Difficult Days Wayward Ways-Shawn Smith

Have you ever wondered why things in life many times make no sense at all? Once again we learn of yet another senseless tragedy. As you know by now last Friday a deranged man in Norway went on a shooting rampage killing nearly 100 people saying afterward he was simply trying to save Europe then calmly pleaded not guilty. He now claims that two other groups of allies stand ready to join his murderous campaign. Once again we see someone acting out in a way that horribly defies any human logic or reason. How could someone ever do such a thing we wonder and ask ourselves will the madness ever end?

God has clearly revealed to us in his word that in the last days perilous times will come. The human condition will become so corrupt he will eventually have to bring judgment again to earth just as he did in the days of Noah. Here's what God revealed to us in the apostle Paul's second letter to young Timothy, "THIS KNOW ALSO THAT IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. FOR MEN SHALL BE LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES, COVETOUS, BOASTERS, PROUD, BLASPHEMERS, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, UNTHANKFUL, UNHOLY, WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION, TRUCE BREAKERS, FALSE ACCUSERS, INCONTINENT, FIERCE, DESPISERS OF THOSE THAT ARE GOOD (2 Tim 3:1-3)." Does this sound familiar today?

As you know Noah was a prophet of God called in his day to warn the people of impending judgment. If they would listen to his message they would be saved but if not they would be destroyed. Look what God had to say about the condition of mankind in those days, "AND GOD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT IN THE EARTH AND THAT EVERY IMAGINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY. AND IT REPENTED THE LORD THAT HE HAD MADE MAN ON THE EARTH, AND IT GRIEVED HIM AT HIS HEART (Genesis 6:5-6)." The sin of Noah's day broke God's heart. Only Noah and his family were saved but the rest of mankind perished in the flood.

The people of Noah's day had become so sinful that they just wouldn't listen. He had provided a way of escape through one righteous man but they wouldn't hear. Many today continue ignoring the signs of the times in our day. And once again it is breaking God's heart. Look what Jesus himself had to say, "FOR AS WERE THE DAYS OF NOAH SO WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. FOR AS IN THOSE DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD THEY WERE EATING AND DRINKING, MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE, UNTIL THE DAY WHEN NOAH ENTERED THE ARK AND THEY WERE UNAWARE UNTIL THE FLOOD CAME AND SWEPT THEM ALL AWAY. SO WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN (Matthew 24:37-39)." The King is coming again and he said to always watch and pray. Will we be ready that day or caught looking the other way?

Flagrant Lies Lasting Prize-Shawn Smith

Recently I sat on my couch with my favorite remote flipping through a myriad of channels looking for something in vain to temporarily escape reality. Eventually joined by my son in my quest for relief we began discussing the true meaning of life and just how far we've fallen in recent years as a nation. Are the messages infiltrating our homes today ones our American patriots would be proud of when they won independence for us over 200 years ago? Is this really the type of freedom they envisioned and were fighting for? Was their dream for us somehow to enjoy anything and everything anytime we please on the world wide web?

Sadly what were both once considered a positive source of information have increasingly become a smorgasbord of corruption and deceit. As we celebrate our independence today all across America I can't help but ask are we truly free? It seems we're now enslaved by an unseen enemy dressed in disguise and we've fallen for lies. We've been asleep in the light. It's time to arise and get our eyes on the prize. As believers we've been freely forgiven but do we really appreciate all we've been given?

Look what the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, "BRETHREN I COUNT NOT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED BUT THIS ONE THING I DO, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND, AND REACHING FORTH UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE. I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS (Philippians 3:13-14)." In his day Paul overcame all the lies by eyeing an eternal prize! You and I today are facing an onslaught of deception and misinformation. Do we see our demise just where are our eyes?

Our freedoms here are now seriously at stake both as a nation and individually as well. Godliness is on the decline and only the truth will set us free. Look what Jesus himself had to say to the church in Laodicea one day and quite possibly to you and I and the church in America today, "I KNOW THY WORKS THAT THOU ART NEITHER COLD NOR HOT, I WOULD THOU WERE COLD OR HOT (Revelation 3:15). In his message he also counsels us to buy from him gold tried in the fire so we'll truly be rich! He then tells us to be zealous and repent. Deception today is clearly on the rise will we fight to win an everlasting prize?