IN THE LINEAGE OF DOEG THE EDOMITE (II) In the first part of ‘In the Lineage of Doeg the Edomite’ we noted that there are many people who are born again, go to church all the time, serve in one or more departments in their church, give to the work of God, etc. but their way of life never changes for good. These people are just like Doeg who spent some time in the temple of the Lord but never got rid of the wickedness, mischief and other vices in his heart. Why is it that some people are regular in church but never seem to experience the life-changing power in the Word of God? Psalm 119:130, “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” What happens then if the Word does not gain entrance into the heart? Darkness and simplicity (ignorance) remain. And if darkness remains in a life, the works of darkness continue to manifest in and through that life. To avoid being like Doeg we have to ensure that the Word of God does gain entrance into our lives and is allowed to perform the task for which God is sending it to us. One of the ways we do this is by ensuring that every time we go to church it is with a purpose, with an expectation. Learn a lesson from the leper whose story is recorded in Matthew 8. Jesus had just come down from a mountain, with a large crowd following Him. Nothing is said about why most of the people were following Him, but Verse 2 says that a leper came to Jesus and requested to be cleansed of his leprosy. That leper had at least one reason for following Jesus, and his request was granted. We must have a purpose for attending Christian fellowship. That purpose becomes our goal and our focus. If becoming a better Christian is a person’s purpose, goal and focus, he will not keep going to church and returning without anything being added to his life. You should also go to church spiritually prepared. This preparation should be done in the place of prayer. Take time to pray for yourself that the prayers, singing, teaching, preaching, etc. that will be done in church should benefit your soul. Pray that you will not miss your moment of visitation. Commit your heart into God’s hand and ask Him to make it a fertile ground for His Word to thrive on. You should also pray for all the vessels that God will use during your fellowship. For instance, you can pray for your ushers that none of them would come to church in a bad mood and speak or act towards someone in a way that would offend that person and spoil the spiritual atmosphere. Your choristers need your prayer so that they can have the right connections with the Lord and be a blessing to you and not just sing empty songs with beautiful voices. Pray for your Sunday school teacher, your pastor (or whoever else will preach), your Bible study handler and your children’s teachers. Ask God to anoint them with His Spirit afresh, give them the Word for the hour and keep the spirit of error away from them so that they will not confuse you or your children. Make it a point of duty to pray for everyone that will serve during your service. Even if you will not pray for their sakes, do it for your own sake, so that you can get maximum benefits from attending fellowship. To ensure that the Word of God gains entrance into your life so that it can produce light and understanding to move you forward, pay attention to the things that really matter when you are in church. Praise/worship, prayer, the Word and choir ministration are examples of what you should focus on during fellowship. We are told in Ecclesiastes 5:1 that we should be careful what we do when we enter the house of God. Do everything to ensure that you do not miss your moment of visitation during any church program. Stay away from people who distract you during service; people who are always talking or running commentary on one thing or the other while the service is going on. If you know someone who never stops talking during service, sit away from that person. If he/she comes to sit close to you and there is nowhere for you to move to, ask for and receive the grace to ignore him/her. Refuse to grant that person audience, but rather point his/her attention in the right direction. You should also be determined to practice whatever you are taught and never allow it to slip away. Of course, there is no one of us who can do the will of God by his/her own power. Therefore you need to depend on God for help. Zechariah 4:6, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, ‘This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit’, saith the Lord of hosts.” People sometimes fail because they are trying to please God in their own power. To ensure that you don’t end up like Doeg the Edomite you need to occasionally check your church associates and associations. We all know that it is not everyone who goes to church that is looking for God. In Philippians 3:2 Paul warns us to beware of dogs. How dangerous are dogs? 1 Kings 22:37-38, “So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood…” Again, after Jezebel had been killed, Jehu sent some young men to go and bury her. 2nd Kings 9:35-36, “And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which He spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.” Just like physical dogs eat flesh and drink blood (and the life of any being is in the blood) so also spiritual dogs are out to attack the spiritual life of God’s children. Let God, who knows all things and all men, choose your friends even among your brethren.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 04:21:57 +0000
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