Listen to the broadcast program. radio043en.ram (15 minutes)
PROGRAM outline is transcribed below.
(Brief Musical Introduction from Billy Graham's 'Homecoming")
Welcome to ComfortForToday.com, a program named after the website of the same name. I am Doreen Palmer, and my husband Neville and I offer to you comfort and hope in these difficult days in which we live.
Today's program is about making right choices when confronted with temptation, and to remain steadfast in our faith even when the storms of life surround us.
To explain this, I am going to present two articles I have posted on the internet - the first one called "He Made a Pass--What Do You Do?", and a second one "Is Your House Built Upon a Rock?"
I shall omit some of the scripture references as I read these articles to make for easier reading. If you have a computer, they are available on ComfortForToday.com in articles #39 and #40. html>
You are a young, attractive, married woman. You are secretary to a young, attractive man. You work well with your employer, and you respect him.
One day, while alone with him in the office, he makes a pass at you. You are flattered as it had never occurred to you that he might think of you in this way. A quick decision must be made.
If you speak harshly, your job could be at stake and, at the moment, it is a much-needed job to pay for the new house. If you laugh it off, he may take that as a signal to try again. If you go ahead with it, you could be inviting more, more and then more of it until it becomes a full-blown reason for a marriage break-up! It would be most pleasurable to go ahead. So what is going to be the criteria for making this quick decision?
Much depends on your value system up to this point in life. If you have been brought up to believe the sex drive should be fulfilled whenever possible - that is, if you believe in 'human rights', you will go ahead. You would reason that your husband and child will never know and, if they do find out, they probably wouldn't mind. You would not consider the possibility that your child could end up in a single-parent home, or that this man's wife may be hurt and his four children left with only one parent. Your decision, then, affects not only yourself, but the lives of two entire families!
If you have been reared in a Christian home and have always believed in keeping oneself free of sin as outlined in the Bible, you will probably have no difficulty in making a wise decision. Being attractive, this problem has pursued you all your life, and you have learned how to handle it.
The Commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exod.20:14) has never changed. The Apostle Paul said that we are "the temple of the living God" (2 Cor.6:16), and he warned that anyone committing adultery or fornication could never inherit the kingdom of God, (Gal.5:19-21).
Jesus forgave the woman whom the priests had caught committing adultery. He told her to "go and sin no more" (John 8:11). Notice he forgave; he did not CONDONE!
Our decision, then, really depends on whether we have valid reasons for turning down the pass made at us. Without a good reason, we will probably allow it, at least 'just this once.'
One reason many marriages are falling apart is illustrated here. If you have allowed your mind to fantasize about another man, if you have watched lustful scenes in movies or television, or if you have read passionate love stories, you may be unable to refuse such a pass. Actions begin in thought patterns.
For the Christian, there is only one course of action. Turn directly to this man you respect and tell him kindly but firmly that you have a husband whom you love (even if you find him a pain sometimes!) and that you do not wish to do anything to hurt him. Let him know you appreciate working for him, but you want to keep it only a business relationship. If done kindly, he will probably not be offended but flattered instead. He will have high regard for your stand, and feel more secure in his own marriage. You can return home tonight with self-respect.
Christian rules are not, as many think, reins to keep one from enjoying life. Sin can be very pleasurable for a season (Heb.11:25) but later brings untold suffering and misery. The Ten Commandments are like a set of traffic lights - when the light is red, one who crosses the street may get hurt. When we disobey the commandments, we also end up in trouble of one kind or another - trouble not only for ourselves, but also for those around us. Our sin may be felt even "to the third and fourth generation" (Exod.20:5) - that is, if we make a wrong decision today, our grandchildren may suffer many years from now. It is difficult for children raised in a broken home to provide a secure home for THEIR children, and so the insecurity and rejection spreads through families and generations like a virus.
If I choose my 'human right' today, I will go ahead and let my feelings take over. If I choose to follow Jesus, I will consider the rights of others and kindly refuse.
What will your choice be?
That is the end of article #39. Let us now look at article #40 which continues on with the same theme.
As we look around us, we see many Christians falling into sin. We say, "How can we preach the gospel to an accusing world with sin in our ranks?". Neither can Christians continue in sin and expect God's blessings. Jesus' disciple, Peter, writes "the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God" (I Peter 4:17).
Jesus told a parable about two men who built houses for themselves (Luke 6:46-49). One dug deep into the rock before laying the foundation, the other didn't put in a foundation but built his house on the sand. When the storms came, the first house was able to stand but the second house collapsed. Jesus was saying that unless our faith is built upon something solid, it will sooner or later collapse.
I used to think this parable was comparing the storms to only major catastrophies in our lives, such as a sudden death of a loved one. Now I realize it refers also to day-to-day living.
There are forces of evil being released against Christians today to destroy their faith. These forces create disunity within homes and churches. They cause marriage breakups and rebellious young people filled with lust and anger demanding their 'human rights' Even our governments and leaders seem prone to confusion. This outbreak of evil is no surprise to Christians as it is predicted throughout the Bible for the latter times (2 Tim.3).
To cope with this evil, we need to take a look at our own foundation. Many of us were not reared in a church-going home, so we have a false conception of what Christianity is all about. Others of us were brought up in the church but, more often than not, those who taught us were themselves not filled with God's Holy Spirit. We learned much from them, but we were not taught or touched by the great Counsellor Himself.
So whether we have had a solid Christian background or whether we haven't, we must now begin to dig a foundation. We must dig down to the Rock, Jesus, if we wish our faith to stand.
The first great lesson to learn is that we, of ourselves, are not worthy to so much as touch the great Rock. We are born into a line of sinners, beginning with Adam. Jesus died to break that curse of sin and set us free. Our good deeds will not make us good enough to please God; they are only "filthy rags" in His sight (Isa.64:6). Good works, of course, will be evident in our lives when we build on a Christian foundation of love for our Master. The Holy Spirit will tell us, if we are in tune with Him, what Satan's latest trick is to try to destroy our foundation. It may be sin creeping into our thought-life. It may be a desire for over-spending which the family cannot afford. It may be marriage partners going their own ways which will eventually destroy the marriage. It may be lack of prayer and daily Bible reading. It may be allowing oneself to be satisfied with less than a Bible- believing church. It may be over-emphasis on the prosperity which God gives His people, not realizing God gives prosperity so that people can have money to return to Him to win souls!
Sometimes we need to take an honest look at ourselves. We can always spot the flaws in others, but somehow it takes a lot of seeking God's Holy Spirit to pin down our own weaknesses and deal with them.
As we put down a good foundation to the Rock, Jesus, we are building our house on solid Christian doctrine. Let us be sure there are no drafty windows to let false teachings blow in; such teachings always contain enough truth to deceive us.
Let us all build a good house of faith, asking Jesus to cement it together so it will not fall in the stormy days ahead.
MUSIC:
Some of "Rock of Ages" from Billy Graham's CD 'Homecoming'
So may we all build our lives on the solid Rock which is the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ.