daily prayer

Good morning! How are we faithing? The media in the last 40 or so years has had such a huge impact on us and our way of life in this country. Stars are revered, if it's on TV it is accepted, behavior that half a century ago would have not been tolerated is acceptable now. Is this good or evil? Yes is the answer. Think about that. Illicit affairs are portrayed as normal and ok but think of the fallout from that momentary pleasure, they don't show that. That's but one example of behavior that is watched week after week. We really need to wake up and be very careful how we are trained and if you think those shows are not training you, well take a look at society as a whole lately. This is not meant as a downer but as a wake up call for what we accept as good behavior. Our momentary pleasure is driving advertising. Our momentary pleasure causes us to act on things that are deemed acceptable. We need to step back from that smooth good looking face on TV and think about what is said. Good delivery can make crap seem palatable. What is your gauge for ideas and behavior patterns? "If it feels good, do it" was an old catch phrase way back when. It was innocent and said in fun but think about how much trouble that would cause if it were adhered to. Our gauge has to be a stable, trustworthy one or we will fall for anything that strikes our fancy which could lead down a road not intended but the "cause and effect" from those choices can be life lasting. This being said, our best guide to compare ideas to is the Bible. Read the book of Romans and notice the patterns that arose. Here's a little to think about;

Rom 1:18-25
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
NIV

Rom 5:6-8
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
NIV

Rom 5:18-21
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
NIV

Rom 6:19-23
I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NIV

I know today's is long but don't miss the point. Read Romans on your own and start gauging things you hear and see with Godly wisdom.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the wisdom that surpasses any we can get from mortal man. Lord, help us recognise evil and seek only good. Help us hear truth and dismiss the lies perpetrated around us. Open our hearts to your Word. In Jesus' name, amen