1 Peter 4:17 ~ For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ~ (14)Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers;
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
what communion hath light with darkness?
(15) what concord hath Christ with Belial?
what part hath he that believeth with infidel?
(16) what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will be their God and they will be my people.
(17) come out from among them and be ye separate says the Lord and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord.
So what does this all say, unto you and me? if you had a beautiful home and and worked to keep it so. You would not want a herd of muddy pigs running through it or deciding to live with you?
God has a beautiful home, in Glory, He wants to share with us. He loves us and wants to be with us and have us be with Him. Problem! We are a bunch of dirty little piggies in need of a bath and a change of character.
God, He is HOLY, He is righteous, and He cannot have sin in any form near to or around Him. So God found a way to CLEAN US UP and make us acceptable in the House of God and presentable to stand before God !
Enter the Lord Jesus Christ! Who from the foundation of the earth desired us saved and whole and living for God.
Hebrews 1:8 -12 (8)But unto the Son he said, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a septre of righteousness is the septre of they kingdom. (9)Thou has LOVED righteousness and HATED iniquity; therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the OIL of GLADNESS above they fellows. (10) Thou, Lord, IN THE BEGINNING has laid the FOUNDATION of the EARTH; and the HEAVENS are the works of thine hands:
(11) THEY SHALL PERISH; BUT THOU REMAINEST; and they shall wax old as a garment; (12) . . as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be CHANGED . . .
but THOU ART THE SAME AND THY YEARS SHALL NOT FAIL.
This passage describes the Lord BEFORE He created the earth, the heavens, and His set position on iniquity !
The solidness of the Lord and His vast influence on the kingdom of heaven and on earth are incomprehensible by us fallen humans. HOW GREAT THOU ARE, LORD JESUS CHRIST! (just meditate on these verses for a while then rejoice in WHO Jesus IS!)
Now, the reason for this writing!
It seems of late there are person who put out offerings to the Lord that are completely unacceptable to God(considering the nature of the Son according to the above scripture).
Teachings, writings, songs, concerts, gatherings, performances, plays, prophecies, sermons, radio programs, crusades, marches, and whole live tv broadcasts, all of these and more, that don't glorify God nor are these of God.
Well, meaning persons not seeking Him for guidance and direction and walking in His wisdom and the Holy Spirit, put out what THEY THINK God wants.
Remember, God LOVES them and desires these people to come His way . He does not desire to hurt nor neglect them. But WHAT EVER COMES from them MUST COME FROM GOD! Or else He cannot honor it.
So with all this said, I am amazed at the number of persons putting out things that are not, in no way of God!
Music is God's idea for worshipping Him.But if it doesn't carry the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it is just noise to God and everyone else for that matter. Who doesn't like to sit under the beautifully prepared worship music of a church service? It brings one closer to God and He can minister to their needs. If the anointing of the Holy Spirit is not on the music, this does not happen. Disappointing at best!
When pastors put out messages that contain error, their own opinions, leading people AWAY from God. Much harm is done coming from the church setting that impacts lives and relationships.
When concerts are put on to bring young people into a place where they can meet God possibly for the first time in their young lives. And then include all kinds of worldly stuff, they will think God approves of this or just be so completely turned off to the things of God, it could tai years to undo the damage.
When evangelist, pastors, and teachers try to be cool and hip with the new generation including such things as the Harlem Shake, Beatle music, sensual dance, questionable song lyrics, iconic symbolism clearly not from heaven in any stretch of the imagination.
When persons put forth word they claim are from the Lord telling people things that are not so. Called prophecy or an exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but no scripture of the bible would ever condone this.
When bible teachers compromise and do not teach the whole counsel of God fromHis Word. But interject thoughts and ideas others pickup on and remanufacture to their own circle of influence.
When people take up a cause and begin to move against certain evil ideals, programs, laws and practices that harm or destroy certain segments of our society but then use harmful language and threaten others.
When all of these come about from human earthly means and not from seeking counsel from God. Then you have at best weak or failing attempts at righteousness but not God's idea. The world with little God sprinkled on top! I am trying hard not to nail anyone person or group here. We are all sinful, fallen beings unit God gets ahold of us. Then we are His children trying to learn. We all make mistakes. God is not seeking to take us out when we fail Him. But He will discipline, correct, rebuke and reprove us. When Christians fall so far down they will not then repent and get things right with Him again. Then He will have to send judgment. I don't think we are that far down yet but we could be getting close.
Now God watches and sees our hearts. He looks for those who will follow Him and seek Him in everything they do. He knows we are human and still learning. Remember, GOD LOVES US! ALL OF US! Jesus Christ died for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD! ALL! But we still have to come to Him and ASK Him for this forgiveness and to come into our hearts and be our Savior and Lord! Means you gotta talk to your Him! Everyday pray as often as needed. He LOVES hearing from you. He can read your heart but loves to hear your voice.
Now, as we come to the present, demonic forces embolden by the lack of spirituality in the church have come among God's people trying to seduce them off to the side for the take down. Have you ever felt like there was just a presence that did not want you around or was stalking you to take you out?
Well, they don't have to work too hard now to get believers off their spiritual feed from the Word of God.
Interrupting prayer life is key target for these forces. So if your heart is not being guarded by the content input of the Word of God and good Christian fellowship and surrounding yourself with the things of God 24/7/365. Then the evil one has plenty of tame looking ways to draw you off for the take down.
Song of Songs 2:15 ~ the little foxes spoil the vines (meaning the little areas of suduction are laid out everywhere) Satan wants you to smell them, taste them, and embrace them.
"What gets you attention, gets your time. What gets your time, gets your heart. What gets your heart, gets you."
As Eve LOOKED at the fruit she saw it was pleasant to the eye(lust of the eye). As Eve TOOK the fruit, she desired to have it.( lust of the heart)
As Eve TASTED the fruit, she found it tasty but instead of her eyes being open so that she became like God. She found herself and Adam who also tasted the fruit, turning against God(the pride of life) feeling aweful and full of shame. They have succumbed to the seduction of the enemy laid before them. And bringing all of humanity to the take down. Not only had they messed up their own relationship with the Holy One
(described in Hebrews 1:8 - 12. They had curse the future generations with an inherited sin nature and separation from God. They also had traded their relationship with God for the terrible lordship of Satan.
Not a joke people! The sin problem has plagues humanity with all kinds of trouble ever since.
But Jesus . . . . In His sinless perfection as the God-man, lived entirely for God seeking the will of His Father every step of His life and ministry even death upon the cross. When He went to the cross, He took our sins with Him in His body, shed His precious pure blood for cleansing of our sins and left them there.
So when we accept Christ as our Saviour, we go to the cross with Him, hang our sins there for the transfer,
(from us to Him); have them washed away by His precious Blood( as is we never had sinned);we are then buried with Him(dead to our old life) and raise with Him to New Life Eternal.
Baptism is a picture of salvation(die to our sins, buried our sins in the grave and raised to new life)
So, WHY would you want to go back or turn away from the TRUTH? And go to these other things?
Allure? Attraction? Fun? Remember Adam & Eve? Where are they now? Where are the ones who thought drugs, alcohol, and tobacco were great? What seems very innocent; isn't. What seems harmless; is.
God will forgive wrong choices but He desires better for you.
As a CHILD of the Living God, BORN AGAIN of the Spirit of God, WASHED in the Blood of the Lamb, SET APART for His pleasure,looked at by Father GOD as if you NEVER SINNED, granted, ETERNAL LIFE, a PLACE in Glory FOREVER with privileges to take part in the wedding supper of the Lamb( where believers and Jesus are brought together into a special FOREVER relationship like Jesu has with His Father.
We are filled with His Holy Spirit and anointed to take those special gifts awarded you when you accepted Christ as your Saviour. And use them to minister, guide, direct, instruct, teach and encourage others in the Lord. Also He has made us a light to all who are searching for God. God the Holy Spirit calls them, woos them, and moves them closer to God. And we play our different parts in the winning of these souls for whom Christ died to save.
Make no mistake, the journey is not without trials and temptations. Buy He is always there for us and He is our example. Read Hebrews 1:8 -12 again thin on who He Is at those times.