Good morning! Today is Wednesday, October 30, 2024. I love history, and I believe that knowing more about our roots will help guide our future. John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” Similarly, James Madison stated, “We have staked the future of American civilization, not upon the power of government…but upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern, control, and sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”
Our Founding Fathers were unafraid to mix “religion with politics,” especially when it encouraged morality and virtue. John the Baptist did the same. Read on…
Today's Reading:
Job 21; Mark 5,6
Scripture
“Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias nursed a grudge against John…” (Mark 6:17-20)
Observation
John the Baptist spoke truth to a governing official and was unafraid to address immorality, even if it offended others. Herod likely felt it was his “right” to take whatever he wanted, yet John the Baptist disagreed. Ultimately, this would cost John his life, but later in Matthew 11, Jesus would say, “Among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” Not a bad example to follow!
Application
Some people despise being held accountable for their decisions and actions. We live in a world where many want freedom from the negative consequences of their choices. However, the enemy has been feeding people this deception since the Garden of Eden.
We each have been given the sacred privilege of free choice, but we do not have the privilege of determining the consequences those choices bring. These have been set since time immemorial.
The Good News is that if we follow His commands and listen to His voice, the results will be fruitfulness and joy in our families, communities, and country. And if we’ve made poor choices, with repentance, God will exchange the pending consequences for His grace and mercy! That is why we share the truth of the Gospel—it’s truly Good News!
Of course, some will not want to hear it and may even be offended by it. Nevertheless, we must continue to speak, as many are desperately waiting to be freed from the web of sin, and only the Gospel can free them!
Prayer
Father, please help us, as the Church of the Living God, to be spokespersons for the truth. I must not yield to a “Herodias” spirit that is offended by the truth. I choose to live for an Audience of One.
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