Tag Archives: faithfulness

The Uprooted Plant

05 Monday Oct 2015

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In last week’s bulletin it was mentioned that if the Lord did not plant the seed of His word into the heart of man, then the seed planted into man’s heart will be rooted up (Matthew 15:13). In Isaiah 30 there is something of the same with the following words, “‘Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, ‘who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin’” (30:1, ESV). The context is the Lord’s rebuke, through Isaiah, to a people determined to align themselves with Egypt, a false strength, but they do so without any counsel from the Lord. Of course, to seek counsel from the Lord in such matters would have been a denial of the request, and the people desiring Egypt simply was not interested in that!

The rebellion of the people was strong; thus, any attempt to dissuade from a disastrous path was going to be mighty difficult. What made it so difficult was the preaching of the false prophets, and the hearing of the falsely-interested-in-the-Lord’s-way people. “For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel’” (30:9-11, ESV)

In our day it is this way also. So insistent are some at wanting to alter the Lord’s way that they will go to great lengths at manipulation to accomplish their desire. For some, it does not matter what the Holy Spirit said, “It only matter what I think!” Let me give a for instance. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, stated plainly that women are not to teach in a mixed assembly of both Christian men and women (1 Timothy 2:8-15). One brother said this is not the case; all that needs to be done is for her to be trained and taught in matters pertaining to the Lord.

The only way she can be trained and taught to teach is an assembly of the saints gather is for her (or her teacher) to have a higher authority than the Lord! Do you know of one? I do not either. In fact, the One spurned for culture’s sake is the One who judges because of His own sake. Yes, she has to be trained to move away from the Lord and into the arms of Satan.

Brethren, do not associate with those who alter the Lord’s way. The blind that lead the blind – both fall into the ditch (Matthew 15:14). RT

 

The May Come a Time

04 Tuesday Aug 2015

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Biblical history records vividly the split in Israel after the death of Solomon. The son of Solomon, Rehoboam, was king over all Israel, but because of a lack of wisdom and, most importantly, because it was the Lord’s doing (2 Chronicles 11:4), Israel was divided into two nations. The nation of Judah (including the tribes of Simeon and Benjamin) and the nation of Israel (with the remaining tribes).

Because he feared the people of the land would reject his authority, Israel’s king (Jeroboam) altered the Lord’s way for his own way (1 Kings 12:25-33). Consequently, those who loved the Lord, especially the Levites, fled the northern nation Israel and went into Judah (2 Chronicles 11:13-17). It is worthy of note that those who fled idolatry in northern nation (Israel) “strengthened the kingdom of Judah” as the king of Judah himself stayed with the Lord (2 Chronicles 11:17).

There may come a time in the life of the saints to “draw a line in the sand” with regard to how much is going to be tolerated. We all know very well, after a moment’s reflection, the difficulty the people in Israel certainly had when they considered the prospect of picking up their earthly possessions and leaving for an unfamiliar place. Whatever hardships might have been experienced, it was the Lord who gave them strength and it was the Lord’s way that pulled them in a direction desired.

It is very much the same today. Whether it is in the political environment or in the religious community, the Lord’s people can only stand for so much; once that “line in the sand” is drawn, then when evil crosses, those who love the Lord must tolerate evil no more. In truth, there should no toleration of evil at all, but because we tie ourselves down to a location or to an ideology that once was, we tolerate more than we should.

Be that as it may, as New Testament Christians, the Lord’s way is to be our way and for those who refuse to come along, we leave them be for the greater cause of righteousness.

The king of Judah (Rehoboam) should have taken all this experience and turned it into good. He did for a little while, but when he “established himself” in his kingdom, he chose to forsake the Lord. In about two years, Egypt made them pay (2 Chronicles 12). Because he did not “prepare his heart to seek the Lord” the epithet of Rehoboam was (and is) that he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

There may come a time in the life of a saint wherein he (or she) will have to act on the line in the sand crossed by the forces of evil. If you love the Lord more than life itself, moving from one’s heritage will not be difficult at all. On the other hand, if the pull of something is great, then by all means, let it not be greater than the Lord’s pull on you out of the throngs of fire. There is no way for any of us to survive that (Psalm 1)!  RT

GOING TO CHURCH

07 Tuesday Oct 2014

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“Going to church” is not a matter of going to the building as some sort of check off list. It is not a matter of “works religion.” Gathering together with the saints is much more than that. The saints in the first century did so (Acts 20:7), and Paul exhorted the saints in Corinth to do the same (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 4:17). Those who love the Lord won’t be any place but where the Lord desires, and for the reasons the Lord desires.

Here are some points for your consideration: 1) Matthew 16:13-19—Jesus “built” (established) His church. 2) Ephesians 1:22-23—Jesus is the head of His church, His body. 3) Ephesians 4:4—There is one body (church). 4) Ephesians 5:23-32—The church is the saved. Paul wrote to the local body (in Ephesus); he did not delineate between the local, visible, invisible, and/or universal church. 5) Hebrews 10:19-31—After a lengthy discussion on the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit gives a number of exhortations in this section: a) the saints are to draw near with a true heart (10:22), b) the saints are to hold fast their confession (10:23; cf. Romans 10:9-10), c) the saints are to consider one another (10:24), d) the saints are not to forsake (abandon) the assembling together (10:25); this is your “go to church.” e) to sin willfully is to crucify the Son of God afresh (10:26), f) it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (10:31).

What’s hard to understand? For one who doesn’t want to understand, maybe it’s the heart that is hard.