Living Daily in the Presence of His Glory

We live in a time where people say that Elvis lives and God is dead. We live in a generation that plants trees but uproots marriages. We live in a culture where individuals will bring nations together to save a few dying whales, but are swift to kill unborn babies. It's against the law to post The Ten Commandments in public schools, but it's responsible education for teachers to hand out condoms. Sin is now called sickness; disobedience is now called disease; and adultery is now called addiction--nothing more than extra-curricular political activity for the politicians. How is it in the midst of this kind of moral and spiritual chaos that we can and must live lives that will bring glory to God?
We all have Phd's in rationalizing our behavior, don't we? We can cast blame and avoid responsibility for our own actions by putting it off on others so effortlessly; this has even become acceptable within the church. I know that this technique is considered by many to be a "spiritual gift." Even Pastors have fallen prey to the times; no longer do men of God shepherd or disciple their people, but sadly they have become a referral service for the local psychologist who are more than willing to confuse your spiritual lives for only $150 an hour. Church discipline is rarely exercised for fear of being sued, viewed as judgemental, or unloving. This is caused, I believe, because people have lost a right view of the glory of God and their duty to live every part of their lives for His names sake.

Hurricane Katrina is not a senseless tragedy!!!!!!

Because God is sovereign over tragedies like this with a purpose of grace, we should respond not with anger at him but with abiding hope and praise. This is not a senseless tragedy, because God will bring good through it for those who trust in him (Rom. 8:28). The most horrific, wicked, and evil event ever to happen on the planet Earth was the murder of the holy Son of God, Jesus Christ – an event in which God was completely sovereign and man was completely guilty. But the cross was made by God the most blessed, glorious, and holy event ever to happen on the planet Earth. Likewise, Katrina was a terrible event. But God will bring good from it. Through death he offers resurrection life, if we will turn through faith in Christ to the sovereign God of holiness and grace.