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:

They Will Not Defile The Camp

Our Nation's Sexual Sins 

Effective Ministry 102 

Beware of Wolves in Sheep Clothing:

EX Ministries - Gospel Music Takeover 

Eddie Long Expanding 

The Future Of Gospel Music???? 

 

 

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:

Heaven! The Narrow Gate or The Broad Gate. Which path are you on?

The Cult of the Church

Beware of Wolves is Sheep Clothing:

Kirk Franklin ministered on American Idol???

United Nations Seek to approve Anti-Homophobia Indoctrination 

The Oprah Deception  
Club Dancing In The Church!!!!