When it comes to cultural toxins, the bottom line is that we must flee from sin and the things that can cause us to sin. Instead, we must strive for a life of purity. Strive for the things that matter to God and not for the things that matter to others.
What things do you need to start focusing on that will help you draw closer to Christ?
It is not enough for us to flee the toxins that so easily beset us. We MUST pursue after we flee to be whole. It is the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness and gentleness in YESHUA that gives us health, and wholeness, and freedom in this corrupt culture.
20 Oh, Timothy! Keep safe what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from the ungodly babblings and the argumentative opposition of what is falsely called “knowledge.”
21 For many who promise this “knowledge” have missed the mark, as far as the faith is concerned. Grace be with you.
How do you deal with cultural toxins when you encounter them? You test them by asking these questions: 1.) Am I being entertained by sin? 2.) Is this pleasing to God? and 3.) Does this lure me away from Christ?
What are some things you can do to completely remove cultural toxins from your life?
Clean hands
Pure hearts
Humble purposes with
Honest Promises
There is no room for cultural toxins in our lives when the foregoing is practiced. What a gloriously joyous life we would experience. So what is stopping us?
Nehemiah appears to have outlived Malachi. Thus, when Nehemiah died at nearly seventy years of age, the last chapter closed on the Old Testament. Four hundred years of silence followed, to be broken by the preaching of John the Baptist. Between the last chapter of Malachi and Matthew 1, dramatic world events occurred. The seat of government passed from Asia to Europe. During this time, Palestine experienced six different systems of rule. When Jesus was born, the Roman-appointed Herods were coldly and cruelly terrorizing Israel.
After Nehemiah’s death, Persia fell to Alexander the Great, and then came the Egyptian Ptolemies. Later, the Syrian kings crushed the Jews, bringing about the bloody revolt of the Maccabees. Finally, the iron hand of Rome gripped the throat of war-weary Palestine. Never at the mercy of world powers, God used each government to prepare the world for Christ’s birth. In the fullness of time, Christ was born. Greek influence had brought about the first translation of the Old Testament which was used by Jesus in the synagogue. Then Rome, with her penchant for building roads, made the spreading of the Gospel possible for the early church. The most famous of these highways is still used–the Appian Way. Over its 350 miles, Paul traveled to spread the Gospel.
Into a waiting world, Christ came–and changed the course of human history. Prophets had preached that the Messiah would come, and He was not a day late. To fulfill prophecy, Christ could have appeared at no other time in history. From all this, we learn that believers are never at the mercy of the world. God is still in control, and His answer to our prayers is not a day late.
Read that last paragraph again and even again; enough that it makes your eyes twinkle with expectation and a glowing confidence that GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL!
We are glad you are here; stay a while, look around, and be encouraged. We estimate there to be over 3,000 posts here at The White Stone Blog. Please know my hope is ALWAYS to help and NEVER harm. I have voiced many opinions and thoughts here since 2007 and by now I MAY NOT EVEN AGREE with all of them and some of my grammar and punctuation likely needs editing. But this is changeless: JESUS is our ONLY Savior and Hope. Do you KNOW Him?
