"Separation?" he asked, squirming in his chair.
"From what?"
"All that is of filthiness and wickedness. From the world and its pleasures."
"But Lord, how can I live in the world and not 'be friends with it'. I don't want to be friends with it, I just am."
"I know child, I know. But don't you know that to be friends with the world is to hate Me?" He said lovingly.
"No. I didn't know that. I do love You. But I......"
"There are no 'buts' when it comes to Me and my Word. I never said it was okay to compromise. When I said total separation, I meant total separation. Submit yourself to Me. Resist the devil, and he will flee."
"I feel so angry all the time. It's hard to get a long with others. When I'm asked to do something I don't like, I complain. How am I supposed to submit myself to You when I can't do anything right? When I am so imperfect? When all I do is mess up?" he asked in an impatient voice.
"Anger my Child, does not bring righteousness I desire. And love is not rude. And yes, do things with grumbling is not what I desire either. All these things are found in the Word. Did you know that if you pursue righteousness and love, you will find life? You will find prosperity and honor? That if you seek Me, in the hope that you will find Me, you will. Because child, I am not far from you. And in Me, you live and move and have your being.. "
{Verses used in this story:
James 1:21, James 4:4, James 4:7, James 4:20, 1 Corinthians 13:5, Philippians 2:14, Proverbs 21:21, and Acts 17:27-28.}
Separation.
That's a scary word if you ask me. You mean, if I want to follow God as close as possible I have to purposefully give up "myself"? There are many things I do that are totally contrary to the things and ways of God.
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Your ways are not My ways, and you thoughts are not My thoughts.
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Like for example. T.V. The shows/movies we watch. Is there a speck of filth, sin, wickedness, or evil in any type of show you watch? I am taking a big step by saying this, but I can find all that in a show like Hannah Montana or Wizards of Waverly Place. Evaluate the episodes. I used to LOVE those shows. But can you love filth, sin, wickedness, evil etc and love God?
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"Get rid of all moral filth and evil." ~James 4:12~
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"Where is there evil and filth in Hannah Montana?" you may ask.
It's supposed to be a Disney Channel show for kids and teens. I see immodesty. The Bible talks about immodesty. I see lying and disrespect towards parents and each other.The Bible talks about these very subjects.
Before I go on, I want you to understand that I struggle on a day to day basis to follow the Bible as opposed to following the world. I ain't perfect! And I know these people are not as well. But I have to say, you know, these shows are teaching many people (especially kids) ways of living totally contrary to the Bible! This is where the total separation comes in. You may be saying, "What I want to do I don't do, and what I hate---I do." (~Romans 7:15~)
That's totally me! The things I don't want to do, I end up doing anyway. And I've noticed that I--me--moi...put myself in a situation where I have to choose the right thing.
I asked my self awhile back, "If I am not being benefited from this T.V show why watch it? And if it is going against what the Bible says, why put this stuff before my eyes?"
After saying those very words, I ended up putting it before my eyes anyway. See? It's hard. It is and there is no doubt about it. This messed up world made us all think that this stuff is harmless. "Oh, its okay to watch this. Whats a little harmless fun going to do?"
Well, that "harmless fun" does a lot of harm. I don't want to be apart of something the world thinks is okay, when I know for fact that it's not okay with God. A. W Tozer said,
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To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with the world. ~Unknown
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When the Holy Spirit fills us, we see that this world's seductive attractions are only cheap substitutes for what god has to offer. ~Unknown
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Life is hard, I know. And having to actually live in this gross world, we are also called to be different in it. And that is hard.
Separation.
