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| Volume 21 Number 12 December 2019 | Page 10 |
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| Volume 21 Number 12 December 2019 | Page 10 |
Mark McWhorter
Most people desire love. Most people want to be loved. Most people want to love someone else. The world has many ideas as to what love is. There are a multitude of books written by men and women about love. They have all kinds of theories and philosophies as to how people can have love. They have various definitions of love.
Unfortunately, very few experts or scholars go to the Bible for information on love. God created man and woman. He knows everything there is to know about mankind and love. In Philippians 1:9-10, Paul wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” Paul wanted the Philippians to abound in love.
The word “abound” is from a Greek word that means “flood.” He wanted the Philippians to live in a flood of love. How would they live in this flood of love? They needed to have a knowledge of Christ and needed to have the judgment that comes from that knowledge. By having those things, they would be able to approve (test) things to know if they were excellent. Having the kind of love that allowed them these skills would make the Philippians pure in the eyes of God.
Study your Bible. Learn about the love of Christ. Learn how to have Christ’s love. Apply the Bible’s teachings so that you can live in a flood of love. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
From Shocked to Acceptance:
All within One Generation
Donald R. Fox
I have before me a book entitled, Broken Homes and Handicapped Children, written by V.E. Howard (1972). Brother Howard was an outstanding Gospel preacher and an early radio speaker. He continually preached on radio beginning in 1934. He was also an astute businessman. The published book was the result of a series of radio sermons presented by brother Howard on the “World Radio Gospel Hour.” I had not looked at this book in a very long time.
As I browsed the contents of this book, two things stood out in my mind. (1) As V.E. Howard presented the sad moral and ethical state in the generation of the 1970’s, he presented the facts in a shocking manner. (2) I was also stunned to know that what was shocking in the 1970’s is now readily accepted to the point of normalcy in this current generation. A generation is normally understood as a period of about thirty years.
Brother Howard wrote:
Ladies and gentlemen, would you believe this? There is a homosexual church in Los Angeles, California. I quote from the San Antonio Express, December 11, 1969: “Los Angeles Church First Catering to Homosexuals. The membership totals about 255 and the ‘pastor’ is a twenty-nine years old, self-admitted homosexual. The membership is divided about 70% males, 15% females and 15% heterosexuals. The minister admits to having his first experience at the age of 9.” A report in U.S. News & World Report, June 29, 1970, stated: “Recently a Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, soon to report its finding to president Nixon, held a hearing on Capitol Hill. Appearing as a witness was a bearded 28-year-old spokesman for the ‘underground press’ who also described himself as a minister of ‘the Church of Life.’” (29-30)
Friends, note the shock, “would you believe this?” Yes, this was before the onslaught of the present, intense and radical American Civil Liberties Union and et cetera. The ACLU and the like have many friends to include extremist organizations coupled with secular thinking judges and courts. Further, the militant homosexual movement has unrelenting demands of same sex marriage and so on. What was once very shocking in previous generations is now very normal and accepted by many. This acceptance is driven and is constantly pushed and encouraged by the news and entertainment media propaganda machinery. Further, if you are from the old school that believes in high ethical and moral standards per the Word of God—the Bible—you are considered out of step with these modern times. Now that is shocking!
In our present generation, we are faced with a variety of changing ethics and morals. People have a problem understanding and determining what is right or wrong. What was normal is not normal any longer. Our thought process has changed greatly over the years. We must regroup as a people and return to true standards—the Word of God. God help us!