The Little Book that John Ate"
Chapter 11
An urgency to pray for the repentance of the churches was
impressed upon me early in the study. Jesus
listed many of the sins of the churches in the book of Revelation, chapters 2
and 3. We are not to play guessing
games as to who is the ‘good’ church and who all the sinners are.
Each Christian should pray for his church and everyone else’s as well.
Some
of these sins are individual, some corporate and some are both.
Repentance begins in the heart of the individual and can spread through
the church.
Here Jesus is not talking about organizational
structures. He is speaking to each
of us individually for this is where the action begins.
34)
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved
you, that ye also love one another.
35) By
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.”
21) “He
that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he
that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him.”
We
must have love for one another in the Body of Christ. While there are legitimate differences on some points, the
commandment that we love one another in the Name of Jesus is the same for all.
If
there is going to be a spiritual house cleaning starting with each individual
and then moving on into the church. Let
each of us seek the Lord. His Holy
Spirit will lead all who ask. He
will reveal all sins. His way is
flawless. The Holy Bible is the
authority by which we must measure all teaching. There is no other authority.
Man, science, education nor anything else is the final authority.
While many of the traditions that man has instituted in the church
contribute to good order, some traditions of men
‘make the Word of God
of none effect’ Mark 7:7, 13.
Jesus in speaking of the last day prophesied many will
say, “Lord, Lord.” He will say
to them, “I never knew you.” Read
Matthew 7:21-23. How
can this be? Jesus said only those
who ‘do the will of my Father in heaven shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven.’ In the gospels
it is recorded that He gave this teaching on other occasions also.
The Bible is the will of God. The Word of God should validate the teaching of men.
If a teaching is not consistent with the Word of God, it is not to be
accepted as the will of God. Jesus
has given us the Holy Spirit to make us understand the Word and guide us into
all truth. Can anyone say, “I know all there is to know and there is
nothing more for me to learn from God’s Word?”
Oh Lord, keep your children teachable.
Make your Word real and your will known.
If there were not need for repentance in the churches,
Jesus would not have listed the call to repent. The seriousness of this cannot be over-emphasized.
Along with the call to repent, Jesus tells of rewards to the faithful.
He urges us to ‘hold fast’ to His name and be watchful and strengthen
the things which remain, that are ready to die.
If you don’t know your God and His Word, the exploit
you may do will not be a testimony for Him.
The things you may protect or strengthen or ‘hold fast’ must be
defined by the Word of God and confirmed by the Holy Spirit. Beware as there is a deceiver and counterfeiter at large.
Jesus Himself sounds the warning in speaking of these last days:
Matthew 24:24-25
24)
“For
there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect.
25) Behold, I have told you
before.”
3)
“Remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If
therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt
not know what hour I will come upon thee.”
27)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me:”
The
Holy Spirit of God will reveal to all who ask just what needs our repentance.
He does not want one thing to hinder us from doing all that Jesus has
told us to do. Thank you, Heavenly
Father that you give the Holy Spirit to those who belong to you and ask you. Read Luke 11:13.
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