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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

Call it what it is
Date Posted: August 28, 2016

Too frequently I hear someone calling adultery a “mistake,” or when caught stealing it’s called “messing up.”

Clay Waters of the New York Times Magazine chided Republicans for calling illegal aliens "illegals." He says they should be called "undocumented."
Let's see. Did they come into the U.S. without permission to do so? Did they have visas? Did they apply for green cards in order to take a U.S. citizen's job? To my way of thinking that is: Breaking and entering, fraud, and stealing, and I call that definitely illegal.
Now the way people think in order to pasteurize unpalatable situations such as homosexual marriages, illegals bleeding into our used-to-be safe country has far surpassed those old, odd days of "free love" and drug-induced psychedelic trips that were rampant when I was growing up.

Both the Hebrew and Greek words translated sin mean an offense, a violation. The root words mean “to miss the mark.” When you miss the mark, you are outside the circle of acceptability. In other words, God has set a standard, and that standard is Jesus. No one can meet that standard, so we all miss the mark. Let’s call it what it is. It is sin.
Somehow my sister and I navigated the times of fornication (free love) and drugs (violation of federal, state, and local laws) safely with no weird stretches to our mind sets. We made it through college without professors warping our minds.

We knew right from wrong. Today, I'm not so sure that parents are actually teaching right from wrong with clarity. Our society seems to be slipping into the grayest areas with too many exceptions to the "rules." Common courtesy has flown the coup and political correctness is setting on the nest hatching out trouble.

As a society, and as parents we need to give our children structure and instruction on clear lines between right an wrong. We have the text book: the Bible. We also have the teacher if we're willing to loosen the reigns of control. I know that the Somehow my sister and I navigated those stormy waters while growing up was the Holy Spirit guarding and guiding us. We have the lighthouse built in. And the Light from our lighthouse not only pierces the darkness shining a light on the massive rocks of life, but it also guides us to safe waters. Of course, for that to happen we had to give up control, and slip into the backseat so Jesus could drive.

Thank goodness He doesn't mind the pipsqueaks giving advice from the back seat.

Oh, Lord Jesus, please, please come quickly and protect our children and grandchildren. Pierce the darkest storms with Your brilliant, righteous light!

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon

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