God keeps reminding me that we are rivers of living water
in spiritual deserts. We are His
heavenly wine poured out on the ground (Numbers 28:6-8; 2 Tim 4:6).
We are lights in a world smothered in darkness and salt in a flavorless
abandon of truth (Matt 5:13,14). We have lost our way if we think we are here to
gain followers or to bend others toward our way of thinking. We are here to reflect an image of a God Who dwells in
heaven that is utterly foreign to the world and cannot be comprehended by it. When we speak and teach the truths of His word, the
darkness is confused by it. Which is why
many times the first response we get will be arguments based on human reason. The age old sway upon our mind by the serpent,
"Did God really say....?" (Gen
3:1).
But God's truth is like seed cast upon the ground. He casts it out and although some of the seed
will land on rocks, some will be eaten by birds, and some, although it
initially takes root, does so in shallow soil or becomes choked out by worldly pursuits or worldly reason. But yet, still some, will fall
upon fertile soil and accomplish the purpose for which it was cast. It will take root in an obedient soul with
childlike faith and grow into a mighty oak whose roots will drink deeply of
living water.
Jesus said, "Whoever believes in Me, as the
Scripture has said: 'Streams of living water will flow from within him.' By
this He meant the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him would later
receive." (John 7:38,39). Our
job as believers in Christ is to pour forth the Living Water of His truth. We are to pour ourselves out to a world that
will reject us. We are to reach out to
people who will see us as their enemy when we shine the light of God's truth
into dark crevices and corners that often go overlooked or ignored. That is the way it must be because that is
the way of God, even though we do not understand it or enjoy it. Proverbs tells us that Wisdom sets a table
that very few are willing to eat from.
Our Christianity is not supposed to be comfortable. Comfortable Christianity did not defeat
Rome. The odds against first century
Christianity being successful within and against an entire Roman Empire that tried to slaughter them
and among Pharisaical Jews who systematically betrayed and persecuted them,
were so stacked against them that the statistics were absurd. It was the grace of God upon their zealous
faith and uncompromising obedience to Christ that defeated the dragon that
desired to devour them (Rev 12:11.17). We are not fighting a battle of reason, we are fighting
a war for truth. And war is bloody,
sides are pitted against each other, each side vying for ground to claim
victory over. For too long the church
has remained in foxholes rather than engaging in hand-to-hand combat on the
battlefield. We do not gain ground in
foxholes among the little foxes that spoil the vine, we gain ground when we
suit up and confront the enemy for what he is:
a liar that deceives and leads people astray with sin made to look like
it is harmless and appealing.
That is
what Satan does, and that is what he has done since the very first person he
ever deceived. He made sin seem harmless,
appealing and reasonable. God told Eve,
"Don't eat from this tree or touch its fruit or you will die." I don't believe Eve added to God's
instructions like I've heard several people teach about Genesis 3:3. I believe Eve is repeating exactly what she
was told by God, otherwise she would be speaking an outright lie at Gen 3:3 and
the first sin should be attributed to her instead of Adam. Paul teaches us that Eve was utterly deceived
(the Greek verbiage at 1 Tim 2:14 uses an intensifier on the normal word for
"deceived" to imply utter and thorough deception) and that she was
deceived not because of any intrinsic ignorance or weakness, but because of the
serpent's subtlety and cunning (2 Cor 11:3). Satan told her that something God said would hurt her, would not hurt
her. He made her believe that what she
was doing was not just okay, but also desirable and good.
In the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, we are
told that in the time near Jesus' return we will hear the "shout" of the Bridegroom, "Behold the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!" (Matt
25:6). Perhaps this shout is to be
understood as a battle cry for the saints to meet Christ in truth. We are to assemble together and meet Him in
truth and Christ will draw the final line out on the battlefield for us to
choose which side we want be on: the
side of uncompromised truth, or the side of our own reason. In the Parable of the Virgins, Jesus
says that the wise will trim their wicks to prepare themselves to meet the
Bridegroom. The black and burnt end of a
wick (symbolizing an excess of sin, ignorance and compromise in the sleeping
virgins) is trimmed because the light of a lamp or candle is dulled by the excess
of a burnt wick. Once the wick is
trimmed, the light of uncompromised truth which is fueled by the Holy Spirit
(symbolized by the oil in the lamps) shines far more brightly to illuminate the
darkness. Paul says that in the end, the
return of Christ will be marked by rebellion toward the truth, in accordance
with the deceitfulness of Satan who deceives those who refuse to love the truth
and instead, delight in what God has taught us is wicked (2 Thess 2:1-12).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is because of our
great and abiding love for each other that we must remind each other of God's
truth. Because the final battle in the
end before Christ's return is between truth and lie, that is why we cannot give
the enemy even an inch of ground. That
is why we cannot even touch the fruit of evil or we will die. That is why now, more than ever, we need
people in the church to rise up, to stand up and to be willing to say, "No
more. No more compromise. Jesus suffered and died so that we could be reconciled
to God and made holy unto the Lord. Trim
your wicks. Suit up in your holy armor,
and walk out onto the battlefield to meet your Lord in truth." We need the Deborahs, Jaels and Eves to stand
up and meet the enemy head-on, without compromise, utterly devoted to our
blessed Savior in every way, shape and form.
There are so many people in the church who are simply
looking for someone to stand behind that points them solely to Christ. Not to religion, not to reason, not to
theology, not to comfort nor to compromise, but to Jesus Christ as Lord and
King of every area of our lives. Be that
one. Be that Deborah who is willing to
lead out in battle. Be that Jael who is
willing to drive a stake through the enemy's head without even hesitating or
batting an eye. Be that Eve who is
willing use personal knowledge of just how subtle and crafty the enemy is, to
point him out and expose his lies. Be a
horror to the darkness, not a friend to it.
Be devastating to the enemies lies, not an accomplice. Be so utterly and completely devoted to Jesus
Christ that you only send your roots toward the stream of His Living Water and
keep them far away from the darkness that withers them.
"Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord, whose
confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the waters that sends
out its roots toward the stream. It does
not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It will not
worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. The heart is deceitful
above all things and beyond cure-- who can understand it? I, the Lord, search
the heart; I examine the mind to reward a person according to their way, according to what their deeds deserve." (Jer 17:7-10)
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of
the Lord rises upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick
darkness is over the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory
will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the
brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people for God's own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him Who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Pet 2:9)
...renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and live
sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we await the blessed
hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave
Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a
people for His own possession... (Titus 2:12-14)
What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what
does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement can exist
between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be
their God, and they will be My people.
Therefore come out from among them and be separate," says the Lord.
"Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." (2 Cor 6:15-17)
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of
your former ignorance. But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all
you do, for it is written, "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Pet
1:14-16)
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and
sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He
called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters stand firm and hold to the teachings
we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thess 2:13-15)
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