Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV)
"Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.
"Beware of false prophets. They come to you disguised as sheep, but in their hearts they are vicious wolves. You will know them by what they produce.
"People don't pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles, do they? In the same way every good tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a rotten tree cannot produce good fruit. Any tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire. So you will know them by what they produce.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?' Then I will tell them publicly, 'I've never known you. Get away from me, you evil people.'
"Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on rock. Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not collapse, because its foundation was on rock.
"Everyone who hears what I say but doesn't obey it will be like a foolish person who built a house on sand. Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and struck that house. It collapsed, and the result was a total disaster."
When Jesus finished this speech, the crowds were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their scribes, he taught them with authority. (Matthew 7:13-29 GW)
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 KJV)
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It was the last day of class, and it looked like everybody else was being given something for coming – something that I wasn’t given. It looked like a CD of some sort. I reasoned that because I was seated before they began to be given out, I just got missed. Class had not yet begun, so I thought to go ask about it – what it was, who it was for, etc., figuring that then I would get mine. Even as I prepared to move from my seat, I felt an uneasiness, and sensed that the Lord was saying, “No.” I countered in my mind, that “you have not because you ask not.”
So I was getting ready, again, to go ask about it when I saw part of the cover – it said “CD Bible…” At that moment, the Lord seemed to say, “You don’t need it,” reminding me that I already had the Bible on my PC in the e-sword application, and could use various internet (Biblegateway, crosswalk, blueletterbible, etc.) web sites. By now class had started, and I was really distracted by my not wanting to be left out, my wanting what everybody else had, my desire to have my presence acknowledged and affirmed by those in class through presentation of this gift. Then, I saw another part of the cover, which said “Commentary.” I was reminded of what I had heard in another class several years ago, that “the Bible is its own commentary.”
I persisted in my conversation with the Lord. “But I want one.” I knew I was whining. “I’ve been here all week. If they are giving something away for coming, shouldn’t I get one too?” We seemed to come to an agreement that if something was said at the end of class - like “We have a gift for everyone who came to class this week; did everyone get one?” – I could ask for one.
That settled, I could then concentrate on what was being said in class. Needless to say, no one mentioned anything about the CD, or a gift, or anything at the end, even though there was a general “thank you” extended to all who had attended the class. I shrugged it off with an, “oh well” and left.
Later, the Lord reminded me of His word:
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:11 KJV)So it was all right. I might not have gotten what I wanted, but I did what I believe He wanted (in going to class, and in not asking for the CD), so it was all right. I had another lesson in obedience, and just trusted that if it was something I was supposed to have, I would have gotten it – I had not been deprived.
The Lord was not finished with this experience yet, though. Later still, He reminded me of portions of the lesson which were taught concerning separation:
The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. (Isaiah 52:10-12 KJV)
Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 CEV)
It was as though nothing pertaining to that CD was to influence or have part in what God is doing in my life, like with Abraham (when he was still Abram) and the king of Sodom after Lot’s rescue:
The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, and keep everything else for yourself." But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I now raise my hand and solemnly swear to the LORD God Most High, maker of heaven and earth, that I won't take a thread or a sandal strap. I won't take anything that is yours so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' I won't take one single thing except what my men have eaten. But let my allies Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share." (Genesis 14:21-24 GW)
I just feel that God is preparing us for His Presence… so if that means not having with others have, not being a part of the crowd, feeling left out or overlooked …
We don't become discouraged, since God has given us this ministry through his mercy. Instead, we have refused to use secret and shameful ways. We don't use
tricks, and we don't distort God's word. As God watches, we clearly reveal the truth to everyone. This is our letter of recommendation. So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying. The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. As a result, they don't see the light of the Good News about Christ's glory.
It is Christ who is God's image. Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake. We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God's glory which shines from Christ's face. Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn't come from us.
In every way we're troubled, but we aren't crushed by our troubles. We're frustrated, but we don't give up. We're persecuted, but we're not abandoned. We're captured, but we're not killed. We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our bodies. While we are alive, we are constantly handed over to death for Jesus' sake so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our mortal nature. Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. The following is written, "I believed; therefore, I spoke." We have that same spirit of faith. We also believe; therefore, we also speak. We know that the one who brought the Lord Jesus back to life will also bring us back to life through Jesus. He will present us to God together with you. All this is for your sake so that, as God's kindness overflows in the lives of many people, it will produce even more thanksgiving to the glory of God.That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine. We don't look for things that can be seen but for things that can't be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that can't be seen last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:1-18 GW)
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