A Holy Life in an Unholy Place





"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God!"

— Luke 1:30


If Jesus were born today, what city do you think He would come from? Maybe Jerusalem, Rome, London, Paris, or New York would come to mind. We wouldn't expect Jesus to come from Buttonwillow or Pumpkin Patch. Or how about this? Jesus of Las Vegas. That has a negative connotation, doesn't it?

When people of Jesus' day identified Him as "Jesus of Nazareth," that is how it was perceived. There was a negative connotation. Yet in that ungodly place lived a godly young woman named Mary, who proved that you can live a holy life in an unholy place.

In his second epistle, Peter described the world's effect on two believers. Both lived in wicked cultures, yet one thrived while the other didn't.

First there was Noah. Things were so corrupt when he was alive that God was sorry that He had made man and was ready to judge the earth. Yet in the midst of this dark time Noah "found favor with the Lord" (Genesis 6:8) because he walked with God. He was a godly man who lived in an ungodly place, yet he never compromised.

Then there was Lot, who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. In contrast to Noah, Lot was sort of worn down. He didn't approve of what the people were doing, but he didn't do anything to change it. Scripture says that he was living among them, torturing his righteous soul every day with what he saw and heard by their unlawful and wicked deeds. He lived a compromised life. And when the angel of the Lord came to deliver him from Sodom, he left reluctantly.

Which one of these men do you relate to: Noah or Lot? Or to put it another way, are you changing the culture, or is the culture changing you?





Copyright © 2013 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

I am called to change the culture, to influence the ungodly by the GRACE OF GOD. Please pray for me, I don't want to compromise.
May we find GRACE in the eyes of the LORD like Noah found.

In times like these, Toks, we need our Savior!
In times like these we need our anchor!
Be very sure, BE VERY SURE your anchor holds
and grips the solid rock, which is Jesus!!!

And we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.
He is a friend who sticketh closer than a brother...a very present HELP in times of trouble.

Father, in the Mighty name of Jesus,
Please continue to encourage and strengthen Toks for the work you
have prepared for him to do. We are all workers in your vineyard
in various places throughout the world. I thank you Lord, for you are AMAZINGLY accurate in your purpose. Nothing you send us to do
will fail, as we walk in faith ever trusting you.
Go with Toks, abide with him always. Amen and Amen!!!

Amen!!!
Thanks and God bless you more and more Beloved CeriseRise!.

The world system today is no better than sodom.The decadence cut across east,west,north and south of the globe.Even here in mingle,the ungodly and compromising christians militate against those that stand for raw truth.All it takes evil to triumph is for good men to keep silent and do nothing.God,help us to if need be,to stand alone like Noah in a world whose cultures and norms are antiGod and righteousness.Amen

Amen!!!

I have a testimony to share.

Praise God!!!
I experienced spontaneous encouragment and strength after reading CeriseRose's prayer on here yesterday. With the remission of the anointing that comes out of written words. It wasnt just written words. The words of her prayer moved with power. YES! I witnessed it. Sometimes I feel very weak, discouraged and cannot get up and pray as a strong believer I used to be, but as I woke up in the morning today, I gained strength and prayed like someone that have hope and faith in the LORD. I remembered her utterances and I said this woman is truely a woman of God. I feel GREAT JOY in my heart right now.

The good LORD that strengthened and encouraged me will always do great and mighty things in you and you shall be a blessing to others and they shall all see the great and mighty things the LORD is doing in your life and glorify His name. Amen!!!
Beloved, remain blessed!
Halleluyah!!!

Amen!!!

Toks, I am so glad you found strength and encouragement in that prayer. The Word of God tells us to pray for one another that we may be healed. We are commanded to love one another. And it pleases the Lord when we do.

Jesus said...



Joh_13:34, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another;
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh_13:35, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Joh_15:12, This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Joh_15:17, These things I command you, that ye love one another.



((((((((((I believe the disciples and the apostles got the "memo"))))))))))))))...




Rom_12:10, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Rom_13:8, Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Gal_5:13, For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;
only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Eph_4:2, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

1Th_3:12, And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another,
and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

1Th_4:9, But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you:
for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

Heb_10:24, And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

1Pe_1:22, Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit
unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Pe_3:8, Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

1Jo_3:11, For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another.

1Jo_3:23, And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,
and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1Jo_4:7, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth
is born of God, and knoweth God.

1Jo_4:11, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1Jo_4:12, No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us,
and his love is perfected in us.

2Jo_1:5, And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee,
but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.




"We know that we have passed from death unto life,
because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
1John 3:14

True! That's the WORD OF GOD. For GOD so LOVED the world that He gave his only begotten SON that whoso ever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
GOD Himself loves us, who are we to hate one another?
GOD wants practical Christianity, He wants to see His love all over the world. We are meant to help one another, love one another, care for one another, pray for one another, provide for one another.
GOD is happy to see that love among His children. We are His children.
Halleluyah!!!