August 10, 2003am
Have we moved the old landmarks?
Proverbs 22:28
By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville
Baptist Church
Is there a need for
boundaries? Why not remove all boundaries, land marks, fences, guard
rails, laws, rules, and any other things that may prevent us from moving about
freely as we desire. Surely we
recognize the importance of having such structures in our lives. Without these structures it is certain that it would be a
matter of time before we would all die. But
God has seen the need of these and made sure that we knew what they were.
Thus He gave Moses the ten commandments.
All of these are meant for our good and blessing, but these guide lines
can be looked upon as evil and thus they are removed.
The devil wants us to see these as obstacles to our pleasure, but the
Lord has shown these will guide us to experience life to the fullest.
I can remember my parents showing me the board of education on many
occasions when I dared to climb the fence and cross over these guides to life.
They loved me and cared that I didn’t die.
So they showed me the path to life.
Today the world has consistently removed the boundaries and landmarks
that have been set by the Lord for our benefit and life.
Our country’s laws and constitution was based on a belief of these
principles as set forth by the Bible. But
now we are systematically changing the boundaries, so that no knows what is
truth. The rule now is called
relativism. Which means basically
that if it is right for you then it is right.
Consider the recent news reports of the past week.
“THE EPISCOPAL Church’s
House of Bishops voted Tuesday
to elevate the Rev. V. Gene Robinson to bishop of New Hampshire after
allegations of inappropriate conduct were investigated and dismissed.
On another front, the Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court is expected to rule soon on whether to legalize gay
marriage in that state. If the court OKs gay marriages in Massachusetts, it
may lead to at least partial recognition by other states of gay marriages.
Gay rights advocates are hailing the
spate of good news for their cause and are especially gratified by the Supreme
Court’s June 26 decision that effectively struck down all state anti-sodomy
laws.
Speaking shortly after that ruling,
Elizabeth Birch, the executive director of the leading gay rights advocacy
group, the Human Rights Campaign, said, “Every once in a while in the
history of a people there is a monumental paradigm shift. ... it allows for a
breakthrough to a deeper understanding to a nation as a whole. I believe we
are in such a gay moment in terms of history.”
From MSNBC web site.
When Wrong is right and
right is wrong…when will there be an
end? How will people know?
The Key is: everything is
relative according to the ways of the world.
The alternative lifestyles of the world are a life without God. It has its end. Live
without the Lord and you will die without Him.
Scripture
Text: Proverbs 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
{landmark: or, bound}
Proverbs
23:10
Don’t steal the land of defenseless orphans by moving the ancient boundary
markers, 11 for their Redeemer is strong. He himself will bring
their charges against you.
Deuteronomy
19:14
“When you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, never
steal someone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to
mark their property.
Deuteronomy
27:17
7 ‘Cursed is anyone who steals property from a neighbor by
moving a boundary marker. And all
the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
Job
24:2 Evil people steal
land by moving the boundary markers. They steal flocks of sheep, 3
and they even take donkeys from the poor and fatherless. A poor widow must
surrender her valuable ox as collateral for a loan
Maintain the landmarks…
Landmarks of life.
God’s preset boundaries for humanity when in relationship with the
only true living God. Religion
without Christ has no boundaries, but seeks to do it’s own thing.
Life with God is guided by guard rails, boundaries, or landmarks that
show us where to go, what to do, and who we are to be.
These are the rules of life. Break
them and the result will be a life without the Lord that leads to death
eternally.
Landmarks of liberty.
You have been set free to be as one of
my professors (Dr. Manfred Brauch) says.
God created you to live. But
sin caused us all to die. That is
not the end of the story as the Lord intervenes again to give us a new life
that is free from the strength of sin to subdue people and take them down. God will lift you up. He
will empower you to rise above the sin of the world to live a life of freedom.
Landmarks of the pursuit of happiness.
There can be no peace or happiness
without the Prince of peace in your life.
Pursue, hunt, or shop for a life with Him. There you will find the fountain of eternal youth and a life
worth living.
Strive to stay within those boundaries…
Will we strive to know the Lord has he
is or will we recreate for our own desires a God where anything goes.
If anything goes then the Lord has gone from your life because you have
chosen to leave him behind for a life of sin.
This is sin. God has a cure for the sin that so easily besets us.
Jesus is the cure. Will you take your medicine?
Push the boundaries…?
Will you push the boundaries of
your own spiritual life to the new boundaries of living with the Lord?
These are the right ones and the best ones. God wants to give the best of life to those who want him and
accept him as their Father. Father
does know best.
Set some boundaries…?
Let the Lord be your God and
do not attempt to make him in our image.
You will only be fooling yourself.
Let the Lord lead you to obey
his commands and desires to give you the best of life.
Let the love of the Lord
cause to stand for the truth and love the people with a sacrificial love.
This is the people of the Lord who love their enemies and pray for
those who will despitefully use you.
Let the strength of the Lord
set you free to follow his rule for your life.
Pray. Yield.
Obey. Enjoy your life with
the Lord.