Message summary: “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

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"On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man" (Psalm 12:8). “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

Last week we visited the Pony Express Museum in Saint Joseph, MO where the famed Pony Express* began in 1860 by businessmen Russell, Majors, and Waddell who organized and put together the Pony Express in the winter of 1860. They assembled 80 riders, 184 stations, 400 horses, and several hundred personnel during January and February 1860.

When it was replaced by the telegraph only 18 months later, the Pony Express quickly became romanticized and became part of the lore of the Old West and great material for those who produced westerns in Hollywood from the 30's - 60's. Who hasn't heard of Buffalo Bill Cody who signed up for the Pony Express when he was only 15 years old!

Majors was a religious man and resolved "by the help of God" to overcome all difficulties. He presented each rider with a Pony Express special-edition Bible and required each rider to sign this oath, "I,_________ , DO HEREBY SWEAR, BEFORE THE GREAT AND LIVING GOD, THAT DURING MY ENGAGEMENT, AND WHILE I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF RUSSELL, MAJORS AND WADDELL, I WILL, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, USE PROFANE LANGUAGE, THAT I WILL DRINK NO INTOXICATING LIQUORS, THAT I WILL NOT QUARREL OR FIGHT WITH ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE OF THE FIRM, AND THAT IN EVERY RESPECT I WILL CONDUCT MYSELF HONESTLY, BE FAITHFUL TO MY DUTIES, AND SO DIRECT ALL MY ACTS AS TO WIN THE CONFIDENCE OF MY EMPLOYERS. SO HELP ME GOD."

Can you imagine such an oath being required today, especially by a government contractor?

Over 60 years ago Bob Dylan wrote a song with the phrase "The times they are a-changin". Well the times have certainly changed. But today's ancient text has not changed.

It is a stunning observation that is evident all around us. Vile is defined as "morally despicable or abhorrent". Synonyms are "evil, immoral, unlawful, sinful, vicious, dark, bad, wicked".

"On every side the wicked prowl." You can hardly read or watch the news without more evidence of the social decay and rot that is permeating our lost land and world. The anarchy, especially in our cities, is rampant. The wicked prowling is becoming more and more brazen with what seems a fully seared conscience among so many.

In so many ways the vile is exalted among men. Vile is reckoned as good and is not merely accepted but even honored. On the other hand one's refusal to accept such a reversal of understanding truth as presented in Scripture is considered hateful rather than loving, is ridiculed and even punished. The Amplified Bible uses this phrase, “Vileness is exalted [and baseness is rated high] among the sons of men.”

The ancient statement of the prophet Isaiah is so appropriate: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

"As vileness is exalted among the children of man." When vileness is exalted the wicked prowl. God’s commands are healthy restraints contributing to the good of family and society at large, but the nature of sin is to see these restraints as restricting our freedom and a killjoy to all sources of enjoyment. When these restraints are removed or ignored the wicked freely strut about. Other versions state, “The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”

Awhile back I was studying the book of Revelation using a study guide and it instructed the student to “List five things I would never have expected to see in my lifetime". It didn’t take me but a moment to put on my list, “I never expected to see sinful behavior accepted without shame and often displayed as honorable such as sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, the redefinition of marriage, faddishness of gender dysphoria, celebrating abortion, glorifying violence (and the list goes on). Yes, they’ve always existed, but when I was young these were sins that were clearly seen as shameful and dishonorable even to unbelievers. But the times have a-changed.

Today we want to again call our brothers and sisters to obedience to God’s commands, “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived" (Colossians 3:5-7).

Make sure the statement personally applies to you, "You used to walk in these ways".

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber