Lamentations 4:5, "... they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills." This describes the extremes one person can go to in life ... from being clothed in scarlet to hugging a dunghill. This describes a blown life. It tells of a person who once loved the fragrance of holiness, but now is more comfortable filling his nostrils with the stench of the dunghill. You may be the one this describes and/or you may know one who "fits the bill." Maybe it's a girl that went to a Christian school, now embracing the morals code of the wicked; or a preacher who once trumpeted the gospel message, now out of the pulpit because of the dunghill; or a fundamentalist who now sits in the modernist camp.
In John 5, we see Jesus explaining to the Jews (who persecuted Him) different witnesses of who He is:
1. The Father bears witness of Christ in John 5:32, "There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true." In John 8:18, "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."
Philippians 1:27, "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;"
Following JESUS! What a goal that should be for each of us as we go forward. This is National Bible Publishing Month for First Baptist Church of Milford. We will come together for our Scripture project later in the month and we will strive together to get as many Scripture assembled as possible during that week.
Sometimes in life, the Lord allows us to experience great moments of success and growth in our Christian faith. Other times, circumstances become much more difficult as we face obstacles that we do not understand. Situations that might seem like setbacks manifest themselves in our lives and we wonder why. It is important to know that God is always good and right. He allows circumstances to enter into our lives to cause us to see Him greater and to grow our faith and dependence upon Him.
As a church and in my personal study, we've seen how God has called us to serve Him as a disciple. It's easy to come up with excuses and reasons not to serve God as we should. It's also easy to allow our flesh and our own agendas to limit our service to God. The story of the Good Samaritan is a classic passage that is connected at the core to serving God. By loving others and serving them, we love and serve God.
