Truth vs Myths
It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon who wisely observed that discernment is not essentially the ability to know the difference between what is right and wrong but rather that which helps us distinguish between what is right and what appears to be almost right. Truth by nature liberates (John8:32). In this Message, Yours Truly has endeavored to bring to the fore some of the subtle tricks being purveyed by the Master Deceiver (Rev 12:9) to derail a Christian from the right path of leading a God-honoring life. The solution in seeing through the craftily-laid traps lies in knowing what pleases the Lord the most through Scripture and sticking to it. Truth be said, nothing pleases our Heavenly Father more than living a life of obedience for obedience is love in action (2 John 1:6-7) which implicitly listens and does what the Father says to His children with no questions asked. Which earthly father doesn’t dote on a child who heeds to his instructions? Ditto with our Heavenly Father too!!!
Let’s see in what matters obedience which brings along with it “perfect security” from the Father is far better than many other “spiritual” actions which the gullible hold very closely to their hearts. Mind you these seemingly “good actions’ “ are good in themselves but it is when the naive ones’ get carried away by a myth at the behest of the Ultimate Liar (John 8:44) that that these “noble efforts” can take the place of implicit obedience itself…then from that point on quite sadly for these susceptible souls’ everything would go awry. So what then are these “Sacred endeavors’”, we need to be wary about? Let’s go step by step. Firstly…
Sacrifices for the Sovereign…
Prophet Samuel hits the nail on the head by stating quite unequivocally that obedience is better than sacrifices offered to the Almighty whilst confronting King Saul for his disobedience of sparing King Agag the wicked Amalekite King and his herd contrary to the Divine instructions (Deu 25:17-19/1 Sam 15:1-3). Cattle were presumably preserved for offering God-pleasing sacrifices.
King Saul to his detriment tried to play “kinder” than God (none can be kinder or holier than Him) and in the process let off some of genocide-prone King Agag’s descendents who would rear their ugly head almost 600 hundred years later in the form of yet another exterminator Haman the Agagite and his ilk (Esther 3:1/5:14). Of course, it is another matter that the good Lord uses this time around yet another Benjaminite- an obedient one at that- Mordecai (Hey, King Saul too was a Benjaminite) to complete some “unfinished business” (Esther 7, 9:1-10).
Dear Christian, do you think God desires your sizeable offerings and tithes more than your unreserved obedience in all the areas’ of your life? Be on high alert, by not ignoring the latter at the cost of the former (Matt 23:23).
Supplication of the Saints…
Oh how some souls reaping bitter consequences of their wrongful actions’ (especially in the financial realm) queue up near a devout Christian leader soliciting his intercessory prayers, without first setting right their relationship with the Almighty/fellow Christians’ whom they have wronged. A Godly Saint may unaware of their hypocritical, unsurrendered hearts in the manner of an earnest intercessor (Ezekiel 22:30) do his part sincerely but will these troubled souls get out of the mess the Mighty disciplinarian has put them in? Let the Scripture take over at this stage…
Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!-Jeremiah 15:1
Should not one shudder when Scripture bears out the fact that none in OT Biblical history were greater than Moses and Samuel when it came to offering fervent intercessory prayers (Exodus 32:7-14/32/1 Sam 12:23)? So more than seeking the supplications of the Earthly Saints in messy situations, what a chastised Christian needs to do is sincerely repent of his sins (restitute, if needed) and leave it to our Greatest High Priest to do the rest (1 John 1:9-10/2:1-2/Heb 4:14-16). Ah that’s obedience at the time of being at the receiving end of Divine comeuppance!!!
Cheer-up those who are sincerely toeing the line of obedience…for all your needs in line with His will…prayerfully claim the promise of 1 John 3:22.
Sacrament of the Saints…
It is indeed painful to notice some misguided ones’ taking “shelter” from the “Evil One” under the sacraments such as “prayer oil” and “handkerchiefs” prayed over by some Charismatic Servants’ of God. While these sacraments may bring deliverance to those outside the fold of the Church (I Cor 14:22-for Signs are primarily meant for them), for those who are the already children of God it is simply their obedience which would determine the presence of fiery fence of protection all around (2 Kings 6:17/1 John 4:4) from the “Murderer” (John 8:44).
Now who is to tell the scripturally ignorant souls that Satan till the mid of 7 year tribulation point would right go up to God’s throne itself (Job 1:6/2:1) to accuse all our brethren in the manner he faulted Job (Job 1:9-11/2:4-5/Rev 12:7-10). So would our petty acts of sprinkling prayer oil in our home or keeping prayed over handkerchiefs under our pillows deter the Roaring Lion (I Peter 5:8) who walks right up to God’s throne from coming near us? No way! Only the right relationship with the Almighty stemming from reverential obedience would I reiterate ensure the presence of fiery fence of Divine protection all around us at all times.
Now these “clowns” of the Early Church…Alexander and Hymenaeus …learned it at a great cost (1 Tim 1:18-20)!!! More about them…some time later…but you simply remember that after you leave your wayward living (at the time of becoming a Christian), you ought to now cleave to a live lived with clean conscience (Heb 13:18). Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!!!
Sponsoring the Sanctuary…
Taking full responsibility for the construction of a Church is a noble act in itself but does it devolve one of his higher responsibility of obeying God? Not at all!!! Hey, Mumbai Dons’ are also famous or notorious (depends on one’s viewpoint) for constructing temples in honour of their deities.
Meet Mr Extravagant of the OT Times…the one and only King Solomon, who constructed undoubtedly one of the Engineering Wonders of the Biblical times-the Lord’s temple. While the good Lord complimented him on completing his monumental task (I Kings 9:3), let the Scripture take over on what the Lord had to say in the event of continual disobedience of the same Regent or any of his descendents …
“But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And this house will become a heap of ruins...-I Kings 9:6-8
Be forewarned wealthy brethren, let not your Church construction or other Civic projects undertaken for God’s glory take your focus off your higher calling to obey Him in every area of your life.
What is that about disobedience that displeases nay breaks the Almighty’s heart (Jeremiah 14:17)? Painful, as it is to admit, it is a statement (by virtue of an action) that we do not love the very One to whom we owe our very physical and spiritual existence.
Shelter of the Sanctuary…
Not for nothing, Apostle Paul warned that Israeli history comprising almost 99% of the OT Section (918 chapters of the total 929 chapters) serves as an object lesson to us in order we do not replicate their inane actions and reap the bitter consequences thereof. But do not we see some of their spiritual stupidity being replicated in the contemporary generation? If for instance the stand of Jerusalem residents (during the time of Jeremiah the Prophet) was …irrespective of their idolatrous lives the Almighty would bring no harm to their city because of the Sanctuary therein then modern day equivalent which comes close to such a preposterous posture is Church membership in a prominent Church is all I require to receive Heavenly blessings whatever be my lifestyle!!! Well for such folks, a thundering rejoinder of the Scripture from Jeremiah 7:4-14 ought to serve as a timely alarm…
But don’t be fooled by those who lie to you and say that since the Temple of the Lord is here, God will never let Jerusalem be destroyed. You may remain under these conditions only: If you stop your wicked thoughts and deeds and are fair to others; if you stop exploiting orphans, widows, and foreigners, and stop your murdering; if you stop worshiping idols as you do now to your hurt, then, and only then, will I let you stay in this land that I gave to your fathers to keep forever.
You think that because the Temple is here, you will never suffer? Don’t fool yourselves! Do you really think that you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and worship Baal and all of those new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are saved!”—only to go right back to all these evil things again? Is my Temple but a den of robbers in your eyes? For I see all the evil going on in there.
Go to Shiloh, the city I first honored with my name, and see what I did to her because of all the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, says the Lord, I will do the same thing here…Jeremiah 7:4-14 (TLB).
The fact that words of the Lord eventually came to pass in the fiery destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC (2 Chro 36:19-21) is a grim reminder if one was needed that mere “alliance with the Altar” will not do when there is “dalliance with the devil” in your life. So blind-folded Brother, do not dilly –dally before it is too late, rather align your life to the ways of the Lord.
Service for the Supreme…
Serving the Lord full-time is the ultimate in a Christian’s journey is yet another myth which needs to be shattered for in the ultimate analysis if that service is not backed-up by a life of subservience to the Lord’s words, then it would not be of much worth in the sight of the One whose opinion (more than that of the whole World) matters the most (Matt 7:21-27/I Cor 4:1-5).
Nothing, when I say nothing I mean nothing can take place of faithful, love-inspired obedience when it comes to pleasing our Creator to whom, I reiterate, we owe both our very physical and spiritual lives. Just consider what happened to anointed Bezalel or Oholiab (Exodus 35:30-35) who had the great privilege of hand-crafting the very first temple (read tabernacle) or Medad and Eldad, anointed as they were with the prophesying gift (Numbers 11:26)? Did they make it all the way to the Promised Land? No, for when the push came to a shove, as it were (showing love-propelled obedience in taking up arms against the wicked, powerful Canaanites putting their precious lives at stake) they sadly failed the test.
Finally what about those peerless leaders-Moses and Aaron- themselves when it came to reaching the Promised Land? If the former in the Israeli history was the one of greatest miracle workers’ (before or after Moses did anyone with God’s power part the Red Sea?), the latter was the first-ordained High Priest. Well whatever be the greatness of their “Ministry” you know the answer as regards they reaching the Promised Land, though it can be said without a semblance of doubt that they are in Heaven now and one of them did set his foot on the Promised Land hundreds of years later (Number20:12/ Luke 9:30-31). Oh yes, to whom much is given, is not much required of them (Luke 12:48)? Dear Friends, honestly there is no substitute for love-laced obedience.
After being born-again now is there any fear in your heart that you would not ultimately make it to the “Promised Land” especially when strong temptations come along (Acts 14:22) which would separate the men from the boys? Cheer up and utter a loud hallelujah….for remember that firstly you are on the right track to the Promised Land...also thankfully remember how our Heavenly Father is willing that we should make it which He proves by forgiving us umpteen times whenever we sincerely repent after temporarily veering off-track (1 John 1:9-2:1). Also never forget, as you are making "progress in your pilgrimage" our Saviour and Great High Priest is interceding for us constantly and the Holy Spirit is giving us the needed power to obey (Romans 5:5/ 1 John 5:3-4 TLB) all the time. On our part, we only need to supply our will to obey and sustain the relationship with the Father till the end.
Finally as to what is that the Lord requires us to do (read obey)? Nothing more than wholeheartedly loving Him and our neighbors (Deu 10:12-13/Micah 6:8/Mark 12:30-31), even troublesome ones’ at that, who it needs to be said here contribute to the growth of our Christ-like patience unwittingly(Rom 5:3). With the benefit of hindsight, I thank God for all those who were “thorns in my flesh”, for it made me depend more heavily on Him to sustain my poise and reputation. It is from our sheer love for the Father and our neighbor that every God-pleasing act would originate.
With the Enemy of our souls working overtime to lead us astray, though it is hard to obey at times what with temptations coming in all shapes and sizes, is it really impossible? No way!!! By placement of His own joyous, love-generating Holy Spirit within us (Romans 5:5) and constant inner strengthening by virtue of precious promises such as the ones’ in 1 Peter 5:10, John 15:14, the Saviour and Sustainer of our priceless spiritual lives makes it IT (obedience) indeed possible!!! Our Master has not only shown the way of no-holds-barred obedience to the Father (John 6:38) but He has walked that way Himself. What a great role-model, we have (I Peter 2:21)!!!
Hallelujah!!!
Suresh Manoharan
Ps: This message replete with pics/animation is also available at the following URL....
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_june1_15.asp
