Page 81 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2011

TOBER 2011~ 81

IS IT FOR CHRISTIANS?

“HEAR THE WORD “…ALL TOO WELL YOU REJECT
WHICH THE LORD SPEAKS TO YOU… THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD,
THAT YOU MAY KEEP YOUR TRADITION
THUS SAYS THE LORD: …MAKING THE WORD OF GOD
DO NOT LEARN OF NO EFFECT THROUGH YOUR TRADITION
WHICH YOU HAVE HANDED DOWN.”
THE WAY OF THE GENTILES…
FOR THE CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE ARE FUTILE…” Mrk. 7:8-13

Jer. 10:1-3

The influence of “the customs of the people” and the cherished “keeping of tradition” creates great
pressure on the dedicated believer living in this present world. There is intense pressure to follow what
everybody else is doing that is considered to be “the norm.” Considering the ever-increasing levels of
cremations vs. burials that are taking place we, as Christians, are more and more exposed to the
dilemma of being personally involved in cremation funerals of loved ones, friends and acquaintances.
It is not my purpose in this newsletter to judgmentally criticize what the world accepts as normal
behavior, because Scripture plainly states that the people of the world are those “…whose minds the
god of this world (age) has blinded…” (2 Cor. 4:4),. The world’s unregenerated inhabitants are continually
“having their understanding darkened” (Eph. 4:18), but the believer is called to seek to have “the eyes of
[their] understanding enlightened” (Eph. 1:18). What the children of darkness choose to do should have
no influential bearing upon the children of light to follow suit. This newsletter is written to God’s people
who are instructed to be “not of this world” (Jn.15:19), and “not to be conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2).
Hopefully, we, as being divinely enlightened, take our guidance solely from the revelation of the
Scriptures. However, this narrow path of illumination will place you in direct conflict with the widely
accepted status quo of customs and traditions cherished by the world.