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Direction for 2013 - Which Way Is Your Tent Pointed?

1/6/2013

8 Comments

 
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Nearly every year since I've been married, I read the Bible through using The One Year Bible. Since January 1st, the heavens and the earth were created, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord shortly before the world was flooded, Abram and his gorgeous wife Sarai are still without child, and Abram and his nephew Lot just parted company because their herds were too great for them to dwell together peacefully. Talk about a busy start 2013! 

Here's what caught my attention from this morning's reading in Genesis 13:

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Nothing in the Bible is just thrown in there. The scriptures were written purposefully and every word is in its place for a reason, for our instruction and admonition. Lot was drawn to Sodom. Something so fascinated him that he even pitched his tent toward the ancient city.

But the Lord described the men of Sodom as exceedingly wicked sinners. In fact, God singled out Sodom, along with its neighbor Gomorrha, and marked them as a perpetually stinging reminder of His fiery judgment. I haven't found a single positive reference to Sodom in the scriptures anywhere – and there are many references!

Ezekiel 16:49  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

2 Peter 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

Jude 1:7  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

For whatever reason, Lot chose to pitch his tent toward Sodom. Sodom was the first thing he saw in the morning and perhaps the last thing on his mind at night. Whatever the attraction was for Lot, God Almighty had an entirely different view Sodom.

Fast forward to 2013, and it's very obvious that the sinfulness of Sodom didn't die with Sodom, nor have we advanced beyond the weaknesses of Lot. The Lot family is a twisted story of woe and today's reading gives a clue as to why: Lot didn't resist Sodom as Abram did. He lived toward it, tolerated it, later moved into it, and was nearly destroyed because of it. And it began with how he situated his life - toward Sodom.

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:6-8)

I wonder how many attractions might hold my attention today that God sees as vile? How much of my heart is pitched toward the bright lights of sin and worldly pleasures that may vex today, and doom tomorrow? How many “little things” to me are big deals to God? That should be a sobering question to all of us since "little things" have a way of becoming much bigger things later.

May we all consider our ways and remember that the Lord is coming soon.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Psalms 139:23-24)

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15-17) 

Want to be more spiritually minded than Lot? Read about How To Get The Mind of Christ!

8 Comments
Chris
1/6/2013 12:00:51 pm

Hi Patrick, That was an awesome word in due season! He pitched his tent toward Sodom...he was so exposed to it (whether purposefully or just if he did it randomly without putting much thought into it) that it influenced him and pulled him in.

I immediately thought of how when interior decorators tell you how to "put together" a room...they always say to have a focal point...like a lovely bay window view or a pretty fireplace and arrange the seating to face that focal point. Most people have the TV as their focal point....not only in their living rooms, but in their lives.

I am not condemning or judging anyone, but the Lord led me to fast from TV for a while way back in the summer time. The news was so depressing and I was a Fox News junkie...was very interested in politics, plus I have just always been a TV watcher. I found it was extremely easy to give up. Did not miss it in the slightest and now we just don't have TV at all except for Hulu which we use for school purposes and just a couple shows. But it is one of those things that is very much part of the world's system. Images barrage us of violence, sexuality, brutality...people behaving badly, not to mention the profanity, innuendo, and outright blasphemy. And then...there are the commercials! Always sending the message that "if you don't buy this your life stinks! And "Buy this beer and you too can have a hot babe like this one!" I had pitched my tent toward worldly "entertainment" and "news" (quotes VERY intentional) and it snowballed over time and really became a thief of my time and attention and a source of frustration and irritation at the things I heard and saw on the news. Since I gave up TV I have had so much more time to get things done and I can think so much clearer! It is good to know (I was not aware of this before) that ALL the major media outlets where we get our "news" and "entertainment" are owned by a small handful of hugely wealthy people. They tell us what they want us to know. They report "news" through the filter of their political leanings, and most of it is very liberal and secular. Even Fox news, the conservative alternative, mostly reports bad news, depressing news, sad news...how often do you ever hear anything uplifting or positive on ANY news show?

Any way...that's what it made me think of and I just thought I would share my experience. What you are saying in this message is so powerful Pat....it makes a difference where your focus is. I pray each of you will keep your focus on Jesus this year and let Him lead you through every day of 2013!!

Thank you for ministering the Word to us Pat! Love you brother!

Reply
Patrick link
1/6/2013 01:04:34 pm

Excellent, Chris! Never considered the interior decorator's "focus" perspective, but that is a great illustration. And TV, the Great Time Sucker, my wife and I can totally relate to that.

Someone or something is going to dominate our attention - deliberately or by default. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I think Lot treasured Sodom. But enough of Lot, where's my treasure? Where's my heart? Whatever my focus is, where ever my mind goes, whatever I put time and money into regularly.

Thanks again, Chris!

Reply
MOM
1/7/2013 02:02:20 am

one big problem with pitching your tent and staying in one place, you forget what the journey is about and become stagnet. Always keep moving

Reply
Jennifer
1/7/2013 06:11:22 am

Wow, Patrick. . .GOOD questions! You have given us an opportunity to consider these questions anew and earnestly seek answers from God's Word. THIS is the way to begin a new year! RIGHT NOW, I'm making a list in response to these key questions and get earnest w/myself and God! THANKS!

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Ben Monteith
1/12/2013 09:55:08 am

Thankyou for the exhortation, brother! There are no KJV house churches where we live. My heart yearns for fellowship where ". . .having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. . ."does not corrupt the fellowship. My wife and I desire fellowship by dialog, not monolog; where everybody present in the gathering is proactively involved in the edification of the body of Christ.

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Patrick link
1/12/2013 11:17:39 pm

I hear you, Ben. That same desire is felt by countless other believers across the country. May we all find that participatory fellowship that honors God's word.

In the meantime, may we do what those early believers when persecution scattered them to different parts of the world: Preach the Word. May we share the light of the scriptures to those who live in darkness. It is the core command of Christ to his disciples. Preach the gospel to every creature; Teach all nations.

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Stacy Warner link
8/28/2013 04:30:51 am

How old is this post?

Reply
Patrick Sipperly link
9/1/2013 12:41:12 am

Hi Stacy,

The date of the post us right under the post's tile: 1/6/2013.

Reply



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