...what happened to being GOOD?

I'm constantly reminded of the huge swing the church has made in my generation... often making headline news. 

God's LAW has been exchanged for 'LOVE', 

...AS IF they are different somehow.

I daily read my Bible and I just don't see it!

 I'm constantly in shock over the blatant lies people are adopting in the name of 'freedom'.

Increasing numbers of people out there calling themselves 'Christian' are being deceived! 

They're embracing lifestyles that look nothing like the example given by Christ... and they're Ok with that!
They're happy and they 'LOVE' everybody.
Well... it looks like they love everyone.


BUT, if you are highly 'conservative' or 'old fashioned' in your lifestyle or worship, you'll likely get the cold shoulder. 

In their eyes you are a poor unenlightened soul.

Oh my goodness!
God has NOT changed!
What's happening to morality?
Why is the GOODness of God up for personal interpretation?

NO! 

I am NOT teaching my children intolerance, judgmentalism, self-righteousness, salvation by works, or legalism.
But I AM teaching them God's way of doing things right... HIS righteousness. 

FURTHERMORE, I'm teaching them silence as an answer to challenges from the 'love' people.

(easier said than done) 

I'm teaching my children that IF the ungodly and immoral ask them to do 'something' (NOT in violation of God's ten commandments) DO IT doubly well! (Matt.5:41)

(implied reference to recent news here)

THIS is the example Christ set AND taught. HE was silent before the laughing accusers... Why DO they laugh anyway? 

And Jesus did the following, too...even before Paul talked about it,

(Jesus' 'brothers' were the religious leaders of the Jewish race, by the way)

"...Keep away from any BROTHER who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they received..."

(2 Thessalonians 3:6-7 NET)

"...In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. 

But now I am writing to you NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH ANYONE WHO CALLS HIMSELF A CHRISTIAN WHO IS sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. DO NOT EVEN EAT WORK SUCH A PERSON. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you."

(1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NET)

Does this sound unloving?
People have the meaning of 'love' completely twisted today. 

Obedience to God's law IS the FRUIT of a sincere love for God.

Obedience is NOT the means...
For God loved us while we were yet sinners...
HOWEVER, obedience IS the end result... 
THE 'proof of the pudding'.
An obedient life IS the result of true love for God!

"Master, which is the great commandment in the LAW? 

Jesus said unto him, 

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with 

ALL thy soul, and with 

ALL thy mind. 

This IS the first and great commandment. 

And the second is like unto it, 

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

(Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

"Brethren, 

I WRITE NO NEW COMMANDMENT unto you, 

BUT an old commandment 

WHICH YE HAD FROM THE BEGINNING. The old commandment IS the word which ye have heard from the beginning...

Love NOT the world, NEITHER the THINGS that are in the world. 

IF any man love the world, the love of the Father is NOT in him...

Little children, it IS the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out FROM us! 

BUT they were NOT OF us; 

For IF they had been OF us, they would no doubt have continued with us: 

BUT they went out, THAT they might be made manifest that they were NOT all of us...

Let THAT therefore abide in you, 

WHICH ye have heard from the beginning. 

IF that which ye have heard from the beginning SHALL REMAIN IN YOU, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father... 

And now, little children, abide IN HIM; THAT, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and NOT be ashamed before Him at his coming. 

IF ye know that HE is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him."

(1 John 2:7, 15, 18-19, 24, 28-29 KJV)

"For this IS the message that ye heard from the beginning, THAT we should love one another...

And this IS His commandment, 

That we should BELIEVE on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, 

AND LOVE one another, as He gave us commandment. 

And he that keepeth His commandments (notice the plural 's'... God DID give ten commandments) dwelleth in Him, and He in him. 

And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us."

(1 John 3:11, 23-24 KJV)

When the Spirit of Christ lives IN us He causes to come to mind the things that please Him. 
He reminds us of not only His commandments but reveals to us His character. 
He works in our consciousness to 'will' and to 'do' those things that please Him.

Individuals first get the attention of the Father BY sincerely striving after obedience to the commandments He has given. 
(Acts 10:1-2)

Our repentance is proven in this way through deeds BEFORE a baptism into new life can ever take place. 
(Acts 26:20, Matthew and Luke 3:8)

God then comes to us and shows us His Son, and the forgiveness offered through His death and the newness of life offered through His resurrection. 
IF we accept this gift and believe and surrender our entire self to be possessed, God's HOLY Spirit WILL live in and through us... causing us to properly understand and rightly interpret His will in every situation AND truly from the heart, 'LOVE' according to the original intent of His law.

"IF ye love Me, KEEP My commandments...

He that hath My commandments, AND keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him...

Jesus... said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him."

(John 14:15, 21, 23 KJV)

"And now I beseech thee, lady, NOT as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but THAT which we had from the beginning, 

THAT we love one another. 

And THIS IS LOVE, 

THAT we walk after His commandments. THIS is the commandment, 

That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it...

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth NOT in the doctrine of Christ (who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, NET), hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 

IF there come any unto you, and bring NOT this doctrine, 

RECEIVE HIM NOT into your house, NEITHER bid him God speed: 

For he that biddeth him God speed IS partaker of his evil deeds."

(2 John 1:5-6, 9-11 KJV)

"So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

(Matthew 5:19 NET)

"That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating."

(Luke 12:47 NET)

YES, that verse IS in the New Testament! 

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! 

Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings..."

(Hebrews 13:8-9 NET)