Personal Legacy

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Providence of the Wicked

Deuteronomy 32:30-36 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except:

In our service to God a single man can send a thousand to flight.  If we have sinned against God or refuse to trust in Him then one sinner can put a thousand saints to flight.  If a thousand saints serve God in a wishy washy lukewarm manner they will run in terror of a single focused child of the devil.  They will either flee because they do not trust God or they will flee because they do not fully believe in God, which is worse.

Their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?  For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

A rock is supposed to be a fortress, a strong tower.  Proverbs 18:10 says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower.  Their lord is not God.  Their Lord is a god of wood, hay or stubble.  Like a bruised reed it cannot save.  It will burn up in the day of calamity as the false god it truly is.  Only our God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can save and deliver.  The rock of false gods will fall on them and crush the life out of them.

For their vine is of the vine of Sodom,

Sodom means to be scorched and burned to dust.  Sodom is their vine that cannot bring forth good fruit.  John 15:16 says we should go forth in Christ and our fruit shall remain.  The fruit of Sodom is evil and full of sin.  It is darkness and cannot remain.  Can two men or two women bring forth fruit?  They cannot because God has not made them so.  In the same manner we cannot live lives of disobedience and expect to bring forth godly fruit or to have God honor our decisions.  Our fruit will NOT remain because God has ordained its destruction.  Only fruit borne of God’s will and obedience to His truth will continue.  Sodom also means perversion as when the homosexual men tried to accost the angels visiting Lot.

And of the fields of Gomorrah:

Gomorrah is a ruined heap.  The fields of sin are ruined heaps; salted land that will bring forth twisted and polluted fruit.  The vine of sin is polluted and the ground full of rocks burned in fire and covered in salt; nothing will grow.  The vine finds sustenance in the good earth.  This is why Luke 13:6 is so serious.  God is longsuffering toward us to give us an opportunity to repent and live as He intends.  If we refuse then we will be like the fields of Gomorrah, ruined heaps that will not bring forth good fruit.  In disobedience our fruit has become disobedient and we cannot leave any good future when we pass on.

Their grapes are grapes of gall,

Gall or bile is the excretion that comes from the gall bladder and is used by the body to help digest meat.  It is bitter and corrosive.  The fruit of those who do not take their walk with the Lord seriously have grown from flawed and poisoned ground and will bring forth bitter and dangerous fruit.  That fruit will not prosper and reproduce after our Lord but after the god of this world.  Whatever that fruit touches will be burned and eaten away from the inside. 

Their clusters are bitter:

Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”  We have produced entire generations of gossips, murmurers and complainers.  Our own choices have not been wise and the seed we produce all gather together and poison one another.  The goal of this lesson is to take a look at our seed; those individuals who follow after us, either children of our loins or heart or spirit.  Are they growing up straight and strong?  Are they godly?  Be honest with yourself.  Have you done all you can to assist these beloved children in their walk with their Heavenly Father?

Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

Once they are lost they are not merely endangering themselves; their actions will poison all the relationships they try to maintain.  No matter how much they may ‘desire’ to live wholesome lives and bear wholesome fruit, it is not possible.  Only one path can lead to this ‘wholesomeness’ and that path is through Jesus.  You can’t brush alongside this path for contact wholesomeness nor can you merely dip a toe into it.  Like baptism, a walk with God that will lead to an eternity of grace comes from full immersion.  You have to drown yourself in Him till you’re dead and become one with Him.  The phrase, “It doesn’t take all that,” is out of the pit of Hell.

Protect The Legacy

2 Kings 20:13 & Isaiah 39:6 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

Some time ago I heard a minister preach about who we should reveal our dreams and visions to.  She said we should never reveal our dreams to anyone who does not love us AND have spiritual discernment.  Joseph trusted his brothers and told them his dreams.  They hated him at the time and had God not guarded the legacy through his slavery and prison it might not have come to pass.  In the verse above Hezekiah loved God and served him faithfully but he was also a man who liked to brag.  Whether he bragged about God or himself is immaterial.  His bragging revealed the wealth AND moral weakness of Israel to a dangerous and growing threat in Babylon.  Had he just been gracious to the people and kept Israel’s wealth a secret, things might have been different. 

In this case I believe God allowed Hezekiah to make this foolish decision because of their sin.  The protection of God’s people in faithful times is glorious indeed, however in times of disobedience the anointing lifts and they can behave very foolishly indeed.

14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon. 15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. 16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord. 17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. 18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days.

Hezekiah’s outlook was for himself and not the future of God’s people.  Through his bragging he didn’t keep God’s blessing close to his heart and revealed it to those who sought only power and wealth.  In his mind as long as he was okay it didn’t matter if his sons were sold into slavery in a foreign land.  To a certain extent I understand his feelings on the matter.  If I serve the Lord with my whole heart and my children decide to live like the devil then isn’t that on them?  Too many of us baby our children until they have no desire to serve God.  David’s outlook was not this way and begged God that his son take over where he ended and build the house of God.  Personally, I want my children to continue to put God first in their lives and one day exceed what I have accomplished for the Lord, but I also want truth and peace during MY days on the Earth. 

Personal Ministry

1 Corinthians 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me

I have occasionally been told that it is unusual for a bishop to be humble.  Bishops say these individuals are all about being authoritative, being seen doing the work of God.  Frankly, I have met arrogant apostles, belligerent bishops, pessimistic pastors, delinquent deacons, pugnacious prophets and testy teachers and none of them will ever amount to anything in Christ if they do not humble themselves.  Mark 10 says, “42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” 

It’s hard to be bossy when our most intimate example, that of Christ Jesus, is that we should meet the needs of others rather than having our own selfish needs seen to.  Ministries abound where men and women jocky for position so they can be respected and looked up to.  There are also a few where the men and women regularly put worthy people around them up into the light and are perfectly willing to let God give honor as He sees fit.  If our heart is to assist our brother over his difficulties then God will personally see to our destiny and honor.

Now, having said all that; there is nothing wrong with being honored for the work you do in Christ.  God expects us to honor those who have accomplished much in our midst.  Those of us who work in the background quietly to uplift the more dynamic and visible men and women around us will receive our blessings directly from the throne of grace.  Receiving recognition for a job well done is part of the honor of leadership in Christ Jesus.  If this was not the case then we would not honor Christ as our Savior.  We would simply accept his sacrifice with a simple act of thanksgiving and move on.  In reality our Lord deserves all our praise and adoration for His work on our behalf and likewise our Christian leaders also deserve to receive words of appreciation and even monetary blessing for what they mean in our lives. 

Here’s the thing; a wife ought to submit to her husband and show her husband how much she appreciates him and honors him because as a faithful and loving husband he is worthy of that honor but he CANNOT demand it because it must be given freely by his wife.  In response to this God will bless and honor the wife and the husband should cherish his wife.  A leader also should not demand respect and honor but the church owes it to a good leader for his dedication.  I will say that pastors, teachers and parents ought to teach their people and children to give such honor as part of proper Christian upbringing.  Children should honor parents and congregants should honor their leaders. 

Getting back to my scripture, notice that Paul as an apostle did not browbeat his congregation into setting aside money for the less fortunate and persecuted saints in Jerusalem (persecution which he started).  He taught them that there should be a setting aside so that God’s work would continue and God would be able to honor his children.  Furthermore, Paul did not suggest that his involvement in all this was more important.  He suggested that those who raised the funds should bring them and in so doing receive the recognition they deserved.  If the amount were sufficient Paul himself would go along to make sure that the funds were dispersed correctly but those who raised them still would come along to receive their honor.

How often do you see those in politics patting themselves on the back for funds raised when those who actually organized and raised the funds barely got a pat on the back?  We ought to give honor where honor is due and like the crowns of gold received for our walk in Christ; our hearts may well cause us to turn even that honor back to the Lord. 

Trust in God ONLY

1 Timothy 6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; 14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Rough translation of scripture above, “Aint nobody greater than God.  Give it up to the King!!!”

1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Trust God.  Trust His Word.  Trust His direction.  Trust His love.  Trust AND obey.  Give to the poor without looking down on them.  Let your trust be in God’s hand on your life and NOT on your understanding of business.  Be willing to give and willing to reach out to others.  BELIEVE AND KNOW that you are building a FOUNDATION strengthened by God and not man.  This foundation can support you no matter how much the enemy and unsaved throw against you.

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

I LOVE this verse.  Keep the Word that has been committed to your trust.  If you wish to know what ‘profane and vain babblings’ are just read a liberal newspaper columnist spout on over what is wrong with the world today.  You will hear them try to tear you down for your faith in ‘outdated and foolish superstitions.’  Notice it says, “oppositions of science, falsely so called.”  Scripture will NEVER be proved wrong.  As Christians we need not fear that science will destroy our faith.  The THEORIES that scientists use to attack us have never been proven since they are only able to understand what they can see and touch.  Whenever someone arrives at a new breakthrough just check to see if it goes against scripture or enhances scripture. 

Science either tries to find the truth or tries to prove religion to be false.  When its goal is to attack religion it is false science because true science is seeking the truth and scripture says that we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free.  God does not hate science since God invented it.  God hates lying science like anthropologists who find the tooth of an extinct pig and try to pass it off as the missing link of man’s journey from amoeba to modern man.  Since we were created as men, whole and complete, there can be no intermediate steps.  There is no proof and will NEVER be real proof that the word of God is false.  The more we TRULY learn the more God’s Word will be proved true.  Many men of science will lie to free themselves from God but all they have done is to bind themselves up in a lie.

Hmmmm.  Who is that father of lies again?

Guard Your Storehouse

Peter had a lot of problems in his walk with Jesus.  It took a while for him to get a strong foundation and during that time he wrestled with his faith.  He got it under control eventually but had a severe setback when he denied Jesus three times in one day.  I used to lie like the devil and because of that I simply can’t abide a lie these days.  Peter gave up often and after being filled with the Spirit would not allow any doubt at all to creep into his heart.  Our flaws will often embarrass us into working all that much harder and more diligently so we do not fail God.  Paul said in Romans that he reveled in his weaknesses because those weaknesses made God that much stronger in his life. 

Do your weaknesses make God stronger in YOUR life or do you try and hide them and ignore they exist?  I’ve never been able to lie to myself about my abilities but on the other hand, I also acknowledge my strengths along with my weaknesses.  Trust God to empower you to overcome your flaws and to increase your strengths.

2 Peter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Because he never wants anyone to fall like he did Peter tends to stress how important it is for saints to remain strong no matter the outside influence crying against us.  With everything against us it is our faith that keeps us strong.  Every man and woman must continue to develop their faith so it will be strong enough to carry them when tested.  Peter’s warning is that we don’t become like those ignorant ones who forget how the flood destroyed all life on land except those Noah carried in the ark and remember that a time is coming where those who refuse to keep God in their memory will experience fire on that day of judgment.  These who are ignorant of the truth are also the ones who will make up false science to meet their emotional needs.

1 Peter 3:13 Now who is there to hurt you if you are zealous followers of that which is good.

1 Peter 3:14 But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition].

15 But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.

1 Peter 3:16 [And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear ( unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives.

This is the crux of this verse is that you must receive all your encouragements from God, His Word and His true followers.  Those in the world may say thank you when you do something nice for them but as soon as you touch their shortcomings either through a direct chastisement or by acting better than they do they will lash out at you for your ‘holier than thou’ attitude.  It doesn’t matter whether you wanted to offend them (I certainly hope not) or just do what you know God expects, they will be offended.  Don’t allow it to get to you or make you as grumpy as they are.  Trust God and be full of JOY for His sake.

Live your life for God, before God and to God. 

1 Peter 3:17 For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong.

18 For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit.

Look at verse 17 above.  Now look at 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self- seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong.

So…are you touchy?  Irritable?  Grouchy?  Rude to those who are rude to you?  Resentful to those who treat you badly?  Living in the flesh?  Hmmmm?

I can’t count the times I have heard SAINTS threaten to give someone a ‘piece of their mind!’  If your attitude to someone who offends you or speaks against you is to give them a piece of your mind then you are a babe and not mature.  Jesus put up with all they did to Him and never opened his mouth.  You can see this in Isaiah 53:7 and Acts 8:32.  You don’t have the right in Christ to cop an attitude every time someone offends you.  You are required to be gracious and loving no matter what.  I have seen both types and let me tell you the grumpy saints when crossed are NOT PRETTY!  You might think you have a right to tell people off but YOU DO NOT.  That is not a level of grace God has given you. 

His last word to you was, “Vengeance is mine.  I will repay (not you) saith the Lord.

Let’s go out there and leave behind a legacy like Mother Teresa and not Idi Amin Dada the dictator of Uganda; one built on grace and mercy and not retribution.

God’s blessings upon you all my beloved.

Bishop J