I hope you are having a wonderful day, wherever you might be as you read our weekly connect with you.
It is so good to be home, it was wonderful to visit family, but it is always good to get back home after a vacation. There are times after a few days away from the work place, I find myself thinking now I can relax and get some rest. As you know we visited our daughter in Las Vegas. This city that never seems to sleep is an in your face reminder of shades of grey. Last year GayNell and I had our family room remodeled and she chose grey as the color from Sherman Williams. There was only one problem in the color choices they have about twenty shades of grey. That is makes it difficult to make up your mind as to what color you will choose. God is the God of light and darkness He is the God of extremes, wouldn’t you agree, Heaven and Hell and Life and Death or extremes? It is the adversary that deals in shades of grey, not our God. Imagination helps us to see that a white lie is just a shade of grey? Truth is always easy to recognize because it is white and a lie is permanently black.
In Las Vegas there are places that are more like Sodom than Salem, The Hebrew meaning for Salemis PEACE AND COMPLETE. Sodom on the other hand just a few miles away as the crow flies represents the extreme in regards to SIN.
Sodom represents the evil which is the result of the misuse of their free will by created beings and that the body, with its passions and impulses, is to be neither ignored nor despised but sanctified. In the Word of God, the “flesh” that is spoken of disparagingly is not the human body but human nature in rebellion against God.
Theologians divide sin into “actual” and “original.”Actual sin is sin in the ordinary sense of the word and consists of evil acts, whether of thought, word, or deed. Original sin(the term can be misleading) speaks of an inherited consequence of the fall of man found in Genesis chapter 3, whereby one man's transgression,all became sinners. In Sodom the original purpose of man was violated by immoral and depraved acts. You and I both know for God to condone sin in any fashion would be for Him to deny His own character. The Cancel Culture of today, is championing the cause of Free Will without any consideration God’s Word, such as, “Be Ye Holy for I am Holy.” Have you ever compared Abraham and Lot, uncle and nephew?
Have you ever considered they both are spoken of as Righteousin the New Testament?
Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Not only isUncle Abraham called righteous but Nephew Lot is called righteous as well. It may be well to consider that Lot was the first in a long line of humanity that bought into a get rich quick lifestyle. He saw the well-watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah and by hastened choice must have said to himself this is the fast lane, for my family and I. It really became what he must have thought,for he knew a good deal when he saw one. It all was going as planned, he moved into Sodom became even richer, he was recognized by the elders of the city and became a member of their city council. Do you remember Jesus' words, “The gates of Hell cannot prevail against it?” What was Jesus talking about in this text? He was talking about City Councils or what men call Supreme Councils cannot prevail against the Church. Could this be what we are seeing right now in Washington?
(CONCERNING ROE vs WADE) What we gain by intercession we must remember, we keep by intercession.
It always pays to read the whole story in the Bible.
Lot’s choice worked well for him, for a while but things changed rapidly when Chedorlaomer and three kings came to town, who were not in Lots plans but they were in God’s plans. Lot was taken as a hostage to prove that the Sodom was totally captured. I have always been amazed by what followed, Abraham heard what had taken place and sent 318 of his servants to bring them all back. It seems like a small army but when they returned Melchizedek met Abraham and told him, “God gave you the victory”.
There is a world of difference between Salem and Sodom as redeemed eyes can plainly see. Have you ever stopped to think about what Lot thought concerning the choice he had made when Abraham told him he had first choice of the land before them? Abraham more than likely invited Lot to return home with him to Salem, which we know as Jerusalem today. (Jeru-Going Forth and Salem-Peace)I am reminded daily that Moscow is no Peace Center, Ezekiel 38 and 39 at the same time Jerusalem is God’s Peace Center. That is why we pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. The story of Sodom is a caveat, a warning for all of humanity in regard to the consequences of choice. If you allow me I will share with you some fresh insights from this story. In the book of 2Peter2:7,8, it is only appropriate that the Holy Spirit would inspire Peter of all the writers of the New Testament to write this verse:
7 And God delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man (dwelling among them), in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
Lot got what he wanted but he did not like what he got. Our choices are ultimately important our choice to follow the lifestyle of Jesus is a Salem Choice. We follow the path that leads to peace.
Once again, I BELIEVE IN YOU,
Pastor Cleddie and GayNell
How can we say thanks for all the Lord has done for us? For me it is to continually to honor him with my first fruit and my offerings given to extend His Kingdom. Thank you for your faith and faithfulness, by which we share life together.