Page 7 - Good News August 2011 paper

he sins committed by red the practice of dishonesty Psalm 42:5). you should be "on the way to
ancient Israel were recor- (Deut.25:13-16), no matter who Are you sailing on the ship of Nineveh?" Did you obey the Lord
Tded "for our admonition" was involved. Christians are to DISOBEDIENCE as did Jonah in becoming a Christian, but you
(1 Cor. 10:6; 1 Cor. 10:11) that we "provide things honest in the when he fled to Tarshish (Jonah have now boarded the ship of
might not make the same mis- sight of all men" (Rom.12:17). 1:1-17)? Jonah's prejudice disobedience and are fleeing
takes. Many great men have failed Are you giving way to IMPURITY prompted him to disobey God away from your Redeemer?
God because they were found in as did David when he walked when he was told to preach in Saints in the wrong places! Maybe
the wrong places. In the form of a upon the house-top (2 Sam. 11, Nineveh. Is it possible that you are we can learn something from
question, we introduce several of 12)? David yielded to his lower "on the way to Tarshish" when them and avoid their mistakes!
the "wrong places" where some and baser instincts when he saw
great servants of God failed. the beautiful Bathsheba bathing.
Are you on the slippery path of The immorality led to further sin -
DISHONESTY, as was Abraham murder! It all began when David
when he went down to Egypt? was at the wrong place at the
(Read Gen.12:10-20). Since his wrong time. The Christian, whose
wife, Sarah, was such a beautiful mind should be on things above number of years ago, a Navy jet fighter plane shot itself down
woman, Abraham feared that the (Col. 3:2), would do well to avoid over the deserts of Nevada while testing a new cannon
Egyptians might kill him in order people, places and literature Amounted on its wing. The plane was flying at supersonic
to have her. To prevent this, which tempt him to yield to unholy speeds, but the cannon shells were subsonic. What happened was
Abraham deceived them by telling passions. crucial. The fighter actually ran into the shells it had fired seconds
them she was his sister. It was Are you sitting under the juniper before. The jet was travelling too fast!
only a "half-truth" for Sarah was tree of DISCOURAGEMENT as did S o m e t i m e s w e
Abraham's half-sister (Gen. Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18)? Elijah's travel too fast for
20:12). great victory at Mount Carmel was our own spiritual
We have a modern name for what followed by despondency when good. God speaks
Abraham did: "situation ethics," he learned that Jezebel was out to and we are going
the philosophy which says that kill him. He sat down under a too fast to hear
one's ethics are determined by juniper tree and prayed that God Him!
the situation in which he finds would let him die. Despondency Don't be guilty of
himself. According to this frequently comes after a moun- travelling so fast
concept, there is no absolute tain-top experience, doesn't it? with your life that
standard of morality, no objective When it happens we want to crawl you run past the
basis for conduct. Thus, one may under our "juniper tree" and let sound of the Word
lie, cheat, commit immorality, etc., the rest of the world pass us by. of God. Be in the
if the situation "calls for it." Remember, God is still on His centre of His will!
However, God has always abhor- throne and rules the world (See