Message For America

[snuka12000]

EZEKIEL 16: 47-50 , (New Living Translation), "But you have not merely sinned as they did. You quickly surpassed them in corruption. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters. Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen."

It is easy to judge and condemn Sodom. Ezekiel reminded Judah, however, that Sodom was destroyed because of its pride, laziness, gluttony, and unconcern for the poor and needy. It is easy to be selective in what we consider gross sin. If we do not commit such horrible sins as adultery, stealing, and murder, we may think we are living good enough lives. But what about sins like pride, laziness, gluttony, and indifference to the needy? These sins may not be as shocking to you as the others, but they are also forbidden by God.

[kara speltz]

EZEKIEL 16: 47-50 , (New Living Translation), "But you have not merely sinned as they did. You quickly surpassed them in corruption. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters. Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen."

It is easy to judge and condemn Sodom. Ezekiel reminded Judah, however, that Sodom was destroyed because of its pride, laziness, gluttony, and unconcern for the poor and needy. It is easy to be selective in what we consider gross sin. If we do not commit such horrible sins as adultery, stealing, and murder, we may think we are living good enough lives. But what about sins like pride, laziness, gluttony, and indifference to the needy? These sins may not be as shocking to you as the others, but they are also forbidden by God.


I wholeheartedly agree and, Jesus reminds us that we'll be judged by whether we fed the hungry, clothed the naked.....

I find the vast majority of fundamentalists seem to have a real lapse of memory when it comes to this one. And I can't even count the # of times, in a single day, I fail to follow that one of recognizing the least as the Christ. I'm very aware that my generosity tends to rely on how centered I'm feeling at any given moment of encountering God's little ones. It's a life time struggle to move outside myself to recognizing the Christ in all of us.

Kara

[Willy]

But what about sins like pride, laziness, gluttony, and indifference to the needy? These sins may not be as shocking to you as the others, but they are also forbidden by God.
Shhh! Are you trying to get your ultraliberal ass tossed right out of the First Freeway Church of Dallas?

[Pablo Rafael]

Snuka,

Great point that you made! Jesus gives us a command , "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect." I don't know about anyone else, but I think that puts me in hot water. Those who insist on being legalistic and saving themselves by following the rules are pretty much sunk. How does that command of Jesus sit with those who want to pass judgement on others for their sins?

It is a wonderful thing that God loves us enough to give us His Grace. Love from God to cover all our sins; could anything be greater than that. Those who view the Bible from the viewpoint of obeying the law miss the main theme of the Bible - God's Grace.

I think the point of passages like that one from Ezekiel are to make us all realize that we are sinners, every one. They make us turn to God and look to Him for our salvation.

Pablo

[rainbowdog]

John 3:16 says God so LOVE that He gave His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER belives in him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.

Matthew 22:37 Love the Lord with ALL of your HEART, with ALL of your SOUL, and with ALL of your Mind

Matthew 22:40 LOVE your Neighbor as yourself

Romans 12:9 LOVE MUST BE SINCERE

Matthew 5:44 LOVE your ENEMIES and PRAY for those who persecute you

1 Corinthians 13:13- And now these 3 remain: FAITH, HOPE & LOVE the greatest of these is LOVE.

Romans 3:24 We are justified freely by HIS GRACE through redemption that came by Christ Jesus

Ephesians 2:5 It is by GRACE you have been SAVED

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by GRACE you have been saved not from yourselves but a gift from GOD

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. To Him be glory both now and forever. AMEN

[RainbowL'elly]

i think the people of sodom forgot that they have to actually try with what they have, even if that isnt much. we can do that, you know?
i think that we need to do the best we can with what we have- if that means throwing our change in the salvation army bucket even when we are barely holding our heads above water ourselves, so be it. i know i could to more for those in need, but i also know that i have to keep my own family from drowning- i have to actively find a job, get groceries, keep the car running, and all that good stuff while keeping everybody sane. what i can do, however, is toss my change in the salvation army bucket, shop at goodwill, volunteers of america, and value land, all of which help the needy, donate my old coats, shoes, etc to these groups, and do something as simple as speak. when i am with my friends and somebody starts going off about how we need to make sure to take care of the poor of other countries, yes, affirm that doing so is a good thing, as long as we are able to help out here at home as well- there are starving homeless people in our own area who need help too. i can make sure to be a verbal advocate for the underdog and i can try to help people when i can- pick up somebody's books, buy mum a gift when she's having a rough go with her depression, get the coffee off the top shelf for the gal at walmart who is too short to reach, smile at the cashier clerk and make sure to wish him a good day, get up a banter with the old man greeter at the supermarket who probably doesnt get paid enough to cover all his meds, give somebody a bit of spare change when theyre short at the check-out, let somebody pull out onto the road ahead of me in traffic...i guess i try (though i am no saint, i have many days when i am just apathetic for one reason or another, though i usually feel terribly guilty later) to just be nice to people- it generally makes life better for all of us- and maybe theyll remember it and do the same for somebody else.