Mingled Among the Heathen
They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. (Psalm 106:34-40)
On Facebook, we are blessed with Bible portions posted by several people. The above passage was posted last week by a lady who came here from Germany. As I read the post, the sentence captured me: …mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. We might do well to name today’s article: “The Curse of Broadmindedness.”
Upfront, we need to ask: “And what does God think about America’s murdering 60 million of its babies in the womb?" We may think we are in charge, but we’re not. God will have the last word.
It is a powerful temptation to be like everybody else; to wear what they wear; to embrace their education their entertainment. Eventually it leads to embracing their beliefs that dominate the life. Your children may be more influenced by friends than by you.
Our American culture has become a culture of “Political Correctness” that is intolerant toward Jews and Christians. Not a good thing. Who decides what is “politically correct?” Bible-believing Christians decided centuries ago that the Bible is sufficient for faith and practice. That creates a problem because the world does not believe the Bible is sufficient for faith and practice. The world has no room for God to be in charge.
God made the heavens and the earth and all the living things on the earth. He owns it all. He also gave us a book to explain things we need to know about where we came from, what we are doing here, and where we are going. He chose to establish a nation, Israel, to be the caretaker of His Word and to be the womb of a Savior who would come in the fullness of time.
Israel became populated with people who proved to be a challenge to the Almighty. Theirs was the greatest heritage in the world and had the greatest mission of any nation. To accomplish His plan for Israel, they had to be developed into a cohesive culture that would reflect the design God had for them. Through Israel, all the world would be blessed.
It was a slow go. The people of Israel would promise God they would “do it!” But within one generation they would fail. Their own hearts were part of the problem, but another thing plagued them: they wanted to be like their neighboring nations. Psalm 106 is a kind of wrap-up of that problem. They disobeyed God repeatedly and mingled with the heathen (the other nations) and learned to copy them.
The Moabites are only one of the neighboring nations that snared them, but it is a good example. The Moabites were pagan to the core and burned their young children as sacrifices to Chemosh. Israel learned to sacrifice Israeli children in the valley of Hinnom, or Gehenna. just outside the wall of Jerusalem. (Gehenna from the Hebrew Gehinnom is a small valley in Jerusalem. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire. Thereafter it was deemed to be cursed. Wikipedia)
America was established as Christian nation; not a nation-sized church, but a nation of laws that were based on the Bible (1892 – “a Christian nation”) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Trinity_v._United_ )
By the time I studied American History in high school (1951) the God-related portion of American history had been purged from our text book. It wasn’t any better in college. But in a Christian college the teacher was able to counter some of the propaganda in the textbook. It was after college that I was forced to study the Christian elements of American History in preparation for sitting on the witness stand in a court case pertaining to religious liberty in our Christian schools. It helped to be working with a Constitutional Attorney who knew a lot about American History.
After World War 1, under President Woodrow Wilson, we embraced the League of Nations which soon became the United Nations. We had World War 2, which some historians are now calling the second half of World War 1. We found ourselves as the leader of the free Western world. In that role, we have been the world policeman for 72 years.
World leaders have been wondering why we have to fight bloody wars. Why not prevent wars? That’s a wonderful idea! To form a world alliance, we must abandon our Christianity, so we will not offend other nations. That’s not a good idea. That is the plan: a one-world government. Doesn’t the Bible tell us about the anti-Christ who will have power over ten nations in the end-times? Yes, indeed! We have been walking into the shadow of the one-world government that will be ruled for seven years by the anti-Christ. No need to fight it. It’s coming.
Well, this has gone further than Israel’s problem of mingling among the heathen. We are progressively mingling among the heathen while we have become increasingly heathen in our own country. Fasten your seat belts, hold on to your Bible, make some calluses on your knees, and face the future as one who knows what’s coming.
We are looking for the coming of our King who will come for us as a thief in the night. Then we are going to have the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. After that, we are coming with Him to the earth and serve Him as He rules and reigns on earth for a thousand years. Then comes a new Heaven and a new earth “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2Peter 3:13) Are you ready? Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 15, 2017 - WEDNESDAY
A.M. Ezekiel 10-12 P.M. Hebrews 11:1-19
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Song for Today:
Search Me O God (4:36) (Cathedrals)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kuo3lg-LBU
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad.
They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. (Psalm 106:34-40)
On Facebook, we are blessed with Bible portions posted by several people. The above passage was posted last week by a lady who came here from Germany. As I read the post, the sentence captured me: …mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. We might do well to name today’s article: “The Curse of Broadmindedness.”
Upfront, we need to ask: “And what does God think about America’s murdering 60 million of its babies in the womb?" We may think we are in charge, but we’re not. God will have the last word.
It is a powerful temptation to be like everybody else; to wear what they wear; to embrace their education their entertainment. Eventually it leads to embracing their beliefs that dominate the life. Your children may be more influenced by friends than by you.
Our American culture has become a culture of “Political Correctness” that is intolerant toward Jews and Christians. Not a good thing. Who decides what is “politically correct?” Bible-believing Christians decided centuries ago that the Bible is sufficient for faith and practice. That creates a problem because the world does not believe the Bible is sufficient for faith and practice. The world has no room for God to be in charge.
God made the heavens and the earth and all the living things on the earth. He owns it all. He also gave us a book to explain things we need to know about where we came from, what we are doing here, and where we are going. He chose to establish a nation, Israel, to be the caretaker of His Word and to be the womb of a Savior who would come in the fullness of time.
Israel became populated with people who proved to be a challenge to the Almighty. Theirs was the greatest heritage in the world and had the greatest mission of any nation. To accomplish His plan for Israel, they had to be developed into a cohesive culture that would reflect the design God had for them. Through Israel, all the world would be blessed.
It was a slow go. The people of Israel would promise God they would “do it!” But within one generation they would fail. Their own hearts were part of the problem, but another thing plagued them: they wanted to be like their neighboring nations. Psalm 106 is a kind of wrap-up of that problem. They disobeyed God repeatedly and mingled with the heathen (the other nations) and learned to copy them.
The Moabites are only one of the neighboring nations that snared them, but it is a good example. The Moabites were pagan to the core and burned their young children as sacrifices to Chemosh. Israel learned to sacrifice Israeli children in the valley of Hinnom, or Gehenna. just outside the wall of Jerusalem. (Gehenna from the Hebrew Gehinnom is a small valley in Jerusalem. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire. Thereafter it was deemed to be cursed. Wikipedia)
America was established as Christian nation; not a nation-sized church, but a nation of laws that were based on the Bible (1892 – “a Christian nation”) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Trinity_v._United_ )
By the time I studied American History in high school (1951) the God-related portion of American history had been purged from our text book. It wasn’t any better in college. But in a Christian college the teacher was able to counter some of the propaganda in the textbook. It was after college that I was forced to study the Christian elements of American History in preparation for sitting on the witness stand in a court case pertaining to religious liberty in our Christian schools. It helped to be working with a Constitutional Attorney who knew a lot about American History.
After World War 1, under President Woodrow Wilson, we embraced the League of Nations which soon became the United Nations. We had World War 2, which some historians are now calling the second half of World War 1. We found ourselves as the leader of the free Western world. In that role, we have been the world policeman for 72 years.
World leaders have been wondering why we have to fight bloody wars. Why not prevent wars? That’s a wonderful idea! To form a world alliance, we must abandon our Christianity, so we will not offend other nations. That’s not a good idea. That is the plan: a one-world government. Doesn’t the Bible tell us about the anti-Christ who will have power over ten nations in the end-times? Yes, indeed! We have been walking into the shadow of the one-world government that will be ruled for seven years by the anti-Christ. No need to fight it. It’s coming.
Well, this has gone further than Israel’s problem of mingling among the heathen. We are progressively mingling among the heathen while we have become increasingly heathen in our own country. Fasten your seat belts, hold on to your Bible, make some calluses on your knees, and face the future as one who knows what’s coming.
We are looking for the coming of our King who will come for us as a thief in the night. Then we are going to have the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. After that, we are coming with Him to the earth and serve Him as He rules and reigns on earth for a thousand years. Then comes a new Heaven and a new earth “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2Peter 3:13) Are you ready? Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 15, 2017 - WEDNESDAY
A.M. Ezekiel 10-12 P.M. Hebrews 11:1-19
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Song for Today:
Search Me O God (4:36) (Cathedrals)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kuo3lg-LBU
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad.
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