Isa 2:6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
Isa 2:7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
Isa 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
Isa 2:9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
Isa 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.
Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
Isa 2:13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
Isa 2:14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
Isa 2:15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
Isa 2:16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
Isa 2:17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 2:20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
Isa 2:21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Misguided Zeal...
Misguided Zeal
In Luke 10:1-16, we are given the account of the seventy that Jesus sent out. They were sent by Him, in HIS power and authority. Notice that among His instructions to them, He stipulated: “Carry no purse, no provisions bag, no [change of] sandals; refrain from [retarding your journey by] saluting and wishing anyone well along the way.”
Our modern day ‘ministries’ would have a hard time being sent by the Lord today. No purse (no money, you’ve got to be kidding)?! No hitting up the people to give, give, give? No 5-star accommodations? No entourage or designer wardrobes? How could they possibly be expected to accomplish anything for the Kingdom of God? It makes one wonder, just what does God require of us? Hmmm, seems there was something about living by the power of the Spirit…. Oh yeah, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” Romans 8:14. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” Philippians 3:3.
We miss the mark and fail to comprehend what it means to ‘do the work of the Lord,’ when we operate from our own understanding, doing what ‘seems right in our own eyes’ and following the ‘way of the world.’
We pass judgments on one-another, rather than ‘loving our neighbor as ourselves.’ We diligently study the scriptures, and the writings of theologians down through the centuries in search of answers to all the questions that arise in our hearts and minds… How do we know God? What is pleasing in His sight? What is going to happen, and when and where and how?
We are presented with a veritable smorgasbord of opinions and interpretations pertaining to all things spiritual. Modern man shops around for the ‘right’ Church, the one that will fill ‘his needs; make him comfortable.’ In the competitive rush to be ‘original’… the Christian Church has lost all originality. Following the leading of current leaders like Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, and yes, even Joel Osteen, it is nearly impossible to tell one Church from another. They all are using the same ‘new and improved’ script; following the same slick seeker-friendly strategies, and pointing to their huge numbers as validation that this shift in the way that we ‘do Church’ is working. Entertainment is now called ‘worship.’
We have lost the understanding of what it means to “…worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” We are like dumb sheep who have left off following after our True Shepherd, and are being led astray by the hirelings who are looking out for their own interests, no matter how well versed they may appear to be in their doctrines, or how eloquently they may present their material. Even the world acknowledges that we have lost our way as a nation. Generation Me, a new book recently published says we're in a narcissism epidemic, consumed with our own lust and greed. The church world is in no way exempt from this condition. How shocked might we be to learn that the very things we admire and applaud as signs of God’s approval and blessing to His people, are in fact the very evidence of our defilement and rebellion against Him?
“For to be carnally minded is death…” speaks of a spiritual reality!
For a generation or more the church has been slowly turning our focus from seeking to please God, focusing instead on how to keep the people happy. How well are your very real spiritual needs being met, as compared with the continuous stream of ‘new building projects?’ What man cannot do in and by the power of the spirit, he can now imitate with our technological advancements. There are actually pastors who project holograms of themselves preaching to multiple locations at once. Man can now perform mighty works, without any assistance whatever from the Holy Spirit. Guess what this is people? It’s Apostasy!
The Church has compromised herself right into a lifeless imitation of what she was called to be. It has nothing to do with what society thinks about it, or committees or conferences conclude. It has everything to do with whether or not the Holy Spirit is in control of what is happening. In most instances today, the Holy Spirit is not even present. But does anyone seem to notice such a critical absence? No, they don’t miss a beat. They have the words, the music, the lights and cameras to go on without Him. How sad is that for those hungry souls who are looking for something more than they can find in themselves? For the reality of a touch from the only one who can fill the void within us, meeting every need abundantly.
Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” And Paul spells out the purpose of the Church in Ephesians 3:10-21, “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” We ‘lost our way’ when we accepted the lie that our greatest calling was to cater to mankind’s material needs, in our own power and strength, according to our own judgments and understanding.
We may be sincere, devoted, committed, all of these things, and still be operating from our flesh. Our mistake is that we think we know what the needs are, and come up with strategies for how to meet them. And when we do so, we are guilty of being sincerely wrong. We become prisoners of our own volition, slaves to our own errors, and enemies of the cross of Christ. We try to force our way, rather than submitting to His way. This is a battle that we can never win. There can only be ONE LORD and ONE MASTER that sits enthroned in our hearts. For the majority of those who call themselves ‘christian’ in the world today, that ONE is self, not the LORD JESUS CHRIST. If this is offensive to you, at least you are hearing the distinction. Now ask yourself, why am I offended? Might it be because I love my works, more than I love the God in whose name I claim to be doing the works? Isn’t that what the Pharisee’s and Sadducees did to Christ when he was in their midst?
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” 1 Corinthians 15:45-49. Whose image are we bearing? And don’t delude yourself for one moment that others perceive you as you perceive yourself. Truly is it stated….“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. We would do well to examine our motives. Better yet, to submit all of our thoughts to the keeping of the Holy Spirit, Who alone is able to lead us into all Truth, for He IS the Spirit of Truth. Judge all things according to the Scriptures. We can only do this as we are submitted to the Spirit of God. Man is very adept at quoting scripture to his own ends, just as the serpent misquoted what God said in the Garden when he tempted Eve.
Jesus states in John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
We are given an example of misusing truth in the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees in Matthew 22:15-21 “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”
They were not disrespectful. They did not attack Jesus, they were ‘slick and cunning’ in their cleverly worded question, attempting to ensnare Him with His own words. This is commonly practiced all the time. Clever manipulation of words ensnares more unwary souls than all the blatant heresies combined. We have all been taken in by cunningly devised arguments. We would do well to listen closely whenever we hear something being presented, orally or in print. Just what does this evoke in my inner man? On what level does it reach me? Is it purely emotional, playing upon my fleshly understanding, or does it penetrate to stir my spirit? Does it draw me to seek the face of the Lord, to examine my own heart in the light of His Glory? Who is being exalted? A person… or God? Are my sympathies being moved in support of an individual or situation? What advantage will I gain if I heed these words? Will I grow spiritually? Will I become more dependant upon the Holy Spirit, or will this promote ‘self’ in all of its myriad forms?
“I, I, I”,… “me, me, me”… are most comfortable when getting attention, being recognized, validated, acknowledged as important. They cannot survive long however, when placed on the cross of Christ. There is no place in the Kingdom of God for anything that is in competition with God. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men.
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's” 1 Corinthians 3:19-23.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” 1 John 2:15.
These are some pretty basic guidelines for us to consider along with examining our zeal. Are we genuinely zealous for the things that God desires, or are is our zeal being misguided? We all will stand before a Holy God, and give an accounting, let’s examine our hearts and our endeavors now, while there is still time to make changes if they are called for.
Amen & Amen
Cathy Morris
7/05/2009
In Luke 10:1-16, we are given the account of the seventy that Jesus sent out. They were sent by Him, in HIS power and authority. Notice that among His instructions to them, He stipulated: “Carry no purse, no provisions bag, no [change of] sandals; refrain from [retarding your journey by] saluting and wishing anyone well along the way.”
Our modern day ‘ministries’ would have a hard time being sent by the Lord today. No purse (no money, you’ve got to be kidding)?! No hitting up the people to give, give, give? No 5-star accommodations? No entourage or designer wardrobes? How could they possibly be expected to accomplish anything for the Kingdom of God? It makes one wonder, just what does God require of us? Hmmm, seems there was something about living by the power of the Spirit…. Oh yeah, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” Romans 8:14. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” Philippians 3:3.
We miss the mark and fail to comprehend what it means to ‘do the work of the Lord,’ when we operate from our own understanding, doing what ‘seems right in our own eyes’ and following the ‘way of the world.’
We pass judgments on one-another, rather than ‘loving our neighbor as ourselves.’ We diligently study the scriptures, and the writings of theologians down through the centuries in search of answers to all the questions that arise in our hearts and minds… How do we know God? What is pleasing in His sight? What is going to happen, and when and where and how?
We are presented with a veritable smorgasbord of opinions and interpretations pertaining to all things spiritual. Modern man shops around for the ‘right’ Church, the one that will fill ‘his needs; make him comfortable.’ In the competitive rush to be ‘original’… the Christian Church has lost all originality. Following the leading of current leaders like Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, and yes, even Joel Osteen, it is nearly impossible to tell one Church from another. They all are using the same ‘new and improved’ script; following the same slick seeker-friendly strategies, and pointing to their huge numbers as validation that this shift in the way that we ‘do Church’ is working. Entertainment is now called ‘worship.’
We have lost the understanding of what it means to “…worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” We are like dumb sheep who have left off following after our True Shepherd, and are being led astray by the hirelings who are looking out for their own interests, no matter how well versed they may appear to be in their doctrines, or how eloquently they may present their material. Even the world acknowledges that we have lost our way as a nation. Generation Me, a new book recently published says we're in a narcissism epidemic, consumed with our own lust and greed. The church world is in no way exempt from this condition. How shocked might we be to learn that the very things we admire and applaud as signs of God’s approval and blessing to His people, are in fact the very evidence of our defilement and rebellion against Him?
“For to be carnally minded is death…” speaks of a spiritual reality!
For a generation or more the church has been slowly turning our focus from seeking to please God, focusing instead on how to keep the people happy. How well are your very real spiritual needs being met, as compared with the continuous stream of ‘new building projects?’ What man cannot do in and by the power of the spirit, he can now imitate with our technological advancements. There are actually pastors who project holograms of themselves preaching to multiple locations at once. Man can now perform mighty works, without any assistance whatever from the Holy Spirit. Guess what this is people? It’s Apostasy!
The Church has compromised herself right into a lifeless imitation of what she was called to be. It has nothing to do with what society thinks about it, or committees or conferences conclude. It has everything to do with whether or not the Holy Spirit is in control of what is happening. In most instances today, the Holy Spirit is not even present. But does anyone seem to notice such a critical absence? No, they don’t miss a beat. They have the words, the music, the lights and cameras to go on without Him. How sad is that for those hungry souls who are looking for something more than they can find in themselves? For the reality of a touch from the only one who can fill the void within us, meeting every need abundantly.
Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” And Paul spells out the purpose of the Church in Ephesians 3:10-21, “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” We ‘lost our way’ when we accepted the lie that our greatest calling was to cater to mankind’s material needs, in our own power and strength, according to our own judgments and understanding.
We may be sincere, devoted, committed, all of these things, and still be operating from our flesh. Our mistake is that we think we know what the needs are, and come up with strategies for how to meet them. And when we do so, we are guilty of being sincerely wrong. We become prisoners of our own volition, slaves to our own errors, and enemies of the cross of Christ. We try to force our way, rather than submitting to His way. This is a battle that we can never win. There can only be ONE LORD and ONE MASTER that sits enthroned in our hearts. For the majority of those who call themselves ‘christian’ in the world today, that ONE is self, not the LORD JESUS CHRIST. If this is offensive to you, at least you are hearing the distinction. Now ask yourself, why am I offended? Might it be because I love my works, more than I love the God in whose name I claim to be doing the works? Isn’t that what the Pharisee’s and Sadducees did to Christ when he was in their midst?
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” 1 Corinthians 15:45-49. Whose image are we bearing? And don’t delude yourself for one moment that others perceive you as you perceive yourself. Truly is it stated….“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. We would do well to examine our motives. Better yet, to submit all of our thoughts to the keeping of the Holy Spirit, Who alone is able to lead us into all Truth, for He IS the Spirit of Truth. Judge all things according to the Scriptures. We can only do this as we are submitted to the Spirit of God. Man is very adept at quoting scripture to his own ends, just as the serpent misquoted what God said in the Garden when he tempted Eve.
Jesus states in John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
We are given an example of misusing truth in the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees in Matthew 22:15-21 “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”
They were not disrespectful. They did not attack Jesus, they were ‘slick and cunning’ in their cleverly worded question, attempting to ensnare Him with His own words. This is commonly practiced all the time. Clever manipulation of words ensnares more unwary souls than all the blatant heresies combined. We have all been taken in by cunningly devised arguments. We would do well to listen closely whenever we hear something being presented, orally or in print. Just what does this evoke in my inner man? On what level does it reach me? Is it purely emotional, playing upon my fleshly understanding, or does it penetrate to stir my spirit? Does it draw me to seek the face of the Lord, to examine my own heart in the light of His Glory? Who is being exalted? A person… or God? Are my sympathies being moved in support of an individual or situation? What advantage will I gain if I heed these words? Will I grow spiritually? Will I become more dependant upon the Holy Spirit, or will this promote ‘self’ in all of its myriad forms?
“I, I, I”,… “me, me, me”… are most comfortable when getting attention, being recognized, validated, acknowledged as important. They cannot survive long however, when placed on the cross of Christ. There is no place in the Kingdom of God for anything that is in competition with God. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men.
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's” 1 Corinthians 3:19-23.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” 1 John 2:15.
These are some pretty basic guidelines for us to consider along with examining our zeal. Are we genuinely zealous for the things that God desires, or are is our zeal being misguided? We all will stand before a Holy God, and give an accounting, let’s examine our hearts and our endeavors now, while there is still time to make changes if they are called for.
Amen & Amen
Cathy Morris
7/05/2009
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