Pastor Ron Roddey
"The Christmas Dilemma "
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
From
Jeremiah Chapter 10
10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of
Israel:
10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not
dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out
of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails
and with hammers, that it move not.
10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs
be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot
do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
10:6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great,
and thy name is great in might.
10:7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it
appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in
all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.
10:8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a
doctrine of vanities.
10:9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from
Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue
and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
10:10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an
everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations
shall not be able to abide his indignation.
10:11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the
heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from
under these heavens.
10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world
by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
10:13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the
heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the
earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out
of his treasures.
10:14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded
by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no
breath in them.
10:15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their
visitation they shall perish.
10:16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all
things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is
his name.
10:17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
10:18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants
of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it
so.
10:19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous; but I said, Truly
this is a grief, and I must bear it.
10:20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children
are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth
my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD:
therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be
scattered.
10:22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out
of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of
dragons.
10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in
man that walketh to direct his steps.
10:24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest
thou bring me to nothing.
10:25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon
the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob,
and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation
desolate.
From
Romans Chapter 14
14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful
disputations.
14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak,
eateth herbs.
14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not
him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master
he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to
make him stand.
14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every
day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that
regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth,
eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to
the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we
die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he
might be Lord both of the dead and living.
14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ.
14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow
to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this
rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his
brother's way.
14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing
unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to
him it is unclean.
14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not
charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
14:18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God,
and approved of men.
14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and
things wherewith one may edify another.
14:20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure;
but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing
whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that
condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of
faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
