Three Costly Mistakes

“…Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” Luke 12:20

It is certainly true that God’s rain falls on the just and the unjust. In the story of Luke 12, a man’s crops brought forth abundantly; so much so that he would not have room to store them at harvest time. He ignored the goodness of God and gave himself all the credit while he began to make big plans. In so doing, this man made three costly mistakes.

First, he placed himself ahead of God. Instead of acknowledging that God was the source of the bumper crops and that all he had actually came from God, the man selfishly took the credit and began to make plans to make himself bigger. In the verses of Luke 12:15-21, the personal pronouns “I” and “my” are found throughout. Friend, you ought to make sure that God is first in all you do and that He gets the credit for the good in your life. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” Psalm 53:1

Second, he took thought for his body instead of his soul. The man chose to work to be comfortable in this life. He worked on the physical and not the spiritual. The wise person will seek to take care of spiritual things and work for eternity, letting God take care of the physical for him.

Third, he mistook time for eternity. He said to himself that he was set for many years and could just eat, drink, and be merry. The truth is that time for you and me could end in the next five minutes. This man lost his soul because he did not prepare for eternity. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, but eternity is sure. Do not gamble your eternity on the altar of time spent in physical (and material) gratification.

–Pastor Sam Owen

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

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Nehushtan

“He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.” 2 Kings 18:4

Hezekiah never broke the brazen serpent because it in and of itself was an evil thing, but because of the way it was being used. God authored its making for a needful purpose, Numbers 21:8-9, but years later, when it was used for idolatry, it needed to be destroyed.

We are now living in an age of incredible technology. God given intelligence has enabled its development. It can be used for marvelous causes, or like other things, become counter productive.

There are some who reject the use of technology on the grounds it can lead to evil. But this may be shortsighted; as it is what is in the heart, not the hand, that produces evil deeds. I remember a time when some preachers condemned owning a TV, only to purchase one later. “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12

We miss the point if we become either pro or anti-technology. The point is to make proper use of it rather than be brought under its power.

Technology opens many new doors. But as with every open door, the possibility of added temptations come into play. Things that people would never put forth or say in face to face dealings, technology affords a bunker from which to launch bold barrages.

Technology can become another dimension that one can enter away from the reality of what is really important. Other opportunities, privileges, and even responsibilities can become out of sight, out of mind. This can lead to isolation, which creates loneliness, unto seeking more from technology to fill the void, only to increase the problem. This addiction and distraction leads to alienation, even from the real wonders of God and His work. We must not let the incredible become the insidious, by allowing it to take first place in our hearts and lives–first place belongs unto God.

“The most extravagant expense is the waste of time.”

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Be Diligent And On Time

–By Roy Mason

Let it be understood, that when we speak disparagingly of lack of promptness in the Lord’s work, we make no reference to those who are sick–those who are Providentially hindered–or those who by virtue of their employment are unavoidably detained. We refer to people who unnecessarily drag in late to everything, and who lack pep and energy and enthusiasm when it comes to the things of God and religion. One should be on time–even at his own funeral.

Habitual, Lazy-lateness Does the Following:

1. It puts the Lord’s business in a position inferior to the world’s business. Trains leave on time, stores open on time, schools open on time, factories open on time, and employees are expected to be on time, but poor old church members come poking in about as fast as cold molasses comes out of a jug on a zero degree day in January. Unsaved people look on and they see that professing Christians are not really in earnest. No wonder they are contemptuous. What does the Bible say? 1 Samuel 21:8 furnishes good motto: “…for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

2. It knocks all the spirit out of a religious service. To come to church and find about a dozen people sitting around listlessly, is to start the service off in a draggy fashion, and often the service never recovers from the poor start it gets. One reason churches are so devoid of young people as a rule, is the uninteresting, poky, draggy way services are conducted. The Lord’s worship and work ought to have just as much life in it as anything else–and more!

3. It disturbs the service for large numbers to walk in late. Clomp, clomp, clomp. When half the crowd is late, half don’t know what has been going on, and they miss out on things, and folk get their minds off of what they have been doing as they stare at new arrivals.

4. It indicates a poor state spiritually. Interested, enthusiastic Christians don’t make it a practice to be late most of the time. When people begin to decline spiritually, they get late and begin to sit further back in the church as a rule. Next step is not to come at all.

Excuses:
Baptists do not compare favorably with the Catholics in the matter of devotion to church services. Catholics get up early and go to mass, while Baptists can’t get up on time to go to Sunday school three hours later. Too little is asked of Baptists and too excusing an attitude is shown. We just don’t take the Lord’s business very seriously, that’s all.

Let Us Think of What the Bible Has to Say:
1. The prophet who arose early (2 Kings 6:15)
2. The Saviour who got up early to pray. (Mark 1:35)
3. Awake early to praise. (Psalm 57:8)
4. The women who were early at the tomb. (Luke 24:22)

These arose early because they were interested. Lack of interest is what causes church members to drag out of bed too late for church.

We are counseled to do whatever we do “heartily, as to the Lord.” Colossians 3:23 This is one of the greatest failures that can be charged to Christians–the failure to work and serve with interest, enthusiasm, and spirit. People often show such in other things, but when it comes to the Lord’s affairs, they immediately slow down.

Likewise, we are charged to be diligent, 2 Peter 3:14; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 12:15. Often a man who is an excellent business man, when he becomes clerk of a church will neglect to mail out church letters for weeks at a time. Many a Sunday school teacher goes before classes without even studying the lesson. And so it goes. No diligence–no concern. Christianity is the most important thing in the world–else it means nothing.

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The Sword Of The Spirit

“…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17b

“And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.” Genesis 46:33-34

It is a very common thing for people to only concern themselves with what is an abomination in the sight of the “Egyptians”, while at the same time ignoring what is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. It is possible for this confusion to deceive people. Some cry a church should not take a stand on certain Biblical issues, that if some hear of it they won’t want to come to church. But if that be the case, the church should quit preaching the true gospel, because it would be disagreeable to all who don’t believe the truth.

Contrary to those ideas, the law of the Lord, which exposes sin and identifies the will of the Lord, is what God uses to affect the conversion of sinners: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making the wise simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Pslam 19:7-8 So the manifestation of God’s laws is not a stumbling bloc to sinners, but is the eye opener unto the reality of sin– “…I had not known sin, but by the law…” “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Romans 7:7,12 The offense to God’s laws comes from people rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit, which convicts the sinner unto the knowledge of the truth. John the Baptist wasn’t out of line when he told Herod it was unlawful for him to have his brother Philip’s wife, but rather Herod and his gal, Herodias, were offended due to their refusal to let the Holy Spirit convict their hearts unto repentance and faith in God (Matthew 14:1-5).

When the children of Israel came down to Egypt, Joseph knew ahead of time that shepherds were an abomination in the eyes of the Egyptians. Joseph instructed his brethren, not to conceal the fact they were shepherds, but rather to declare openly that they were shepherds unto the Egyptians. WHY? Not as a matter of offense, but as a matter of their true occupation.

Joseph knew that the ways of the Egyptians were contrary to the ways of God’s people, especially in matters of the worship of God (see Exodus 8:26–their sin offerings were an abomination to the Egyptians.) Joseph knew when the Egyptians found out the Israelites were shepherds, they would want to separate Israel from their company. This separation would work to Israel’s advantage, keeping them out of Egypt’s influence, ways, and persuasions, as well as keeping them a separate people unto the Lord’s blessing, favor, and distinct watch care.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.” Luke 6:22 Wherever there are lives after the order of Christ, the reproaches of unbelievers will be upon them.

Anytime our identity with the teachings of God’s laws causes people to separate from us, we need to see it as a needed separation. And rather than refrain from those things that those who reject God’s laws are offended at, we need to be up front with our identification with the truth. Whenever God’s Word turns people away, we need to recognize it to be the working of God’s “two edged sword, as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

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