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How did things in the world get to where they are today with such rampant immorality and wickedness" How did we arrive at the point of loving that which is evil and hating and despising that which is good and right" 2ne word describes it all ²6,1, the love of 6,1. The source of all sin is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John :1 1 ). ,t¶s nothing new. ,t¶s always been around. The prophet ,saiah, seven hundred years before &hrist, described the same thing in his day.

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,saiah : , ³Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil that put darkness for light, and light for dark ness that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which Mustify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the /2R' of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy 2ne of ,srael.”

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The wicked seek to destroy and e[terminate the Word of God because it not only e[poses them, it condemns them. ,gnoring and obliterating the everlasting word of the almighty will not make their evil go away. ,t adds to their misery of shame and degradation. They are so captivated by their sin that they cannot imagine their profane and corrupt behavior will bring upon them ev erlasting punishment. They are in denial. ,t¶s a terribly tragic situation. 6aints of the /ord would love to help such sinners out of the colossal mess they¶ve made for themselves but they will have none of it. They are so depraved they actually think the righteous are the prob lem, not the solution

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The apostles were supposedly canceled by the chief priests in Jerusalem by putting them into prison ($cts

:1 1 ). ³%ut the angel of the /ord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (vs.19 ). They would not be silenced and continued to preach and teach as they had been com manded by the /ord. They again were brought before the council and told, ³'id not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name" and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man¶s blood upon us” ($cts : ). 3eter and the other apostles answered and said, ”We ought to obey God rather than men” (v. 9). The /ord¶s peo ple will never be silenced. The unsearchable riches of &hrist will be taught in every place, Must as the divine command of God has given us, not only the authority to do so, but the command to do so.

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$nother account of many who were seeking to silence voices of truth and soberness is found in $cts chapters 6 . 6tephen was teaching the words of the /ord in faith and power. %ut those who opposed him ³...were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. ... $nd they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, $nd set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law” ($cts 6:1 13). 6tephen then rehearsed in their hearing the history of the ,sraelites, a story they loved to hear. However, as he continued, he pointed out to them that they were ³... stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers perse cuted" and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just 2ne of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: ... When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth . ... Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, $nd cast him out of the city, and stoned him” ($cts : 1 9).

6tephen¶s voice was silenced that hour %ut his history is recorded in God¶s eternal book, the holy %ible. Thus, his words continue to be spoken

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$ young man named 6aul stood by as they stoned 6te phen to death. They laid down their clothes at his feet as he was consenting to 6tephen¶s death ($cts : :1). 6aul became a staunch supporter of stamping out (can celing), not only the voice of &hristians, but &hristians themselves. He was desperately seeking to silence the word of the /ord. ³$nd at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the re gions of Judaea and 6amaria, e[cept the apostles . ... $s for 6aul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” ($cts :1,3).

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,n $cts 9 we read of 6aul ³breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the /ord, went unto the high priest, $nd desired of him letters to 'a mascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” ($cts 9:1 ). What he went there to do did not come to pass. He learned the truth of the Gospel he so violently opposed and was converted to &hrist by repenting and being bapti]ed ($cts 16: ). He spent the rest of his life promoting and advancing the cause for which he once ]ealously persecuted.

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3aul was persecuted relentlessly by enemies of the /ord¶s way (as he once had done). (very place he went he was either stoned and left for dead ($cts 1 ), beat en and imprisoned ($cts 16), or thrown out of the city ($cts 1 ). (nemies of the cross of &hrist sought to si lence him at every turn He was continually the target of ³cancellation.”

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Jesus of 1a]areth (/uke :19), 6on of God (Matt. 1 :33), /ord and 6avior ( 3eter 1:11), Redeemer (,sa.

: ), Judge (Rom. :16), would not be silenced. While multitudes followed him, the progressives attempted to silence him by destroying him. ³%ut when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet” (Matt. 1: 6). /ike 6te phen, they sought false witnesses to testify against him and to put him to death but found none (Mark 1 : ). Jesus taught his disciples and ³...said unto them, The 6on of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day” (Mark 9:31). He was crucified, but arose from the grave (Rom. 6:9) victorious over death. He was ³declared to be the 6on of God with power, accord ing to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1: ).

They thought they had disposed of him ²silenced him, but that did not work out so well for them. ,f they had their time to do over, what do you think they would do now"

Read these words from the creator of the universe. 3salms :16 3, ³...unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth" 6eeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mother¶s son. These things hast thou done, and , kept silence thou thoughtest that , was altogether such an one as thyself: but , will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. 1ow consider this, ye that forget God, lest , tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will , shew the salvation of God.”

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,t is our sincere desire and prayer that you obey the gos pel today and be saved. Remember the words of Jesus, "1ot every one that saith unto me, /ord, /ord, shall en ter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my )ather which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, /ord, /ord, have we not prophesied in thy name" and in thy name have cast out devils" and in thy name done many wonderful works" $nd then will , profess unto them, , never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniTuity" (Matthew : 1 3).

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,f you are not a &hristian you can be by obeying the gospel. Jesus says, "He that believes and is bapti]ed shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). 3aul said ")or , am not ashamed of the gospel of &hrist: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). The words of Jesus teach us that to become a &hristian one must:

‡ Hear the gospel (John 6: )

‡ %elieve in Jesus as the &hrist (John : ) ‡ Repent of all sins (/uke 13:3)

‡ &onfess &hrist as /ord (Matthew 1 :3 33) ‡ $nd be bapti]ed to be saved (Mark 16:16)

‡ $fter baptism remain faithful to God. (Matthew 1 : )

,f we do Must what our /ord commanded we know that our salvation is certain and we will hear Him say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, , will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the Moy of thy lord" (Mat thew : 1). /et us go back to the %ible, back to &hrist and His church and do e[actly what He commanded. 3lease let us help you in your obedience to the gospel before it is eternally too late.

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