Wed, Nov 25th - 1:29PM

The Problem of Defection, Pt. 2

C.   Defection flourishes under loose leadership.  We find from verse 8 that Jeremiah had observed the effects of leaders who were not plugged into the Word of God.  They had veered from walking a straight path with God and had begun doing things according to what they thought must be right.  Almost without exception today, it is the shepherds, the leaders, who err first and then the sheep follow their example.  The problem is not one of isolated, individual erosion, but the slipping of an entire congregation instead.  Our leaders establish the pace.

D.   Defection involves two specific sins:  forsaking the true God and finding an empty substitute.  From verse 13 we find these are laid out fairly plainly.  The substitutes  are always empty, never providing the satisfaction envisioned beforehand.  First people turn away from the true God and then they go after strange theories, believing them to be true and factual.  They become deluded, their judgment clouded, their logic convoluted and contradictory.  They become unstable in their principles and in their general thinking. 

E.  Defection provides its own consequences.  From verse 19 we find God's assertion that our own wickedness will correct us.  The defector is usually the last one to realize the unavoidable truth declared by God.  The debt owed to God for defection will not, cannot, be discounted; its full price is painfully high and must be paid for in full.

A Simple Remedy for Defection.

From Jeremiah 3:12-13 the message God gave Jeremiah spells out His desire for those who choose other paths.  God said to Jeremiah, "Go and proclaim these words...Return, faithless Israel...I will not look upon you in anger.  For I am gracious, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever.  Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God..."  Return and acknowledge.  In Luke 15 this is what the prodigal son did.  He returned to the home from which he had earlier defected and admitted his wrong to his father.  In return he gained back the happiness and security he'd once enjoyed in his home with his father and brother.  Is this not applicable to believers today?  And especially, isn't this applicable to lost sinners who have not yet repented of their sins?  Don't they need to learn that all they have to do is admit that they have transgressed against Holy God?  Sure.  Many of us do not like to have to admit that we have screwed up royally.  We will deflect the blame from ourselves by trying to transfer it to others around us.  This is what Adam and Eve attempted to do in the Garden of Eden and it has not changed one bit over thousands of years.  Too many of us also become angry at our friend/s when they elect to turn back to God by acknowledging that they have sinned against God.  In doing this we become akin to the "other" brother in the parable of the prodigal son.  He became angry with his father for allowing his brother back into his good graces and throwing a huge feast in his honor.  We may feel left out, overlooked, or even angry at God because we do not understand why that person has been accepted by God but we have not. 

In summary, we have found that there is no clearer picture of national defection than the kingdom of Judah during Jeremiah's day.  We found that defection happens slowly, steadily over a period of time.  Sometimes this can span generations as efforts are made to mislead people gently down a slippery slope to outright disobedience and dismissal of God.  That is the present case in America today.  We found that defection begins to happen during times of prosperity or blessing.  If leadership is loose with the facts, with truth, with ethics, and with morality then it is not very long before the people will begin to follow along down the exact same path.  We found that the first step is in forsaking God; people no longer trust God completely for they have allowed doubts to creep into their thoughts.  Then they are given over to believing all sorts of foolish falsehoods and theories about everything.  They cannot see the truth for they have become spiritually blind. 

Of course, each of us must apply each of these five principles to ourselves and find out where we actually stand in relation to being ready to defect from God back into the lost world of darkness.  Those principles in which we are forced to admit to ourselves that they are applicable to us should spur us on to making changes in our lives to reverse the trends we have found.  This should become a "mirror" of sorts to be used by us to discover flaws in our Christian lives. The obvious preventative measure in all of this is that we need to read the Bible regularly and study it continually.  We need to check what others tell us against what God has said in His Word.  In this fashion we can filter out falsehoods early on and protect ourselves from accepting inaccurate claims of how to live as a Christian.  If we have read and studied God's Word properly we can then know how to recognize lies and misleading statements of fact.  If we know what God's Word says, then we will be content and joyful of heart with great faith in Christ looking forward to the day when He returns.  We will be motivated to continue running the race that Christ has put before us until we obtain the goal.  We will be moved, and convinced, of the necessity to love everyone just as we love ourselves.

That concludes this part of the study on problems.  Next time, God willing, I will begin looking at the problem of facing impossibilities.  How we handle inpossibilities that enter into our lives will be a witness of our maturity in Christ and will pave the way to changing the lives of lost people all around us.  May Christ bless each of you abundantly during this Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.  May He become your Horn of Cornucopia, your Horn of Plenty, throughout the entire year and not just for one day. 

~Eric

Tue, Nov 24th - 6:10PM

Chapter 44 of the Book of Isaiah contains a call from God to Israel as His chosen one.

Yet now hear, O Jacob My servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

Thus says the LORD that made you, and formed you from the womb, which will help you; Fear not, O Jacob, My servant; and you, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring:(44:1-3)

This I believe, is a reference to the Pentecostal pouring out of the Holy Spirit, which to corresponds to Joel 2:28-32.  Joel's prophecy was not fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.  Peter said in substance, "This should not amaze you, because this is similar to what will take place in the last days."  How do we know this wasn't fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost?  Here are the reasons that I can give to you:  (1)  Joel said, "I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood...(2:30-31)".  This is the same type of reference that we find in Revelation concerning the End Times.  (2)  The record in Acts tells us that the Spirit was not poured out on all people, but Joel said: "...I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh..."(2:28).  In Acts there were first 120 disciples, then 3,000 believers; never "all" and after over 1900 years it still is not "all."  Thus, Joel's prophecy is coming in the future. 

Now we come to a great speech against idolatry. 

And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God(44:4-6).

When Israel returned from their captivity they renewed their covenant with Jehovah.  We can see here a more veiled allusion to the Gentiles being welcomed into the fold with the Israelites.  We can also see here similar language as is used by Christ in the Book of Revelation, "I am the first and I am the last."

That is all for today my friends.  God willing, all of us shall gather here again and continue this study!  May grace and peace adorn your footsteps!

~Eric

Tue, Nov 24th - 10:03AM

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen(Hebrews 11:1).

I borrow this from Dr. McGee's Edited Messages on Hebrews.  In the Book of Hebrews can be found endless spiritual diamonds, gems that can give each of us, as believers, a lift of spirit.  They can increase our determination to walk more closely with Christ and they can increase the amount of faith that we have in Christ and His written Word.  The four chapters leading up to our text lay out for us the reality of what the Ten Commandments and the Ordinances of the Tabernacle were actually meant to do for everyone.  We find out that Christ was being pictured within everything that was found in the Tabernacle and within everything that was accomplished within the Tabernacle.  Thus we arrive at chapter eleven and find the word "Now" in verse one.  This signifies an explanation is coming, a revelation of what was spoken of in verse 38 of chapter 10.

The Greek word for "substance" is hupostasis.  It is a scientific term, the opposite of hypothesis or theory.  It is that which rests upon facts.  In chemistry it would be the chemical compound which settles to the bottom of the test tube after you have completed your experiment.  It has also been translated as "title deed."  What is the title deed?  What is the substance?  It is none other than the Word of God my dear friends.  If your faith does not rest upon the Word of God, it is not biblical faith at all.  It has to rest upon what God has said.  It means to believe God.

As to the question of whether or not to believe God, do not attempt the liberal "I've got intellectual problems" excuse, because that does not work.  The only thing that keeps people from the Word of God is sin.  It is the sin in your life that keeps you from coming to God.  It is the heart that needs to believe, it is "the heart that believeth unto righteousness."  When you are ready to give up your sin the Holy Spirit will make real to you the Word of God.  It is God Himself who will enable you to comprehend the reality of His Word.

Paul wrote to the Colossian believers, "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding(1:9)."  To know the will of God is to know the Word of God.  He prayed that they might know the Word of God.  The Greek word for "knowledge" which Paul used is epignosis.  There were Gnostics in that day who professed to have super knowledge.  Paul told the Colossians that he wanted them to have super knowledge which was genuine by knowing that the Bible is the Word of God, and he believed that the Holy Spirit would make it real to them.

Therefore faith rests upon the Word of God.  Our dogmatism comes from the Book.  There are only two ways to go, beloved.  Either you are going backwards, or you are going forwards.  Anything that is alive cannot stand still.  Out in the forest there is regression and deterioration taking place daily, but there is also growth and development.  Nothing alive out there is standing still, it simply cannot.

"The evidence of things not seen."  In the Greek the word is elegchos.  It is a legal term meaning "evidence that is accepted for conviction."  This is evidence you take into court to prove your case before a judge.

Faith is not a leap in the dark.  Faith is not a "hope so."  Faith is substance and evidence; substance for a scientific mind, and evidence for a legal mind.  If you really want to believe, you can believe.  You can believe a lot of foolish things, but God doesn't want you to do that.  He wants your faith to rest solely upon the Word of God.  He awaits your choice in this matter.  He is closer to you this very second than the air that you are inhaling and exhaling.  His arms are ever spread wide to welcome you into His loving embrace.  As the prodigal son, He desires to throw a tremendous feast to honor your return home to heaven.  It shall be the party of parties!  God has drawn near unto you, He has been calling to you, now it is time for you to choose what direction you will go.  Is it to be forward, or will it be backward?  I hope and pray that you choose to not try and stand still, this is impossible to do in life.

~Eric

Mon, Nov 23rd - 12:47PM

The Problem of Defection

One of the saddest sight in all of the world is the backslidden believer; the Christian who once loved God and walked closely with Him, but now is wandering in disobedience and rebellion all over again.  Since this is not an unusual sight we shall investigate this problem of defection from Christ.  We will be looking at Jeremiah 2 as our reference point in Scripture.  Now defection from Christ is not always obvious or public in nature.  But there is not a single church today working for Christ and His kingdom that does not have people defecting from its ranks.

A General Survey of Jeremiah's address

From a reading of Jeremiah 2:1-19 we find out about an unusual king who reigned over the southern nation of Judah from about 640-609 B.C.  His name was Josiah.  He assumed the throne at the ripe old age of eight.  At sixteen he began to seek after the Lord and gave himself to Him.  At twenty he overturned all the idols of Baal and Asherah.  He swept the land clean and a spiritual awakening came like a fresh, cool breeze in the desert.  When Josiah died, his countrymen returned to the attitudes of their past.  Jeremiah, who became the prophet of doom, lived in this transition period.  For nearly forty years his words were ignored by his hearers: he lived to see his nation's demise, when the people were carried away into captivity by Babylon.  His message of warning had been directed to those engaged in defection.  So let's look at his address:

A.  Looking back into the past...God remembers - From verses 1-5 we see that God reminds them all of why they had days of blessing, love, and devotion.

B.   Looking at the present...God rebukes - From verses 4-13 we see that God points out to them that they have turned their backs upon the One who provides living waters and have thought that they can provide all of the water that they need through their own deeds. 

C.   Looking to the future...God reveals - From verses 14-19 we see God pointing out that the peoples' own wickedness shall correct them in their ways.  No fear of God existed within the people, they felt that they could do whatever they pleased without any reckoning to be dealt with later on.  Judah ultimately paid a very dear price for their spiritual wickedness.  Hopefully, America will heed the messages being preached from many church pulpits these days and will not continue to walk away from God and His statutes.  To do so has its own consequences and they are not pretty.

Specific principles regarding defection

These things that were true about defection in the days of Jeremiah are still true today; time has not changed them at all.  We will spare outselves much heartache and sorrow if we pay close attention to each principle taken from this prophet's address.

A.   Defection does not occur suddenly - From verses 5-7 we find a generational implication put forward.  Spiritual erosion took place over time, which we find to be true in the natural world around us regarding physical erosion.  Defection has its hidden roots in the thought life, makes its way down into the heart, then into the action of life.

B.   Defection most often occurs in times of blessing - From verse 7 we can see that the times were not ones of tribulation or stress but were times of plenty.  This principle is repeated several times in the Bible: in time of prosperity David plunged himself into ruin. On the heels of great revival Jonah defected.  Soon after his victory on Mt. Carmel Elijah begged God to let him simply die.  Defection's roots sprout while we are on the mountain tops, not in the valleys. 

That is all for now on this study my friends.  Next time, God willing, I will cover three more principles and then give a simple remedy for fighting defection.  Until then, may the Prince of Peace give you liberally of the assurance of His grace.  May you walk closely with your God all of this day.

~Eric

Mon, Nov 23rd - 6:55AM

Good day my friends and please accept my apologies for tarrying so long from continuing this study in the Book of Isaiah.  The Lord lay upon my heart that other topics be placed upon this blog before moving on in Isaiah.  But we are now back after about a two week hiatus and we shall be moving along once more!

Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare you, that you may be justified.

Your first father had sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against Me(43:26-27).

This is a reference to Abraham.  Assuredly the Scriptural record shows that man's failures and sins.  Leaping to mind was his lying to Pharaoh about Sarah, his wife.  Your teachers means "interpreters" who are those who had interpreted God to the people and they had had faults and sins.  The same is true even today.  Those who interpret God's Word for the people have faults and sins.  But in the Old Testament times there were Samson, Samuel, and David who all did mighty deeds for God but were also guilty of comitting great sins against God.  It simply reminds all of us today that we are human beings that make errors.

Verse 26 can be read more than one way.  First, it could be implying that the people were attempting to reason with God and thus through rational argument gain pardon from their sins.  If so, this would be a vain act for God cannot be used in this fashion.  Or,  this verse could be pointing out for all of us that the only reasonable way to go is to put God in remembrance of His prior promises made to His people, repent of our sins, and humbly ask God to allow the both of you to speak together about our sins and forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ.  This latter way is the most fruitful and the only one through which any of us can enter into a peaceful relationship with God once more.

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches(43:28).

And here is an accurate reflection of the present condition of Israel.  They have no peace today because they have turned their back from the living and true God, Jehovah.  They shall not have peace until they repent and return to worshiping Him which means accepting Christ has already come and that He is their Messiah.

We come now to chapter 44 which continues this theme found in 43.  That last chapter ended on a rather dark note of judgment handed out to Israel but now we are moving into the light of the coming kingdom and the promise of the Holy Spirit, which we enjoy today.

We are going to find a satire against idolatry in this chapter.  It seems to be a recurring theme for this section of Isaiah.  It also seems that the human heart has a way of repeatedly turning away from God and to some sort of idol.  Today we do not go after graven images but anything to which a person gives him or herself instead of the true God is an idol.  It can be your career, the making of money, seeking fame, pleasure, sex, alcohol, self-adoration, or business.  These all are our idols today. 

That is all for today.  Next we shall begin looking into chapter 44 to find out what is spoken about the Holy Spirit.  God willing, we shall meet here again to continue reading and studying His Word!  Grace and peace be with you all of this day.

~Eric