sojourners (a foreigner or stranger), and pilgrims (a resident foreigner) describe the Christian’s presence on earth. Your citizenship is elsewhere, though you labor on this earth for a short while before going to the eternal kingdom to which you rightly belong.
• This world is characterized by ungodliness. This ungodliness is destructive to the eternal soul, and should be avoided. As a Christian, you are in the world, but you are not to be of the world.
• By living righteously, you serve as a wonderful influence to those who are not Christians. While enemies of the cross will speak evil of you and your faith, a righteous life will win many converts to God’s way. Jesus said you are to be “the light of the world.” “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14,16).

Like Timothy, you are to take heed to God’s will for you. As you live righteously before Him, you will be able to “save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox

2 Timothy 3:1-5 reveals that some in the last days will have a form of godliness, but are in reality ungodly. May it be that we are not this way!

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There is an interesting passage in 2 Thessalonians 3 where Paul describes the unbeliever. “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith” (1-2).

He is unreasonable. Faith in God (cf. Romans 1:20-23) is the reasonable response to the testimony of nature. His “invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” Too, faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God is firmly established by the eyewitness testimony of His resurrection.

He is wicked. The end of those who do not believe is wickedness. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind…” (Romans 1:28). Without God there is no divine standard of right and wrong. Men are free to determine for themselves what they accept and reject, and most revert to their base instincts.

He oppresses the righteous. We are told that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:13). This at the hands of “evil men.”

The reasonable, righteous man believes in God and His Son Jesus Christ. From him the “word of the Lord” runs swiftly and is glorified. You aren’t reasonable and righteous unless you respect and obey God’s word!

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Setting aside the different views regarding economic policy, and questions regarding the proper response to terrorism, immigration and climate change — it is obvious to those who hold Christian values that our nation has lost its way. The wise man wrote, “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

Politically, for a while now our nation has adopted a two party system for governance. And, for a while now, both parties have advocated policies and practices that are characterized by greed, immorality and inhumanity. This is seen in party platforms, and more egregiously in the personal lives, practices and positions of our national leaders. Even those who give lip service to Christian values are quick to compromise those values when it suits them.

Continue reading “Our Nation is a Mess!” →

How often have you seen articles with titles like the one above shared on Facebook feeds? It is a common tactic, as authors and websites vie for the attention of readers. A catchy title or provocative picture will lead to clicks. Often the article itself has little to offer, but internet traffic leads to advertisers and revenue, so the trend will not soon change. Unfortunately, the trend is prevalent in material offered with the intent of aiding in spiritual growth.

Which leads me to note the first bad habit that leads to a superficial faith. Taking a Facebook mentality into matters of spiritual importance! I confess that I click on such titles myself, because they are attention getting. Too often the article is as much pop psychology as Biblical teaching. The quality of writing on spiritual matters is suffering as authors try to adapt to the short attention spans and novel cravings of a culture unduly influenced by social media. This is sad.

Continue reading “7 Bad Habits of Superficial Christians” →

Articles on The Patternists Facebook page constantly emphasize the authority of God, and His word. Most articles are concerned with worship, doctrine and the church established by Jesus Christ.

We also note that God’s authority extends to the nations of men. This will be so until Jesus comes again. Paul spoke of this in his sermon to the Athenians in Acts 17:

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (vs. 26-27).

God determines the rise and fall of nations, and the extent of their rule. The nations of the world exist to facilitate a search for God and His will for men. When nations impede that search, God’s patience is tested. If repentance does not occur, that patience runs out, bringing God’s judgement on that nation.

God is both aware of and concerned about the state of our nation. How long will he forbear judgment upon us? No one knows, but each day of rebellion is one day nearer to God’s wrath. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

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There are many moral issues that have cropped up in the news this past week. Some of these concern the politics of our day, but one in particular is certainly appropriate for this space.

Many younger Christians thoroughly enjoy superhero comic books, and lately, the movies that are being adapted from the material. CGI and other sophisticated special effects make for a much more believable Superman and Batman than cinematic treatments of previous decades.

Marvel has been especially successful in bringing superheroes to the big screen. Characters such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spider Man, the Hulk and Thor have captured the imagination of a new generation, and made hundreds of millions of dollars for the Marvel company.

Continue reading “In the News: Should We Watch? (Deadpool)” →

In order to fight the good fight of faith (cf. 1 Timothy 6:6), we must first identify the enemy, and second utilize all of the help and weapons at our disposal.

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The Psalmist provided some interesting insight into the motivation of wicked men in Palm 36:1-2:

“An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.”

The wicked man does not fear God. It may be that he is in denial concerning the existence of God. It may be that as judgment will come in the final day, he erroneously thinks he is getting away with his wickedness. It may be he has a false impression concerning his own abilities, or holds to the false perception that God is impotent. Whatever the reason, the fear of God in no way constrains him.

The wicked man flatters himself. He thinks more highly of himself than he ought. It may be that others flatter him as well, building him up to a degree that he begins to believe his “press.”

But, the wicked man is a fool! The wise man of Proverbs wrote, “For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord, but His secret counsel is with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the just” (Proverbs 3:32-33).

Don’t be foolishly prideful, and rail against God. Instead, heed His will, and received the blessings that come upon the home of the just.

Weeds are the bane of anyone who desires a pretty lawn. They are an unsightly blight upon what would otherwise be a unmarred expanse of pretty green. Too, when they proliferate, they choke out the grass.

In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, he notes that some seed fell among thorns (weeds). He states the thorns “choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).

Fortunately, Jesus specifies what these things are, three in number (cf. Mark 4:19):

1. The cares of this world. Our focus is not to be on food and clothing, but upon the kingdom of God! (cf. Matthew 6:33).
2. The deceitfulness of riches. Life is not about money and possessions. Whoever thinks so is like the foolish rich man of Luke 12). “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (vs. 20).
3. The desires for other things. No matter our desire, the lack of contentment is an enemy to those who seek to live for God. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

Pull up the weeds (thorns) in your life, and become fruitful in your service to the Lord!

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The lesson is concerned with that sphere of influence with Satan as master. John describes this (worldliness) using the terms: 1) Lust of the flesh; 2) Lust of the eyes; 3) Pride of life.

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By now you may have viewed the two hidden camera videos of representatives of Planned Parenthood negotiating the sale of fetal tissue to a supposed bio-medical research firm. It is illegal to sell human fetal tissue, which may lead to legal problems for the organization.

Already, politicians are calling for a full investigation, and there is a call to defund Planned Parenthood, which received about half of its total funding (45%, 540 million dollars) from government grants in the fiscal year ending in June 2013. In 2012, the organization performed a self-reported 327,166 abortions.

Continue reading “In the News: Abortion Obscenity” →

If not for the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives would be miserable. Contemplation of the value of life without God leads only to despair. We rejoice that in Christ we have the hope of heaven!

(Note: the audio was derived from a different source than normal. It is low quality, but very understandable).

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In this short article we wish to deal with a presupposition commonly made in our day. It has been stated (in Josh McDowell’s, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict) as anti-supernaturalism.

The bias can be expressed in several ways. The most common is the belief that there is no God. If God does not exist, all that remains is a natural explanation for the existence both of the universe, and life on earth. Another belief is that while there may be a god, this god has no interest or involvement in the affairs of men. His existence is unproven and unprovable, and therefore we are still left with naturalism as an explanation for everything.

Continue reading “Anti-Supernaturalism” →