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The chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Epaphroditus was "nigh unto death" because he had to carry, not only his load, but the load of those who were neglecting their responsibility.
Well, here we are. Another week has passed, and I have finished another session in God's college for those who are on the progressive sanctification highway. It is simply amazing, that week after week, God teaches the “spiritual man” new things. As we put sin out of our lives, God takes us to different levels in our understanding. Wow, how far we have come! I wonder how much farther we must go? I guess it doesn't matter. When we get there, we'll be at the feet of Jesus and all will be well.
How are we doing? The battle is hard, but God is good. We all keep moving, by God's grace, and we won't stop until God wants us to stop. I've put it into His hands. Sorrow is a part of God's providential plan for mankind. You can't escape it unless you are mad. Death is a part of life. You won't escape it unless you are transformed. God has given us companionship, and be thankful for it, but nothing in this life is permanent. All things around us will pass away, and isn't it time we lived and acted accordingly?
“Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.” (Phil. 2: 25-30).
Are you dying? Well, most of us are. We are just all at different stages. Do you have a terminal illness? All of us do. It is called the “sin nature.” Do you have a physical disease? God has the answer and cure for both, but it may not be the cure you expect or necessarily want. Although some lives may be cut short in relation to the lives of others, life is still short for even the longest living individuals. Those who live just for today are short sighted at best.
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 15:54-57).
Are you saved? Have you been “born again”? Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? There is no issue more pressing in our lives, than to make sure we are in favor with the Creator.
I didn't ask you if you have a religion. I didn't ask if you have been baptized. I didn't ask if you have been a good person.
I am asking you, if at one point in your life, you saw yourself as a hell bound sinner? (Rom 3:9-12, 23).
I am asking you if, at one point in your life, you repented of your sins? (Matt. 3:2,7,8).
I am asking you if you have assented to the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven? The Holy God of the universe will accept nothing less than the blood of Jesus as payment on your debt of sin. (Rom. 5:8,9).
Now I realize that many of my college educated friends are much too educated to believe that the God of the Bible is the only way to heaven. Well, of course, after sitting through years of the Karl Marx Institute of Higher Learning, you wouldn't believe that. I would challenge you to think and search with your spirit, and not so much with your brain and text books, for:
“God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24).
If you try to reason your way into the kingdom of God, you'll never get there, because God's ways are not always reasonable. He can only be found through faith. We simply believe His word lest we become like those described by the apostle Paul as:
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (II Tim. 3:7).
I am asking you if you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? ( Rom. 10:13).
I am asking you, if at one point in your life, you became a “new creature,” and your life became new? (II Cor. 5:17).
I'm asking you if you have discernment that only the Holy Spirit can give? (I John 2:20). This is an important point and one thing I look for in new converts.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”(John 16:13).
This, in my opinion, is what separates the men from the boys. I know from my experience, that when I prayed and asked Jesus to save me, I immediately began to make vivid distinctions between truth and error.
If you remember the account of Paul's conversion, the Bible states that “immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose , and was baptized,” (Acts 9:18).
Therefore, if someone claims to be saved, but they think the Devil and his demons are just “erring brethren”, I would be wary. Those who preach “another Jesus” are not just erring brethren, but are “ministers of Satan”.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (II Cor. 11:13-15).
If you are saved, and you have made preparation for eternity, then things are in God's hands. I've learned to trust Him more every day. We haven't taken God by surprise by our situation. God's not sitting up in Heaven in stark wonderment as He looks at our situation. By faith we wait for Him if we have needs. By faith we lean on His grace to go through the hard times. When people are insensitive, we don't get bitter, but we wait on the Lord. His grace is sufficient! His timing is always perfect. When our time comes to cross the river Jordon, then we put full trust in Him knowing that “Death is swallowed up in victory”!
The loss of Epaphroditus would have been hard for the apostle Paul. Epaphroditus ministered to the wants of Paul. It may be for that very reason God spared him. That should give us something to think about. Maybe if we are selfish swine, God will just let us go, but if we are blessing others with our lives, He will keep us around longer.
Epaphroditus was burning out for the work of the Lord. What about us? Are we “nigh unto death” for the sake of the ministry? Well, if you are like most, you only want the amount of God you are comfortable with. Most of us have not a clue what it means to be walking by faith. We say we believe God, yet we haven't trusted Him in the slightest way. We say we are Christians, yet we won't step out unless the way is paved before us and we are sure the path has been proven. We have our pet sins, and that's just the way it is. A stick of dynamite couldn't shake us out of our complacency. Some are so tight when it comes to giving, if we bend a note, they'll snap. You're so prayerless, you couldn't hear God's orders to give if He glued active subwoofers to your ears and shouted GIVE!. You waste so much time in front of the television, you'll probably say “Beam me up Scotty” when the trump of God sounds.
The chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Epaphroditus was “nigh unto death” because he had to carry, not only his load, but also the load of those who were neglecting their responsibility. Anyone knows, especially those from smaller churches, that when one fails, the load becomes heavier on the others. The apostle Paul was well acquainted with this. I have also experienced this spirit of indifference in the church today, and it is grevious. What's new? If not another person was concerned with your cause, would it matter? Should we go up and down with every wave? NO! If we are walking in faith, the waves are irrelevant, because we are not walking by sight.
The other day I was sitting at my desk asking the Lord about how many ways I should pray that God should judge some evil people who stealing money unjustly from me.
It was something like, “How many ways should you judge them, let me count the ways.”
Much to my shame, the Lord had me flop the Bible open to Matthew 5.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth tor a tooth:
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” (Matt. 5:38-42.)
So I'm feeling like about two cents. OK Lord, I guess my spirit was not exactly right. If we believe God, then we know that God is in control. When men do us wrong, they do God wrong. When they fight with us, the fight is with God. We don't concern ourselves with justice and revenge. We commit that to the Judge of the world, who will one day bring the deeds of the wicked to light. The judgment of the lost is not far off either.
“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:11,12).
You now have the Bronx-Wide HIV Testing Initiative. You have gays marrying in California. At the same time, there are over a thousand different wild fires burning in California. There were eight thousand reported lightening strikes in one day in California. Corn is drying up in the ground in Oklahoma, and drought conditions are being reported as worse than at the time of the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. It goes on and on. I believe God is saying, it's time.
There is absolutely no regard for spiritual things today. Every man does what is right in his own eyes. The cults appear to be thriving, but sound fundamental Bible believing churches are struggling. The ministers today have to literally become entertainers and adjust there doctrine to get folks to attend. Nobody comes out for the good old KJV today.
“But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thes. 5:8,9).
In this we can be comforted. CP
Created By CyberPastor on 06/29/2008 11:24 AM
Last updated by CyberPastor on 06/29/2008 11:27 AM
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