Buckle up. It's time to hit the road on
this week's edition of Liberty at Home.
Hello and welcome to our latest episode of Liberty at Home,
produced by Liberty Baptist Church of Easton and broadcast
from global headquarters here at ECAT.
I'm your host, Adam Rivera, and I'm the pastor of LBC here in
Easton. And Speaking of Easton, did you
know that Easton's Quiset Brook powered one of the first
primitive forges in the colonies around 1650, producing iron for
tools and weapons that help settle the frontier?
But it was so low key that even colonial maps barely noticed it,
earning Easton a quiet reputation as a forge hamlet
before the Ames era. Man, isn't the Internet great?
Today I want to talk to you about how we find places like
the Queen Set Brook Course. Once Upon a time, the map was
king, helping us find local landmarks and helping us to be
able to drive to them with ease. Well, at least a little bit of
ease. But today it's all about the
GPS. There's little doubt that the
Global Positioning System is one of the greatest modern marvels
yet. Not so long ago, navigating was
done the old fashioned way. You know, I have fond memories
of going to the AAA with my dad when I was growing up, eager to
pick up a triptych paper map that would show us a customized
route for our destination. Flipping through page after page
of maps made me feel like an adventure was about to begin.
Unfortunately, paper maps have severely been relegated to the
dust heap of history, softly weeping as they were mercilessly
shoved aside by the GPS. I have to admit, in a lot of
ways I miss them. And yes, I know I'm being a
curmudgeon and you can stay off my lawn.
Although I miss maps for the sake of nostalgia, even I have
to admit that the modern GPS is most often far superior and
easier to use than the paper map.
However, if you're not careful, your car's GPS can get you into
trouble in ways a paper map never could.
Our family experienced this a while back as we were driving
from southern New Jersey back home to Easton.
As we drove N on the Jersey Turnpike, we decided to use the
Garden State Parkway and the Tappan Zee Bridge or whatever
it's called now to skip the gridlock in New York City.
As we began our trip on the Parkway, my GPS spit some
information out of me. It said this.
Click the screen to choose this new route, which will save you 5
minutes. The GPS informing.
Reflexively, I almost blindly chose the new route, but I
quickly glanced first at the screen to see where it wanted me
to go. Surprisingly, it was directing
me back towards New York City. Not only was that route not
going to save me time, I knew it was going to take me through the
infamous Holland Tunnel, which costs almost $15.00 to use some
shortcut. I knew that my paper map, neatly
folded in the glove compartment, was uncontrollably laughing at
my GPS. As we continued our drive up the
original route on the Parkway, though, I had a thought.
So many times. Satan loves to give directions.
He tells us little shortcuts we can take to fulfillment and
happiness. However, the Bible makes it
abundantly clear that he cannot be trusted.
His first encounter with mankind in Genesis 3 was one big lie,
and He's been lying ever since. Fact, Jesus said of Satan in
John 844. He was a murderer from the
beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of His own, for He is a liar and the father of it.
In the short term, Satan's directions bring pain and
heartache to people in this world.
That's why Hebrews 1125 tells us that there is pleasure in sin,
but it only lasts a season. The bondage and destruction that
follows is never disclosed by Satan and is never worth a small
amount of pleasure. When the devil gives directions,
he never tells you the pain his path will bring.
And like my GPS, he hides the true cost lurking behind his
so-called guidance. However, the long term
consequences are even more severe.
The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death in Romans
623. This is why Hebrews warns us in
Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 27 that it is appointed unto men wants
to die, but after this the judgment.
Thankfully, the paper map of the Scriptures can show us the
correct path. Jesus Christ, in the world's
most spectacular display of love, died on the cross to take
away the penalty of sin, death, and hell.
Isaiah chapter 53, verse 5 explains it this way.
But He was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities.
Chastisement of our peace is upon Him, and with His stripes
we are healed. So it is up to each one of us to
call upon Christ to save us, repenting of our sins.
When we do, He sets us back on the proper route, which is the
one that leads to heaven. This is God's desire, which is
why Second Peter chapter 3 verse 9 says that God is not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The next time your GPS tries to take you on the wrong route, use
it as a reminder of Proverbs 3, five and six.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine
own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct thy paths. Oh, and don't forget to keep a
paper map in your glove compartment.
Well, we are overtime for today's episode, so it's time to
wrap. But before we do, I want to give
you a quick reminder to visit us some Sunday or Wednesday at
Liberty Baptist Church, 800 Washington St. in Easton.
Learn more about us and find all of our many digital platforms at
my libertybaptist.org. Well, this Pastor Adam Rivero
signing off from another episode with this weekly reminder that
where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's Liberty.
Catch you next week right here on Liberty at home.