You know, the more I think about it, the Assembly wasn't all that bad. I mean, aside from George, Betty and David, we had it pretty good.
I think we should all go back.
Anyone willing to start up the meetings with me again?
Bernt
Bernt (relative of Erniet?)
Oh yes, let's.
For "when the Son of Man shall come, will he find faith in the earth?" When the master returns, will we be found faithful? Say, will he find you and me still watching? Will we be about the master's business? "Many shall be offended (fall away)...and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
We need to "watch therefore, and pray always, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. "
And perhaps the brothers' homes weren't all that bad, at least for a little while perhaps they had a purpose. We can all use some discipline, right? How else would we be good disciples? God provided a course for David when he was in Saul's household for a while, and Joseph in prision, Moses in the backside of the desert, etc. "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth."
"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. "
Oh, and I miss being with other believers who also love the old hymns as I do. All this trash music in many churches is so loud, and you can hardly tell the difference between it and worldly music. In this day and age, does anyone take the time to meditate--to be still and quiet before the Lord without all this carnal influence? It's like we want to have our cake and eat it too. We want entertainment and we want to say we are worshiping. What was that someone said that there could be no worship without sacrifce. God is Holy, Holy, Holy after all. "Come as you are to worship"?
I thought it was "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus", "by a new and living way" to the "throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need."
As what about the Bible? I know people who have been Christians for years and yet they don't know Matthew from Mark. I thought Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed." How can we say that we love God if we don't love his Word?
And what about outreach? Wasn't Jesus' last and standing command to "go out into all the earth and preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations?" So many Christians I meet could care less about the lost. It just doesn't make sense. Perhaps it is because they are wordly and compromised. They don't want to preach the gospel and tell people that they need to repent from their wicked ways because they are enjoying wickedness themselves. How strongly, on that day of Pentecost, did Peter warn -"Save yourselves from this wicked generation!"
And what about prayer? The old saying goes, "The family that prays together stays together." What church have you found outside the assembly where EVERYONE in the assembly prays and prays often and fervently?
And who are we to think that we shall not go through any sufferings but have it easy here in this nice safe and comfy America. In the Hall of Faith in Heb 11, we see that the
curriculum vitae for our faithful brethren in times past was that they endured tremendous suffering. Indeed, and so did our Savior and Lord! Do we then think that we can live a life of ease? To such a one the scriptures give the example "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee."
What is your life about, are you living for Jesus? Or is your life about making money?
"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."
"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."
"For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. "
"But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? "
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. "
Or is your life about your house, your wife, your relatives or even your very life?
"Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways."
"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. "
"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. "
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. "
"Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. "
"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. "
And of course we know that the reason for why we do all of these things isn't out of fear but out of love and gratitude. Thank God I'm saved! He RESCUED me from this present evil age. I OWE MY LIFE TO HIM! We should flee from wickedness and abandon ourselves to Christ and to doing good and righteousness! Of course anything that I do is not for my glory, but for his! Not by my strength but by his grace!
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Soo....let's do it! Are you running with me? Are you in the arena, are you giving your all? Are we pressing on the upward way? Are we fighting the good fight? As John Bunyan wrote "If anyone wants heaven, he must run for it!"
Arthur
