Things That Hinder Christian Service

(Mark 4:19) "And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." This passage was spoken by Jesus to his disciples as he taught on the Parable of the Sower. He wanted them to be careful because this world has many ways of pulling us away from serving God and bearing fruit. Christian be careful, for what you find yourself doing the most in this life is what you love the most! There is nothing wrong with loving to do certain things, but God knows if you love something more than you love Him. Sometimes the cares of this world take up our life and time, but brethren be careful for cares and problems can also keep us from serving God, and many people use them as excuses for why they don't serve or bear fruit anymore! And what about "the deceitfulness of riches?"  Jesus said that money is not evil in itself but loving it and serving it more than God is evil! How often Christians are sucked into this trap, thinking that if they just make more money, that they can then give or serve more. Riches are "deceitful" not necessarily sinful, so be careful Christian, you may no longer be serving God but rather Mammon ?

 

The Protecting Cloud Of Christ

(Ex. 13:21-22) "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud,
to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light;
to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor
the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." Another way that God
wants us to see Jesus Christ in the Old Testament is through the protective
cloudy pillar by day, and the fiery pillar by night, that led  Israel out of
Egypt.  In (Heb. 3:5) the Bible says that Jesus said, "I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee." One of the greatest truths about our Savior Jesus
is that he will never leave us, nor stop protecting us. In (Exodus 14), God
led Israel through the Red Sea. He was a light to Israel as they followed by
day and night, but he was also a darkness to Pharaoh and Egypt as they tried
to destroy Israel from behind. In this chapter it is said that God was in
the cloud, in the presence of the "angel of the Lord." In the Old Testament
Jesus was described by this title, and we need to see that he not only
guides and leads the saved, but he also protects them from the enemy that
tries to attack from behind.  (Isa. 52:12) says, "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." The word "rereward" is an old English word
that means, "he's got your back." Thank You Lord Jesus!

The Blood Of The Lamb

(Ex. 12:13) ". and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the
plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of
Egypt." Pharaoh and Egypt have always been pictures in the Bible of the
flesh, or sin, or bondage. For 430 years Egypt held Israel in bitter
slavery, and it wasn't until God sent his deliverer Moses unto them that
they were given hope, but it wasn't Moses that delivered Israel from their
cruel bondage, it was the blood of a lamb!  For centuries the Jews have
celebrated the Passover in remembrance of the night on which the blood of
the lamb kept them from the final plague of God upon Egypt, but little did
they know that that lamb represented Jesus who would come some 1400 years
later. And, just as the angel of death passed by the homes of those who were
under the blood of the lamb, so will God's final judgment of hell, and
condemnation pass by those that have been saved and born again by the blood
of his cross. Just as Egypt held Israel in slavery so the guilt of sin holds
mankind, but thank God that God sent us our deliverer Jesus Christ to shed
his blood as a lamb, to make every  repentant sinner "perfect" (Heb.10:14)
through his final blood sacrifice! Praise His Name!