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MANY CALLED
FEW CHOSEN
THE WORLD
WELCOME BACK MY
FRIEND
I trust that I may congratulate you for waiting!
I can tell you're gonna do very well at this, and strengthening your
self discipline by waiting on God is a great advantage to you!
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Psalms 62:5
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from
Him. |
Today we're gonna
talk about some really important stuff, and the earlier that you
realize these things, the better off your soul will be. It's so very
important to understand some things about the world.
The way of the world
is much different from THE WAY that Jesus spoke of when He said, I am
THE WAY, the TRUTH and the life.
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John 14:6
I am THE WAY, the
TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. |
There's something in
the Bible that may sound a little strange to you, about the world, but
I'm gonna explain it to you and you'll probably think of the world a
little differently after you understand.
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James 4:4
A friend of the world is the enemy of God. |
That sounds pretty
serious, doesn't it? Why do you think the Bible says this?
If you look around
you, it's easy to see that the ways of the world seem to be following
the devil's way and not Jesus' way. What do I mean by that? Let's take
a look. For one thing, do you think that most of the people in the
world are walking the Christian walk, or is the world going the other
'way'?
Let's look at
television. Can you watch a program on TV today that doesn't use the
Lord's name in vain? How about a show where someone hasn't been
unfaithful to their spouse? How many programs are there that don't
include drugs, sex, violence, gangs, adultery, homosexuality, murder,
theft, jealousy, conspiracy, or evil of any kind? Why is that? Because
these are the 'ways' of the world. Many of these television shows are
true stories. Some are creating trends that others are following.
What about magazines
and books? How many of them are just like television and they fill the
readers' minds with the ways of the world. Music follows the same
pattern.
When the Bible says
that someone is 'worldly' that doesn't mean they're intelligent about
geography and the cultures of different people and places of the
world, it means they like to follow the trends of the world and
practice those ways. My new friend, those who follow the ways of the
world, will find themselves following the ways of the devil. Now you
can see why the Bible says that a friend of the world is an enemy of
God.
If you do a little
investigating, you'll find that just 50 years ago, things were quite
different. If you have a Grandma or Grandpa, or if you know an elderly
person, just ask them how the world has changed since they were a kid,
and you'll find that there was a lot less wickedness in the world just
a very short time ago.
Now, 50 years isn't a
very long time, and when you watch a really old TV show ... One that's
in black and white, there's a HUGE difference in the way the world was
then, and the way it is now, but over those 50 years, the changes were
gradual, and little by little, the devil has gotten people to believe
that the evils of the world today, are just normal.
Being disrespectful
is not normal.
Divorce is not normal.
Adultery is not normal.
Crime is not normal.
Violence is not normal.
Addiction is not normal.
Homosexuality is not normal.
But unfortunately,
the world today, thinks these things are normal.
The world has CON-vinced
people to accept it's evil ways, one little thing at a time. Don't
forget who the prince of this world is ... The devil. He's gotten the
world used to so much wickedness that things are in a terrible mess,
and people have forgotten all about how to live a Godly life.
Now I am NOT saying
to hide in your house and not to leave it. You don't have to leave
your home, to be exposed to the ways of the world. The world can find
it's way into your home through television, radio, computer, books,
magazines, music, telephone, friends, family ... oh, there are
countless ways. Anything that puts any thought in your mind that is
unrighteous ... What I AM saying is don't let the world inside of you,
no matter where you are.
CLOTHING
This is an
interesting subject. What does someone who REPRESENTS Christ
wear? Now, let me tell you from the start, that nobody expects you to
wear the kind of clothing they wore in Biblical times, nor do I want
you to sift through your grandparents clothing for ideas on what you
should wear. I am just saying you should not dress worldly cuz you
REPRESENT Jesus.
Let's talk about the
changing trends of modern times. Common sense tells you that many of
the styles of the world today ... Do NOT represent your Lord.
What you wear makes a
statement about you. Like it or not, when people see you, the first
judgment they usually make is about what you're wearing. It's true,
people aren't supposed to judge others, but certain judgments we make
about other people are for our own protection. If you see someone who
looks dangerous, the Lord gave you good judgment to stay away from
them.
Do your clothes
scream for attention, or are they meek and humble like Jesus? Do they
REPRESENT the world opinion or your Lord's opinion?
So, would you say
that to follow trendy fashions would be Christ-like? Let me ask you a
question. Why has nobody ever started a fad of respectable clothing?
Is it because Christians are too ashamed? I don't need to remind you
about the shame game, I believe you remember it. Isn't it odd though,
that people would go through the pain of piercing their skin or
tattooing themselves to sport the latest trend, as to REPRESENT the
world but Christians will not go through the "pain" of what others
might think to REPRESENT Jesus.
What about jewelry?
Let's see if we can think of something that would glorify God in the
jewelry department ... Maybe a cross or a crucifix around your neck,
showing who you REPRESENT is a better choice than glittery gemstones
and such.
What about hair
styles? What about cosmetics? Which of the choices you make in these
areas REPRESENT your Jesus? I'll help you out on this one ... Wear
what God gave you ... You are created in His image. If God wanted you
to have blue hair, you would have had blue hair when you were born. Be
YOU-nique. Be natural. Be what God created you to be. Don't live to
impress the world but rather live to glorify God.
You ARE the Temple of
the Holy Spirit.
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1 Corinthians 6:19-20
What? know ye not that
your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? For
ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit,
which are God's. |
Ask yourself, How do
I glorify God by what I wear?
Don't ever forget
that you REPRESENT Jesus. Every person you meet, or every person that
even sees you, is possibly thinking about Christianity but is too
scared to go against the trends. But where did each new trend come
from? They came from ONE person who chose to be different.
If you display a
Godly image by what you wear, you're inviting those children of God,
without even speaking, to approach you and learn from you. You're an
example to them. You will attract those who are in your Christian
family so to speak, by the way you talk, act, AND by what you wear, so
you can see how the initial impression you make on someone is very
important. Don't be surprised if once you start changing the way your
REPRESENT Jesus by a different choice of clothing, and a different
attitude, because people may come up to you no matter where you are,
sensing the Lord's presence with you, and they will ASK you to lead
them, in one way or another. Hide and watch.
Think about it this
way ...
You are a walking
billboard.
Who are you advertising for?
By staying out of the
world as much as you can, you're not missing out on anything worthy.
But by being worldly, you're missing out on all the 'gifts.'
When you must
participate in something of the world, be alert. Always be on guard
for any ways of the world that the enemy tries to use to lure you away
from living in a Godly manner. The world is full of them.
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STEP #3
To complete
this step on THE WORLD, there are two studies you must CHOOSE to
read that will help you to recognize when the world is trying to
plant bad seeds and weeds in the lovely garden of your soul, how
you can get rid of the ones
that have been planted
in you and
even prevent other bad thoughts from ever being planted.
Continuing in EACH step daily
is so very important.
Go back over each step often to
be sure you have not missed anything.
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If you have any
questions about the program, contact one of the CHRISTIAN TEAM LEADERS
in the Christianity Oasis Chat Room.
Or you can contact us at:
ManyCalledFewChosen@ChristianityOasis.com
To continue our program, you can return tomorrow and
select:
STEP #4
I’ll meet you there!
Take care and have a SON-sational day.
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