As those of you who know me realize, I struggle with my spirituality and my carnality.

And, possibly you do too, but, in me, I just feel my struggle is greater, or my will is weaker, in that I seemingly give in to my carnality so easily. Do you feel that way too?

But, God is faithful—–in all ways. His timing is also perfect. When I am struggling, He is confronting me—-through His Holy Spirit, His Word, and His Body, the church of believers here on earth, and He uses some instrument, trying to get my attention, my focus back on Him, and His Holy Word to guide me——lately, it has been Charles Stanley, a servant of God, who is Scripturally solid, and preaches as a teacher, a Scriptural teacher, by using God’s Word as the blueprint. This is the culmination of what is on my heart,——-and, I use much of what I heard brother Stanley say, as the central basis for this writing. The Lord always “gives us choices”——to “follow Him,” or to follow our carnal self—-but “the struggle,” to me, shows me that He is in me.

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(by  E. Lee Henson, taken from In Touch, Nov. 2003)

The basic goal of tolerance is a noble one—–to eliminate hatred towards other people by encouraging respect for differing opinions. However, over the past few decades, the word has evolved to mean, “Show respect by approving whatever the other person chooses to believe or do.” In this way, the culture touts tolerance as the greatest of all virtues in an attempt to dethrone the action God cited foremost: love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 as demonstrated fully in John 3:16)

Instead of just acknowledging the values of our fellow man, we are now asked to embrace them.

Today tolerance is based on the false idea that truth is whatever anyone wants it to be—-that it is relative to each individual. Such a tenet creates an unavoidable chasm between love and tolerance, because the action of Biblical love is rooted in absolute Biblical truth. (Proverbs 16:2, 25 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. And, (vs. 25) There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. And, Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.)

This shift in paradigm represents a dangerous and real trend that puts (Biblical, or believing) students on the front lines of a major battle for our culture. But, is it a battle worth fighting? The answer is yes!

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