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"So
Israel
was
joined
to Baal
of Peor,
and the
anger of
the Lord
was
aroused
against
Israel"
(Numbers
25:3
NKJV).
Since
early
elementary
school
years,
we have
heard
how one
bad
apple will bring ruin to the rest of the barrel of good apples.
God has
been
saying
that for
a long,
long
time in
His
Word.
"Walk as
children
of
light, And
have no
fellowship
with the
unfruitful
works of
darkness"
(Ephesians
5:11).
Our
environment
has a
great
impact
on our
lives.
The
influences
we
subject
ourselves
to will
help
determine
who we
become.
God
had
warned
Israel
about
the
Canaanite
gods
before
they
settled
in
the conquered land. He knew if they began to intermarry and
develop close friendships they would soon be trying to mix their religions
with His
worship.
They
didn’t
listen
and
God’s
warnings
came to
pass.
Israel
was
joined
to Baal.
This was
brought
home to
me one
day with
my
shoes. I
keep old
tennis
shoes on
the
porches
to slip
into
when I
work in
the
yard.
I have a
pair in
a
storage
room
under my
carport
roof
that I
don’t
use
often.
They are
exposed
to the
environment
for
longer
periods
of time.
One day,
I
slipped
my foot
into one
and,
startled
by a
strange
soft
object
in the
shoe,
yanked
my foot
back out
quickly.
The soft
object
turned
out to
be a
frog!
I’ve no
idea how
it got
inside
the room
or how
it ended
up in
the
shoe,
but the
shoe was
exposed
and
vulnerable
because
it had
been
stored
in the
damp
dark
room
and
subjected
to its
environment
over a
long
period
of time.
It
occurred
to me
that we
are like
that
shoe. If
we
linger
too long
in
forbidden
places
and
situations,
we
become
vulnerable
to that
environment.
We will
pick up
hitchhikers
and
parasites
on our
lives
that
will
damage
our
relationship
with
God. We
will
become
like
what we
are
repeatedly
exposed
to. James
wrote
“…Do you
not
know
that
friendship
with the
world is
enmity
with
God? Whoever
therefore
wants to
be a
friend
of the
world
makes
himself
an enemy
of God” (4:4 NKJV). Friendship with the world divides our loyalty.
He went
on to
say in
verse 5,
"Or do
you
think
the
Scripture
says in
vain,
‘The
spirit
who
dwells
in us
yearns
jealously.’?"
God is
jealous
over us.
"For the
Lord
your God
is a
consuming
fire, a
jealous
God"
(Deuteronomy
4:24
NKJV).
He wants
our
undivided
loyalty.
We
can’t
serve
God and
please
the
world at
the same
time.
"No
servant
can
serve
two
masters;
for
either
he will
hate the
one and
love the
other,
or else
he will
be loyal
to the
one and
despise
the
other.
You
cannot
serve
God and
mammon"(Luke
16:13
NLKV).
We can’t
mix God
with
Baal
(the
gods of
this
world).
In fact,
we can’t
mix God
with
anything!
He
doesn’t
dissolve
nor
blend,
so He
can’t be
mixed.
Sometimes
my shoes
are damp
and
filled
with
leaves
if I
have
left
them
outside
without
use for
a while.
Some
interesting
things
have
fallen
out of
my shoes
left in
that
inappropriate
shoe
rack.
Besides
leaves,
I have
dumped
out
spiders
and
small
crickets
and
other
interesting
items. I
have
learned
to turn
the
shoes
upside
down and
give
them a
good
whack to
dislodge
anything
that has
found
its
way into
the dark
crevices
of the
shoe
caves.
If we
find
ourselves
in a
spiritually
unhealthy
environment,
we need
to be sure that we turn ourselves upside down with a good whack
from the Word and dislodge any of Satan's "spiders" that have attached
themselves
to us,
lest
they
become
parasites
and
drain us
of our spiritual strength and damage our relationship with God. If
one of my feet had made contact with a venomous spider residing in my
shoe, I
could
have had
a
serious
problem!
Like the
spiders
in
my shoe,
Satan
lurks
and
stalks
us, just
waiting
and
hoping
for an
opportunity
to
devour
us.
Prevention
includes
staying
out of
his
territory
where we
will be
most
vulnerable.
Parents
know
only too
well
what can
happen
if their
children
choose
the wrong friends. Their good apple will pick up rottenness from
any bad
apples
they
associate
with.
God
knows
that
about us
too.
With
that
thought
in mind,
let’s
consider
the
results
of
tolerating
certain
attributes
and
attitudes.
These
would be
helpful
for
parents
to help
create
good
criteria
for
their
children;
but they
will be
helpful
for
Christians
as well
who
strive
to
master
their
attitudes
to
become
more
like
Christ
If we
live
with
criticism,
we learn
to
condemn.
But if
we live
with
longsuffering,
we learn
reconciliation.
If we
live
with
covetousness,
we learn
to be
selfish,
But if
we live
with
generosity,
we learn
to
share.
If we
live
with
unforgiveness,
we learn
vengeance,
But if
we live
with
forgiveness,
we learn
mercy.
If we
live
without
commitment,
we learn
compromise,
But if
we live
with
steadfastness,
we learn
faithfulness.
Add your
own 'if’s
and
but’s'
that fit
into
your
lifestyle.
The list
could be
long.
Are we
then to
avoid
contact
with the
world?
No. We
can’t.
We are
in the
world
but not
of it.
We have
contacts
that we
can’t
avoid,
but we
don’t
have to
participate
in the
activities
we are
exposed
to.
Jesus
was a
master
at
touching
the
lives of
the
untouchables
but
keeping
Himself
pure in
their
presence.
His
critics
accused
Him of
being a
'Friend
of
sinners,'
and of
that He
was
guilty!
He came
to seek
and to
save
that
which
was
lost. It
was His
influence
that
changed
people
who
touched
His
life;
they
didn’t
change Him or distract Him from His mission.
We don’t
have to
compromise
our
Christian
character
to be
effective
witnesses
to the
world
that
needs to
see us
as
lighted
cities
on a
hill,
lit with
and
glowing
from the
Light of
Christ.
Don’t
let your
life
have a
frog in
its
shoe!
Whack it
out with
the Word.
Delores
Adams
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rights
reserved.
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Legacy
Remembering
Alice
Bible Studies
The "Handkerchief" has been
anointed and prayed over by
several believers who care about
you and want to help you realize
your full potential in Christ
Jesus Our Lord.
~The
Ten
Commandments~
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