Ecumenicalism Abounds

Before Christ’s ascension, He commissioned the New Testament Church to preach the gospel, baptize the converts, and teach them to observe all things that He had commanded, Matthew 28:18-20. No other license is needed, nor does this regular work of the church depend on other things to be its cause or catalyst.

The magical combination of power to reach lost sinners has always been: “the preaching of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:21) and “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). In Luke 16, the rich man who died and in hell lift up his eyes, cried that if one went back from the dead, his brothers would repent. But the answer was, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Multitudes of decisions, made in every religion, are made due to fear, emotional upsets, human persuasions, passions, coercions, etc., but the facts are that human awakenings, reformations, passions, intentions and commitments are not the same thing as a conversion wrought due to the sowing of the incorruptible seed (God’s Word) and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Paul stated that he had planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

God’s people are commanded to pray without ceasing. Without prayer, there is no effective watch against temptation, and no real connection with the Lord’s leadership and power. Jesus taught that prayer is not a matter of an outward display, but an effectual, fervent communication on the individual’s part with God.

God commands the Body of Christ, i.e., the local church, to be doctrinally pure and sound. We are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered. We are to speak and stand for sound doctrine. We are to remain separate from everything not according to the true doctrines of the scripture. We are commanded to try the spirits whether they are of God or man (1 John 4:1) and to prove that which is acceptable unto the Lord, and have no fellowship with that which is not (Ephesians 5:10-17). We are to reprove doctrinal instability (Titus 1:9), rebuke those things that are not upright according to the truth of the gospel (Galatians 2:14), and come out from among that which is false, that we be not a partaker of their sins (Revelation 18:4).

Yet today, when the religious initiatives of men are put forth, by even those known to espouse false doctrine, if you don’t join up with their initiatives, recommend their productions, and laud the positive aspects of their works, the ecumenical spirits accuse you of missing the boat. As a preacher of the 1950’s said, “They tell me that I missed the boat, but I wasn’t looking to get on board.”

“By their fruits ye shall know them.” If the movies and ecumenical services had any real gospel impact, the first people being converted from error unto the truth, would be the makers and producers themselves. But that’s not happening! Rather, they are just being strengthened in their own religious error, while turning the sentiments of people against those who join not in with their religious errors! BE NOT DECEIVED!

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Repentance, Confession, Forsaking, Forgiveness, Cleansing

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

Confess: to admit or acknowledge one’s sins; to own up to one’s guilt.

Confession necessarily involves repentance of sins committed. It is having a godly sorrow over having sinned against God. By this broken and contrite spirit, the heart, mind and conscience is restored with God: “For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:11

The grounds upon which one is forgiven and cleansed is the propitiation power of the blood of Jesus, that has made the atonement for all sin: “He is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2). “…the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

As we confess ours sins, “he is faithful and just to forgive us ours sins” (1 John 1:9). He is faithful to His promise to forgive. He forgives due to His righteousness, for it would be unjust to punish sin a second time, since the penalty of the believers’ sins have already been paid for on Calvary’s cross.

Where there is true repentance and confession and forgiveness, there will also be cleansing. The same blood that has the atoning power, also has the cleansing power: “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). As Priest, He has atoned for the penalty of all sin; as an advocate, He restores the soul. Sin interrupts our communion with God; the advocate restores it. The ability of His power to do these things is guaranteed by the righteousness of His person and the value of His propitiation, and these are unchangeable.

Before Peter sinned, Christ prayed for him; when he sinned, He looked on him; and when he repented, He restored him–so effectively that Peter was able to strengthen his brother Apostles. When Christ forgave the woman taken in adultery in John 8:11 – “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.” The fruit of repentance, confession, forsaking, forgiveness, cleansing, is to NOT go out and continue to practice that same sin.

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Discernment

“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” Acts 9:6

“They” say, if you come to a fork in the road, pick it up. It would be great if life was that simple, but it isn’t. Figuring out what to do and how to do it requires uninhibited earnest. Life’s challenge is to become honest with truth and fact, rather than be predisposed by our preferences.

We must not hide behind notions that we are victims or short-changed. We must address the reality that our life is shaped by the sum of our decisions. There are no trial runs, no rehearsals. For our decisions to be right, our discernment must be accurate.

We cannot make our life become something just by thinking that’s what we want it to be. Rather ,our life is developed according to our reactions to what really is, not what we wish it to be. Positive psychology is essential to bear up under the responsibilities of life, but beware: it can also blind the mind to right discernment.

Right discernment requires that we embrace first and foremost Christ to be the Lord of all, unto having the utmost sincerity about His will to be done, instead of our own.

Right discernment necessarily involves our first priority being to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), without neglect or failure of consideration.

Right discernment will only be realized when our heart is singular unto proving what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Solomon went from being the wisest man on earth to one of history’s biggest fools because he failed to heed his own counsel: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Right discernment is the blessing of God’s light upon those who deny themselves and take up their cross consistently to follow Him. “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.” (Hosea 6:3) “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that waverth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8)

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What Is A Church?

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27

The Church is the espoused bride of Christ, which is far more than just an association of believers. It is the Groom’s most prized possession. No mistreatment of the espoused bride, no matter how minor, will go unnoticed. When it comes to the church, we must fear God unto treating it with the utmost respect and honor, lest we incur the wrath of the Lion of Judah.

The church on earth is the body of Christ of which He is the sole Head. “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:30). Any malfunction of any one member, immediately affects the whole body and will draw the full attention of the Head. We must think in terms of pleasing the Head in all we do. We owe all the other members our best character, conduct and service in the body, lest we impair their performance: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

The caliber of our service is to have excellence that will redound for the glory of the Lord: “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27) Our service in God’s house is not about us, it is to be for God’s glory! “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) The Old Testament priests, whose service projected Christ, were clothed in garments “for glory and beauty” (Exodus 28:2, 29:40). This was not to advance their own vanity, but to show respect and honor unto the One their office was all about, the God of all glory. “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if I be a father, where is mine honour? But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.” (Malachi 1:6a,14) “Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)

“Give of your best to the Master,
Naught else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom,
Gave up His glory above.”

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Due Diligence

Romans 12:8 “…he that ruleth, with diligence…”
Proverbs 12:24 “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule”

Joshua 9 records how that Joshua and the elders of Israel were deceived by the Gibeonites, unto making a covenant with them, that was contrary to the terms under which Israel was to drive out all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.

One of the factors the Gibeonites counted on was that God’s people would be inclined to show good will. Sometimes this virtue is allowed to short circuit careful and wise considerations, unto God’s people being taken advantage of. BEWARE: Matthew 10:16 “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

The Gibeonites presented circumstantial evidence of being from a far country, even though they were not, such as wearing old clothes and shoes, and having dry, mouldy bread to indicate they had been traveling for a long period of time.

They professed to want to join Israel on the level of being servants to the Israelites, “…because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt.” Joshua 9:9

So, based on circumstantial evidence and the Gibeonites profession of faith, Joshua and the elders made the decision to make a covenant with the Gibeonites based on how they felt about them. But they did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord. Joshua 9:14b

This account reveals how that our circumstances, our evaluation of intentions, can be enough to formulate how we feel about something unto taking a position regarding it. Our feelings can make it out to be a slam dunk case.

But only when we can take everything else off the table to diligently seek counsel at the mouth of the Lord, are we able to get beyond our limitations unto seeing what really is from God’s infinite point of view. “Not my will, thine be done.”

Thus, as we seek to advance by faith, let us see the merit of adding to our faith by giving all diligence – 2 Peter 1:5.

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