“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:” Zec. 8:16
The farther a society gets lost in lies and deception, the greater the shock value the truth will be. Truth will be an execution of judgment.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” II Cor. 6:17
Just as God has said, let not man separate what He has joined together, so too, let not men join together what God has separated.
“But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” Jer. 7:28
Herein lies the reason that our politicians and most Americans can no longer tell the truth. “This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD.” Truth has perished in America because this nation refuses to honor God.
“But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.” Num. 3:38
I wonder how many times we have entered the sanctuary, the place where we worship the Lord with the brethren, and have been a stranger to the Lord all week. We cannot allow ourselves to be all caught up in the affairs of this world all week long and then think we can casually stroll into church Sunday morning and everything is alright. Aaron and his sons had the duty of keeping charge of the sanctuary. They were to keep the purity there. You and I have charge over our personal sanctuary, the temple of the Holy Ghost. We must not embrace anything strange to the Lord. We must not allow our temple to be defiled. If we all keep our temple pure, God will have no problem with us when we show up Sunday morning.
“But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.” Num. 3:38
It was of the utmost importance to keep the tabernacle, the sanctuary undefiled from the stranger. For the stranger who would even come close to it meant the death sentence. This testifies that there should be an element of the fear of the Lord amongst us when we gather together. I wonder how many of those, who are strangers to the Lord, have found that element of fear missing and instead they find the church to be a comfortable place.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good report.” Heb. 11:1-2
Though our faith requires we believe in God whom we cannot see, our faith in God is must be seen by others. To have “obtained a good report” means that others have to see your faith. Faith is way more visible then many people think.
“For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:” II Cor. 10:8
Authority is given to ministers to edify the body. If they do not lord over the people they will not be ashamed, but will exercise authority with all confidence.
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.†Acts 17:10-11
Too often the saints settle for the idea that every church is going to have things that are wrong and have people who refuse to be faithful to the word of God. I guess that brings some kind of comfort to the people to think that they are not expected to, as a church, walk in a manner that fully pleases God and really demonstrate a true New Testament church. However, if a town called Berea can have people, who were not yet born again believers, be committed to search the scriptures, why would we think that we cannot be a part of a church that has most, if not all the members committed with a readiness of mind and search out the scriptures daily to live by them?
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Gen. 2:1-3
Allow me to talk a little foolish like Paul did at times. God rested on the seventh day, but that is the last time He ever rested. He has been dealing with man 24 / 7 ever since he fell in the garden. Now they are a constant aggravation. Don’t be one of those aggravators.
“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” Col. 2:18-19
Trouble and confusion will come to believers whenever they take their eyes off the head, Jesus Christ. Whenever the body loses sight of the head, the body joints start to unravel.
