THROUGH THE FIRE AND THROUGH THE WATER
THROUGH THE FIRE AND TROUGH THE WATER
FEARS
KEEPING YOUR ZEAL
TOYING WITH DOUBTS
SMALL COMPROMISES
THE AWAKENED PASSIONS
BEWARE OF IDOLATRY (ADDICTIONS & LUSTS)
THE DECEITFUL HEART
INTEGRITY AND THE TREATMENT OF OTHERS
“I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in
my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear
thereof and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name
together. I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all of my
fears.” Psalm 34:1-4
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to
try you, as though some strange thing happened to you…Who are kept by the power
of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in
heaviness through manifold temptations:
that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, you love; in
Whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 4:12, 1:5-9
Speaking
of trails and temptations is not always becoming for a disciple’s walk with
Jesus, but there is a critical time and place for it. John Bunyan in his book “The
Pilgrims Progress” did a masterful job relaying many of the trials a believer
has to face on our journey to heaven. We all have to go through them, but
victory is guaranteed as we abide in Christ. Let’s look at some common
temptations and trials we can face.
FEARS
"Fear not, for I Am with you. Be not dismayed, for I Am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness." Isaiah 41:10
Fears
are common to all of us, but they must never take us to the point where we
deliberate disobey God and not trust His Word. Israel did this when they
refused to go into the Promise Land after hearing the negative report of ten of
the twelve spies. The report of the spies completely undermined and
contradicted the direction and promise of God. This cost them not only their
lives, but none of them were able to enter into the Promise Land. Today we still have
fierce enemies, but God has promised to see us through. Let us not fear lest we
too turn back from following Jesus Christ. He said that He would never leave us
nor forsake us. Be assured, there are things that none of us can face on our
own, but He promised that when we pass through the fires and the waters that He
would be with us. We can either face it with Him, or without Him. “When you pass through the waters, I will
be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk
through the fire, you shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon
you. Isaiah.” 43:2 A great example of faith in the face of huge fear is
Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, who stood their ground of faith in God in the
face of a horrific punishment if they did not worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. “Shadrach,
Meshack, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we
are not careful to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us out of you hand, O King. But if not, let it be
known to you, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image
which you have set up.’” Daniel 3:16-18. Notice their absolute resolve
regardless of the outcome.
True, this is an exceptional situation, but our greatest example was when our Lord Jesus Christ was facing His death sentence on the Roman cross, and He prayed, “Saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.’” Luke 22:42, He demonstrated His commitment to trusting His Heavenly Father. Doubtless, there was nothing in His emotions that wanted to go ahead with it, but He knew in His mind and heart that was what He had to do. So in Christ Jesus we can confidently say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 Rest assured, in ourselves, we can do nothing. “For without Me (Jesus) you can do nothing.” John 15” "...Who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God." Hebrews 9:14 We can see that Jesus as a man demonstrated and carried out His work and unto His sufferings on earth, not on human strength, ability, or qualities (thought He in Himself being perfect and sinless), but through the Holy Spirit Who overrides our human frailties. But be assured, Jesus' suffering was not thereby dismissed. He suffered the full impact of all the torture and death, as well as all the temptations, snares, and oppositions which he faced throughout His life. For us, although we are not comparable to our Lord Jesus Christ, all that we can and will accomplish for Him is only through His Holy Spirit by His grace. Indeed we can and shall! So we must be ever so careful who and what we listen to, and never trust our own abilities and strengths.
KEEPING YOUR ZEAL
“Command Arron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the BURNT
OFFERING; the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar all
night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on
it.” Leviticus 6:9
"And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as her the Word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches , and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful." Mark 4:19-20
"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom their master, when he comes, will find watching." Luke 12:35-37
"And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but you imitate those, who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Hebrews 6:11-12
When
we come to faith in Jesus and decide to take up our cross and follow Him, we are
like a Burnt Offering of the Old Testament. We surrender our life on the altar
of consecration to Him completely, nothing held back, no turning back until He
takes us home. We are to keep that fire of faith and zeal/love all the days of
our life. During the night when men sleep, our fire must still be burning. That
means that regardless of what is happening, how we feel or don’t feel, we keep
the fire of our consecration burning. Regardless of the endless distractions,
the long wearisome road, the hard labor, the relentless battle, and especially the dry times, that whenever
He comes for us, He will find us waiting earnestly for Him. That may seem like
a tall order, but definitely not unreasonable nor impossible. He gives strength
to the weary and refreshing to those who wait for Him “He gives power to the
faint, and to them that have no might He increases strength. Even the youth
shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail: but they that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings
as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31. My earnest caution here is letting the fire burn down or
out, wherein we become mechanical in our devotion and service to Him, where our
heart lacks fire and genuine faith; where we are no longer stirred by the
hardships, suffering, and possible fate of others; where we find the things of God boring or
incidental (God forbid) to the point where He becomes distant to us and we lose
that passion and loving devotion; lest we become like the religious leaders of
Jesus day where He said, “This people draws nigh to Me with their mouths,
and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” Matthew 15:8. Even if what we say and do is Biblical, if
our heart is not in it we are no better off 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Thus the seed of the Holy Word of God planted in us is choked and we bare no fruit.
To us
there may be valid excuses for the downplay of our faith and zeal, but not
likely before God Who purchased us with His Blood "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:28 That is the price and commitment He paid for His love for us.
- For instance, if we are getting older and our bodies are wearing out, remember that our inward man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). We may not be able to carry out the same physical activities as we once did, but the earnest prayer and support should not diminish. Now all things considered "For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man has, and not according to what he has not." 2 Corinthians 8:12 In other words, God does not expect from us what we cannot do.
- If we have been hurt or seriously let down
by the church (our brothers in Christ), and unjustly treated, which happens,
our devotion to Christ and His Kingdom should still not be altered. People do
wrong, including each of us. Not only are we to forgive, but we are never to
allow any offence to get between us and Jesus, nor hinder us from giving our
all in all to Him, His Kingdom and His will, which is the care and concern for His
people and the souls that are lost. Let’s work it out, be faithful, fear God, and keep the fire of our faith and love hot!
- If we are losing interest in the work of
the Kingdom of God and in spiritual things, let us figure out why, and repent!
Are we taking the sufficient time in prayer, Bible study, and personal devotion
with Him? Are our efforts WHOLEHEARTED? Have we given our affections to worldly
things, permissible as they many may be to a believer? What may have begun as
permissible could have grown into and enemy of our soul because we have
invested in it too much of our affections, time, and resources. Did we make it an
idol?
-Have the cares and demands of this life
taken precedence over God’s Kingdom and will. True, we have responsibilities
which we must carry out, but are we trying to carry them out without Him. Mark 4:19-20 The devil knows how to trick us into being too busy. In all our duties and responsibilities, are we trusting God our Heavenly Father for the provision and help we need? Do we recognize His help and input, or do we feel all our efforts are the sole source? When we feel we do not have time for our personal devotion and prayer life, let alone for the things of His house and people, we may be off track a little if it becomes a habit.
-Are you burned out? Have we tried to fulfill demands and
responsibility that the Lord Himself was not calling us to do? This is a common
problem in ministry and church involvement. Whether by pressure from without,
guilt, or zeal, we can dig ourselves into a hole from which we cannot easily escape. It is
time to go back to the cross and the call of Christ in our personal life,
earnestly pray and search the scriptures and assess what He is really requiring
of us. New conversion, zeal, and the excitement of the Kingdom of God and the
love of Christ is fantastic, but sometimes we can go beyond Jesus’s expectation
of us. That is one reason why BURNOUT happens. Be humble enough to make the
appropriate changes so as to keep the fire going without sacrificing
wholehearted consecration and devotion. With this I say, beware of confusing the will and projects of men, with the Kingdom and will of God, and it may not be their fault. Remember, Jesus said, “Come unto Me
all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give your rest. Take My
yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall
find rest unto your souls. For MY YOKE is easy, and MY BURDEN is light.” Matthew
11:28-30
All in
all dear friends, never lose that grip of faith and the burning love for Jesus
– He will do it!
TOYING WITH DOUBTS
. “Therefore the Holy Ghost says, ‘Today
if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, in
the day of temptation in the wilderness: when you fathers tempted Me, proved
Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was grieved with that generation
and said, ‘They do always err in their heart, and they have not known My ways.
So I swore in My wrath they shall not enter into My rest.' Take heed, brothers,
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the
living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any
of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers
of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.”
Hebrews 3:7-14
Deception fed by doubt and unbelief is what took Eve out, which consequently led to Adam’s sin, and ultimately the fall of the human race. “Has God said?” Genesis 3:1. By the way, any one of us would have done the same, and possibly more so. Doubts are temptations like any other temptation. They are confusing, throwing what sounds appealing and reasonable against God's Word - the Bible, and consequently they destabilize. You must realize that doubt and unbelief not only closes the door to faith and trust in God, defies the warnings, but they also open the door to dark assumptions/beliefs, and finally actions. The devil went on to say, “You shall not surely die. For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5. Never toy with the infallibility of the Bible, nor listen to the satanic arguments of naturalistic rationalism and atheism. They are evil and demonically inspired, and are similar to the temptation of suicide. Regardless of how logical or rational they may sound, if anything or anyone contradicts the Bible and the character of Jesus Christ - it is wrong!!! True there are things we do not know the answer to, but we know the One Who is True and Whom we can trust. Very much indeed we can say with complete confidence “Let God be true, but every man a liar…” Romans 3:4 Settle it! God's Word is True and Right, regardless of all the good sounding conflicting arguments.
From the Scriptures above we can learn a few things about doubts and unbelief. Temptations to unbelief occur not only when things go hard, dry, or not the way we had planned or hoped, but also when other desires and opportunities for personal gain (or the fear of loss) are knocking at our back door. Now look, the devil's temptation to Eve was also an attack on the character of God. He worded it as if God did not want them to know and be wise even though we were created in His image and likeness. God knows our frailty, and wants to protect and guide us. All through the Scriptures God pleads for us to gain wisdom and understanding. He was not holding out on them or us, but just did not want us to learn the difference between good and evil through acts of disobedience. The next step down is to consider what is proposed, consent to it, then harden our heart so as to not listen or obey the Word of God in light of the consideration of the ‘apparent alternative',open door, or solution – “…when affliction or persecution arises for the Word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Mark 4:17-19 And one of the reasons for failing in the trials is not knowing His ways, much of which we learn by obeying His word in spite of the hardships.
Errors begin by making the choices of our heart while following the blindness of our mind while being driven by fears and doubts instead of faith. Another is by making choices that appeal to imagined personal advantage against the assumed loss by considering the obedience of faith, which is again a form of doubt and unbelief. It is such a trap listening to the contradicting voices. They easily appeal to our insecurities, fears, lusts, greed, and incorrectly placed self value (flattery).
(For other information about this subject please see my blog,
‘FAITH – DOUBT – UNBELIEF – ATHEISM’)
SMALL COMPROMISES -THE LITTLE FOXES
THAT SPOIL THE VINE
“Catch for us the
foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in
bloom.” Song of Songs 2:15
How
many little things are there in our lives that we close our eyes to, chose
to ignore, esteem them as harmless, innocent, amusing, but meanwhile they are
working corrosion in the very best of our endeavors of faith and holiness. The
thing is, we may not notice how destructive they are until a critical time in
our life where our spiritual health should be at its very best, and we are
found wanting. Those seemingly little compromises in our attitudes, behavior,
affections, interests, management of finances, relationships, entertainment, or
indulging in bitterness and resentments, idols, can all too often turn into a
major disease or destructive force. The struggle is relentless. The apostle
Paul put it like this, “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly;
I so not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my
slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the price.” 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 NIV
SOME REASONS WHY TEMPTATIONS AND VICES DO NOT LEAVE
These sometimes may seem like the harmless little foxes, but left unchecked can reap havoc in our lives and even in those around us. There is absolutely no room to cling to, regard as valuable, justify, conceal, any questionable attitudes or behaviors, but rather bring them to the light and cleanse yourself from them every time they manifest. If certain attitudes or behaviors keep popping up, and you try and repent, but they are persistent, then there are a few possibilities you must consider:
- The root of the attitude or behavior is not being dealt with
- You are not truly wanting to repent of it.
- There may be a secondary root issue connected that you are maybe unaware of that needs to be exposed.
- Or you may be trying to do it on your own strength and not trusting Jesus to set you free.
Please clear this up as quickly as possible once you are aware of it! There may be some things you may have to contend with all your life. Be aware of them, and never give up, nor trust your own strength, righteousness, or abilities. Trust only in our Lord Jesus Christ. He IS Faithful!!!
THE AWAKENED PASSIONS - "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." 1 Peter 2:11
As long as we are in the flesh, expect war. The drives and passions, especially the ones necessary for our survival, like the need to eat and drink, will always be there and actually need our attention. It is imperative that we manage them and they not manage us. The Apostle Paul put it like this, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Romans 13:14.
In our society of growing and open promiscuity, we must continually be on guard within our heart and mind regarding this lethal enemy. Compromising perspectives, familiarity, casual acceptance can erode away our consecration. A huge warning sign against any form of iniquity is when we may see or hear something that the Bible condemns as sin and it does not bother us. We are then in a compromised spiritual state. We are vulnerable without the armor of God- "... Moreover by them is your servant warned, and in keeping of them (God's laws, commands,testimony,statutes, fear of the Lord, His judgments) is great reward." Psalm 19:11 Note this of our Lord Jesus, "But unto the Son He says,'Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above your fellows." Hebrews 1:8-9 (Psalm 45:6-7. Dear friends, we must hate sin, especially our sin, and love what is right. Do you notice that gladness is one of the fruits of having our love and hate in the right places, where you can say with great thankfulness, "I sure am glad I stayed away from...Now I don't have to...Now I get to...Thank You Lord Jesus!!!"
If anything is a part of our physical drive, the Holy Spirit is Whom we depend on to help us maintain control and balance, and keep it in its perspective. Rules and regulations are undependable "Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." Colossians 2:23 NIV You will find that they may work while you are in a situation that your environment is completely controlled. But given the time where you are not in a "SAFE" controlled, situation you may find yourself completely fallible. "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, and who put no confidence in the flesh..." Philippians 3:3
BEWARE OF IDOLATRY - With regards to restraining sensual indulgences, something that causes it to get way out of control is by regarding the associated affections, values, or aspirations, as something really big and wonderful. They may have become an idol in our heart and mind. This can turn a natural drive into a lust and an idol, and the fight against it can be brutal. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were to destroy the idols. In the New Testament we are to put to death the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit of Christ. "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace...For if you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, you shall live...But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof." Romans 8:5-6, 13, 13:14 As we abide in Christ, we are kept through the power of God through faith in Him 1 Peter 1:5
For our part, we can break our agreement with our idols by reducing them in our heart and mind to what they really are - NOTHING. As long as they are big and important in our heart and mind, they will always be banging at the door. There are times when all our best efforts will not work. The most important thing we can do, and should have done from the start, is to turn to Jesus and cry out to Him with all of our heart. Again, without Him we can do nothing John 15:5 ("And they have not cried unto Me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds..." Hosea 7:14) We must regard our addictions and lusts as sin, break our agreement with them, and hate them in our heart. Remember, our flesh will always be drawn to corruption, which is why "...we put no confidence in the flesh."
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."James 5"16 There are times when the Lord would have you humble yourself and ask for prayer. Let the Lord direct you to whom that should be. Typically, it is likely someone who is in authority over you.
THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN
"THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED: WHO CAN KNOW IT?" Jeremiah 17:9
Next we must regard the deceitfulness of sin and not trust our heart. Among other things, sin hardens our heart. The affections of our heart cleave to our sin, whatever kind it may be, until the door of our heart closes to the truth of God’s word, and we thus turn away from God by compromise. Sin and obedience to God are diametrically opposed. We cannot obey both. Never toy with any sinful compromises, regardless of how tiny or innocent they may seem to you. You can be sure that they can not only grow exponentially, but will with prejudice defy God's Holy word in your mind and heart. What is deceitful about sin is that our heart and mind can persuade us into believing that we can walk in direct disobedience to the Word of God and still be serving the Lord. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord' have we not prophesied in Your name? And in Your name have cast out devils? And in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you. Depart from Me, you that work iniquity." Matthew 7:21-23 King David found that out in the incident with Bathsheba. He had no intentions of leaving the Lord, but somehow persuaded himself that what he was doing was OK. Sin is so deceitful an seductive. David, however, kept his conscience tender, and did not resist the Word of God when his sin was exposed. He owned up to his guilt and did not try in the least to justify himself. He was cleansed and forgiven, but what he reaped was costly, and not only for himself, but for all those who were under his care.
We can be easily tricked into believing something is right if everything inside us is pointing in a direction, even as believers in Christ. BUT, if it contradicts the instructions and commands of the Bible and the nature and character of our Lord Jesus Christ - IT IS WRONG!!! Flee!!! Go the other way! Get help! - "Moreover by them is Your servant warned, and in keeping them there is great reward." Psalm 19:11
Dear friends, in spite of all these warnings about sin, and aside from being foolish, presumptuous, or careless, we need not, and must not live our life in fear of sin and falling! "Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27 , and "greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 "Now to Him Who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only Wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." Jude 24-25 Instead we simply abide in Him, make Him our Refuge, our Fortress, our Hiding Place, and stay in love with Him. Where else would we rather be?
INTEGRITY AND THE TREATMENT OF OTHERS
During the past couple of years in particular, there seems to have been brought to my attention, and constantly, the hypocrisy and ignorant behavior of professing Christians with regards to our sometimes treatment of others inside and outside the congregation, including in the handling of money. I have addressed this before, but I feel it is necessary to address it again.
INTEGRITY - Jesus said that, "He that is unfaithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in the least in the least is unjust in much." Luke 16:10
When it comes to personal gain of any kind, some seem to put aside the name and character of Jesus Christ to obtain some personal advantage. They may even use the Scripture to do so. But God knows our heart. How many people have been hurt and stumbled by our greed, our lack of concern, just so we can gain or have our way. "Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather allow yourselves to be defrauded? No, you do wrong, and defraud, and that your brothers. Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?" 1 Corinthians 6:7-9
The exercise of our faith is to be carried out in our day to day life and dealings. We do not have two separate lives - our "Church" life and our regular life. There should be NO DOUBLE STANDARD! Would Jesus do the things you do at work, or in your business dealings? Would He treat people the way you do?
IGNORANCE TOWARD OTHERS - So many people have been hurt by we well meaning Christians. I for one have been guilty. It may have been through judging and criticizing, gossiping, accusing, complete disregard for others, and so on. We have no idea what struggles and temptations others may be going through, any more that they do us. OH, the damage can be a huge stumbling block for the precious ETERNAL SOULS! Please, be careful, and be ready to repent, and if you are at all able, confess and earnestly ask for their forgiveness. Dear Lord Jesus, please help us! We have no right to hurt and be careless with the souls of others anymore than they have that right with you. By the way, vengeance is not an option. "Recompense to no man evil for evil...Dearly beloved, avenge" not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. For it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. There if you enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink: for in so doing thou shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, bu overcome evil with good." Romans 12:17,19-21 "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31
"YOU SHALL NOT BARE FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR." EXODUS 20:16 This Ninth Commandment we typically call it lying, which it is, but when we judge, accuse, criticize, mock... we are following the same route. How many scores of people have we do so to? Is there blood on our hands? "Reckless words pierce like a sword..." Proverbs 12:18
Here is another that I will bring to our attention, and it is along the same line: "And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God; Behold I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the goats. Seems it a small thing to you to have eaten up the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? And to have drunk of the deep waters, bu you must foul the residue with your feet? And as for you My flock, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fowled with your feet. Therefore says the Lord God to them, 'Behold I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because you have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad. Therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.'" Ezekiel 34:17-22
"My brothers, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, with respect of persons. For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment: and you have respect to him that wears the nice clothing, and say to him, 'Sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor, 'Stand there, or sit here under my footstool.' Are you not partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?" James 2:1-4
How many people have been mercilessly and unjustly treated when they may have stumbled or fallen into sin. Instead of trying to help them back on their feet, they were accused shunned, rejected. Where is the Love of Christ and the grace of God in our dealings with others, especially believers who struggle? "Brethern, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted." Galatians 6:1
How many people over the years have we driven out, offended and hurt, because they did not measure up to our standards, because we judged them unworthy, because we despised them? How many people have we disregarded because we felt they were not our concern, our responsibility? How many have we embraced and brought into our circle of care? Or how many have eaten the scraps of our services and sent off hungry for care and fellowship? No doubt, not everyone are we able to care for, and not everyone can we help. But have we ignored the tugging of the Holy Spirit with regards to the particular ones that He may have been asking us to talk to, pray for...? May the Lord Jesus have mercy on all our souls. In a hurting and broken world, our strength may be small, but surely we can reach out and show His love and compassion.
Most certainly we must be careful to whom we reach out and how we reach out, but let us watch and pray for the saints, and let the Lord direct us as to how, and to whom we should reach out to. For those we see in the throws of life's turbulence, let us watch, and pray for them, not judge them with regards to their behaviors, but with regards to their needs. I will be frank here, some you must stay away from, and let others handle them, but beware that we do not pick apart what Jesus wants to do in and for them because we do not like what we see or hear about them. What did people have to put up with in us while we were trying to grow in Christ?
I will give you two specific examples of both sides of what I am referring to. Many years ago a guy came to our church. He was about my age, and was looking for a friend. I befriended him "with the hopes of helping him grow in Christ." When I realized that he did not want all the intense disciplines that I intended to put him through, I walked away from him without notice. He really just needed a Christian friend. That bothers me to this day. I was not concerned about his needs. Was I not like the cattle that pushed with the shoulder?
Another instance regarding the other side of the equation is -I used to work extensively with street people. One evening I took an intoxicated guy to a church meeting. I felt I was doing the right thing and the saints had to put up with him. He openly disturbed the people around him and even the little children. The Lord spoke to me and said, "If you have faith, keep it to yourself." Romans 14:22 I realized then that bringing a person like him: and in his condition was not safe in a family setting, especially with all the little children. Not that he in himself wanted to hurt any of them, but the evil spirits that were on him could.
So we have a responsibility to love and care for one another as we are able, to be careful not only how we treat others, but how we think of and regard them. And finally to protect those around us in the wisdom, grace, and love of Christ in all our activities.
CONCLUSION - The road may seem long, and the battle may seem wearisome, but God our Heavenly Father has provided us in Christ Jesus all that we need to succeed and make the journey with joy and peace as we abide in Him. May the Lord bless you richly!
Comments
Post a Comment