2 Timothy 2:20-21 KJV But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Another thing that may comfort us is that though there are some whose faith is overthrown, yet there are others who keep their integrity, and hold it fast (2Ti_2:20): In a great house there are not only vessels of gold, etc. The church of Christ is a great house, a well-furnished house: now some of the furniture of this house is of great value, as the plate in a house; some of small value, and put to mean uses, as the vessels of wood and earth; so it is in the church of God. There are some professors of religion that are like the vessels of wood and earth, they are vessels of dishonour. But at the same time all are not vessels of dishonour; there are vessels of gold and silver, vessels of honour, that are sanctified and meet for the Master's use. When we are discouraged by the badness of some, we must encourage ourselves by the consideration of the goodness of others. Now we should see to it that we be vessels of honour: we must purge ourselves from these corrupt opinions, that we may be sanctified for our Master's use. Observe, 1. In the church there are some vessels of honour and some of dishonour; there are some vessels of mercy and other vessels of wrath, Rom_9:22, Rom_9:23. Some dishonour the church by their corrupt opinions and wicked lives; and others honour and credit it by their exemplary conversation. 2. A man must purge himself from these before he can be a vessel of honour, or meet for his Master's use. 3. Every vessel must be fit for its Master's use; every one in the church whom God approves must be devoted to his Master's service and meet for his use. 4. Sanctification in the heart is our preparation for every good work. The tree must be made good, and then the fruit will be good.
A VESSEL
In these verses a believer is pictured as a vessel. If a vessel is to be usable, it must be clean. For example, imagine you are walking across a desert, and you come to an oasis. You are parched and almost dying of thirst. You find two cups there. One is made of gold and highly ornamented, but it's dirty. The other is an old crock cup. It will just barely hold water because it is cracked, but it is clean. Which one would you use? Now give God credit for having as much intelligence as you have. He too uses clean vessels; He does not use dirty vessels. Remember in the second chapter of John's gospel we read of the Lord Jesus making wine at a wedding. He had the servants drag out the old beat-up crocks (which the Jews used for purification) and had them filled with water. He took those old unattractive crocks and used them for His glory. And today God is looking for clean vessels to use—not beautiful, but clean.
Now is the time that we as Christians take a look at ourselves in the mirror and ask if we are vessels suitable for the work of God? God picked out each individual to be used by Him in various ways. He will not pour out His Spirit in an unclean vessel. So what makes us unclean? Sexual immorality, unfaithfulness in our marriages, and unforgiveness in our hearts. See also Colossians 3:5-9. Leviticus 5:2 states that if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. A man's touching any thing that was ceremonially unclean only made him ceremonially unclean, however, his neglecting to wash himself according to the law, was either carelessness or contempt, and contracted moral guilt. As soon as God, by his Spirit, convinces our consciences of any sin or duty, we must follow the conviction, as not ashamed to own our former mistake. Pouring clean water into a dirty glass does not make the glass clean, it makes the water dirty. Continuing to drink from dirty glasses will eventually make you sick, which could lead to a death that was preventable. Continuing to live in sin will further separate us from God and that separation could lead to an eternal death. That is not God's plan, but it will be our fate if we continue to believe that just because He loves us, He will use us regardless of how we live our lives. Has God not earned the right to choose the vessel He desires to use? Did God not pay the ultimate price knowing full well that we may reject Him? God does not make mistakes, if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, the price was paid for you also. But you must first Recognize that you are a sinner, Repent (turn away) from your sins and Respond to God's call on your life.
Davids Prayer of Repentance and Restoration
Psalm 51
(1)Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. (4) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (5) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (6) Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. (7) Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (8) Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. (9) Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. (10) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (11) Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. (12) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (13) Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. (14) Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. (15) O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. (16) For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. (17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (18) Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. (19) Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Biblical Policy: Abortion-In Defense of the Defenseless
"The word of the LORD came
to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were
born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations’"
(Jeremiah 1:4-5).
Disclaimer: This policy is a
reminder to Christians, who have sworn allegiance to God the Father by
accepting His Son Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Saviour. And by Christian I
mean those who know and believe that the Holy Bible is God's absolute truth and
His final authority concerning the lives of those who profess to be His. If you
have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and made a true
conversion according to the word spoken in Rom_12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God", it is not too late. God’s
grace and his mercy, is there to give you time to restore your relationship
with Him. While I do not expect a non-believer to adhere to the standards set
forth in God's Holy Bible, you are always welcome to read His Word, Recognize
your Sins, Repent of those Sins and Restore your relationship with God.
It
never ceases to amaze me how Christians easily allow the moral values of this
world to convince us to compromise the Word of God. All it takes is constant
pulling on our emotional heartstrings to get us to feel guilty about what we
believe in. It should be no surprise to us, when we are persecuted for standing
for God’s word. Did not Jesus tell us in John 15:18-23 “If the world hate
you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (19)
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye
are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you. (20) Remember the word that I said unto you, The
servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours
also. (21) But all these things will they do unto you
for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. (22)
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now
they have no cloke for their sin.
(23) He that hateth me hateth my
Father also.” When the world calls us radical, intolerant and extremist
for expressing the biblical view on abortion, they are really saying these
things about our Holy God. And when we compromise and back down, we are
essentially agreeing with them.
A true believing
Christian knows that only God has the power to create life and He alone has the
authority to take it. Job said “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked
shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be
the name of the LORD.” (Job_1:21) So how many innocent lives, formed in the
womb, did not get the opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose in their lives.
Let’s look at some statistics:
54 ,559,615 total abortions since 1973
1.2 million abortions per year
3,288 abortions per day
137 abortions per hour
9 abortions every 4 minutes
1 abortion every 26 seconds
Just think, by the
time you finish reading this entire article, a
minimum of 9 babies will have been murdered. The 54,559,615 lives murdered
since 1973 would rank them 24th on the world’s population list,
between Italy and South Africa:
23 Italy 59,464,644
24 Abortions 54 ,559,615
25 South Africa 50,586,757
That statistic
alone, should bring chills down our spine.
Abortion statistics http://prolifeaction.org/faq/abortion.php#total
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Biblical Policy: Homosexuality
1Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
A young lady got the call two days ago that she was hired to work at a popular restaurant. She attended the training sessions where they explained to her the company's policy on conduct on and off the job, her treatment and respect of coworkers and the company's uniform dress code. She signed the employee agreement letter stating that she understood and would comply, even though she thought the uniforms were not her style. Weeks later she thought she would wear something to work that was more her style. When confronted by her coworkers she ignored them, when approached by her supervisor, she told him to mind his business. Finally when she was called to the managers office, he reminded her of the policy she signed and stated that if she wanted to continue working there, she would have to behave and dress accordingly. If not, she should find a place of employment where they will let her do what she wants.
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transsexual (LGBT) movement has become such a powerful lobbying force, that even a large majority of today's churches have buckled under the pressure. When this happens, we allow individuals who need the restoration power of the Holy Spirit to feel at ease without it. This will eventually (without repentance) lead to an eternity in hell. We must tell the truth. We must let them know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co_6:9), shall not be owned as true members of his church on earth, nor admitted as glorious members of the church in heaven. All unrighteousness is sin; and all reigning sin, nay, every actual sin committed deliberately, and not repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of heaven.
There are those who would argue that Christians have no right to tell someone how to live, who to love and who to marry. I beg to differ, I think we have the God given right to inform one another in love, when we are not following policy. We do this not to embarrass, shame or punish the individual, we do it to restore the individual's relationship with God. Being silent in this matter is not a sign of love, but of hate. For what kind of doctor would withhold the diagnosis of a fatal disease and the curable treatment of this disease in order to keep from upsetting the patient? Is that doctor showing love for their patient, quite the opposite.
Men are very much inclined to flatter themselves that God is such a one as themselves, and that they may live in sin and yet die in Christ, may lead the life of the devil's children and yet go to heaven with the children of God. But this is all a gross cheat. Note, It is very much the concern of mankind that they do not cheat themselves in the matters of their souls. We cannot hope to sow to the flesh and yet reap everlasting life. There is a saying "silence gives consent", which is so true in today's churches. We see the LGBT agenda becoming more and more prevalent in the churches of today. Not only do we not speak out, we continue to have fellowship with those who are accepting of this lifestyle. The homosexual is no longer just a member of the congregation, they now hold offices in the church. Being ordained as ministers, working as deacons, ushers, choir directors, ministers of music and leading praise & worship service. The question how can someone be lead to repentance and restoration when they are being rewarded with leadership positions. How can we tell them that they are wrong and out of God's will, but allow them to lead and have influence over God's people. Any attempt by the church to discuss this issue is seen as hate speech and homophobic. I ask, is it hate speech to tell a teenager to leave school for having a T-shirt that displays the message Jesus Saves. Christians are increasingly being told what we can or cannot say or do. But that's not hateful, only when we point out what is written in a book that has sold more copies than any book in history. And the only book that has not changed with each generation, but has remained true to the characteristics of its author, are we branded hate mongers. Those who do the devil's work can never receive God's wages, at least no other than death, the just wages of sin, Rom_6:23.
I would like to point out one biological fact. The man was created for the woman and the woman for the man. No matter how much love one man has for another, they need to enlist the aid of a woman to have a child. Likewise, the love of two woman can not produce a child without the aid of man. God did not make a mistake, this is how he intended it to be. A woman who undergoes an operation to be man can not produce sperm, nor can a man who becomes a woman produce eggs.
But there is hope. We have the gospel and the grace of God to redeem us. 1 Corinthians 6:11 states"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God". Some that are eminently good after their conversion have been as remarkably wicked before. How glorious a change does grace make! It changes the vilest of men into saints and the children of God. Such were some of you, but you are not what you were. You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. Note, The wickedness of men before conversion is no bar to their regeneration and reconciliation to God. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can purge away all guilt and defilement. Gen 4:6-7 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (7) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. If we do well and live according to his life giving Word, we will be accepted. Cain was given an opportunity to change, but he rejected God's offer. My prayer to those who find themselves living in sexual immorality is to accept God's offer and be accepted by Him. The two most important choices one can make today is to choose Life (eternal salvation) or Death (eternal damnation). I pray you choose life.
None are cleansed from the guilt of sin, and reconciled to God through Christ, but those who are also sanctified by his Spirit. All who are made righteous in the sight of God are made holy by the grace of God.
*words in italics were taken from the Matthew Henry Commentary
Related News:
Out Of The Locker
Must See To Believe - Fast forward to 24:30
GLAAD: 2011 List of TV networks that promote homosexuality
Gay Marriage in comic books
Transgenderism & Children
Joel Osteen Responds To Criticisms
Praise Goes Out To:
Chick-Fil-A Recalling Jim Henson Kids' Meal Toys As Partnership Severed Over Anti-Gay Donations
Christian Leaders speak up against gay marriage in North Carolina
LGBT Losers: Justice is served in favor of the Christian Counselor!
Related Sermon:
The Sin of Sodom On Display in America - Voddie Baucham
1Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Disclaimer: This policy is a reminder to Christians, who
have sworn allegiance to God the Father by accepting His Son Jesus Christ, as
our Lord and Saviour. And by Christian I mean those who know and believe that
the Holy Bible is God's absolute truth and His final authority concerning the
lives of those who profess to be His. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior and made a true conversion according to the word spoken in
Rom_12:2 "And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God", it is
not too late. God’s grace and his mercy, is there to give you time to restore
your relationship with Him. While I do not expect a non-believer to adhere to
the standards set forth in God's Holy Bible, you are always welcome to read His
Word, Recognize your Sins, Repent of those Sins and Restore your relationship
with God.
A young lady got the call two days ago that she was hired to work at a popular restaurant. She attended the training sessions where they explained to her the company's policy on conduct on and off the job, her treatment and respect of coworkers and the company's uniform dress code. She signed the employee agreement letter stating that she understood and would comply, even though she thought the uniforms were not her style. Weeks later she thought she would wear something to work that was more her style. When confronted by her coworkers she ignored them, when approached by her supervisor, she told him to mind his business. Finally when she was called to the managers office, he reminded her of the policy she signed and stated that if she wanted to continue working there, she would have to behave and dress accordingly. If not, she should find a place of employment where they will let her do what she wants.
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transsexual (LGBT) movement has become such a powerful lobbying force, that even a large majority of today's churches have buckled under the pressure. When this happens, we allow individuals who need the restoration power of the Holy Spirit to feel at ease without it. This will eventually (without repentance) lead to an eternity in hell. We must tell the truth. We must let them know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co_6:9), shall not be owned as true members of his church on earth, nor admitted as glorious members of the church in heaven. All unrighteousness is sin; and all reigning sin, nay, every actual sin committed deliberately, and not repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of heaven.
There are those who would argue that Christians have no right to tell someone how to live, who to love and who to marry. I beg to differ, I think we have the God given right to inform one another in love, when we are not following policy. We do this not to embarrass, shame or punish the individual, we do it to restore the individual's relationship with God. Being silent in this matter is not a sign of love, but of hate. For what kind of doctor would withhold the diagnosis of a fatal disease and the curable treatment of this disease in order to keep from upsetting the patient? Is that doctor showing love for their patient, quite the opposite.
Men are very much inclined to flatter themselves that God is such a one as themselves, and that they may live in sin and yet die in Christ, may lead the life of the devil's children and yet go to heaven with the children of God. But this is all a gross cheat. Note, It is very much the concern of mankind that they do not cheat themselves in the matters of their souls. We cannot hope to sow to the flesh and yet reap everlasting life. There is a saying "silence gives consent", which is so true in today's churches. We see the LGBT agenda becoming more and more prevalent in the churches of today. Not only do we not speak out, we continue to have fellowship with those who are accepting of this lifestyle. The homosexual is no longer just a member of the congregation, they now hold offices in the church. Being ordained as ministers, working as deacons, ushers, choir directors, ministers of music and leading praise & worship service. The question how can someone be lead to repentance and restoration when they are being rewarded with leadership positions. How can we tell them that they are wrong and out of God's will, but allow them to lead and have influence over God's people. Any attempt by the church to discuss this issue is seen as hate speech and homophobic. I ask, is it hate speech to tell a teenager to leave school for having a T-shirt that displays the message Jesus Saves. Christians are increasingly being told what we can or cannot say or do. But that's not hateful, only when we point out what is written in a book that has sold more copies than any book in history. And the only book that has not changed with each generation, but has remained true to the characteristics of its author, are we branded hate mongers. Those who do the devil's work can never receive God's wages, at least no other than death, the just wages of sin, Rom_6:23.
I would like to point out one biological fact. The man was created for the woman and the woman for the man. No matter how much love one man has for another, they need to enlist the aid of a woman to have a child. Likewise, the love of two woman can not produce a child without the aid of man. God did not make a mistake, this is how he intended it to be. A woman who undergoes an operation to be man can not produce sperm, nor can a man who becomes a woman produce eggs.
But there is hope. We have the gospel and the grace of God to redeem us. 1 Corinthians 6:11 states"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God". Some that are eminently good after their conversion have been as remarkably wicked before. How glorious a change does grace make! It changes the vilest of men into saints and the children of God. Such were some of you, but you are not what you were. You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. Note, The wickedness of men before conversion is no bar to their regeneration and reconciliation to God. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can purge away all guilt and defilement. Gen 4:6-7 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (7) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. If we do well and live according to his life giving Word, we will be accepted. Cain was given an opportunity to change, but he rejected God's offer. My prayer to those who find themselves living in sexual immorality is to accept God's offer and be accepted by Him. The two most important choices one can make today is to choose Life (eternal salvation) or Death (eternal damnation). I pray you choose life.
None are cleansed from the guilt of sin, and reconciled to God through Christ, but those who are also sanctified by his Spirit. All who are made righteous in the sight of God are made holy by the grace of God.
*words in italics were taken from the Matthew Henry Commentary
Related News:
Out Of The Locker
Must See To Believe - Fast forward to 24:30
GLAAD: 2011 List of TV networks that promote homosexuality
Gay Marriage in comic books
Transgenderism & Children
Joel Osteen Responds To Criticisms
Praise Goes Out To:
Chick-Fil-A Recalling Jim Henson Kids' Meal Toys As Partnership Severed Over Anti-Gay Donations
Christian Leaders speak up against gay marriage in North Carolina
LGBT Losers: Justice is served in favor of the Christian Counselor!
Related Sermon:
The Sin of Sodom On Display in America - Voddie Baucham
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The Trumpet Has Blown
Eze 33:1-6 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: (3) If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; (4) Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. (5) He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. (6) But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
The prophet is a watchman to the house of Israel. His business is to warn sinners of their misery and danger. He must warn the wicked to turn from their way, that they may live. If souls perish through his neglect of duty, he brings guilt upon himself. See what those have to answer for, who make excuses for sin, flatter sinners, and encourage them to believe they shall have peace, though they go on. How much wiser are men in their temporal than in their spiritual concerns! They set watchmen to guard their houses, and sentinels to warn of the enemies' approach, but where the everlasting happiness or misery of the soul is at stake, they are offended if ministers obey their Master's command, and give a faithful warning; they would rather perish, listening to smooth things.
Now, I am not too concerned with the state of non Christians in America. They have rejected the truth, therefore we should not be surprised when they act, believe or say things contrary to the Word of God. I am however, very disappointed with the state of Christian America. We have fallen so far away from the biblical doctrine, most wouldn't know the Word if you hit them upside the head with it. The word Christian has lost its meaning, while it used to describe someone who believes in the unquestionable authority of the Word of God and would defend it no matter the cost. Now it describes someone who walks up to the altar, makes a confession of faith and attends service when they feel like it. One cannot become a Christian through confession only. Rom 10:9 says"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved". There is only one way to be saved, confess and believe. And if you do both of these, you will undoubtedly be converted. Conversion denotes the human volition and act by which man in obedience to the Divine summons determines to change the course of his life and turns to God. Rom_12:2 says "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God". And how do we know that a confessor of Christ has been converted? Mat 7:16-21 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
The world today have no need of prophets, everything God would have us to know is in his word. We have been warned and the trumpet has sounded. If we share the beliefs of this world when it comes to abortion, adultery, fornication, homosexuality and same sex marriage or support those who do, this will be our fate. Ezekiel 33:4,5 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. In November, Christians have to make a choice. In all actuality we have three choices, Obama, Romney or Neither. If we based our vote solely on our christian beliefs, we could neither vote for Obama who believes in abortion and same sex marriage or Romney who believes that God was man like us, the Trinity are separate, not one and Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan. Neither candidate, if elected, will push true Christian agendas, so if we vote, we must vote on the one that will cause the least amount of damage to the society we live in. Those who seek the truth can find it in abundance on the internet. What I have provided is only a small portion of what is out there.
Obama: EX Ministries: Total Recall
Romney: Mormonism Exposed
Christianity vs Mormonism
The prophet is a watchman to the house of Israel. His business is to warn sinners of their misery and danger. He must warn the wicked to turn from their way, that they may live. If souls perish through his neglect of duty, he brings guilt upon himself. See what those have to answer for, who make excuses for sin, flatter sinners, and encourage them to believe they shall have peace, though they go on. How much wiser are men in their temporal than in their spiritual concerns! They set watchmen to guard their houses, and sentinels to warn of the enemies' approach, but where the everlasting happiness or misery of the soul is at stake, they are offended if ministers obey their Master's command, and give a faithful warning; they would rather perish, listening to smooth things.
Now, I am not too concerned with the state of non Christians in America. They have rejected the truth, therefore we should not be surprised when they act, believe or say things contrary to the Word of God. I am however, very disappointed with the state of Christian America. We have fallen so far away from the biblical doctrine, most wouldn't know the Word if you hit them upside the head with it. The word Christian has lost its meaning, while it used to describe someone who believes in the unquestionable authority of the Word of God and would defend it no matter the cost. Now it describes someone who walks up to the altar, makes a confession of faith and attends service when they feel like it. One cannot become a Christian through confession only. Rom 10:9 says"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved". There is only one way to be saved, confess and believe. And if you do both of these, you will undoubtedly be converted. Conversion denotes the human volition and act by which man in obedience to the Divine summons determines to change the course of his life and turns to God. Rom_12:2 says "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God". And how do we know that a confessor of Christ has been converted? Mat 7:16-21 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
The world today have no need of prophets, everything God would have us to know is in his word. We have been warned and the trumpet has sounded. If we share the beliefs of this world when it comes to abortion, adultery, fornication, homosexuality and same sex marriage or support those who do, this will be our fate. Ezekiel 33:4,5 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. In November, Christians have to make a choice. In all actuality we have three choices, Obama, Romney or Neither. If we based our vote solely on our christian beliefs, we could neither vote for Obama who believes in abortion and same sex marriage or Romney who believes that God was man like us, the Trinity are separate, not one and Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan. Neither candidate, if elected, will push true Christian agendas, so if we vote, we must vote on the one that will cause the least amount of damage to the society we live in. Those who seek the truth can find it in abundance on the internet. What I have provided is only a small portion of what is out there.
Obama: EX Ministries: Total Recall
Romney: Mormonism Exposed
Christianity vs Mormonism
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Why Are You There?
2Ti 3:1-9 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (6) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (8) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (9) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
Even in gospel times there would be perilous times; on account of persecution from without, still more on account of corruptions within. Men love to gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and do their duty. When every man is eager for what he can get, and anxious to keep what he has, this makes men dangerous to one another. When men do not fear God, they will not regard man. When children are disobedient to their parents, that makes the times perilous. Men are unholy and without the fear of God, because unthankful for the mercies of God. We abuse God's gifts, if we make them the food and fuel of our lusts. Times are perilous also, when parents are without natural affection to children. And when men have no rule over their own spirits, but despise that which is good and to be honoured. God is to be loved above all; but a carnal mind, full of enmity against him, prefers any thing before him, especially carnal pleasure. A form of godliness is very different from the power; from such as are found to be hypocrites, real Christians must withdraw. Such persons have been found within the outward church, in every place, and at all times. There ever have been artful men, who, by pretences and flatteries, creep into the favour and confidence of those who are too easy of belief, ignorant, and fanciful. All must be ever learning to know the Lord; but these follow every new notion, yet never seek the truth as it is in Jesus. Like the Egyptian magicians, these were men of corrupt minds, prejudiced against the truth, and found to be quite without faith. Yet though the spirit of error may be let loose for a time, Satan can deceive the nations and the churches no further, and no longer, than God will permit.
A Time To Leave - G. Craig Lewis
Estranged Believers - G. Craig Lewis
Identifying False Teachers
Beware Of Trojan Horses:
Would Joel Olsteen attend a Gay wedding?
Spiritual sons take an oath?!
Kirk Franklin & Steve Harvey: Where is God In This?!
Even in gospel times there would be perilous times; on account of persecution from without, still more on account of corruptions within. Men love to gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and do their duty. When every man is eager for what he can get, and anxious to keep what he has, this makes men dangerous to one another. When men do not fear God, they will not regard man. When children are disobedient to their parents, that makes the times perilous. Men are unholy and without the fear of God, because unthankful for the mercies of God. We abuse God's gifts, if we make them the food and fuel of our lusts. Times are perilous also, when parents are without natural affection to children. And when men have no rule over their own spirits, but despise that which is good and to be honoured. God is to be loved above all; but a carnal mind, full of enmity against him, prefers any thing before him, especially carnal pleasure. A form of godliness is very different from the power; from such as are found to be hypocrites, real Christians must withdraw. Such persons have been found within the outward church, in every place, and at all times. There ever have been artful men, who, by pretences and flatteries, creep into the favour and confidence of those who are too easy of belief, ignorant, and fanciful. All must be ever learning to know the Lord; but these follow every new notion, yet never seek the truth as it is in Jesus. Like the Egyptian magicians, these were men of corrupt minds, prejudiced against the truth, and found to be quite without faith. Yet though the spirit of error may be let loose for a time, Satan can deceive the nations and the churches no further, and no longer, than God will permit.
A Time To Leave - G. Craig Lewis
Estranged Believers - G. Craig Lewis
Identifying False Teachers
Beware Of Trojan Horses:
Would Joel Olsteen attend a Gay wedding?
Spiritual sons take an oath?!
Kirk Franklin & Steve Harvey: Where is God In This?!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
HOW BELIEVERS ARE TO WALK
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 KJV (1) Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. (2) For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. (3) For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (4) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; (5) Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: (6) That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. (7) For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. (8) He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
J. Vernon McGee - This section teaches how the believers are to walk down here in light of the coming of Christ. It is bound up in that little word walk, which we find in this verse and again in the twelfth verse. This is the practical aspect of the hope of the coming of the Lord. We like to look forward to the day when we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. But, my friend, in the meantime our feet are down here on the ground and we need to do some walking. We are to walk in a way that will please God."As ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more." We should keep improving. We should grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him. The walk of the believer is very important. It is emphasized in many portions of Scripture, and it is the emphasis here. A believer cannot do as he pleases; he does as Christ pleases. In regard to their walk, we will find Paul giving some commandments to the Thessalonians. You will remember that the Lord Jesus also gave commandments. Some of these commandments are new commandments. Let me say this very carefully: The Ten Commandments have no part in a sinner's salvation, nor are they standard for Christian conduct. The purpose of the Ten Commandments is to take us by the hand, as a pedagogue would take a little child by the hand, to bring us to the Cross and say to us, "Little fellow, you need a Savior!" The Ten Commandments are like a mirror which lets us see that we are sinners. The Ten Commandments were not given to save us; they were given to show us that we are sinners and that we need a Savior. That is their purpose. However, there are commandments for believers, and the standard for Christian conduct which they set is on a much higher plane than the Ten Commandments. In chapter 5 we will find twenty-two commandments for believers given.
Now the question naturally arises: If man could not keep the Ten Commandments, how can he keep higher commandments? The Bible makes it very clear that man was not able to keep the Ten Commandments. The nation Israel transgressed these commandments as Simon Peter confessed: "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe…. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Act_15:7, Act_15:10-11). Now if we can't keep the Ten Commandments, how are we to keep any higher commandments of Christian conduct? Man cannot do it himself. This can be attained only by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the believer (see v. 1Th_4:8). "For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus." Paul has some commandments for believers. We are not lawless. We should be disciplined, and we should be in obedience to Christ. It should be a love relationship—we should be motivated by love—the Lord Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (Joh_14:15).
Sanctification is a very wonderful word, but I am afraid that it is greatly misunderstood. If you go through the Scriptures, you will find that sanctification has several different meanings. When it is used in reference to Christ, as it is here, it means that He has been made over to us sanctification—and you cannot improve on that! Therefore, it does not simply refer to a sinless state, but rather that we have been set apart for God. For example, Simon Peter speaks of the fact that "… holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2Pe_1:21). Now some of those holy men have life stories that don't make them sound very holy! Moses, for instance, was a murderer. David, who wrote so many wonderful psalms, was also a murderer. But they were sanctified, holy, because they had been set aside for God. Sanctification of the believer is a work of the Spirit of God. We need to review the threefold aspect of it, because this is so very important: Positional sanctification means that Christ has been made unto us sanctification. We are accepted in the Beloved, and we will never be more saved than at the moment we put our trust in Christ. We are never accepted because of who we are, but because of what Christ has done. This positional sanctification is perfection in Christ. Practical sanctification is the Holy Spirit working in our lives to produce a holiness in our walk. This practical sanctification will never be perfect so long as we are in these bodies with our old sinful flesh.
Total sanctification will occur in the future when we are conformed to the image of Christ Jesus. Then both the position and the practice of sanctification will be perfect. The literal meaning of the word sanctification is to be "set apart for God." The moment a lost sinner comes to Christ and accepts Christ as Savior, that person is set aside for God's use. This is clearly taught in the Old Testament in the tabernacle. God taught the Old Testament believers great doctrinal truths through very simple, practical lessons. In the tabernacle there were vessels and instruments which were used in the sacrifices. After they had gone through the wilderness for forty years, those pots and pans and forks and spoons were pretty well beaten and battered. I don't think they were very attractive. I think that any good housewife would have said, "Let's trade them in on a new set. Let's throw these away." However, God called them holy vessels. They were holy because they were set aside for the use of God. That is what made them holy.
In the same way this applies to a person. When he comes to Christ, he is saved. He is redeemed; he belongs to Christ. Paul says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." You have been set aside for a holy purpose, for God's use. Every child of God—not just preachers or missionaries or Christian workers, but every believer—is set aside for the use of God. "That ye should abstain from fornication." Don't think it was only the Thessalonians who needed this admonition from Paul. Don't think they were the only ones who engaged in sins, especially the sins of the flesh. Don't think it was only in Roman times that idolatry involved sins of sex. Today we are seeing the rise of the worship of Satan and the practice of the occult. There are all kinds of amulets and rituals connected with such worship. Also there is astrology which seeks to tell people about themselves. And there is always sex involved in all of it. The great tragedy today is to hear of some Christian worker who has become involved in sexual sin. And, unfortunately, there are even churches that will defend a minister who has been guilty of such. We are people who are supposed to be set aside for the use of God! Paul says that you cannot be involved in sexual sin and at the same time be used of God. One cannot live in sin and be a preacher or singer or Sunday school teacher or an officer in the church. I don't care who you are, if you do, you will wreck the work of God.
Now, should a Christian strive for holiness? I think so. But you and I need to recognize that it is only in Christ that we can be acceptable to God. Paul says that we have been sanctified, brought to this high state, set apart for the use of God. Now what?— All around these Thessalonian believers were the pagans who combined sex and religion. Sex was a religion among the Greeks. You could go to Corinth and find that out, but you didn't have to go to Corinth—you could find it out right in Thessalonica. Paul says that we are to live a life that commends the gospel. The loose living that we find among some believers today brings the gospel into disrepute. Such people are not living for God or serving God. You cannot serve God and live in sin. He doesn't accept that. "That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour." The immorality that exists in our day is absolutely astounding. A very fine Christian leader who holds Bible classes on the campus of a college here in California told me that the boys' dormitory is Sodom and the girls' dormitory is Gomorrah. These poor kids know all about sex, but they don't know about love. God says that the body should be saved for the marriage relationship, and this applies to men and women. There are all sorts of reasons given for the fact that there is so much unhappiness in marriage. The problem is that the marriage partners are not people who have been set apart for the use of God and who are faithful to each other in a love relationship. When a person saves his body for marriage and is faithful to his partner, he is possessing his vessel "in sanctification and honour." Such should be the practice of every child of God. Believe me, Paul puts it on the line. "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter." You have to be honest if you are going to be a child of God. "Because that the Lord is the avenger of all such." I've lived long enough as a Christian and as a pastor to see this principle worked out in the lives of many believers. I've observed certain believers who have been dishonest in their dealings with others, and God is an avenger—He moves in and judges them.
A child of God cannot continue in sin. The Prodigal Son may get in the pigpen for a time, but he won't live in the pigpen. A child of God is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He cannot continue to live in sin because the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The time will come when the child of God will long for holiness in his own life. The Holy Spirit is the only means by which we can live for God. We see in Paul's Galatian epistle that the child of God is not to indulge in the sins of the flesh. Instead, there should be the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in the life. In Rom_8:3, Paul makes it very clear: "For what the law could not do…." Why? Is the Law wrong? No, the Law is not wrong; the Ten Commandments are not wrong. The problem is with man, not with the Law. Man cannot attain to the level of the Ten Commandments, nor can he live by the commandments in the New Testament. It is the Holy Spirit within the believer who has been given to him to enable him to live a life for God.
God has given the Holy Spirit to every believer. He is not something to be sought after a person is saved. The moment a sinner trusts Christ, that person is indwelt by the Spirit of God. In Acts 19 we find that when Paul arrived in Ephesus, he found people who were professing to be Christians, but he saw that they were not indwelt by the Spirit of God. He asked them whether they had received the Holy Spirit when they were saved. They told him they had never even heard about such things; they had heard only of the baptism of John. So Paul preached the gospel to them, and then they were saved and received the Holy Spirit. You receive the Holy Spirit only when you are converted and come to Christ. At that point the believer receives and is baptized with the Holy Spirit and is placed into the body of believers to function in it. A person may have many infillings of the Spirit after that, and I think we need a constant infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is only the indwelling Holy Spirit that enables us to lead holy lives.
Sexual Purity
J. Vernon McGee - This section teaches how the believers are to walk down here in light of the coming of Christ. It is bound up in that little word walk, which we find in this verse and again in the twelfth verse. This is the practical aspect of the hope of the coming of the Lord. We like to look forward to the day when we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. But, my friend, in the meantime our feet are down here on the ground and we need to do some walking. We are to walk in a way that will please God."As ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more." We should keep improving. We should grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him. The walk of the believer is very important. It is emphasized in many portions of Scripture, and it is the emphasis here. A believer cannot do as he pleases; he does as Christ pleases. In regard to their walk, we will find Paul giving some commandments to the Thessalonians. You will remember that the Lord Jesus also gave commandments. Some of these commandments are new commandments. Let me say this very carefully: The Ten Commandments have no part in a sinner's salvation, nor are they standard for Christian conduct. The purpose of the Ten Commandments is to take us by the hand, as a pedagogue would take a little child by the hand, to bring us to the Cross and say to us, "Little fellow, you need a Savior!" The Ten Commandments are like a mirror which lets us see that we are sinners. The Ten Commandments were not given to save us; they were given to show us that we are sinners and that we need a Savior. That is their purpose. However, there are commandments for believers, and the standard for Christian conduct which they set is on a much higher plane than the Ten Commandments. In chapter 5 we will find twenty-two commandments for believers given.
Now the question naturally arises: If man could not keep the Ten Commandments, how can he keep higher commandments? The Bible makes it very clear that man was not able to keep the Ten Commandments. The nation Israel transgressed these commandments as Simon Peter confessed: "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe…. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Act_15:7, Act_15:10-11). Now if we can't keep the Ten Commandments, how are we to keep any higher commandments of Christian conduct? Man cannot do it himself. This can be attained only by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the believer (see v. 1Th_4:8). "For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus." Paul has some commandments for believers. We are not lawless. We should be disciplined, and we should be in obedience to Christ. It should be a love relationship—we should be motivated by love—the Lord Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (Joh_14:15).
Sanctification is a very wonderful word, but I am afraid that it is greatly misunderstood. If you go through the Scriptures, you will find that sanctification has several different meanings. When it is used in reference to Christ, as it is here, it means that He has been made over to us sanctification—and you cannot improve on that! Therefore, it does not simply refer to a sinless state, but rather that we have been set apart for God. For example, Simon Peter speaks of the fact that "… holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2Pe_1:21). Now some of those holy men have life stories that don't make them sound very holy! Moses, for instance, was a murderer. David, who wrote so many wonderful psalms, was also a murderer. But they were sanctified, holy, because they had been set aside for God. Sanctification of the believer is a work of the Spirit of God. We need to review the threefold aspect of it, because this is so very important: Positional sanctification means that Christ has been made unto us sanctification. We are accepted in the Beloved, and we will never be more saved than at the moment we put our trust in Christ. We are never accepted because of who we are, but because of what Christ has done. This positional sanctification is perfection in Christ. Practical sanctification is the Holy Spirit working in our lives to produce a holiness in our walk. This practical sanctification will never be perfect so long as we are in these bodies with our old sinful flesh.
Total sanctification will occur in the future when we are conformed to the image of Christ Jesus. Then both the position and the practice of sanctification will be perfect. The literal meaning of the word sanctification is to be "set apart for God." The moment a lost sinner comes to Christ and accepts Christ as Savior, that person is set aside for God's use. This is clearly taught in the Old Testament in the tabernacle. God taught the Old Testament believers great doctrinal truths through very simple, practical lessons. In the tabernacle there were vessels and instruments which were used in the sacrifices. After they had gone through the wilderness for forty years, those pots and pans and forks and spoons were pretty well beaten and battered. I don't think they were very attractive. I think that any good housewife would have said, "Let's trade them in on a new set. Let's throw these away." However, God called them holy vessels. They were holy because they were set aside for the use of God. That is what made them holy.
In the same way this applies to a person. When he comes to Christ, he is saved. He is redeemed; he belongs to Christ. Paul says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." You have been set aside for a holy purpose, for God's use. Every child of God—not just preachers or missionaries or Christian workers, but every believer—is set aside for the use of God. "That ye should abstain from fornication." Don't think it was only the Thessalonians who needed this admonition from Paul. Don't think they were the only ones who engaged in sins, especially the sins of the flesh. Don't think it was only in Roman times that idolatry involved sins of sex. Today we are seeing the rise of the worship of Satan and the practice of the occult. There are all kinds of amulets and rituals connected with such worship. Also there is astrology which seeks to tell people about themselves. And there is always sex involved in all of it. The great tragedy today is to hear of some Christian worker who has become involved in sexual sin. And, unfortunately, there are even churches that will defend a minister who has been guilty of such. We are people who are supposed to be set aside for the use of God! Paul says that you cannot be involved in sexual sin and at the same time be used of God. One cannot live in sin and be a preacher or singer or Sunday school teacher or an officer in the church. I don't care who you are, if you do, you will wreck the work of God.
Now, should a Christian strive for holiness? I think so. But you and I need to recognize that it is only in Christ that we can be acceptable to God. Paul says that we have been sanctified, brought to this high state, set apart for the use of God. Now what?— All around these Thessalonian believers were the pagans who combined sex and religion. Sex was a religion among the Greeks. You could go to Corinth and find that out, but you didn't have to go to Corinth—you could find it out right in Thessalonica. Paul says that we are to live a life that commends the gospel. The loose living that we find among some believers today brings the gospel into disrepute. Such people are not living for God or serving God. You cannot serve God and live in sin. He doesn't accept that. "That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour." The immorality that exists in our day is absolutely astounding. A very fine Christian leader who holds Bible classes on the campus of a college here in California told me that the boys' dormitory is Sodom and the girls' dormitory is Gomorrah. These poor kids know all about sex, but they don't know about love. God says that the body should be saved for the marriage relationship, and this applies to men and women. There are all sorts of reasons given for the fact that there is so much unhappiness in marriage. The problem is that the marriage partners are not people who have been set apart for the use of God and who are faithful to each other in a love relationship. When a person saves his body for marriage and is faithful to his partner, he is possessing his vessel "in sanctification and honour." Such should be the practice of every child of God. Believe me, Paul puts it on the line. "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter." You have to be honest if you are going to be a child of God. "Because that the Lord is the avenger of all such." I've lived long enough as a Christian and as a pastor to see this principle worked out in the lives of many believers. I've observed certain believers who have been dishonest in their dealings with others, and God is an avenger—He moves in and judges them.
A child of God cannot continue in sin. The Prodigal Son may get in the pigpen for a time, but he won't live in the pigpen. A child of God is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He cannot continue to live in sin because the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The time will come when the child of God will long for holiness in his own life. The Holy Spirit is the only means by which we can live for God. We see in Paul's Galatian epistle that the child of God is not to indulge in the sins of the flesh. Instead, there should be the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in the life. In Rom_8:3, Paul makes it very clear: "For what the law could not do…." Why? Is the Law wrong? No, the Law is not wrong; the Ten Commandments are not wrong. The problem is with man, not with the Law. Man cannot attain to the level of the Ten Commandments, nor can he live by the commandments in the New Testament. It is the Holy Spirit within the believer who has been given to him to enable him to live a life for God.
God has given the Holy Spirit to every believer. He is not something to be sought after a person is saved. The moment a sinner trusts Christ, that person is indwelt by the Spirit of God. In Acts 19 we find that when Paul arrived in Ephesus, he found people who were professing to be Christians, but he saw that they were not indwelt by the Spirit of God. He asked them whether they had received the Holy Spirit when they were saved. They told him they had never even heard about such things; they had heard only of the baptism of John. So Paul preached the gospel to them, and then they were saved and received the Holy Spirit. You receive the Holy Spirit only when you are converted and come to Christ. At that point the believer receives and is baptized with the Holy Spirit and is placed into the body of believers to function in it. A person may have many infillings of the Spirit after that, and I think we need a constant infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is only the indwelling Holy Spirit that enables us to lead holy lives.
Sexual Purity
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Purifying The Church
Numbers 5:2-3 KJV Command the children of Israel, that they put
out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is
defiled by the dead: (3) Both male
and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they
defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.
Dr.
J. Vernon McGee - They were to put the leper out of the camp.
That may seem cruel to us, but there was a very definite reason for it. There
was the danger of contamination and transmission of disease. And we read that
the camp was not to be defiled because God dwelt in the midst of the camp. God commanded that certain ones were to be put
out of the camp. This was not done by those who thought they were superior or
wanted to assert their spiritual prerogatives. It was by God's command.
Who were to be excluded from the camp? First of all, the leper. We saw in the
Book of Leviticus that leprosy was a type of sin. Any outburst from within, an
issue in the body, represents the flesh, the unregenerate nature of man. Sins
of the flesh must be dealt with.
We need to recognize that if we are going to walk
with God, if we are going to have fellowship with Him, there must be a
cleansing of our lives. Recently I heard of a preacher who died as an
alcoholic, yet people talked about what a blessing he was. I discount that,
because God is not a fool. He does not bless nor will He walk with us when we
are living in conscious sin. "For our God is a consuming fire" (Heb_12:29). "God is greatly to be feared in
the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are
about him" (Psa_89:7). Today a
great deal of the problems and difficulties and sickness and heartache is
caused by Christian people who will not deal with the sin in their lives. In
our churches today, we shut our eyes to sin in the lives of the people.
In Israel there were certain ones who had to be
put out of the camp!
When we get to the Book of Joshua, we will see
that Israel could not get a victory at Ai because Achan had sinned and had
covered it up. It had to be brought to light and dealt with before Israel could
have a victory.
I believe that there could be revival today if
more preachers, church officers, Sunday school teachers, choir directors, and
singers would deal with the sins in their lives. Sins of the flesh are like a
leprosy. God will not bless until that sin is dealt with.
Free At Last – This kind
of action would cause an outcry in today’s churches. Worldly standards and
political correctness has gained a foothold in Christian ministry. Some say
that the God of love would never condone such a thing as putting someone out of
the camp for something they have no control of. But with God, sin is sin and He
is no respecter of persons and the people ought not to be either. That is why I
believe that God issued the command and not Moses. Anyone that is a leper, with
an issue or have been defiled by the dead, whether it be male, female or child
was put out. In order for the camp to remain holy unto God, the unholy things
must be removed. This is nothing new, just think about it, if you have a child
in daycare and the child is sick, the daycare will not allow your child to
enter. This is not to punish your child, they are not evil and they have done
nothing wrong. However, in order to protect the other children your child must
be put out until the sickness is gone.
I have witnessed on many occasions where one person in
the family got sick, then three to four days later everyone is sick. Sin is contagious. God is
protecting the camp, when sin enters, it affects the entire community. Pastors
are the shepherds in the church, the primary responsibility is to protect the
church body, not the individual member. If sin is left unchecked in the church,
it will fester and all those who come in contact with it will be affected. Imagine
a daycare worker noticing that a child is showing signs of the measles, but
takes no action because the child is adorable and the parents are big financial supporters. Before the week is out,
seven more children show signs, it has become a major health issue. The daycare
is shutdown and parents are now seeking legal action because this outbreak
could have been prevented. If pastors continue to allow sin to remain in the
camp, God will pass judgement on it and shut it down. We can have revival after
revival, trying to convince everyone that we are on fire for God, but all one
needs to do is line it up with the word of God. Did God honor Cain’s offering?
No. Why? Cain did the same thing that Abel did, bring God an offering. The difference
was that Abel brought to God what God wanted, but Cain brought what he wanted.
Nevertheless God gave him an opportunity to get it right, Genesis 4:6-7 ISV
the LORD asked Cain, "Why are you so upset? Why are you
depressed? (7) If you do what is appropriate, you'll be
accepted, won't you? But if you don't do what is appropriate, sin is crouching
near your doorway, turning toward you. However, you must take dominion over
it." Cain refused and killed the one person that reminded him of his
failure to comply, his brother Abel. Today, a lot of churches have worship and
praise, and are holding revivals and breakthrough conferences. But are we doing it God’s way or our way. Is your
worship leader an adulterer? Is your praise team doing the same dances they did
in the club the night before? Are the speakers speaking in tongues without
interpretation or pretending to give prophetic messages? Are marriages being torn down instead of being built up. This is unacceptable
to God, and just like Cain, those who wish to offer this type of worship will
attempt to kill those who call their attention to it. Will we repent and do that which is
acceptable unto God and please Him or will we continue to have the Burger King
mentality and have it our way.
Suggested Listening:
Beware of Wolves in Sheep Clothing:
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Two Paths, Two Destinations
Matthew 7:12-14 ERV "Do for others what you would want them
to do for you. This is the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teaching of the
prophets. (13) "You can enter true life only through
the narrow gate. The gate to hell is very wide, and there is plenty of room on the
road that leads there. Many people go that way.
(14)
But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road
that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it.
Matthew 7:12-14-Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
Christ came to teach us,
not only what we are to know and believe, but what we are to do; not only
toward God, but toward men; not only toward those of our party and persuasion,
but toward men in general, all with whom we have to do. We must do that to our
neighbour which we ourselves acknowledge to be fit and reasonable. We must, in
our dealings with men, suppose ourselves in the same case and circumstances
with those we have to do with, and act accordingly. There are but two ways
right and wrong, good and evil; the way to heaven and the way to hell; in the
one or other of these all are walking: there is no middle place hereafter, no
middle way now. All the children of men are saints or sinners, godly or
ungodly. See concerning the way of sin and sinners, that the gate is wide, and
stands open. You may go in at this gate with all your lusts about you; it gives
no check to appetites or passions. It is a broad way; there are many paths in
it; there is choice of sinful ways. There is a large company in this way. But
what profit is there in being willing to go to hell with others, because they
will not go to heaven with us? The way to eternal life is narrow. We are not in
heaven as soon as we are got through the strait gate. Self must be denied, the
body kept under, and corruptions mortified. Daily temptations must be resisted;
duties must be done. We must watch in all things, and walk with care; and we
must go through much tribulation. And yet this way should invite us all; it
leads to life: to present comfort in the favour of God, which is the life of
the soul; to eternal bliss, the hope of which at the end of our way, should
make all the difficulties of the road easy to us. This plain declaration of
Christ has been disregarded by many who have taken pains to explain it away;
but in all ages the real disciple of Christ has been looked on as a singular,
unfashionable character; and all that have sided with the greater number, have
gone on in the broad road to destruction. If we would serve God, we must be
firm in our religion. Can we often hear of the strait gate and the narrow way,
and how few there are that find it, without being in pain for ourselves, or
considering whether we are entered on the narrow way, and what progress we are
making in it?
The Wide Road
It is so easy to
choose to wide and easy road, especially when the road is heavily travelled.
The reason that this road has many travelers is because those who travel it
would rather go along than stand alone. Christians go from church to church,
trying to find the place with the best crowd, the liveliest choir, the most charismatic
preacher and the prettiest building, taking no consideration as to whether the
word of God is being preached. As long as we can get that feeling, we feel that
we are in the right place. Pro 14:12 says “ There is a way which seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee - This is a verse which should be applied to
the cults and "isms." They sound so reasonable and so nice and so
attractive. Recently a friend said to me, "Why is it that this certain
cult keeps growing as it does?" I said, "Because it appeals to the
old nature of man. It appeals to the flesh. It tells you that if you are a nice
sweet fellow and follow certain rules, you are going to make it." My
friend, "there is a way which seemeth right unto a man," but notice
the end of this proverb: "but the end thereof are the ways of death."
The end is eternal separation from God. How important it is to be in the right
way! The Lord Jesus said, "… I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me" (Joh_14:6).
Matthew Henry - We have here an account of the way and end of a
great many self-deluded souls. 1. Their way is seemingly fair: It seems right
to themselves; they please themselves with a fancy that they are as they should
be, that their opinions and practices are good, and such as will bear them out.
The way of ignorance and carelessness, the way of worldliness and
earthly-mindedness, the way of sensuality and flesh-pleasing, seem right to
those that walk in them, much more the way of hypocrisy in religion, external
performances, partial reformations, and blind zeal; this they imagine will
bring them to heaven; they flatter themselves in their own eyes that all will
be well at last. 2. Their end is really fearful, and the more so for their
mistake: It is the ways of death, eternal death; their iniquity will certainly
be their ruin, and they will perish with a lie in their right hand.
Self-deceivers will prove in the end self-destroyers. Pro_13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise:
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
The Narrow Road
First, That the gate
is strait. Conversion and regeneration are the gate, by which we enter into
this way, in which we begin a life of faith and serious godliness; out of a
state of sin into a state of grace we must pass, by the new birth. This is a
strait gate, hard to find, and hard to get through; like a passage between two
rocks. There must be a new heart, and a new spirit, and old things must pass
away. The bent of the soul must be changed, corrupt habits and customs broken
off; what we have been doing all our days must be undone again. We must swim
against the stream; much opposition must be struggled with, and broken through,
from without, and from within. It is a strait gate, for we must stoop, or we
cannot go in at it; we must become as little children; high thoughts must be
brought down; nay, we must strip, must deny ourselves, put off the world, put
off the old man; we must be willing to forsake all for our interest in Christ.
The gate is strait to all, but to some straiter than others; as to the rich, to
some that have been long prejudiced against religion. The gate is strait;
blessed be God, it is not shut up, nor locked against us, nor kept with a
flaming sword, as it will be shortly, Mat_25:10.
Secondly, That the
way is narrow. We must endure hardness, must wrestle and be in an agony, must
watch in all things, and walk with care and circumspection. We must go through
much tribulation. It is an afflicted way, a way hedged about with thorns;
blessed be God, it is not hedged up. The bodies we carry about with us, and the
corruptions remaining in us, make the way of our duty difficult; but, as the
understanding and will grow more and more sound, it will open and enlarge, and
grow more and more pleasant. Thirdly, The gate being so strait and the way so
narrow, it is not strange that there are but few that find it, and choose it.
Many pass it by, through carelessness; they will not be at the pains to find
it; they are well as they are, and see no need to change their way. Others look
upon it, but shun it; they like not to be so limited and restrained. Those that
are going to heaven are but few, compared to those that are going to hell; a
remnant, a little flock, like the grape-gleanings of the vintage; as the eight
that were saved in the ark, 1Pe_3:20.
Let us see what there
is in this way, which, notwithstanding this, should invite us all to it; it
leads to life, to present comfort in the favour of God, which is the life of
the soul; to eternal bliss, the hope of which, at the end of our way, should
reconcile us to all the difficulties and inconveniences of the road. Life and
godliness are put together (2Pe_1:3); The gate is strait and the way narrow and
up-hill, but one hour in heaven will make amends for it. Conversion is hard
work, but it is needful, and, blessed be God, it is not impossible if we
strive, Luk_13:24.
Suggested Listening:
Beware of Wolves is Sheep Clothing:
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