Enduring Faith
In the days of David, when the bottom had dropped out of everything, and David’s men even spake of stoning him, he encouraged himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6) When Job had lost everything, and was being attacked by his friends, he declared that even though God would slay him, he would still trust in Him (Job 13:15) When Paul rebuked the feared Alexander the coppersmith and all men forsook Paul, his testimony was that the Lord stood with him and strengthened him.
It’s nice to be in the company of those who support you. But in these last days, when everything is being turned upside down, and evil men are waxing worse and worse, the Devil is seeking to tear down anything and everyone that is right and good.
In this day of covenant breakers, lack of natural affection, and disobedience to parents, there will be more working against children honoring and obeying their parents in the Lord than there will be encouraging them to do so. Church member, there will be more working to turn you away from following a ministry that is sound in the Word, than there will be promoting you to stay with it. Unless people are really given over to watching and praying and proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, the offenses of these times will swallow them up. The voices against the way of God’s Word will far outnumber the “still small voice” calling people to God’s will and way.
Many things will lend themselves to discouraging true faith in this time when truth is being challenged rather than respected. Family ties, circumstantial involvements, peer pressure, popular opinion, will all seek to turn one aside. When sound doctrine is hard to endure, any small thing makes it seem unbearable, let alone some big trial or tribulation.
Will our allegiance to the truth stand the tests and trials that we will undergo? The need is to take root in sound doctrine and the understanding of the righteousness of God’s laws. Without a personal appreciation of God’s ways above all else, then the tests of our times will persuade one to abandon God’s way to just do what is convenient for self.
SHARING
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Do You Respond To The Truth?
“How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” 1 Kings 18:21
Baal can be simply defined as unscriptural religion; that which is according to human concept and opinion, rather than by the authority of God. It is very possible for man to know and benefit from the truth of God in every way. The problem being, however, man’s failure to respond to the truth of God made known, and/or available to him. It is a natural thing for light to dispel darkness, for knowledge to void ignorance. But spiritually, our human natures are at enmity with God. Therefore, when Christ, the Divine Son of God, was made flesh and dwelt among us, manifesting the grace and truth of God, man received him not, but despised and sought out Christ’s death.
Today, when man is shown the difference between religious truth and error, he responds not to the truth. Likewise, as he did toward Christ, rather than acknowledge the truth, his reaction is one of enmity. Just as this accounted for man crying out for the crucifixion of Christ in his day, it accounts for aggressiveness against the ministry of truth today.
No one is free from the depravity of our fleshly nature, until we put off the natural man, either in death or with the coming rapture, the resurrection and glorification of the saved. Thus, the element of enmity, that nature of spiritual insensitivity, is the essence of our fleshly being’s response, or shall we say, lack of response to the truth of God, but rather fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Thus, a world lost in sin. There is absolutely no hope apart from man repenting, which is God’s command to every person.
But Christian, do you respond to the truth? We cannot expect to lead the lost to do so, if we do not so ourselves. Christ warned of “having ears to hear and hearing not; eyes to see and seeing not.” We choose our state of mind, either to go with the wisdom and way of the fleshly mind, or to be cleansed and up righted by the Word of God. If one is not seeking to purify their mind before God, their mind remains estranged from spiritual vision and priority. The only time the truth gains access to their thinking is when someone else reproves, rebukes, and exhorts them concerning the truth. But being unfamiliar with taking hold of God’s Word, it just seems natural to let God’s Word pass out and through the mind, without changing either our way of thinking or doing. This faithless and spiritually bankrupt position makes way for our walking in unbelief and eventual rebellion.
Hearing, without doing, is personal consent to our being deceived, with us initiating the condition, James 1:22. When we elect to be deceived, rather than cleave to God’s Word, we seal ourselves to Satan’s processes. There is nothing any more important than to rightly respond to the truth.
SHARINGWhat Then?
When the bugle's call sinks into silence
And the long marching columns stand still
When the captain repeats his last orders,
And they've captured the last fort and hill,
And the flag has been hauled from the mast head,
And the wounded afield checked in,
And a world that rejected its Saviour,
Is asked for a reason--WHAT THEN?
When the great plants of our cities
Have turned out their last finished work;
When our merchants have sold their last yard of silk
And dismissed the last tired clerk,
When our banks have raked in their last dollar
And paid the last dividend;
When the Judge of the earth says, "Close for the night,"
And asks for a balance--WHAT THEN?
When the choir has sung its last anthem,
And the preacher has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the altar
And the pews are all empty of men
And each one stands facing his record-
And the great Book is opened--WHAT THEN?
When the actors have played their last drama
And the mimic has made his last fun,
When the film has flashed its last picture
And the billboard has displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished
And gone out in the darkness again-
When the trumpet of ages has sounded,
And we stand before Him--WHAT THEN?
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27
SHARINGInsight For Living
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every good work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
To know the conclusion, i.e., how it will end and work out, removes the mystery and doubt. This knowledge enables one to make good decisions so as to be on the good side of how things turn out.
In view of the fact God will bring all, with their every deed into judgment, the conclusion of the whole matter of life then is to: “Fear God, and keep his commandments.” To fail to do so, is to destine self to loss and penalties at the judgment.
Just as rewards for faithfulness lie beyond what the eye has seen, the ear heard, or ever has entered into the heart of man, likewise the eternal consequences for unbelief and disobedience are beyond human comprehension. We are told there shall be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Isaiah 28:19 tells us it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
In these last days, the trend of sinful decision is to strengthen oneself in the spirit of disobedience, rather than to yield to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. It is to choose spiritual darkness rather than spiritual light. It is to believe any and every lie rather than receive the love of the truth. It is to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, rather than respect the recompense of the reward for serving God. It is a determination bent on conforming to the world’s sensuality, rather than proving God’s will to be good, acceptable, and perfect. It is denying God, unto self serving.
The problem with this trend will be found out in the final conclusion. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.
Be not weary in well doing! “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
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