Monthly Archives: January 2013

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?

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Las-Vegas

      Perhaps you have heard the adage or seen the commercials on TV telling us that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  Is it true that we can fulfill all the lustful desires of our hearts and no one will ever know?  Can we cheat and not get caught simply by hopping in our car and driving to Las Vegas?

      Consider what God’s word tells us in Psalm 33:13-15.  God sees all the sons of men, all the inhabitants of the earth, and all of their works.  There is nothing that is hidden from God.  There is no place that we can go to hide from God where He will not see us, for even the darkness cannot hide from Him (Psalm 139:12).

      You see, we know that the day will come when all that we have done in this body, whether good or bad will be brought into judgment (2 Cor. 5:10).  Since God will judge all of our deeds, and since God sees everything, there is nothing that we can hide from him.  We can run to Vegas or to the four corners of the earth, but we cannot hide from the all seeing, all knowing God of heaven.

Is It Now Acceptable To Lie?

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Over the past week we have had confirmation of two different athletes at two very different stages of their careers giving false information in a repeated fashion.  Lance Armstrong, who is at the end of his cycling career, admitted to using performance enhancing drugs.  This is something which he previously had adamantly denied.  Manti Te’o, who stands at the beginning of his pro football career, admitted to lying about meeting a girlfriend who never existed.  It leads us to ask the question, is lying now acceptable in our society?

            An even more important question would be is it acceptable before God for us to lie in order to gain an advantage or to ‘cover our tracks?’  When we look into the pages of scripture we can quickly find the answer to this question.  Consider Proverbs 6:16-19, which tells us that there are seven behaviors that are an abomination to the Lord.  Twice in that list of seven we find that lying is mentioned (vv. 17, 19).  To put it simply, God hates lying.  We can also see in Revelation 21:8 these words recorded, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (NKJV).  Notice here that liars are listed with a very unsavory crowd of people who you will not meet in heaven. 

            The clear conclusion is that lying is not acceptable with God, no matter what our society, politicians, or athletes may say.  God’s standards are higher than man’s.  God calls us to be honest, to deal with others fairly, to be accountable to a higher authority, and to treat others as we would want to be treated.  Thus those who would follow after God will not view lying as an acceptable practice, no matter the reason for it.

The Road To Salvation

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Light on path We live in a country where we have many options in our food choices, sporting events, entertainment avenues, etc. However, in looking at a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount it can be seen that there are only two ways of life and only two eternal destinations. These two ways could not be more different than what Jesus contrasts in Matthew 7:13-14.

The first way is wide, easy, and well traveled. If we consider human nature, perhaps it is not surprising that many people are traveling in this direction. After all, most of us would rather take a four lane highway to travel from Chicago to L.A. than to take a series of two lane roads through small towns with traffic lights and lower speed limits. However, there is a problem when we take the easy way out and only follow our own will. Jesus warns us that this route will lead to our ultimate destruction. Those who do what they want at the expense of God’s inspired instructions will be lost for eternity at the end of time (2 Corinthians 5:10). So although this way may look appealing on the surface, it is not the way that we should go.

The second way is narrow, difficult, and there are few that travel this way. This is the way of Christianity and following the precepts and commands of God. In many cases this way invites the ridicule of others. In many cases this way can lead to divisions in our family as loved ones cannot understand why we would travel the more difficult path. The truth of the matter is that everything depends on this choice that we must make. If we choose not to decide, we still have made a choice. To not follow this way, is to follow the other. The truth of the matter is that those who would chose to follow God can. If we will truly seek to find God, all of us can do so, since He is not far from us (Acts 17:27). Ultimately the decision is in our hands.

In Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, he concludes by saying, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Christianity is that road less traveled by, and if we will venture that way in our lives, it will make all the difference.