From Spectacles To Spectators

Remember why God flooded the earth?

Genesis 6: 5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Again, after the Flood:

Genesis 8: 18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: 19Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 20And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Now during the Roman era, there was a time when christians were spectacles at the Coliseum to be slaughtered by beasts and warriors. We think of the callousness of these people as spectators, but I do wonder what has propelled them: the sin that got the world flooded, which from that came the love of violence and gore?

Are we, as believers, being desensitize to the violence and worldly sins so dramatically displayed in movies and the media? Have the spectacles become the spectators?

One could argue that it isn't real, and so it doesn't count.

But the main thing God was upset about was that every thought of man was wicked. Do we really need the world to force feed their garbage through our eyes into the body of the Temple of the Holy Spirit? Do we really believe we can walk away from watching these shows and not be influenced in any way?

And some of those video games: the violent actions taken within are hardly to dwell on, let alone "entertain" ourselves with them.

Luke 11:34The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. :tear:

The American way is to fight back: but Jesus' way is to suffer ourselves to be defrauded.

The American way is evil triumph when good men do nothing so do something.. anything, but Jesus's way is turn the other cheek.

The American way is logical, rational, practical, and realistic, to make a difference.. to make the world a better place to live, but Jesus's kingdom is not of this earth.

The American way is to kill the enemy, but Jesus' way is to love them.

The American way can be answered to by mighty men and nobles of this great nation, but not very many mighty men and nobles are called to the receiving of the gospel of grace.

1 Corinthians 4:8Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 9For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 14I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. :tear:

Is what I am sharing in this thread the warning Paul was speaking of?

Or is it the warning against complacency of living in a blessed society that we forget that the world will hate us, defraud us, hurt us, walk all over us, and even kill us just because we are believers in Jesus Christ? Could the complacency lead a believer to go with society in being a spectator rather than a spectacle? :applause: vs :tear:

 

No. That verse is referring to the judgment regarding the Flood as in He will not curse the ground "any more" than what He has already done and "neither" will He smite it in the way that He did with the Flood specifically. Do keep it in context as the rainbow was given as a sign of that promise to not Flood the earth to wipe out all life ever again.

But another kind of judgment will be coming on the earth.

This whole chapter was written regarding your quoted statement:

2 Peter 3:1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Remember Sodom and Gomorrah? Here are the evidences:

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a007.html

They do say that a picture is worth a thousand words: well, there are more than just pictures here at this site below: they also have videos too. Seeing is believing, but are the world and the media even looking?

http://www.arkdiscovery.com/sodom_&_gomorrah.htm

These judgments happened after the Flood, but the world continues to look the other way. :sleep: :sleeping_2: Until it is too late: :tonofbricks:

So don't let the world look for you. The promise of God is for all those that seek, shall find. Are you really searching? Or are you looking for excuses not to believe, because that is pretty much what the world is doing in the media.

So while there is still breath: it is never to late to call on the name of the Lord to be saved: :jesus:

That is a promise from God too... even for those after His appearing, albeit, they shall be left behind to go through the hour of temptation that shall try all upon the earth which is the great tribulation, but those saints will not love their lives even unto death for they will know they have eternal life in Jesus Christ the Lord.

 

It is even more interesting that in spite of pictures and videos, those conventional geologists and historians are nowhere in sight. You would think that after seeing those pictures and videos, they would go to the site and put their official stamp on it... or debunk it, but they do neither.

That is why we cannot rely on the world to look for us. Its slacking alone is circumspect of their unwllingness to discover the truth for themselves.

Isaiah 34:16Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read:

2 Timothy 3: 14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

John 5: 39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Matthew 11: 28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

John 3:14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Learning of the grace and love of God through Jesus Christ for salvation is to learn about that reconciled relationship believers have with God again through Jesus Christ in living by faith in the Son of God so that they may know Him and the power of His resurrection when they are living that christian life by the same grace they were saved by... by faith in Jesus Christ.