In His Hands

In 1 Kings 19:7-8, Elijah had reached the point where he couldn’t go on. He had withstood the famine. He had remained unconquered in spite of Ahab’s drag net to destroy him. He had challenged all the false prophets and saw their defeat. He had shown Israel the mighty power of God. But now he senses a weakness that is swallowing him up.

So, as Elijah is in the process of giving in and up, he requests for himself that he might die. (But rather than grant that request, God later took him to heaven in a glorious chariot.) God sent his angel to minister to Elijah, because the journey was too great for him. But consider, Elijah’s journey had always been too great for any man. God had been the One sustaining Elijah all along. So as God supplied for Elijah again, he was sustained, “…in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights.”

We have not a High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He understands, and was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. And, “…He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him…” (Hebrews 7:25)

Elijah came to Horeb, the mount of God, by the strength of the Lord’s sustenance. There, God commissioned him with very important tasks, that would result in God accomplishing His dealings with those situations over which Elijah had no control, (1 Kings 19:15-18).

Thus, the overriding factor for Elijah to respect and wait upon was, “God is in control.” All the times that Elijah had been on top of the issues and seemingly invincible, was really only because of God’s power enabling him. However, in the good times, apparently Elijah had come to feel that he was in the position of having control, and when events took a different turn, the realization that he wasn’t able to control anything himself, caused him to crash.

When we find ourselves crying out in despair due to things taking a turn for the worse beyond our ability to do anything about it, this doesn’t mean God is not in control. It only means we have lost our sense of confidence that we are in control. But the truth is, we never were in control, as without God, we could do nothing.

God help us to renew our faith, not by seeking for a renewed confidence of self control, but in the truth that only God is in control, and may the Lord be with us, as we wait upon Him.

SHARING

Beware of Changing

“My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change.” Proverbs 24:21
“For I am the Lord, I change not” Malachi 3:6a

The truth changes not–God’s Word stands forever. God changes not: everything about God, His person, His kingdom, His plan, and His purpose are eternal. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God’s people are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered. God forbids the changing of His Word. God commands His people not to change, nor to meddle with those who are given to change.

Yet man is given over to change. Churches are constantly changing, using the excuse that the world of the Bible is not our world, and we must change to be relevant to our world. The changed ‘Bibles’ are the top sellers, and that which religious leaders laud. The religious consensus is that Biblical morality and order is outdated, and that we must change from those repressive orders, unto what is deemed politically correct by the world. The popular doctrine of the day is that the principles taught in “all scripture” are no longer relevant in this age of grace.

While every message from heaven has always been and continues to be, “change not,” man continues to embrace the spirit that says, “God wants you to change.”

Change is the contradictory action against the truth which never changes. It is the manifestation of that which is inconsistent with the truth. Change is due to an agenda different from seeking the will and way of God that changes not. Change is the substituting of man’s way for God’s way. Change is the disregard for the authority of God’s unchanging way as the standard of judgment.

Man continues to praise those who are given to change, while holding those in contempt who stand against change. The only way man can hope to gain by change, is if God were to change. SELAH!

SHARING

Honor God

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)

HONOR = high regard or great respect given. We honor people by our attendance, attention and extraordinary efforts. This honor is given as we show great respect and high regard for.

It behooves us to honor God because He is worthy (Revelation 4:11). So much depends on the consciousness that God is worthy of our honor. Only when we awake to this glorious fact does our worship of God take on meaning and real purpose. Without honor for God, Christians dry up where the worship of God is concerned. Without honor for God, Christians may draw nigh to God with their lips, while their heart remains far from God. Without honor for God, zeal is absent, humility is unattained to, and faith is not stimulated. Only by seeing God’s honor do we recognize our unworthiness, which is our thirst to draw off the wells of Divine grace and glory.

It is through honoring God that He bestows His honor upon us (1 Samuel 2:30). It is presumptuous to expect God’s honor 7 days a week if we cannot muster up the desire to honor Him one day a week. Should we expect God to honor our cause and answer our prayers, if we do not step up to the part of honoring His name? 2 Chronicles 32:25 – “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him…” Should God never do anything for us but save our souls from hell, it is more than we could ever repay Him. Therefore should there ever come a time when we stop honoring God, we have ceased to render unto Him according to the benefit done unto us.

The duty and privilege of honoring God is a call for us to abandon slackness, indifference and mediocrity in our ways and habits towards the Lord’s work. It requires that we adopt a sense of urgency and promptness to do what we do in a way that is a credit to the Lord’s work. We should always be searching for improvement, rather than allowing anything to slide. To neglect being our best and doing our best is a slippery slope, the side of the mountain that the sunshine of Divine blessing and favor does not shine upon.

The call to honor God, unto being honored by God, is a reciprocal blessing. God calls us to do it, but we must wholeheartedly respond to be chosen for its benefits.

“And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?” (1 Chronicles 29:5). A responsible standard: “What would my church be, if every member was just like me?” CAN GOD BLESS YOU?

SHARING

McChurch

By Vernon C. Lyons

Our culture demands convenience Christianity. We want it short, simple, fast and cheap.

The McBible does not have the tedious 66 books, but just a few with short sentences and simple words at the fifth grade level. There are numerous pictures and some pages ruled with lines so that you can add your own spiritual thoughts, just in case you get a new revelation.

The McWorship service is all sweetness and love with nothing offensive. The McSermon is easily digested with a minimum of nutrition and a maximum of fat. Each McPrayer is centered on temporal and material things to keep the mind from wandering to the spiritual, which is often illusive for the modern American. To keep the kids awake, the McHymns are hip-hop style.

McMarriages are performed for folk who like quickie relationships, and throw-away vows are the big feature. For those who still hold some traditional notions, there are premarital sessions with junk counseling.

The McPastor is a touchy-feely guy who majored in pop-psychology and has an in-depth understanding of felt needs.

McSins, commonly called boo-boos, are easily forgiven with fast prayers and of course are soon repeated, but not taken too seriously. There is an effort to virtually eliminate the negative and dwell 100% on the positive.

This whole business is sustained by the McTithe, which is not 10%, but whatever stray dollars happen to be left in the wallet.

The McYouth program is short on Bible study and discipleship, and long on fun and games. It’s designed to give the kids what they want and to teen-sit them so that their parents can go out and have fun evenings without worrying about their kids getting into drugs and sex.

McChurch is staffed, not by professionals, but by hastily hired, part-timers whose strongest spiritual slogan is “Have a nice day.”

This is the church that offers McFellowship, which is not bonding, but just a quick “Hello” with a handshake and a hug and a hope that you do not become too responsible for the other person’s life or spiritual well being.

McSalvation does not have any deep doctrine of substitutionary atonement and regeneration, but a simple human decision or a nod of the head is more than adequate to bring a person into McKingdom, where he hopes to live happily now and in the hereafter.

All of this ends up in a McHeaven where there are no golden streets, but arches that appear over a broad entrance where the grill is scorching and the deep fry grease is super hot.

SHARING

Our Spiritul Heritage

We were well served as a mission for 3 years (1968-1971) by our sponsoring church, the Moore’s Fork Baptist Church, and her pastor, Bro. James K. Gardner. They laid the foundation for us to build upon, with Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone.

As a church, we have stayed on the course they set us on. We have not changed our doctrine, our character, nor the standards that they passed on to us.

Change for the sake of change is foreign to the unchanging Word of God and the eternal person and authority of Jesus Christ. We believe the New Testament Church of the Bible is still the model for New Testament Churches of today, as there is just One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One Spirit, One Body, etc. The world changes, people change, but the truth of God remains the same. It is the duty of each New Testament Church to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

The truth of these New Testament times is not diverse from the truth of Old Testament times: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Our doctrines are only as correct as they agree with the principles that God set forth in the Old Testament. Christianity is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, not the destruction of it: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. The Savior of the Old Testament is the Savior in the New Testament. Sin originates with Satan, not with dispensations of time. What was of Satan in the Old Testament is still of Satan in the New Testament. What was of God in the past, is still of God in the present. God and Satan have not switched places, nor exchanged principles. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” 1 John 3:4.

THE TRUTH CHANGES NOT!

SHARING