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Thursday, February
28, 2008
Many
Called Few Chosen
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are
not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of
God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. (KJV)
Thayer’s definition for ‘which
corrupt’:
2585 kapeleuo-
1) to be a retailer, to
peddle
2) to make money by selling
anything
a) to get
sordid gain by dealing in anything, to do a thing for base gain
b) to
"trade" (traffic) in the word of God; to try to get base gain by
teaching divine truth
c) to corrupt,
to adulterate; peddlers were in the habit of adulterating their commodities
for the sake of gain
So if many have been called
then why are there so few left to deliver God’s message of love? Could it
be there is a different love and affection has snuck in and taken over, a
method that isn’t approved of God but a big hit with mankind? Even in the
time of Paul’s ministry we see the word of God corrupted and peddled to the
highest bidder; those that were called of God are now answering to mankind
and catering to the highest bidders. As we see in the above verses it just
wasn’t a few doing this stuff but many had sold out and allowed a breach in
the Spirit, a spiritual virus that was infecting the early Church and quite
frankly as I look around today, has only gotten worse.
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up
for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also. (KJV)
When looking at these verses
one can see two points being made and the comparison being implied, like a
parable. As moth and rust corrupt the physical riches over time, by getting
caught up in this doctrine one has allowed the thief to break through
spiritually and steal the truth, replacing it with heartache and misery. As
rust can eat away and distort riches, so does the love for them eat away
and distort our vision of what will truly bring peace and joy to the
believer. So where your treasure is will determine the direction of the
heart and its true intentions will be manifest.
Matthew 6:22-24 The light of
the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall
be full of light. (23) But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be
full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how
great is that darkness! (24) No man can serve two masters: for either he
will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (KJV)
If your vision is not kept
single, seeking only the things of God that will bring joy and peace as
well as a confidence and boldness to speak His word, then one will be
walking in darkness; and what many have thought would bring them the answer
ends up to be a dead end. The word of God is quite specific that no man can
serve two masters because a double minded man is unstable and unable to
receive the things of God or be entrusted with the truth to be used of Him.
Remember it is the love of money, not money itself that is the root of all
evil; and those that look to the things of this realm to find joy and peace
will find that they have erred from the faith and are now drowning in
destruction and despair.
John 2:13-16 And the Jews'
passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, (14) And found in the
temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money
sitting: (15) And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them
all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the
changers' money, and overthrew the tables; (16) And said unto them that
sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of
merchandise. (KJV)
Since when did the temple of
God become a place of trade? The Lord set the example and quite
emphatically let the people know where God stood on this doctrine of making
merchandise of His word. And yet today as I look around, or flip through
the religious channels, it is quite apparent that mankind has decided to
set the tables back up with their endless money pitches and gimmicks. Folks
if it didn’t work back then why would one think that God approves of this
nonsense today? Remember that you are the temple of the living God and He
dwells within you. So what is your true love today and what is it you truly
treasure in your life? Just because mankind decides that it’s okay and just
because someone has a big TV following doesn’t make it right; and according
to the word of God it is not something our Father approves of either.
2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the
Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And
many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth
shall be evil spoken of. (3) And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (KJV)
Oops, remember the many that
were called? Well now we are seeing what happened to their calling and how
they chose to respond. When I see the word feigned which means to
fabricate, I think of all these phony hundred fold return doctrines that
are promised to people that donate to these ministries preaching them;
which in simple layman’s terms is nothing more than a pyramid scheme where
those on top get rich, and well we all know what runs downhill. Just
because others have sold out and set up their tables in the temple doesn’t
mean you have to fall for their guilt trips and pity party sermons of how
much more they could do if they only had the loot when they should be
answering God’s call and teaching the people what God has already done on
their behalf.
Titus 1:9-11 Holding fast the
faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine
both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (10) For there are many
unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
(11) Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching
things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. (KJV)
You know folks, you can’t buy
your way into the kingdom but you can sell out. What is it going to profit
you if you gain the whole world but lose your soul for an eternity? Many
that have been called of God may have begun in the Spirit with good
intentions, but tried to perfect it in the flesh by supposing gain was
godliness which the Bible says we should withdraw from, which includes our
support. So put away your TV remote control and grab your Bible; start
partaking of the true riches of the kingdom of God and don’t be taken in by
these cheap hucksters who promise liberty but they themselves are the
servants of corruption.
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