Now the Lord sent you on a mission and said...
Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites and fight against them until they are
consumed. Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord why did you swoop down on the
spoil and do evil in the sight of the Lord? ..................................... 1 Samuel
15:18,19.
How many church leaders and ministers have .. swooped down on the spoils of a mission and
wilfully forgot the command of Lord Jesus and then latter on tried to put the blame on the
people of God as well as pretending that it was all for God anyway? ... 1 Samuel
15:20-23.
It is a very difficult task to .. maintain popularity with men and women and
Almighty God at the same time. Jesus has commissioned many to go forward and do His
commands but many have failed to do so because of the stumbling block called ..
maintaining popularity. This stumbling block will prove to be eternally deadly although it
may only seem but a little thing for the now... but so did a bowl of soup to Esau..
Hebrews 12:16,17.
Maintaining popularity ..... is the surest way to the house of apostasy and it is
a way that very few are aware of till it is too late. Satan uses the door call pride to
enter by then he provides a false security for the victim by the vehicle of ..the praises
of men and women and Jesus says ...
- WOE TO YOU WHEN ALL MEN SPEAK WELL OF YOU FOR
SO DID THEIR FATHERS TO THE FALSE PROPHETS ..... LUKE 6:26.
I firmly believe it would have to be one of the most
painful ways there could be to try to serve the living God/Jesus the Christ. Did you
notice I said try, it is only a attempt it will never be seen as true service by God.
There is no room for man pleasers in Jesus Army, His ministry, His company.. Gal 1:10.
As we zero in on the account of King Saul and his rejection, we can see very easily that
God almighty did anoint Saul but only for temporary service or should I say for a length
of time that he was only good for, then he was rejected and replaced. God almighty has .. used
.. many in the space of time but this is no real sign of eternal security... Philippians
1:18.
Maintaining popularity, with the earth is simply not worth it friend, did not
Jesus of Nazareth tell His disciples that they would be hated by all men for His names
sake???.. why should it be any different for today's disciples?
It isn't, though many say it is........ Matthew 10:22.
Maintaining popularity, is nothing but a beggars life and
usually what lies underneath it all is gain .. self gain in whatever form it may come. It
was the church at Laodecia that was famous for their .. maintaining of popularity.
You will never find a popular church that is truly popular in the eyes of Father. Neither
will you find a unpopular church that is not popular with Father in heaven .. we are not
able to worship God and mammon/gain, we will either despise one and love the other or love
one and despise the other, there is no middle ground to be found.. this saying of Jesus
tells us very clearly that it is a hate, love situation and could never be said any other
way ... otherwise, Jesus would have said it ............ Matthew 6:24.
Gain is actually the Syriac translation for the word .. mammon.. and if you take
a good look into the churches of today, all you ever hear about in the prestige pulpits is
the .. ministering of gain, in all fields and people are just mad about it. These are
churches that people can go to without being told of reality. These are churches that are
quick to tell of the colossal profits they are making in the name of Jesus, the lowly
Nazarene... 2 Peter 2:1-17.
From the garden of Eden and forth to this very day, people love to hear about how they may
gain more for self. Eve, had the offer given to her by the subtle snake satan and she
jumped at the offer just as many do today unaware of the snare that awaits them... Genesis
3:6, Matthew 27:5.
Success in the world is usually measured by how much a person has gained of this
present life and what they have achieved in the time they have been upon planet earth.
This is by no means the success that God the Creator talks about in the holy bible . . Joshua
1:8, John 19:28-30.
John the baptist had a very short ministry period upon the earth, he had no real estate
recorded in scripture, he was reduced to an animal skin for his cloths and ate insects
with wild honey. He had a very simple message to proclaim and he portrayed a man that was
not in any way of this world nor wanted to be. He had his head removed at the request of a
evil woman and very seldom do you hear church goers praising his works. John was one who
had no interest in man pleasing or being popular, he was wise... a success.
It is the fool that seeks popularity and endeavours to maintain it for the day will come
when the King will say come forward all them who lived to please Me for I have something
to give you .. that will be the crown of life!
All the rest will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone which has
been prepared for them who lived their lives in accord with the world, their friends, the
majority, the acceptable, the norm, the wife, the husband, the children the church
structures and self ... Matthew 10:32-42.
- HE WHO LOVES FATHER OR MOTHER MORE THAN ME IS NOT
WORTHY OF ME AND HE WHO LOVES SON OR DAUGHTER MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME
................... MATTHEW 10:37.
Are you desiring to be popular with men and women?.. are you one
of those who maintain your popularity with people and neglect Jesus in the process, if you
are take heed of this warning and be saved .. Hebrews 2:3.
Amen.
Pastor Paul Sheehan.
15.01.2002
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