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Bible Study- Lutz, Florida
Rightly
Dividing the Word of Truth
(2
Timothy 2:15)
This is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4
The Communication
of the Remnant (Part
2)
I
left you with this message: from the dawn of time the majority has always gotten it wrong
when it comes to putting their faith in God’s Word.
More
simply put the majority doesn’t believe God.
Therefore,
I’d be careful about following “the crowd.”
So,
we’ll start from there and work forward.
Let’s
review what Jesus said about the majority and their lack of faith.
Matthew
7
13: “Enter through the narrow gate: for the gate is wide and the
way is broad that leads to (what) destruction, and there are (what’s the next word folks) many who
enter through it.
14: “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to
life, and there are (how many) few who find it.”
I’ve
heard people say, “There’s safety in numbers.”
If
you’re being chased by a pack of lions, I’d say that’s probably true.
But
in the sphere of the spiritual following the crowd is not always a safe bet, my
friends, and here’s why.
In
the last lesson, I cited the example of the Noahic Flood.
Only
eight people believed the LORD and lived.
The
majority ignored the LORD’s warning and perished.
Then
there is the Biblical example of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19).
Abraham
bargained and the LORD said if ten righteous people could be found living in
the cities, each would be spared. But it
was not to be. There was that much sleaze.
Lot
and his two daughters (Palatith and Thamma) believed the LORD and survived.
What
happened to Lot’s wife Adoe? She left
the city with her family.
Adoe
is an example of what I call a faith “fence-sitter.”
She
presents an everlasting testimony to all of not obeying the Word of the LORD;
the sheer folly of hugging the “middle path,” when God’s Word has declared what will be.
The
angels warned Lot before they left the city not to look back upon the destruction.
(v17)
and you may be certain Lot shared this important information with his family.
Adoe
wanted to be saved; she left the city. She
made a “show” of it.”
She
started down the road. But she did not
reach the point of safety.
She
did not complete her journey.
Adoe
did not make the most important choice of her life.
She
did not make a decision to “trust” the LORD.
Adoe
looked back…
Bible
students there are 2 points you need to pick up on.
Lot’s
wife was unbelieving and disobedient.
She was a fraud.
She
“appeared” to be fleeing toward the mountain but her heart was in the city.
“Do not love not the world or anything in
the world…” (1 John 2:15)
Adoe
looked back…
Instead
of demonstrating true faith she was rebellious.
She
had to see if the angels told the truth - meaning she did not believe
the “judgment” was coming. Ergo she did
not believe the LORD.
Because
of her unbelief she was turned into a pillar of salt.
She is the Biblical
example, in my opinion, for all the “pretenders” and “fence-sitters” in the
world who continue to go on doubting the Word of the Creator God.
For
whatever reason, these folks haven’t made a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ.
This
means they submit to the “world instead;” their master and commander.
Pertaining
to the last days, Jesus told His disciples,
Luke 17
31: “On that
day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not
go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not (do what) turn back.
32: “Remember Lot’s wife.
*****
I’m
going to take the time to respond to a question I received from my friend Bob who attends our HBS in Lutz.
The
question concerns same-sex marriages being performed in a Christian Church.
*The Reverend Hall of Washington, D.C., Episcopal
Church, National Cathedral, to host
same-sex ceremonies.
The Rev. said, “I
think it’s being faithful to the kind of community that Jesus would have us be.”
Bob asked, Why, would this man think this?
Answer: I won’t
pretend to try and explain what another man or organization’s thoughts are.
I will share my view
from a Biblical perspective, and pray this will suffice.
First
some background info:
A
majority of bishops and dioceses of the Episcopal Church have approved
the election of the church’s second openly gay bishop. (March 2010)
The
Church of England said Friday (Jan. 4) that it will allow gay men to
become bishops, putting it closer to its sister Episcopal Church in
the United States but at odds with many conservatives in the worldwide Anglican
Communion. (January 2013)
Concerning
the Rev. Hall’s statement above, on the surface it appears to be a safe comment
from a Biblical standpoint. The Church
is a place for sinners.
But
when you explore the history and policies of this particular denomination there
is definitely a “conforming” to the
“world” trend (Romans 12:1-2).
And,
in my opinion, there is some “manipulation” of the Scriptures being practiced.
To
be certain Reverend Hall is “suppressing” the Truth of God’s Word.
(Suppress
= to prevent something from happening, operating, or becoming apparent, or restrain
something and limit its effects.)
The
Lord Jesus Christ addresses this very issue through the Apostle Paul in his
letter to the Romans, chapter 1.
Romans 1
18: For the (what) wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who (do what) suppress the truth in righteousness.
·
God’s
wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness – ungodliness is a
complete disregard of God; God’s wrath is God’s just response to man’s defiant
sin.
·
It
must be said that in order to live an unrighteous life, ungodly men and women
must “hold down the truth” or “restrain the truth;” truth they well know, from
themselves and from others. Read the
next verse.
19:because that
which is known about God is (read carefully) evident within them
(The
knowledge of God is within each and every person at birth); for God made it evident to them (they were created in this manner
– it’s innate. Some would say this part
of our conscious).
20: For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are
without excuse.
The
atheist can deny the existence of God’s all day long, and the fence-sitter
fritter away the hours, but at the end of the day and much later at the Great
White Throne Judgment they will be without an excuse.
21: For even
though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks,
But they became
futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened.
22: Professing to
be (what)
wise, they became fools.
23: and exchanged
the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of a corruptible
man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24: Therefore, God
gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies
would be dishonored among them.
25: For they
exchanged the (what)
truth of God for a lie, and worshiped
and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26: For this reason
God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural
function for that which is unnatural,
27: and in the same
way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in
their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and
receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
28: And just as
they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a
depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
29: being filled
with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
30: slanderers,
haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventers of evil, disobedient to
parents,
31: without
understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
32: and although
they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy
of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who
practice them.
In
my opinion, Reverend Hall is not being honest with himself or with his
congregation about what God has said concerning homosexuality.
Makes
me wonder what else he’s not being honest about.
Those
folks who attend our Bible students know this Truth, I’ve repeated it often enough,
but for those of you who may be visiting,
Hebrews 11
6: And without (what’s the next
word) faith it is impossible to
please Him (God), for he who comes
to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Faith
is taking God at His Word. That’s the best
definition I can think of.
Rev.
Hall is one more example of someone choosing to ignore what God has said!
The
Lord Jesus Christ warns us Believers about this activity. It’s on the increase.
Matthew 7
15: “Beware
of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are
ravenous wolves.
16: “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes.
Nor figs from thistles are they?
And:
Difficult
Times Will Come
2 Timothy 3
1: But realize
this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2: For men will be
lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to
parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3: unloving,
irreconcilable, malicious, gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters good,
4: treacherous,
reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5:
holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid
such men as these. (This verse
describes Reverend Hall and those like him who choose not to believe what God
has said. And then practice their own
form of religion leading many astray.)
Concerning
the end times, when His disciples asked Him what will be a sign of Your coming
the very first thing Jesus said was,
Matthew 24
4b: “See to
it that no one misleads you.”
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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