7/8/2011 8:35:27 AM
SPIRITIUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Stage one: the work opposed PT.1
(Cooperation leading to compromise)
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ezra 4:1-3
Message of the verses: “1 ¶ Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here." 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.’”
Today’s SD begins a new chapter in Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s commentary and he entitles this chapter that actually covers chapters four through six of Ezra “THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.” As I have followed his writings over the years I have found that he usually gives a clue to how the chapter will laid out as the last part of the introduction usually gives the clue and in chapter two we find these words “In these three chapters, we see how God was faithful to His people in every stage of their work for Him.”
A.W. Tozer writes the following in his book The Knowledge of the Holy,” God being who Hi is, cannot cease to be what He is, and being what He is, He cannot act out of character with Himself. He is at once faithful and immutable, so all His words and acts must be and must remain faithful.” J. Hudson Taylor wrote the following in his book “Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret,” in order to describe the successful Christian life “not a striving to have faith…but a looking off to the Faithful One…” The Apostle Paul wrote these words in 2Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself.” As I read these words from these different sources I cannot help but think of the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham in Genesis chapters twelve and also chapter fifteen. This was an unconditional covenant that God made with Abraham and then with Isaac, Jacob, and the rest of the children of Israel. God could not go back on His Word and even though the children of Israel broke the conditional covenant with the Lord that is found in Deuteronomy chapter twenty-eight and had to be disciplined by the Lord, God was faithful to Himself in bringing them back to the Promised Land which is seen in this book of Ezra.
The first main point in Wiersbe’s book has three sub-points and I will cover the first of these in today’s SD. He entitles this first sub-point “Cooperation leading to compromise.”
What is seen in these first three verses of Ezra chapter four is a very subtle attack from the enemy that still goes on today, and that is compromise. The people from Samaria came to the leaders of the exiles and offered to help them build the temple. The history of the Samaritan people goes back to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In 722 BC the Assyrian’s defeated the Northern Kingdom and then sent some of them back to live in Israel. They became a mixed race of people. Why was this offer of these people so dangerous? Part of the answer lies in that they were a mixed race and this could lead to the same thing happening to the exiles. We must remember that there were a great number who could not prove that they were really Jews when they left Babylon to come with the rest of the exiles and because of this they could not serve. Balaam, when he was being paid to curse Israel, but could not because the Lord would not allow it said these words, “As I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.” God had given Israel a special task to perform in the world as can be seen in Genesis 12:1-3, “1 ¶ Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Dr. Wiersbe writes “If in any way the people of Israel were corrupted, the success of their God-given ministry would be jeopardized.”
I realize that there is a difference between Israel and the Church; however there are some principles that can be said of both Israel and the Church and one of them is not to compromise with the world. This can be seen from different places in the NT and one of them is found in 2Corthians 6:14-7:1, “14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. 18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. 1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Separation must never mean isolation, and the reason for this is because God has work for believers to do in this world (Eph. 2:10). According to the book of Ephesians the leaders of the local church are to equip the saints (NT believers) to do the work, which is the building up of the body (local church). Paul writes this in Ephesians 4:12.
In my opinion, and not mine only for men that I listen to and also read books from, and in particular John MacArthur, believe that the Church today is compromising with the world in the name of evangelism. The church today is being watered down in order to appeal to the world, and this is just as wrong today as it was during the time of Ezra. (And again I am not saying that there was a Church back then). Believers today have to realize that the Church is for believers, a place where the believer should be taught the things of God so that they can go out into the world to tell others about the wonderful Lord we serve and how they too can begin to serve Him too after they accept Him as their Savior and Lord.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: This lesson from today has been a great reminder that I am not to compromise with the world, and that I need to be on guard for these subtle things that are thrown at me from the world that could cause me to compromise with them. The enemy is very dangerous and will stop at anything to make me fall, yet I am to remember the God that I serve is faithful, even when I am not.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Ephesians 6:10-18 “10 ¶ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
7/8/2011 10:04:43 AM
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