(1Corinthians 10:3) “And all ate the same spiritual food…”
This morning brings with it soberness, I am wide awake and it has just gone 3am but my heart is heavy, Why? For a number of reasons, I am so consciously aware of how much apathy lives with me in life. I never seem to commit myself to God’s Word like so many have done. I think of Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, John Bunyan, Jerry Bridges, John Piper, John MacArthur and the tenacity of Mike Atlee, a man who was resolute; his entire life seemed to revolve around Christ and his understanding of the Word. It was under his work that God chose to save me, the Coastal Assemblies of God a fairly new work in South African which flew the Pentecostal flag. I can no longer hold to all of their doctrine, but much of it is still very dear to my heart. Be that as it may when I look at this man’s drive and commitment in what he believed to be God’s call upon his life, I am yet to meet a man like him. I wanted to be like him in my early Christian years. Sold out for the Lord Jesus!
Why am I concerned this morning, what is it that has kept me from sleep? There seems to be so many voices propagating Christianity, under so many varying denominations, what would those on the outside hear? I suppose just some foreign gibberish language. A very sad state of affairs!
Amongst the charismatic churches, not much if any true doctrine is preached, how they feed their sheep is beyond me. I know that some are amongst God’s number ever in those churches but they will be tested soon as the Spirit of God, God the Holy Spirit will never go against His own Word: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1John4:1)
Then some Pentecostal churches believe that you only receive the Holy Ghost once you have been filled by Him after salvation and the proof of that is you will then speak in another tongue, a language foreign to your native tongue. That would imply that men like C.H.Spurgeon and many other faithful Christian who have accomplish more than most ever would, was not filled with the Holy Spirit (Ghost). What nonsense! However I do not agree with some that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased. That is not conclusive when looking at scripture, but men’s opinions. Nevertheless when so many churches claim healings and the like, I would ask you to examine their claims. When the Lord Jesus healed was there ever any doubt to his healing? Of course not! They were all miraculous and doubt was never in question. When God makes a statement, there will never be any doubt. Did those who lived in the days of Noah doubt it was raining as they fought for their lives to no avail. Never! There were 950 false prophets who claimed to be blessed of God that came against Elijah and God majestically humiliated them with their god’s. But Elijah was the man that God used to embarrass them. What of the walls of Jericho or the parting of the Red Sea or even Daniel in the lion’s den. When God moves there is no mistaking it, and so it will be when God chooses to heal or when He moves in judgment. A day is coming where one third of the earth will be destroyed with fire (Rev 8:7). It will be evident to all just as it was in the days of Noah. Why then do we no longer see God’s hand at work through miracles and healings; it may just be that we no longer walk in faith as they once did, God knows! But I pray the He would stir His people to desire all that He has given us so that the enemy may be silenced as we look to be earnestly used in glorifying His name. Thank you for your patience with so many of your children Father, when I look at my life I am often left hanging my head in shame as my life seems powerless at times, forgive me Lord. I know that if we remain faithless you will never change you will never deny yourself. Help us; help me seek out your face like never before I pray. You have given us so much and yet we give so little in return.
I have read that amongst Protestant Churches, statistically their number splits after reaching 100–200, why we would ask? The people there are more likely to split churches than seek out unity. (Dan Phillips-Pyromaniacs)
This now brings us to our text; “and all ate the same spiritual food,” they all drank from the rock. “Their drink was a stream fetched from a rock which followed them in all their journeyings in the wilderness; and this rock was Christ, that is, in type and figure. He is the rock on which the Christian church is built; and of the streams that issue from him do all believers drink, and are refreshed. Now all the Jews did eat of this meat, and drink of this rock, called here a spiritual rock, because it typified spiritual things. These were great privileges. One would think that this should have saved them; that all who ate of that spiritual meat, and drank of that spiritual drink, should have been holy and acceptable to God. Yet was it otherwise:” (Matthew Henry)
What is very scary as we unpack the rest of the text we see that God was not well please with a lot of them; “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” (1Corinthians 10:5) – We must take this caution seriously as this was written down for us. This portion of scripture was penned so that we would not make the same mistakes they made. We must avoid idolatry, sexual immorality, we must not put Christ to the test, and we must not grumble as some of then did. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. (1Corinthians 10:11-12)
It is never pleasant to write harsh stern warning in my blog, how I long to speak of God’s promises but what would it help if we had a false sense of security, the truth must be told as it is the truth that will set us free. Please see my heart in the matter and always remember that my heart is the first to be exposed.
Having now said what has been stated, I leave us with this thought; as the war rages on God is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against Him. Praise His name as the beautiful chimes of our Saviours finished work rings true to our ears.
Signing off
Tyrone
No comments:
Post a Comment