Relativism is a philosophical position that says all points of view are equally valid and that all truth is relative to the individual. It’s a philosophy that uses words and thoughts to steer us away from Yahweh. It is evil by design and it’s very subtle.

And now, it has found its way into the minds of many Christians and is literally destroying every ounce of Truth and conviction in it’s path. Leaving behind in it’s wake a path of deceived, powerless, cold and indifferent people who call themselves Christians.

Isa 5:20 Doom to you who call evil good and good evil, Who put darkness in place of light and light in place of darkness, Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Pro 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Absolute Truth – Inflexible Reality
"Absolute truth" is defined as inflexible reality: fixed, invariable, unalterable facts. For example, it is a fixed, invariable, unalterable fact that there are absolutely no square circles and there are absolutely no round squares.
Absolute Truth vs. Relativism
There are some religious orientations (atheistic humanists, for example) who argue against the existence of absolute truth. John Dewey (1859-1952), co-author and signer of the Humanist Manifesto 1 (1933), declared, "There is no God and there is no soul. Hence, there are no needs for the props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, then immutable truth is also dead and buried. There is no room for fixed, natural law or moral absolutes." Humanists believe one should do, as one feels is right.
Absolute Truth – A Logical Necessity
You can’t logically argue against the existence of absolute truth. To argue against something is to establish that a truth exists. You cannot argue against absolute truth unless an absolute truth is the basis of your argument. Here are a few of the classic arguments made by those who seek to argue against the existence of absolute truth…

"There are no absolutes." First of all, the relativist is declaring there are absolutely no absolutes. That is an absolute statement. The statement is logically contradictory. If the statement is true, then there is, in fact, an absolute – there are absolutely no absolutes.

"Truth is relative." Again, this is an absolute statement implying truth is absolutely relative. Besides positing an absolute, suppose the statement was true and "truth is relative." Everything including that statement would be relative. If a statement is relative, it is not always true. If "truth is relative" is not always true, sometimes truth is not relative. This means there are absolutes, which means that statement is false. When you follow the logic, relativist arguments will always contradict themselves.

"Who knows what the truth is, right?" In the same sentence this person says that no one knows what the truth is, then he turns around and asks those who are listening to affirm the truth of his statement.

"No one knows what the truth is." They obviously believe their statement is true.

There are philosophers who actually spend countless hours toiling over thick volumes written on the "meaninglessness" of everything. We can assume they think the text is meaningful! Then there are those philosophy teachers who teach their students, "No one’s opinion is superior to anyone else’s. There is no hierarchy of truth or values. Anyone’s viewpoint is just as valid as anyone else’s viewpoint. We all have our own truth." Then they turn around and grade the papers!
Absolute Truth – Morality
Morality is a facet of absolute truth. Relativists say, "It’s wrong for you to impose your morals on me." By declaring something is wrong, they are contradicting their self by imposing his morals upon you.

They also say, "There is no right, there is no wrong!" So, you must ask, is that statement right or wrong?

If you catch a relativist in the act of doing something they know is absolutely wrong, and you try to point it out to them, they will get mad and say, "Truth is relative! There’s no right and there’s no wrong! We should be able to do whatever we want!"
If that is a true statement and there is no right and there is no wrong, and everyone should be able to do whatever they want, then why did they get mad? What basis do they have for their anger? You can’t be appalled by an injustice, or anything else for that matter, unless an absolute has somehow been violated.

Relativists will also argue, "Everybody can believe whatever they want!" It makes us wonder, why are they arguing? It’s funny that they are the ones who want to argue about relativism.

If you try to tell a relativist the difference between right and wrong, they will say, "None of that is true! We make our own reality!" If that’s true, and we all create our own reality, then our statement of moral accountability is merely a figment of the relativists imagination. If a relativist has a problem with a statement of absolute morality, the relativist should take the issue up with himself.
Absolute Truth – The Conclusion
We all know there is absolute truth. It seems the more we argue against it, the more we prove its existence. Reality is absolute whether you feel like being cogent or not. Philosophically, relativism is contradictory. Practically, relativism is anarchy. The world is filled with absolute truth.

A relativist says that everyone should be able to believe and do whatever they want. Of course, this sounds good to them, until they come home to find their house has been robbed, or someone tries to hurt him, or someone cuts in front of him in line.
No relativist will come home to find his house robbed and say, "Oh, how wonderful that the burglar was able to fulfill his view of reality by robbing my house. Who am I to impose my view of right and wrong on this wonderful burglar?" I guarantee you, that relativist will feel violated just like anyone else.

There is some validity to some aspects of relativism. What one society considers right the other may consider wrong. Some are acceptable, some are not. These have to do with Cultural Relativism. They are customs that are culturally based.

Now, if society “A” says its ok to beat your wife for not cooking you dinner, and society “B” says its wrong, then whose right? So, somewhere there has to be a point of reference from which Truth comes from.

If Society lives by and establishes it’s own laws based on what every person believes to be right or wrong, we would self destruct in a matter of months if not weeks.

So, our challenge is to reacquaint ourselves with Yahweh’s Holy Word and not let the spirit of relativism poison our minds. God’s Word is Truth, PERIOD. It is His Word that brings life and peace.
Psa 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psa 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

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Church Members, Here is the plan:

Go through your closets, and get out all those *gently used* *hole free* clothes and shoes that you can’t wear, or don’t wear, and bring them to the church on Friday, December 9, between 6:00 and 8:00pm! At that time, we will be setting up tables, and moving chairs to set everything out. Also at this time, we will allow you (Church Members) to go around and check out everyone’s items to see if there might be some things that you or your family might need. Cool Huh?! You clean out your closets and get rid of things you can’t or don’t wear, and you take home a few things you can!

Then….

Saturday December 10, from 8:00am to Noon we will Open up the doors to the public, and welcome them in and allow them to take items they could use for their families! All items left will then be donated.

With the rising costs of living, what a great way to help each other out, and help the community! So what are you waiting for?! Clean out those closets and storage tubs, and bless someone.

In this parable, the man who sows the seed goes to sleep at night, wakes up in the day, and does not know how the work grows. I feel qualified for that role – clueless and sleeping on the job.
Too many of us experts think we know all about how the work of our ministry is “supposed” to grow. But, what winds up happening is that the mysterious and miraculous element of the Kingdom is replaced with strategic plans, demographic studies, and colored flow charts and plans of attack.

We sacrifice pure, organic power for hard work and little results. Professing to be wise, we have become fools.

Yahweh blessed Isaaac, and prospered him, and made all that he had to thrive under his hands. 1. His corn multiplied strangely, Gen 26:12 – Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

In Gerar, where Isaac was, Sixty-fold was a good harvest but One Hundred-fold was rare.

And on top of that, Isaac didn’t even own the land that he was sowing on.

He had no land of his own, but took land of the Philistines, and sowed it; and (be it observed for the encouragement of poor tenants, that occupy other people’s lands, and are honest and industrious) God blessed him with a great increase. He reaped a hundred fold;

And notice the emphasis on the time: it was that same year when there was a famine in the land; while others hardly reaped at all, he reaped plentifully. Isa_65:13, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry,

Psa_37:19, In the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 2. His cattle also increased,

Gen_26:14. And then, He had great store of servants, whom he employed and maintained.

(READ: Have everyone turn in their bibles:)
2Co 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

If you are not a giver, then I want to implore you to begin to give. Not just once or twice – but make it your lifestyle.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Message:
Luke 6:38 Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back–given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."

Pro 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Pro 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Mat 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

It’s not just in finances, but it’s in your talents and abilities. It’s in your time and your giving yourself to the ministry – What can I do? If you come to Church here and receive of this ministry and you give nothing back, you are a Dead Sea. If you have an inlet you must have an outlet. It’s not normal or natural or scriptural if you take but don’t give.

The economy is tanking and will get worse – Our only survival is to give and keep giving. Seed time and harvest – as long as the earth stands – that’s the system of the Kingdom of God.

KJV

Pro 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Message:

Pro 11:24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. 25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.

Pro 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

Jam 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Jesus said that thru our traditions we make the Word of God of no effect. Since the Word of God is the Constitution of the Kingdom of Yahweh, when we make it of no effect through OUR ways of governing it, we make the Church of no effect. Listen to this weeks message here and download the sermon notes to follow along.

MSG – Gal 5:7 You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? 8 This detour doesn't come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. 9 And please don't toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. 10 Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment.

TEXT

Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Let's go back to the beginning of Hebrews and see what it was that led Paul to this particular comment and warning of making sure that we do not have an Evil heart of unbelief that would lead us in turning our back of Yahweh.

Paul begins Ch 1 speaking of the Superiority of the Christian Faith to the Mosaic system. The great danger of the Christians in Palestine was that of relapsing into the Jewish system.

For the Christians at Corinth, it was the danger of relapsing back into the sins of Idolatry and Fornication. Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

And for the Galatians, it was the danger of returning to their trust in their family linage to save them. Satan is always attempting to draw us from the Cross back to what God has delivered us from through the same lies.

So, from Paul's train of reasoning, he says in Ch 2 v1, “Therefore” – Because of that, all that I have just said, Jesus is the ONLY way of Salvation. “ Therefore, we ought to give a more earnest HEED to those things we have heard. lest at any time we should let them slip. 2. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Then he goes from “Therefore” to “Wherefore”. In Ch 3 v 1, he says, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”

As I said earlier, there are different types of things that will try to move us from the Cross. But tonight I want to talk about one of those ways. And that is by the way of Discouragement.

DISCOURAGE

1. To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits; to deject; to deprive of confidence. Try to prevent. (http://www.dictometer.com/discourage)

Jos 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

When the Lord says to us, “Be strong and of a good courage”, that must mean there is something out there that is fixing to seemingly overtake me. When Jesus says over and over, “Fear Not”, that means there is something that will come at me that's going to make my knees weak.

Jn 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

We have the same seed in us that the Apostle Paul had in him. If taken care of properly, it will cause us to overcome.

1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Jesus has dealt tho every man “the” measure of Faith. So, we must take heed how we build there upon.

So, how do we deal with any other attack? With the Word of God. We have to encourage ourself in the Lord. The Seed of God is in us with the Divine ability to overcome.

We have to speak to ourself in songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Making melody in our hearts to the Lord. WE must make up our minds that we will never give up or give in. Be faithful till the end. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life.

Paul said, “Endure hardships as a good soldier.” “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap if we faint not.”

How to Respond to Discouragement

Act 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2Co 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

How do we respond to Discouragement?

With COURAGE!!!

For every punch satin throws at us, we need to counter with the direct oppsite.

To Dis-courage is to rob us of our Courage.

To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits; to deject; to deprive of confidence.

So, what is Courage?

Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.

Courage that grows from constitution, often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it; courage which arises from a sense of duty, acts in a uniform manner.

So, be En-couraged

To give courage to; to give or increase confidence of success; to inspire with courage, spirit, or strength of mind; to embolden; to animate; to incite; to inspirit.

Fear not, only be thou courageous and strong.