Foundations for Friday!

Fortuitous Friday! I know it's a little long today but it is what it is. While the word fortuitous is related to the word fortunate and usually reflects the idea of things unfolding by lucky chance, those of us who are God’s very own know that our lives do not play out based on this type of happenstance. In fact, the believer’s life is 100% in God’s hands at all times, period, end of story. We do live in a sin cursed, fallen world that is dangerous, and often experience troubles in our sojourn here. However, we can always depend on God to be there for us and He will see us through the good times and the bad. The blessings involved in being His very own child far outweigh the very temporary challenges we have here, and even those difficulties typically can also become sources of praise to our heavenly Father.

That’s the reason folks always state happiness in life as their ultimate goal but most often are thinking in terms of health, wealth, and prosperity when they use that word. Jesus, in what is typically called the greatest sermon ever preached, the one called the Sermon on the Mount, gave a different definition of what true happiness is all about. He said true happiness is found in knowing God, living for God, loving and serving others, being faithful even to the point of suffering, and having the assurance of God’s presence and a future with Him forever. That, my friend, is a far cry from the description of what most people mean when they say all I want is to be happy.

Sadly, one of the things that happens over time in the world of competing philosophies, ideas, and theological conclusions, is how some of the erroneous teachings begin to find their way into an updated understanding of truth. While the guarantee of a happy-go-lucky life is now quite prevalent on Christian radio and television, some of these heretical teachings have begun to show up in mainline Churches. Perhaps it is by imitation or excused with the stated purpose of trying to appeal to a broader audience. But whatever it is, truth is being degraded if it is not exactly what God said whenever He inspired it to be written.

This should not surprise us. The Apostle Paul wrote to his associate Timothy that a time would be coming whenever people would no longer endure hearing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth being presented. Instead, they will find themselves teachers who will give them a message that entertains, fascinates, and suits their own purposes. I’m not trying to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness, but I will tell you that to a great extent this very thing is happening all around us today. I experience it in my own teaching. I’ve had people tell me that they had real problems with a particular text or teaching in that it seemed out of place for a modern society such as ours.

I’m not complaining about this because no one feels more humbly privileged than I to have been called by God to teach the unsearchable riches of His plan and purpose as given in His Word. But in the end, the truth is the truth. I will admit I have wondered what will happen whenever the folks I teach will no longer endure thus says the Word of the Lord. I thank God this has not happened except in isolated cases up until this time. This doesn’t mean the folks I teach are not impacted and influenced by these winds of false teachings. Many work with people who have embraced aberrant and misleading practices. They, like us all, see and hear a steady stream of this type of stuff in media outlets that blare out their message twenty four hours a day.

What’s the answer to this situation? For me, it is to seek God’s help to remain faithful and allow Him to deal with how people respond. It is to understand and embrace the Source of true happiness knowing that being fulfilled does not come from the applause and popularity shown by people, but rather from God Himself as He leads and directs. Sure, I have great concerns about the watered down truth that my grandchildren and great grandchildren will be hearing. I pray that God will raise up a generation of men like Timothy who will follow the instruction of the Apostle Paul to herald the truth exactly as it is found only in God’s Holy Word. That’s where the power to change lives exists and that’s what we all need! Have a great Saturday and Sunday and I will, God willing, put something up early Monday morning. God bless. Amen. …..More later.