Adultery: Not just a sin of the flesh PartII

Adultery;
Not Just a Sin of the Flesh II


Matthew 5:27, 28
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.


It was during this discourse that Jesus revealed the essence of the Law. His statement showed us how we tend to look at the letter of the commandment to justify our behaviors and actions instead of realizing that the essence of the commandments shows us how we could not possibly stand on our own before God. There is no way that we could ever be seen as righteous without being seen through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also reveals to us how God looks at not only the outside of the individual but the inside as well. He sees the deepest parts of our heart and knows the darkest secrets of our minds. We may be able to fool those around us regarding our salvation but Christ knows who belong to Him and who do not. I believe that if we are truly His children then we can not stand in sin long. In other words; there is no way that you can accept Christ as your Savior and still be living in habitual sin.

After the city of Jerusalem was taken by King Nebuchadnezzar there was a remnant that was left behind in the city. They had the promise of God that they would be able to stay within their land as long as they obeyed Him, yet they went to Jeremiah after the ruler who was left there by Nebuchadnezzar was killed and asked him for a word from the Lord. They were fearful that Nebuchadnezzar would avenge the death of his ruler but Jeremiah assured them that if they were obedient to God, they would be protected. Instead of heeding this word from God they called Jeremiah a liar and headed to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them. True to God's word Nebuchadnezzar hunted them down and killed all but those who had escaped to Jerusalem. It was during this time that Jeremiah had found that many of the people had been worshipping the gods of Egypt, instead of the true God and as he warned them about this and the eminent judgment that would come they insisted on continuing their adulterous ways. Case after case is laid out in this awesome book of Jeremiah regarding the warnings of God and the punishments which will follow if these warnings are not heeded, yet time after time regardless of the things that God shows the people, they refuse to obey.

Paul discusses grace in Romans chapter 7. He reviews how we ought to act under grace and that we are to not look at grace as liberty to sin but that we should look at it as liberty to live even more so for Christ. As we look at grace, we claim that we are no longer under the law therefore we are not bound by the law to act any certain way. We begin to justify our lack of service to Christ by looking at the letter of grace and thereby are actually putting ourselves back under the bondage of sin, when the very essence of grace should push us to respond to Christ in such a way that we could not even think about living in a way that would be displeasing to Him. If we looked at it in the context of scripture we would see it like this. If we, being born again are married to Christ by the shedding of His blood on Calvary, which basically bought and paid for us. In essence a dowry was paid for our hand in marriage and after this marriage we begin to look at the world longing after the sinful life we once led; we are committing adultery because as Christ stated if you lust in your heart it is the same as committing the act. So if we are His how can we justify not only lusting after the world but in many cases continuing in the same things that we did prior to our salvation? When we were commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves; how can we justify our actions that we show? We are told that true love is this; that a man lay his life down for his friends and yet many of us wouldn't even cross the road for them. We shake each others hands in church and that is the last we speak to them until next Sunday, and we call this love. We are this way because we can't stand to look them in the face because we know that we are guilty of adultery with the world and we feel that if we let someone get to close they may find out. This is the reason we don't have anyone over to our house for dinner. This is why we don't invite guest over from church and why we are putting guest speakers up in motels when 20 years ago they would have been spending the night in one of the church member's homes. If we had them in our homes they would see the signs of adultery. The soft lights, music, and video of our adulterous affair with the world would be so apparent to others that we determined that no one would come over. Oh there may be those who are in the same worldly affair as we are that we may let in but for the most part it is a very small group and not open for new members.

Like the children of Israel when they confessed to Jeremiah in Egypt of their worship of idols, we will continue to deny the word of God because we were alright when we were doing these worldly things. They told him that until they stopped offering incense to the queen of heaven everything was going good. They had peace and plenty of food and then their wives spoke up and said yes but then we started baking cakes for her in private. We started burning incense and pouring out drink offerings to her and everything was okay but now that we have stopped it has gotten worse and we are going to do it again regardless of what God says. I see people in the church today saying the exact same thing. Preacher, you know everything was okay until you started preaching this way. Business was good and money was coming in and then you started preaching this stuff and I changed the way I did business and it didn't work so I am going back to what I was doing before because then I was profitable. I am going to go back to over charging and looking out for number one; me and my own and I don't care what God has to say about it because He is not paying my bills. It is my actions that put food on my table and without me He can't do it. Meanwhile their wives are sitting back there saying that's right. I told him not to change the way he does business and when he didn't listen I reminded him every day how much less money we had coming in; I mean seriously I had to quit getting my nails done every week and they looked awful. I haven't been able to buy a new outfit in over two weeks and my car has 20,000 miles on it and we really need to trade it in. Honestly pastor if you are going to keep preaching this way we may just have to find a new church and meanwhile God is saying if you do not heed my word I will wipe your memory from the earth with pestilence, famine and the sword. If you are My child I will chastise you until you return or until I have had enough and bring you home and if your not My child I will give you over to your own delusions and let you continue in your way until it consumes you. And we wonder why our children are not in church. We wonder why they deny God's very existence. Beloved, I am telling you that if we do not stop this adulterous affair with the world that we will reap the whirlwind that He has prepared for us. It will cost us! It will cost us our homes, our families, our children and our grandchildren. God tells us in the book of Revelations that because you are lukewarm I will spew you out of my mouth. This is no a maybe I will do it or a possibly I will do it; it is a firm promise that you can stand on when all else fails, I WILL spew you out. Yet we continue on day after day in the same manner that we have always done because after all it has been over 2000 years and nothing has happened yet.

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man, have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Beloved we are not going to be perfect this side of heaven but it can not be an excuse to continue to live in habitual sin. It can not be an excuse to continue an adulterous relationship with the world and the only way that we can break the holds that it has on us is to be in a daily relationship with Christ both in prayer and in reading His word. I don't mean reading it like you would a novel but digesting it word by word and sentence by sentence. It is going to take the complete surrender of your will for His. It's going to take walking away from the things that drag you back into the lust of the flesh and walking towards Jesus Christ.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

He makes the way, but it takes action on your part. Are you willing to take that action?

SFT
9/30/08

Adultery: Not just a sin of the flesh

Adultery:
Not Just a Sin of the Flesh



Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.


Mentioned several times not only in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well it is often connected with the physical aspect. Christ used this commandment in His discourse with the rich young ruler and Paul mentions it several times in his epistles yet there is another aspect of adultery that is often passed over. We rarely hear it being preached from the pulpit because I believe it hits too close to home for many of us; not only those in the pews but those behind the pulpit as well. God spoke of this aspect of adultery several times in the Old Testament to describe the children of Israel and given the condition of the church today it is time we start using the term about ourselves.

Jer. 3:7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Jer. 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Jer. 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

Jer. 5:7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
Jer. 5:8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.
Jer. 5:9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jer. 5:10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S.

The concept that I am speaking of is one of spiritual adultery. In the promise that God had made to Abraham, He made Israel His chosen people and after the resurrection the promise was extended to the rest of the world because of Israel's refusal to acknowledge Christ as the Messiah.

Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

The warning is posted here in regards to our position with Christ. Peter tells us in 1 Peter chapter 2.

1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

When we look at the scripture, both Old Testament and New, and compare the actions of the children of Israel and then see what God says to us in the New Testament we should see that He has not changed His mind in regards to our actions and behaviors regarding Him. John tells us in Revelations that we the church, are going to be presented to Christ as a bride, spotless and without blemish. While we know that we can have forgiveness for sin and be seen as spotless to the Father through the blood of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ how can we thereby justify our continual whoring after the flesh? If we are to be new creatures in Him, how can we still refuse to live for Him or is it that we merely said a prayer as a security blanket; having no intentions of leaving our sinful lifestyle that we continue to hold so dear to our hearts.

As I have been stuck in the book of Jeremiah over the last several days; I have felt the heartbreak of this prophet as he gives the words of God to the children of Israel because I feel that same heartbreak over the church today. As I read through much of his book I have seen the comparisons jump out at me regarding the church today.

Jer. 5:1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
Jer. 5:2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.
Jer. 5:3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
Jer. 5:4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

Look specifically at verse 3 of chapter 5 and then consider verse 4 and tell me that you do not see this today in our congregations. I have heard my pastor preach his heart out and could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the pew where I was sitting. I have had tears running down my face and have looked around to see many sitting there stone faced. In the last three weeks we have had four salvations and baptisms' and still there were no tears. As I shared these thoughts with my pastor, I shared a story I had heard on the radio regarding a prodigal daughter who left home at 18. Her parents didn't hear from her for six years yet every night her mom would leave the porch light on for her and every Christmas she would set a tree up on the porch just as she had done while her daughter was growing up. Finally after six years her daughter came home. She said, "Mom, I was so embarrassed that I could not come home but every couple of nights I would drive down our street. Every house would be dark except ours and at Christmas I would see the tree on the porch and know it was for me." Even now as I retell this story I still have tears just as I did when I shared it with the pastor and I asked him; why? Why are we not seeing the tears fall from the faces of those in the congregation? Why are we not seeing hearts being broken and contrite to the point that there is true repentance? As I researched information for the ministry that God is leading us into; which is working with troubled youth I came across an article regarding teenage prostitution. In this article the detective is telling how he has girls that he is arresting who are only 13 and 14 years old. One girl who was arrested due to an add on Craig's list was 14 at the time and had been doing it since she was 11 years old. She claimed that she did it because she wanted to feel loved. If that is not breaking your heart then you need to look again at Jeremiah 5:3, because I believe that you have played the harlot so long that your face is as a rock and the only way it is going to break is if the Holy Spirit gets a hold of you and you surrender to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet I wonder if it may be too late for many of you out there. I wonder if God has not already turned you over to your delusions because He had called and called and you wouldn't answer.

Isa. 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

For many it may already be too late but there are some of you still out there that have the opportunity to repent. You have trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior yet you have chosen the relationship with the world over your relationship with Him. You have chosen to commit adultery with the things of the world rather than be presented to Him without spot or blemish. You may be having an affair with your job instead of spending quality time with Christ. You may be sleeping with your money instead of laying your head on His shoulder at night. It could be that new car or the new house that has taken His place. It could be that you are like Abraham was with Isaac, putting your child before Christ. It could be the music you listen to or the shows that you watch or the lust in your heart for the things of the world. You may not want to let go because you are enjoying the things of the world too much and if you surrender to Him then you have to give those things up and you feel it is just not worth it. Remember what Paul said in Romans.

Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

We are promised goodness if we continue in His goodness, otherwise we will be cut off. This is not saying that you can lose your salvation because we are promised that no one can pluck us out of His hand, but what it is saying is that if there is a chance that you are not His child, you can lose your opportunity. Even worse than that is that there is a chance that your child can be cut off because of their hard heart. Your spiritual adultery will carry a greater impact on the lifestyle your child will decide to live. If all Christ is to you is a Sunday morning service then you can bet the chances that your child will even go to church when they are older diminishes. I have spoken and debated with many who went to church when they were young and now claim to be devout atheist because they did not see Christ in the daily lives of their parents.

Jer. 4:22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are silly children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

So, what's it going to be? Is today the day that you break the habit of adultery or is it going to continue to be business as usual for you? God is patiently waiting for you. He is longsuffering but there will come a time just as there did for Israel when He will say enough and that time could be today for you or it could be tomorrow.

Jer 5:21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
Jer 5:22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
Jer 5:23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.


Jer 6:11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
Jer 6:12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
Jer 6:13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

He is calling for us to return to Him. The time will soon come when He will return in His glory but He is waiting for you first. Will you make the right decision?

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I am praying for each and every one of you out there and I pray that God has touched someone's life today through this message. It was not what I had written in my notes. I know it was changed for a reason and there is one of you who was supposed to read this.

SFT
9/29/08

Is Your Walk a Delusion?

Is Your Walk a Delusion?

Isa 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Isa 66:3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

Isa 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

As I was looking at some of the possible reasons that many in the church are not surrendering wholly to God I came to this verse. My Pastor and I were speaking about several of these issues today after church. The conversation came after we had four people come forward and two for sure who had trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior. The thing is that this happened before service began. As I was in the room with one of the young men he was out there preaching with more liberty than he has had in awhile. We spoke about what had happened and how we do not see the body being affected. With the upcoming elections we see it as the potential for judgment upon America and yet many Christians have given into the affairs of the world which are apart from God. We discussed how they sit back and hear the word yet see it as meant for someone else. They are happy with the way things are and don’t want things to change. As I read through Matthew 24, I saw Christ telling what to look for concerning the end times and as I look around today I see it around me. I then turned to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and again the comparison is there as I turned to 2 Timothy chapter 3 and again it was there. I then turned to the book of Jude. The more I read the more I wondered how we cannot see things that are before us and then I turned to the book of Isaiah.

It is not the church building that God wants. It doesn’t matter how big it is or what kind of media equipment we have in it or what programs we have going on in the church because these things are nice but they don’t really do anything. It doesn’t matter how much we tithe to the church or how often we volunteer to work at the church or the position that we hold within the church while they are all nice they don’t really mean anything. Now look at verse 2 and see what means something to God. This is the reason we don’t see the power in the church today. It is why the messages do not accomplish anything to the existing congregation and it is why we can’t get them excited about the things of God today. The only way to accomplish revival today is to get people broken and contrite over their sin and their lack of service to Him. In Sunday school we discussed when things seemed to change and we all agreed that a lot of change happened in the 80’s but I am sure it started before then however God tells us here that He has been calling us and no one responded and as He continues to call and none respond He sends them delusions that continue to allow them to think that they are okay. Just listen to the things that they fear. They worry about jobs, about the economy, about their health, their families, their savings, and as the list goes on we can see that none of the things that they mention concern God or the lost. As we come to the end of verse 4 we see that they did the things that do not delight Him. It is not about us but about Him when it comes to our service and our worship.

In Exodus chapter 33 we have God telling the people to go on into the land flowing with milk and honey but He was not going to go with them. Moses replied that he would not go without God and set His tent out away from the people and the presence of the Lord followed Moses and stayed by his tent. Moses would rather stay in that dry desert with God than to go into the promise land without Him and the problem today is that we would rather go into the promise land without Him if it is going to give us a life of ease, a life of comfort and we count the cost as minimal. This is the condition that we currently have in the body of Christ. We go into our churches, sing the praises and worship Him but the problem is that His presence is not even there and what is worse is that it doesn’t even bother us because we are enjoying ourselves. Just what is the importance of chapter 33 of Exodus? It comes on the heels of God giving Moses the moral law. Moses had gone up into the mount to receive the tablets from God and while He was gone his return was delayed so the people built an idol to worship. When Moses came down off the mount the people were naked, dancing around and worshipping the idol.

Today we have gone off worshipping other gods. We claim to worship God yet it is not Him but an image of Him that we have created in our mind. As God called these people stiff-necked so we too are stiff-necked because we refuse to hear Him and refuse His power in our lives. As they denied Him in their release from Egypt, as they denied His continual presence in the cloud by day and fire by night so we deny His miracles over the years. We deny His presence and power in our ability to work, we deny Him His money that He gives us and we deny the sacrifice that was His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and the result is that He has turned us over to our delusions and removed His presence from us. Many times as I walk through our church I can feel sections where the presence of the Holy Spirit is powerful and in other sections are like walking into a brick wall.

Exo 33:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:

Exo 33:2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

Exo 33:3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

Exo 33:4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

Exo 33:5 For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

Exo 33:6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb

.

Exo 33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

Exo 33:8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.

Exo 33:9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

Exo 33:10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

Exo 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Notice that when the presence of God departed from the people Moses went out from the people as well. He camped a long way off from them. These people saw the presence of God and still they would continually disobey Him and rebel against Him and we claim that if God would reveal Himself today that we would be better than they. I say we would be no different than they were. God reveals Himself daily and we refuse to acknowledge Him, we refuse to obey Him in even the smallest of things. Also notice that the presence of the Lord descended upon the tabernacle once Moses had entered in. The one thing that protects many of our churches is the presence of one godly man or women and generally when you find one there will always be another who is willing to stand with them, who will not be willing to leave the tabernacle. We see this in verse 11 in Joshua; even when Moses went back out into the people Joshua refused to leave the tabernacle. He was intent on remaining in the presence of the Lord because he felt as if there was no other place to be. If God was there he wanted to be there! He did not want to relinquish God’s presence to anyone or anything. Is it any wonder that later in life he would state “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Every person who is willing to stay in the presence of the Lord needs a Joshua because they keep their focus where it needs to be and that is on the presence of God; for we have too many who are willing to leave His presence for the comforts of the world.

You see we are too much like Israel who turned to their idols because of the delay of Moses. Since it has been so long and Christ has not returned we have determined that He will not return anytime soon and therefore we are content to live in continual disobedience to Him. We do not concern ourselves with the lack of His presence and to be honest I don’t think many of you would notice the feeling of His presence in the first place because you have aligned yourself with the world so much. We whore ourselves out to the latest fashions the newest cars the larger salary, the bigger houses, the 401k, the huge retirement account and the people who can help us obtain these things and then sit back and claim to be blessed by God when all the while He is the furtherest thing from your heart and minds. We dance around naked in the streets, shaming ourselves and His name and then wonder why people think Christians are hypocrites. We claim to be loving and kind to others when very few of us would actually put our hands into our pockets and pull money out to hand to someone in need. We give to the church so we can justify not giving to others claiming we have tithed our 10% when it all belongs to Him anyways and then we holler about the fact that homelessness and poverty is at an all time high. We blame our governing officials just as the children of Israel blamed Moses for all their trials when it was their disobedience that caused their continual wanderings just as the condition of our country is the result of our own disobedience because as He has been calling us we have refused to hear Him because He might actually require us to sacrifice one of our creature comforts. We blame the school systems for our children’s behaviors when we are to blame because we are too busy to truly pay attention to them after all we have the right to have our own time. We lay the blame everywhere but where it truly needs to be which is on ourselves because we refuse to hear Him when He calls. Our failed marriage is not our fault it is because of society or the other person where our spouse was working; our pregnant teens are not our fault it is because they hand out condemns at school; our convicted child is not our fault it is because of rap music; our money troubles are not our fault it is because of who is in Washington; and the list goes on when in reality it is our fault because we refused to put ourselves under God’s authority first and foremost. Then we refused to treat our spouse as God commanded, we allowed our daughters boyfriend to spend the night and just what are we doing allowing them to date at 13 or 14 years old anyways. Our child is a felon because we were too busy making money to be home with them and because we deny authority in our lives how can we expect any difference in them. We have money problems because we are too busy buying things we really don’t need. We refuse God His portion. Our country is in the shape it is in because we refuse to stand up for the principles this country was founded on and have deemed it more important to please the flesh than to please God. Do you really want to see where the problem is start by looking in the mirror for one because until you surrender it is not going to change a thing. Until you seek to be in His presence continually it is only going to get worse and before you know it the trumpets will sound and it is entirely possible that you will be left behind. It is possible that tomorrow will be the last day for you and when you stand before Him He may say depart from me you worker of iniquity instead of enter into my rest my faithful servant..

The Path to Perdition

The Path to Perdition

I have written many things over the last several days but none that I felt that should be posted just as yet and while they were things laid on my heart they didn’t have the ingredients that I felt necessary to warrant a posting. Over the last several days I have watched some of the happenings concerning the upcoming elections. This prompted some further research on the two candidates and listening to their speeches. The one thing I have felt concerning this election is that the choice for our next president is going to determine the future of our country; whether it will be judgment or a reprieve. The votes are going to determine where our morals are; if we in fact have any or not and where our heart truly is. However it merely takes a look around us not only in the world but also the church to see where we are fast heading. As I listened to the candidates I heard one speaking of a global community. That we need to not only focus on America but that we as Americans can be better as a global community. From the other candidate I heard the focus on keeping our rights intact; the strengthening of America and her economy; the return to what our country was built upon and the deterioration of government as a whole. The one thing that drew me to the one candidate was his choice for a running mate and it is her steadfastness that makes his appearance all the better for me. Yet this is not all I am going to talk about because it is your choice to make as far as the election is concerned and I know that God will put who He wants in office to do His will, whether to usher in His glorious appearing or to lengthen the time till He returns. My self I welcome His return but in another sense I would like to see more time to harvest.

During His ministry here on earth the disciples asked Jesus what the signs would be of His return to earth. As He answered them He gave some specific requirements for His return and we find these in Matthew chapter 24. We have seen many prophecies fulfilled during our lifetime yet none more compelling I believe than the one found in verse 12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” The New King James replaces “lawlessness” for “iniquity” however I like iniquity better because it has more power. As the last “Christian” nation; America is fast becoming a cesspool for iniquity. Man is doing what seems right in his own eyes and insisting that everyone conform to his viewpoint. A government that was set up on the principals of the Bible is now insisting that the Bible be ignored and taken out of anything having to do with the governing of our country. The remnant that is left has an even more difficult time in getting those who claim His name to glorify Him and it’s in the leadership of the church as well. Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse, 3; Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Verse 4 goes on to describe what the son of perdition will do and how he will promote himself.

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

We can all agree that there have been a lot of perilous times as of late, between hurricanes, terrorist attacks, earth quakes as mentioned in Matthew chapter 24; the list goes on.

2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

I have never seen these attributes so prevalent in the church as much as I do today. The complete lack of self sacrifice among many is appalling. I have seen people who claim to have a burden laid upon their heart for someone and insist that the church do something to help that person when if it was laid upon their heart, it is for them to meet the need of that individual yet because of co-op programs we feel that our job of giving is complete. I am totally against co-ops because of this very reason just as I am against so many so called Christian finance programs that are supposedly designed to help Christians save for their retirements, but we will discuss that later.

2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

There has never been so many grandparents raising their grandchildren than there is today and it is not only in the world but in the church as well.

2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Just take a look around the church today and you will see this unless you are among those who practice these things. Our deacons are no longer going out and visiting those in our church; instead they are giving their phone numbers out expecting us to call them if there is a need. What better way to justify ourselves when a need is missed. I think we must ask ourselves why there is no physical touch anymore within our church. Oh, we may have a meet and greet time but how much can we do in that short 5 minute or less time span? The thing is that we quickly want to get it over with because we can’t be burdened with someone else’s problems.

2Ti 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2Ti 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

What is the knowledge of the truth? It is knowing what God says in His word, it is understanding what He asks of us and being obedient to His call verses our own desires. The truth is going beyond our time of handshaking and going to peoples homes to see how they are doing during the week. It is going the extra mile for our seniors and single parents. It is not just saying I love you but showing you that love them. We cannot just hear the word but we have to live the word; however we have gotten so good at assuming the messages are meant for someone else that we are walking further and further away from God. We are so close to the falling away that Christ had spoken of that I fear it may be too late for a reprieve. This probably won’t be read because many of us do not want to hear anything that would confirm the seriousness of our depravity nor do we want to be reminded how little He really means to us. Don’t get me wrong, I know that you love Him and all but the truth is that you really don’t because if you did you would be doing what He asked you to do. If you loved Him it wouldn’t be hard to live for Him every day, if you loved Him you wouldn’t have a problem putting others before yourself and if you loved Him it would show in you. So as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do you because you want the gift but you want it in a way that will allow you to continue to live your life for yourself. You gather others around you that feel the same way because you really don’t want the truth to be pointed out to you and when it is you quickly convince yourself that it is only their interpretation of the Bible. You avoid studying the word of God because you do not want the truth, oh, you may read it but you are not getting what God wants for you from it. When I was running from God I read all the time and it was amazing how often I felt that my life was okay based upon what I read in His word but when I surrendered the blinders came off and when they came off so did the muzzle that was over my mouth and with boldness I can now speak.