Author : Matthew Robert Payne
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (New King James Version)1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!Unthankful1 Timothy 6:17-19 (New King James Version)17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.You are rich when you can buy the best brand names and the latest CD's and DVD's and the best cars, houses and go out and eat at good restaurants. You are even rich in this world when you are someone like me on $450 per fortnight.Let me illustrate.Last year in November 2005 I was on a ministry trip in India in the state a Tamil Nadu. While we were there we went to about 22 churches in 14 days. We all got around in a ten seater bus and I was often up the front with the driver and made good friends with him. I found out as a full time driver for hire with the bus he received a hundred dollars Australian per month in wages. He has two children and a wife at home to support. One day he asked me how much I earned in Australia and I would not tell him. He insisted and so I had to tell him and he became quite sad when on my disability pension at home I was earning nine times his wage when he was working full time and most of the time away from his family for weeks at a time.We are unthankful when we have money and we neglect to share it with the third world church and pay out tithes and do good works for others. We don't need the top brands and the expensive dresses and suits and all sorts of expensive cars, we can get buy with less expensive and sow to the kingdom.When we make our boast in our abilities and how good we are at something we are being unthankful to God and taking away his glory. The fact of the matter is our own righteousness is as filthy rags and much of our good works comes with wrong motives and intentions.We only have to get sick and start to mumble of how bad it is to get the picture of how unthankful we are of good health. We only have to complain about the rate of taxes in our country to show how unthankful we are that we are in the West and not starving in Africa. We only have to be caught saying the preaching at our church is not as good as that on cable to be guilty of being unthankful that at least we can meet in public legally, not something that is allowed in China.Oh yes we sing high and lofty songs at church and praise His holy name and for the rest of the week we murmur about how we can't get the job we want and how Bible study makes us miss a good show on TV and how the pastor does not recognise our giftings and will not heed the wisdom that we give him. We are all so unthankful to God and all the good things we have been given and then we point the finger and judge others and say they are not as blessed as us because they are going to hell.Have you ever felt yourself jealous of the people in the world? Some of them have great jobs and they seem so happy, so free without all the rules of church life and they all get to have Sunday off to? It makes you want to go back to the world sometimes and I suppose that is why one survey found in the USA that the only difference that was found between Christians and there buying habits and other things they did like go out to movies and do stuff was that the Christians went to church on Sunday.We live in the world and many of us love the world and its lusts and this is sin. We moan to God that the life of Christ and the narrow way is hard and so most people take their hands from the plough and live in compromise.We should all praise God and give more to God and thanks Him for all that we have. We have to thank Him for health and jobs and the fact we have a place to live and even a computer that we can go onto the Internet. There is so much to thanks God for in your life and if you look to Jesus and look to His example and follow His commands you will find selling your field and all you own to take possession of Him as a treasure will make you the happiest person in the world.David has some good advice about worrying about what the unsaved has and the time it takes to get the reward from God.Psalm 37:3-8 (New King James Version)3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,And He shall give you the desires of your heart.5 Commit your way to the LORD,Trust also in Him,And He shall bring it to pass.6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,And your justice as the noonday.7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;Do not fret—it only causes harm.unholy,Holiness is important if we are going to see the Lord and have Him manifest Himself to us.
We have to be set apart from this world. We have to be aliens and pilgrims and keep ourself unspotted from the world.James 1:27 (New King James Version)27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.We have to cease from sin. Sin is only letting ourselves be god. We have the power available to us to escape every single temptation if we really want to do so for the Word of God declares it to be so.1 Corinthians 10:13 (New King James Version)13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.So if we can conquer sin why aren't we doing it? It's because we are people who love to talk about being good but our carnal nature is corrupt and we like to obey it instead of God. Sin to us is fun and enjoyable and it is often taught that we cannot become sinless. God says that people that preach this sort of doctrine are not of Him and we should find others that do not approve of any sin.Romans 1:32 (New King James Version)32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.We need to get away from the lie that we can't stop sinning in every area of our life and awake to a holy life1 Corinthians 15:34 (New King James Version)34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.We were set free from the power of sin at the cross. We just have to embrace that truth and use the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation.Romans 6:22 (New King James Version)22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.The problem with most of us is that we did not know that the cross has the power to set us free of all sin. Every time a thought comes to sin we have a chance to argue that thought with the Word of God.We have to put to death our pleasures and passions and repent of this behaviour
Colossians 1:21-22 (New King James Version)21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—We need to see that the job has been done and lay down our sinful behaviour at the foot of the cross and grab hold of the grace of God and the power to resist temptation and walk away from it and be holy.
We need to have His Spirit directing us convicted us and Christ needs to be alive in us so that we walk in His footsteps in holiness. And we have to beware of anyone preaching that we don't have to obey what Christ taught us in the gospels.Colossians 2:6-8 (New King James Version)6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.2 John 1:9-11 (New King James Version)9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.We need to be careful of doctrines of men and doctrines of demons. We should be quick to reject anything new to the gospel of Christ and reject any person that does not obey Christ way of life that He told us to keep. In this way we will live a holy life and be set apart for the things of God and won't be dragged down by the behaviour of sinful men.We need to be on our guard against doctrines and teachings that transgress the Law of God and we need to keep ourself pure with good and pure thoughts and practices and most of all put on the bond of love and affection for all men. We should not hide our light but let it shine brightly in the marketplace and in our churches and be quick to help a brother who has fallen into sin. We should be full of grace and compassion, not too quick to point out a brother's sin, but quick to prayer that the Holy Spirit may bring the brother into repentance.Holiness and obedience to Christ and self denial are not popular sermons these days to preach and they don't get you a lot of money. Telling people that they need to forsake the world with all its good promising things and to go after God and righteous living and be a good soldier and not to try and be both a soldier and civilian at the same time is not popular in a consumer driven world. We need to bear fruit and not be choked by the cares of this world and the desire to be rich and we need to lead people to Jesus and the narrow way by walking on the narrow path all the time. The way of faith is not easy but in Paul and in Jesus we had fine examples.It does not matter if the world rejects us for as soon as you set yourselves up to be a person that denies their lusts you are not going to have many friends who practice the same. Self denial is the hardest thing you can do and giving a third of your income to Jesus and his kingdom is hard but every rewarding. Living by faith is simply walking each day in the promises of God and it's walking on water like Peter. If you don't need a miracle in finances to get through the week it's a very good chance the Lord will not grant you a miracle. The people who are prophets and apostles and evangelists that live by faith do not have people that send them money each month but the Lord of Hosts send them money and gives them money as He puts it on the hearts of His people to give.The holy life is better then the life of sin and it has much more peace in it. A holy man is not as often sick and is always content with his lot in life and lives a life free of worry and anxiety as his holiness is only achieved through a deep relationship with the Master and a great knowledge of the Word and it promises.....Cont part 3Matthew shares his heart in these articles and can be found at http://www..online-prayer.net You can read more of his articles at his link below.If you want a copy of his upcoming book of articles which will have the first sixty of the articles on this web-site called "The Musings of a Mad Prophet" please contact Matthew via email so he can contact you around February 2007 to tell you of the progress of the book.
Keyword : holiness, unthankful
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