PUTTING AWAY LYING

February 7, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man the truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.–Ephesians 4:25

We often wonder what is hindering God’s working in the church, when the truth is that we need not look any further than the end of our nose–no, better yet, let’s change that to–the tip of our tongue! We are quick to point out how the sin of drunkenness, adultery, etc. robs us of blessings, but seldom do we attribute it to our own dishonesty. We are quick to lay the blame on someone else’s doorstep without giving a thought to the possibility that we might be the problem. Even when we know we’ve lied we don’t associate it with anything so serious as hindering the church.

If you know anything about God you know that He is holy and He hates falsehood. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.(Proverbs 12:22). Yet the average church member doesn’t think twice about distorting the truth. It happens in regards to the committment they make in baptism, the church covenant, and statements made concerning their intentions. Then we wonder what is holding back the blessings of God. How dumb is that? We laugh at the “dumb blonde” jokes, but nothing is dumber than this. The worst “dumb blonde” is a genusis compared to the person who can’t see why God isn’t blessing, when the evidence is right on the tip of their tongue. We need to stop pretending that we don’t know what the problem is. We cannot ignore sin and expect God to bless. If you really can’t identify the problem ask God for help–He isn’t trying to hide it.

Lying is a characteristic of lost people (Rev. 21:8). When we lie we leave our testimony in shambles, grieve the Holy Spirit, rob ourselves of a good conscience, and keep God from pouring out His blessings. We even jeopardize our lives (Acts 5:1-11). It is shameful when church members lie to get what they want and then fail to keep their word. God never takes it lightly. Those who distort the truth to get what they desire end up losing what they’ve got.

You can call it a “little white lie”, or “a fib”, or “just doing business”, or “mere exaggeration”, but when you fail to keep your word it is a lie, a sin. God hates it and God will handle it–He never ignores it! Regardless of how polite or innocent it may seem, no lie ever goes unnoticed or without consequences. If we are wise we will heed Solomon’s warning in Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”. So how is it with you? Is God delighted or disgusted with your words? Lie now and cry later!

STOP AND THINK

February 6, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;–Psalm 73:15-16

Every Christian would do well to study Psalm 73 in depth. In vs. 15-16 we see the constraint of a man in his confusion. Writer Selwyn Hughes paraphrased these verses like this– the first step the psalmist took, the step which helped to save him from spiritual disaster, was most surprising. In the midst of overwhelming temptation, he says to himself: “If I give expression to my doubts and speak out of my envious, discouraged heart, I will put a stumbling-block in someone else’s path – hence I will not say anything at all“. Then he proceeded to say, many people may find it difficult to accept this as the first step on the road to recovery – but it worked, nevertheless. Listen to what one commentator says about this first step: “Our reaction to the discovery of what his first step was in his process of recovery will be a very good test of our spiritual understanding.” What does he mean? He means that if we fail to see that the steps of faith are sometimes very ordinary, then we are not as spiritual as we imagine. It’s all right to have your head in the clouds, but make sure your feet are firmly planted on the earth! Keep in mind, then, that the thing which stopped the spiritual slide of the psalmist was very simple and ordinary – he made a decision not to say what was on the tip of his tongue. He stopped to think. Rather than spread his unbelief, he determined to keep his mouth shut; rather than threaten someone else’s spiritual understanding, he resolved not to act on impulse. It might not have been a particularly high spiritual motive, but it was the thing that prevented him from falling.

In light of this, it would do us good to remember what James wrote in James 1:19-20,”—let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Think about it!

CHANGE

February 2, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.–Psalm 102:25-27

Everything in this world is liable to change!
Health may give place to sickness,
pleasure may give place to pain,
plenty may give place to poverty,
love may give place to enmity,
honor may give place to disgrace,
strength may give place to weakness,
and life may give place to death.

Remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. But though all our circumstances and friends should change–there is One who never changes! He is unchangeable; who can oppose Him? He does whatever He pleases!— With Him is no variableness. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever–and He is our best Friend, our nearest relation, our gracious Savior!

Yesterday–His name was Jesus; His nature was love; His purpose was to do us good with His whole heart and soul. Today–He is the same; we cannot expect too much from Him, or be too confident in Him, if we are walking humbly with Him. He will be our God–and we shall be His people!

Let us cultivate . . .
intimacy with Him,
dependence upon Him,
concern to please Him,
fear to offend Him,
zeal to glorify Him;
and it must be well with us in health and sickness, in plenty and poverty, in life and death! For He is the same, and will never turn away from doing us good–but remain the Fountain of love and holiness forever! “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Psalm 103:1

This God is the God we adore,
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend;
Whose love is as great as His power,
And neither knows measure nor end! –By James Smith,1802-1862

THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST

February 1, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

I will instruct thee and teach thee—. Psalm 32:8

Here is a precious promise! The all-knowing God will teach us–and we are in desperate need of the lessons. As one said,”At best we know but little–and we are slow to learn. But the Lord has promised to instruct us. The Lord’s teaching always produces humility, self-loathing, confidence in God, zeal for His glory, and heart devotion to Christ! The Lord’s teaching always brings us to the feet of Jesus, and delivers us from this present evil world. Under Divine instruction we learn the true nature of sin, the vanity of the world, the emptiness of creatures, and the fullness and preciousness of Christ!”(James Smith,1840).

Seeing that God is willing to instruct us, should we not be eager to learn? Considering that our problems are so large and our abilities are so small, should we not be found early and often sitting at the feet of Jesus, with our Bible open, our body rested, and our mind clear, soaking up the rich treasures of His Word? Since the great God who designed, created, and controls this vast universe bids us to come, should we not be found continually at the throne of grace praying, as the Psalmist, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”(Psalm 25:4-5).

In the school of Christ, Jesus is both the teacher and the theme. It is for that reason He said,”Come unto me–and learn of me-“(Matthew 11:28-29). Have you? Is He your teacher? Have you enrolled in the class of Christ, by trusting Him as Lord and Savior? If so, sit at His feet, soak up His words, surrender to His demands, show forth His praise. If you know Him–love Him, learn of Him from Him, leave all to follow Him, live for Him, lean upon Him for support, and look to Him always. Make this your daily prayer–“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path–“(Psalm 27:11).

THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN

January 31, 2011 By Pastor David Stone

Some foolish soul made this often repeated statement–“We are so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good”. The fact of the matter is that just the opposite is true, We are so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly good! It is a fact that they who do the most for heaven are those who think the most of heaven. If we’re going to make it along the rough road of life we must think more of the better land that lies ahead. The apostle Paul found it to be that way and the same is true of you. Our problem is not that we think too much of heaven, but that we think too little of it.

In his eloquent way Spurgeon make this point far better than I. Consider what he says and you will be blessed:

In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, for joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith. Looking into the future we see sin cast out, the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Looking further yet, the believer’s enlightened eye can see death’s river passed, the gloomy stream forded, and the hills of light attained on which standeth the celestial city; he seeth himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with Him, and made to sit together with Him on His throne, even as He has overcome and has sat down with the Father on His throne. The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush, hush, my doubts! death is but a narrow stream, and thou shalt soon have forded it. Time, how short-eternity, how long! Death, how brief-immortality, how endless! Methinks I even now eat of Eshcol’s clusters, and sip of the well which is within the gate. The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there.

“When the world my heart is rending
With its heaviest storm of care,
My glad thoughts to heaven ascending,
Find a refuge from despair.

Faith’s bright vision shall sustain me
Till life’s pilgrimage is past;
Fears may vex and troubles pain me,
I shall reach my home at last.”

PUTTING AWAY LYING

STOP AND THINK

CHANGE

THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST

THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN

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