Glad you are here with me. I am sharing a message that I believe is vital for all Christians who desire to have an intimate successful relationship with God. Feel free to leave a comment, I would be happy to hear what you think. Eric

In Joshua’s farewell address to the nation of Israel, he presented them with several words of exhortation and caution. In Joshua 23: 6-8 he instructed, “Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day.” Then, we read in verse 11, “Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God.” In verse 16 he was very straightforward with these words, “if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you."

We also read in Joshua 24:14-16, “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." 16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods,” The phrase ‘put away’ in verse 14, sur, in the Hebrew means remove, take away, or turn aside. Interestingly, all of them intimate a choice you make. ‘You’ remove, ‘you’ take them away, or ‘you’ turn aside from them. What happened with the Israelites? As long as Joshua was alive they did well, but then: Psalm 106 : 34-39 reveals the choices they made, “They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, 35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. 36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; 38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.”

Whenever the Israelites took on the ways of the inhabitants of the land (the world) rather than choosing to serve God only, they were a compromised nation.

The church today has become compromised.

In Jesus’ high priestly prayer (before going to the cross), he prayed concerning the disciples who became the foundation or backbone of the church. In John 17 verse 11, he prayed, “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. The word ‘keep’, thereo in the Greek metaphorically means: to keep one in that state in which he is, (causes one to persevere or stand firm in a thing). Then in John 17:15 Jesus continued, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” The word ‘world’ is the Greek word kosmos and according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, means: the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ; (those who speak in accordance with the world’s character and mode of thinking).

As those who have responded to the draw of the Lord to come into right relationship with Him, those who have become Christians, we still live in the world and are still surrounded by those who are hostile to the cause of Christ and try to seduce us away from living a life of righteousness. Many are demanding that we accept lifestyles that are an abomination to God.

Since we live in the world - many Christians have slowly been consumed by the ways of the world.

God’s Word commands us to stay away from mingling with the world and its ways. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (NLT), “Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Compromising what God’s Word says with what the world says will always get us in trouble. When we don’t stand strong, we will compromise, or even, eventually agree with the world altogether.

We cannot serve God and the world. Matthew 6:24 from the Amplified Bible reads, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord.]“ The word translated ‘serve’ in this verse is the Greek word, douleuo, which means: to serve, do service to or for, to be a slave to, or to feel myself bound to. We cannot be bound to, or a slave to, more than one thing. Nothing should be of greater value in our lives than God.

James 4:4, reveals, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Friendship means fondness. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the Greek word translated ‘enmity’ means: hostility and alienation. In Kingdom Dynamics in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, ‘world’ is the world system - to all its values, mind-set, philosophies of life, and priorities that run contrary to the will of God. The world suggests that your success requires you to turn away from godliness.

As reported by the Christian Post, the following was spoken by a presidential candidate at the sixth annual Women in the World Summit in New York City. She said that “ religion needs to change what is taught because it does not agree with our society or laws, which must be enforced by government.” (i.e. laws regarding abortion, etc.)

In other words, God is wrong and man is right. Look at Psalm 2:1-3 (CSB), “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the LORD and his Anointed One: 3 "Let's tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us." Many in government today would throw off any idea of being subject to God. They honestly believe they are right and their ideas would work much better. They are totally deceived and lead others astray.

Our education system is full of people who follow this philosophy, especially in our colleges. One of our sons who attended a Christian University, had a professor who encouraged all the men in the class to ‘try out’ getting involved in a homosexual relationship. Our son also encountered “Voodoo Club” signs being posted in the halls of his dormitory. A safe place for your Christian son or daughter, right?

Satan would like nothing more than to draw you away from your relationship with God. Satan’s lies are propagated through deception. John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

2 Corinthians 11:3 and 14, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ... 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

God’s Word very clearly tells us two things. We cannot serve both God and man (the unregenerated man, the world, or those who live for the devil) and we are responsible for choosing God’s way or not.

You must realize that if you dabble in the things of the world, you have chosen to be disobedient to God’s commands. We must seek God above all else so that we are not enticed to love and crave the things of the world.

When we compare the world and the church, the world will always be lacking.

The world is temporary while the Kingdom of God is eternal.

1 John 2:17 (NLT) reads, “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:8 (CSB) reveals, “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

If we gain all this world has to offer, what good is it? It is all temporary.

Matthew 6:19 and 20 (NLT), “Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

Do not allow the enticement presented by the world (materialism, drugs, sex outside of marriage, etc.), through the media and the unsaved, cause you to buy into everything they have to offer, because their claim is that you will never be happy without it. Those claims are not truth. Materialism (mammon) is a huge problem in our nation. Money, drugs, and sex outside of marriage have become idols for many.

When we leave this planet (and we all will) no earthly thing will go with us.

Matthew 6: 33a, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..”

The really good news is that we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us overcome those in the world who have the spirit of the antichrist and seek to draw us away from God. 1 John 4:4, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Praise the Lord! He is greater than the one who is in the world! (The one in the world is the one who has rejected Christ and follows the will and desire of the devil, the enemy of God.)

Galatians 1:4 reveals that Jesus gave Himself to deliver us from the present evil age. (‘evil’, poneros means: the devil, the evil one; ‘age’, aion means: the time before the return of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT), “We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” The weapons we have to do battle against the strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments are not earthly, but mighty in God.

Our life in Christ is eternal!

Do not walk away from God for temporary enticements and cravings that will not give you the abundant life you have in Christ. John 10:10b, “… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Learn to recognize the destructive deception of the enemy!

Do not be a follower of and run with the ways and traditions of the inhabitants of the land, who do not walk in the life of Christ (the world).

Ezekiel 7:19, "They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold (my note: mammon) are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.” (Remember, mammon is money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than God).

Choose to serve God and Him only!

Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the English Standard Version.

NLT New Living Translation

CSB Christian Standard Version