from such, turn away

We live in perilous times.

Is it because of wars, climate change, civil unrest, natural disasters, crime, or diseases?

No. We live in perilous times because men (and women) are lovers of their own selves, without natural affection, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God:

2 Timothy 3: 1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Natural disasters and epidemics are signs of the times. Civil unrest and wars are consequences.

Crime, violence, destruction of families and divorce are the results of turning away from God.

The times are perilous because people deny the power of God. People no longer care about what God wants. They only want what they want- what makes them “happy.”

From such, turn away.

If you know someone is a cheat, a liar, a lustful immoral person- don’t run across the grocery store to make sure they see you just because they are the mayor. Or offer to spot for them at the gym because they are the county commissioner, or carry on at the restaurant to be seen with them because they are the president of the chemical plant- from such turn away.

If the artist is singing about threesomes and perversity, if the actor is a known pedophile, if the movie is full of violence, immorality, and blasphemy- don’t say “well I like the music” or “he’s just a great actor” or “it’s still a good story”- from such, turn away.

My dad used to always tell me that if I rolled around in the gutter long enough, I would learn to like it. There is an old expression about laying down with dogs and waking up with fleas. We are always told to “surround yourself with winners.” No matter how strong we think we are, we cannot help but to be influenced by those around us.

And there is big danger in that:

Isaiah 5:20- Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Think about society today. There was a time when cohabitation- living together, “shacking up”- was low-class, immoral. Now it’s normal. Constant exposure to something eventually becomes internalized, becomes normal.

1 John 2:15-17  ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

It can be tricky. There are alot of people that speak well, they give to charity, they help people. Maybe they are kind, witty, attractive. They have a form of ‘godliness’. We say “look how good they are trying to be” while ignoring they beat their wives, abuse their children, live completely immoral lives, promote atheism, celebrate perversity.

Successful people will always tell you to surround yourself with successful people- hang out with the winners. Why? Because you are influenced by the people around you. You internalize the behaviors and traits of the people around you- you emulate them.

Psychological studies and sociological research have proven that constant exposure to violence, pornography, and the glamorization of illegal and immoral activities desensitizes people to these behaviors and completely distorts our perceptions of what is normal.

The entertainment industry is particularly adept at selling soul-damaging behaviors and promoting immoral behaviors. A few years ago, everybody was wrapped-up in “Game of Thrones”. Because it was all the rage I made a couple of attempts to watch it- I couldn’t do it. It was absolute filth. Rape, nudity, incest- garbage. Do you think Jesus would watch it?

Fifty Shades of Grey, Pulp Fiction, WAP- very popular. Very sad. Very telling commentary on the moral state of our society.

Our society’s idea of role models has changed drastically. What was once Martin Luther King has become Snoop Dogg- it has an effect. The Black community was once very conservative with strong families. Now, after years of assault by gangsta rap 70% of Black families have no father in the home and over half of Black males have been to prison.

The divorce rate was once less than 10% in our country- after the “sexual revolution” and free-love movements it is now over 50%. The traditional family is demeaned in popular culture and divorce is now common-place.

You are not here to join in the madness. You are not here to congratulate and admire the pervert. You are not here to praise the corrupt. From such- TURN AWAY.

Why you are here:

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;- Philippians 2:15

from such turn away

We live in perilous times.

Is it because of wars, climate change, civil unrest, natural disasters, crime, or diseases?

No. We live in perilous times because men (and women) are lovers of their own selves, without natural affection, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God:

2 Timothy 3: 1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Natural disasters and epidemics are signs of the times. Civil unrest and wars are  consequences. Crime and violence are results.

The times are perilous because people deny the power of God.

From such, turn away.

If you know someone is a cheat, a liar, a lustful immoral person- don’t run across the grocery store to make sure they see you just because they are the mayor. Or offer to spot for them at the gym because they are county commissioner, or carry on at the restaurant to be seen with them because they are the president of the chemical plant- from such turn away.

If the artist is singing about threesomes and perversity, if the actor is a known pedophile, if the movie is full of violence, immorality, and blasphemy- don’t say “well I like the music” or “he’s just a great actor” or “it’s still a good story”- from such, turn away.

My dad used to always tell me that if I rolled around in the gutter long enough, I would learn to like it. There is an old expression about laying down with dogs and waking up with fleas. We are always told to “surround yourself with winners.” No matter how strong we think we are, we cannot help but to be influenced by those around us.

Think about society today. There was a time when cohabitation- living together, “shacking up”- was low-class, immoral. Now it’s normal. Constant exposure to something eventually becomes internalized, becomes normal.

It can be tricky. There are alot of people that speak well, they give to charity, they help people. They have a form of ‘godliness’. We say “look how good they are trying to be” while ignoring they beat their wives, abuse their children, live completely immoral lives, promote atheism, celebrate perversity.

You are not here to join in the madness. You are not here to congratulate and admire the pervert. You are not here to praise the corrupt. From such- TURN AWAY.

Why you are here:

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;- Philippians 2:15

 

the sons of God

“Surround yourself with successful people.” “Pick the winners” “If you sleep with dogs you wake up with fleas” These are all expressions we’ve heard intended to emphasize the importance of realizing the influence others can have on us. It is a lesson that the first people didn’t learn.

While the city of Cain grew in the East, back in Adamville, the good guys began to learn the ways of the Lord.

John 1:12- But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

The early believers called upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26). From Genesis 5:  They were blessed with a line of long-lived patriarchs that were so righteous, that one of them- Enoch- was the first member of a very exclusive club: the “taken up” crew. Moses and Elijah were amongst others that are mentioned to have transitioned in this way. This line of the sons of God is traced from Adam to Noah in Genesis 5, by the names of the heirs of each generation.

Romans 8:14- For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

As we know from the Biblical story, with the sons of God, things were about to go all wrong, and it all had to do with a woman. Women, to be more specific.

Philippians 2:15- That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

From Genesis 6- We are not told how it happens, but the godly from Adamville- the males specifically- discover the ungodly women from Cain City, and they like what they see.

It could have been a chance encounter between a well-intentioned young Adam man and a young lady from Cain in distress.

Maybe some mischievous lads snuck off to the forbidden city and found themselves in Lamech’s Gentlemen’s Club.

As people spread across the Earth, there were probably regular encounters, and like every other period of time in our history, people probably just started ignoring their elders and beliefs. “Stay away from them heathen Cain women sonny!”

However it happened, the believers began marrying the unbelievers and having kids. And we know that these offspring did not become children of God, but followers of men.

(I know there is a narrative that is very different and very popular regarding fallen angels, Watchers, and Nephilim- I will address this later.)

For an illustration of what happens when sons of God marry daughters of men, consider the fate of the wisest man who ever lived- King Solomon:

1 Kings 11:1-9 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

² Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

³ And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

⁴ For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

⁵ For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

⁶ And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.

⁷ Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

⁸ And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

⁹ And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

People remember the great ‘split the child judgement’, but most people don’t remember that because of the influence of his unbelieving wives, King Solomon had a most unwise ending.

If you worship strange gods, you believe strange things. You end up in a strange place. And that is what happened to the sons of God.

We previously learned at the end of Chapter 5 that there was also a good Lamech, a patriarch.  He had a son and he prophesied this child would ensure that the works of the righteous would not be in vain; and in his time would the curse on the ground be ended. (5:29).

Into this deteriorating world was born Noah. Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (6:8-9).

Related scriptures:

1 John 3:1- Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1 John 3:2- Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Next Sunday: Nephilim, Inc.