slanderers, Godhaters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1: 28-32).
 
When we embrace wickedness, Satan and his minions take up residence in our lives and in our homes. Sadly, a lot of Christians hardly put up a fight!   Instead, we easily succumb to the world, the flesh and the devil.  If you think I'm overreacting, remember that it used to be held that "religion is the backbone of American culture, providing the moral and spiritual light needed for public and private life." This is no longer the case. Now many Americans believe religion should be kept separate from public life.

I remember a time not so long ago when families were the heart and soul of society and most folks held similar moral values.  Families not only looked out for each other, they looked out for their neighbors as well.  Back then parents were not so self-absorbed.  Mom and Dad spent time with their children and got to know them.  They knew exactly what was going on in their kid's lives and were there to help them out of scrapes.  Parents made it their business to find out what was going on in the classroom and social agendas were not tolerated.  In those days families actually sat down for meals at the same hour and joyfully shared their day.  Prayer was said before meals, at bedtime, and was even allowed in public schools!  In classrooms across America the Pledge of Allegiance was recited every morning -- and no one was offended.

Throughout grammar and high school my sister and I walked to and from school, without any adult supervision, and our parents were never concerned that someone would try to kidnap us.  For parents to assume that their kids were safe at school, in their own bedrooms, and on the streets playing ball was perfectly rational. But that was the fifty years ago, when life was simpler and families were important.

During that time in America, society hadn't discarded its belief in absolute moral truth.  Truth was rooted in the authority of Scripture and the Ten Commandments were the guiding principles we lived by.  Most everyone understood that they were commands, not recommendations and that our Creator expected us to obey them.  Truth was objective, not subjective.  Truth-seekers could find what they were looking for in God's Word (the Bible).  Today truth has come down to someone's own personal opinion -- or an assortment of opinions.  Seemingly reasonable people believe that it depends on the circumstances.  If this is how our society defines truth, my question is, where have all the Christians gone?

In his article on "Worldview Thinking" Kerby Anderson says this about Christians: "Clearly, Christians are neither thinking nor behaving as Christians. And a large part of the problem centers on this abandonment of a belief in absolute truth. If Christians believe that morality is relative and determined by the situation, then they have changed biblical moral principles. Today there is a critical need for Christians to think and act biblically in every area of life."

In order to think and act biblically, as Anderson suggests, it makes sense to read and study the Bible.  To know God's truth, we must have a solid foundation in the Word of God!   So, is the Bible a reliable source of truth?  In a word, yes!  The scriptures have been tested, reflected upon and debated for over 2000 years.  And this reliable

                 
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