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I pray last week was a growing time for some and an eye opener for others as it relates to the fact that your position in the kingdom, your social or economic status in society, your community, state, or country will have any bearing as to how God sees you.
If what you are doing, how you are living, what you are thinking or saying is directly in contradiction to God’s Word, you will have your cake and ice cream maybe on this side of the grave but, rest assured, you will give an account for all that you did when you meet Him, Jesus, after the trump is sounded and all both dead and still alive are called to meet Him.
It will be just you, Him, and the Book of Life.
To those that are living this life however they want, regardless of what the Bible says, more power to you. Nobody, no preacher, Pastor, Bishop, Apostle, Pope, nobody can excuse you just because of the size of their following. God took out His chosen men of God for their disobedience and you had better believe it will not be any difference today.
To the subject for this week.
I have been hearing folks, clergy, quote this passage of scripture as though this passage is giving a pass to those living a life outside the Will of God and God has lead me to address it.
2 Chronicles 7
First of all, we have to establish the foundation and I won’t get all that deep because it doesn’t merit having to.
Starting at the beginning of Chapter 3 you see that Solomon begins the construction of the Temple of the Lord and it speaks on the dimensions and all the materials that would go into constructing it.
Pay particular attention to v.5 KJV says the greater house, AMP calls it the Holy Place. This room contained the Holy of Holies, the room where God dwelt and was only to be entered by the High Priest on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, only after he was sanctified and cleared by God to do so. The High Priest would enter to atone the sins of the world for the people once a year. The Ark of the Covenant is also contained here which is said to contain the original Ten Commandments given to Moses by God and the Rod of Aaron.
Chapter 5 speaks about Solomon calling on all the clergy leaders to the Temple of God after completing it and bringing in the Ark of the Covenant.
Let’s just get to it.
Chapter 7 v.11 says that Solomon had completed everything he set out to do in completing God’s Temple and placing everything in it.
Then in v.12 God appears to Solomon by night and begins the discord of how He felt about everything that took place all through Chapter 6 leading u to Solomon’s completion of His Temple.
Acknowledging that He had heard Solomon’s prayers regarding shutting up heaven and commanding locusts to devour the land or sending sickness and disease over the land to His people, God makes the profound statement of scripture that seems to bring so many people, especially Pastors, so much comfort in declaring to all under the sound of their voice as those it pertain to them all.
But, the very beginning qualifies who God is talking to, He says “My People who are called by His name”. How in the world can sinners and saints alike feel as though they are God’s people?
Being born doesn’t automatically make you one of God’s people and I’m trying my very best to find out how this falsehood ever got started and placed in the minds of those living for the devil.
It’s not time to sugar coat or water down scripture because when you do, you lead people down the path that is broad that leads to eternal damnation.
How can a sinner think in their minds that they are entitled to the same blessings of God as those that are saints that are living a spiritually led godly lifestyle?
What is the purpose of living that lifestyle if everyone is gonna get in and receive the very same blessings?
Just from a natural logical standpoint you know that makes no sense and that’s not fair and just.
We teach that the 3 step test to salvation is found in Luke 9:23-27 (AMP)
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself?
Just this passage alone tells you that there is no way this is possible.
Also look at how God qualifies who His people are even further, His people must first humble themselves, pray, seek His face, then turn from their wicked, evil, ungodly ways.
Tell me what sinner, unsaved, unchurched, or ungodly person even knows what any of this means. There are some part time Christians who know just enough of the Bible to be dangerous to them and will cause more harm than good. They are not saints because they have no clue that there is a difference between a Christian, a child of God, or a saint of God. I will have to discuss this at a later time. Just know this, if you gotta ask, you ain’t.
Pastors have got to stop misleading folks and just make it plain so that those under the sound of HIS voice will know that there are some things you must do in order to ensure you are covered in the blood.
Eternity is too long to be wrong. You will not be able to get it right on the other side of the grave.
Read Luke 16: 19-31.
Till next week,
God Bless.
Rev. Dr. Robert L. Harrison, PhD – pastorrobharrison@gmail.com, @drrobharrison (Twitter), Robert Bob Harrison (Facebook)
Pastor – The Apostolic Open Door Church of God & True Holiness – 2800 41st Ave. N, St. Pete – www.weareholiness.org | Church of God and True Holiness, Intl. www.trueholinesschurches.org
First Vice President – NAACP St. Petersburg Branch
Chaplain – Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Pinellas
Parent Support for Education Board | Chaplain – Dept. Juvenile Justice for Circuit 6
