Time after time, week after week the system of this world and mankind continue to try and change God's ways. The tricks of the enemy have invaded the Church and who is saying anything?
When I say Church, I am not talking about every building or assembly that calls itself a church. I am talking about the blood-bought church of Jesus Christ. This is the only Church that can lead a soul to Christ and the word and the Holy Ghost usher in salvation. In the blood-bought church, sin does not rule. The ways of man do not rule. The ways of the world do not rule. The Unadulterated word of God rules!! Gods ways of holiness rule. Holiness involves pureness from the inside out. For the scriptures declare none but the pure in heart shall see God. Let's keep it simple. The pure in heart have a clean heart. A clean heart does not tend or lend itself to the ways of the world. A pure heart sees what God sees and presses to obey His ways. The pure in heart are teachable concerning things of righteousness. The pure in heart hates sin and strives to stay clear of it. This is what one might call, 'working out your salvation'. To those professing holiness, clean up!! Stop leaning towards the world and get back to walking with the Lord. The standards of holiness are passed down from generation to generation. If the Saints of old did not do it, neither should the Saints in 2017. Clean up. "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they are not all of us." I John 2:18,19
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In the book of Joshua, the scriptures tell us about a small city that Israel had to pass through on their way to the promise land. The name of the city was Ai. Compared to most, it was small with a population of about twelve thousand people. Israel had just defeated Jericho and was reveling in that victory. Joshua as the new leader was rejoicing in the victory with all of Israel. He was rejoicing so until he forgot to seek the Lord for how to defeat Ai. He was rejoicing so until he did not notice that an accursed thing had been brought among the people. God's people are to always watch and pray.
When Israel came to the land of Ai, Joshua sent men from Jericho (the city they had just defeated) to spy out the land (Joshua 7:2). These men came back with a report that only 2-3 thousand men was needed to defeat Ai. Joshua listened to the men from a defeated city (Jericho). The men of Israel were defeated!! Some of them was even killed (Joshua 7:5). The men of Israel were chased from Ai. Their hearts melted. Joshua rent his clothes, fell to the earth and cried out to the Lord (Joshua 7:5-6). But wait, why pray and cry out now? Why did he not ask God how to defeat Ai before he sent men to battle? Why did Joshua listen to men from a defeated city and not seek to hear from the Lord? Herein is an error that a lot of God's people make today. Don't wait until defeat comes before you seek the Lord. Seek Him for everything. Do not depend on the expert, the internet or people. Seek the Lord for direction in all things. As Joshua was praying before the Lord, God told him 'get thee up'. God asked him, "wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hat sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have taken of the accursed thing, and have also stole, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff." Joshua 7:10-11. Error number two, their was sin in the camp. Yes one man was guilty of the sin (Achan), but one is enough to sin in the sight of the Lord, God. Many today think what they do has not affect on the church as a whole, but it does. Once Christ is named as ones Lord and Savior, there is an obligation to be a witness for Him. Sin separates man from God. Because of the failure to seek the Lord, and the accursed thing being in the camp, Israel was defeated by the occupants of Ai. The little foxes spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15). When God says not to do something, He means just that. His word, the Bible, is the source of all that God wants and expects from His people. Failure to obey the Lord, take hold of things that are against what the Bible says or your Pastor says will bring defeat in the face of your enemy. The way Achan was handled by God also shows us the result of sin. Achan and all of his family was killed because he had taken of that which God said not to. Look what God says in verse 12: "Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you". Joshua searched the people to find the one that had disobeyed. In verse 20 Achan admits he took of the accursed thing. Verse 21 says he took Babylonish garment, silver, wedges of gold. Saints are not to have the things of the world in their homes either. In verse 24 and 25 Achan, his sons, his daughters his oxen, his asses, his sheep and his tent and all that he had was stoned and burned. Once the accursed things were removed, God turned from the fierceness of his anger. When the word of God says not to do something, don't do it. To think that God will over look sin because its you is an error. The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 |
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