Pastor’s Blog 5.9.18

Habakkuk 2:4 Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness. [Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11.]AMP

Has your faith been compromised? Sometimes our daily struggle entices us to return to self-reliance and reason. As I was praying this morning I was thinking on faith and the attitude of faith. The emotion true faith produces is nothing less than contentment. There is a rest in faith as well as an action. I always have said “We do what we can and the Lord will do what we can’t!” Faith is employed as we trust and believe the Lord’s promises and strive to walk in His purpose and will.

A classic cliché is that “Faith is released where the will of God is known.” I really have no problem believing God, my problem is hearing His true voice and will. This is where my main pursuit is accomplished. If I can hear the voice of God and receive His directives, I cannot fail! Qualifying what we hear, I believe, is where most fail and fall short. The first clue is, “Not my will, but Your will”. Most of the time they contradict. The very essence of pure prayer is manifest in the request, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Motive is at the root of will. So much of our motive is rooted in the fallen nature which is manifest in selfish desire.

Look at the ultimate backslider who is in reality a type of anti-Christ:

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. The Vanity of Pleasure

1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter — “Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. 9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. NKJV

Solomon became a mad man! He was the original author of the song, “I did it my way”.

1 Kings 11:7-11

Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. 11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. NKJV

Solomon actually constructed a temple to Molech – this is the demon God who demanded child sacrifice! Today, this is like when a believer votes the Democratic Party – if you vote democrat you appease Molech! They demand abortion for their promise of prosperity! Faith on the other hand says, “I’ll do what’s right and trust God for the rest!

We must never compromise our faith, what His word says, or His will in order to benefit here on earth, because let me tell you, that is the only place it will benefit. It will NOT be to your benefit when you stand before God. We live before God every day, even though most don’t think about it that way. We must stand strong and be firm. Let’s not do it our way, but always, God’s way!

Be blessed!