The Apostate Church – Lust for Things of the World
· Today, I am concentrating on the reason people lust after worldly things. There is a root to everything, and if you don’t know how this all started, there will not be a clear understanding.
The first fall was in heaven
· It started in heaven with Lucifer the cherub, who was the highest rank of angels.
How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:12-14).
The second fall was on the earth when Satan tempted Eve
· Eve fell for Satan’s lie: So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate it (Genesis 3:6).
Satan tempted Eve in three ways
For all that is in the world—
1) the lust of the flesh – it would inflame he sensual pleasures.
2) the lust of the eyes – since the fruit looked good, Eve ate it, even though she was told not to.
3) and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world (1 John 2:16). Eve was now thinking like Satan wanted her to think, that she would be as gods, knowing good and evil. Pride will blow a person’s head up! Remember how he wanted like God.
· Now that you know that all this started with Lucifer being the light bearer “son of morning” and changed to Satan, God, and man’s enemy. You will see throughout history how Satan’s influence on other people goes back to the beginning of the human race.
· You will also learn how God wanted to be His people’s King, but they wanted something tangible; something or someone they could touch (1 Samuel 8:6-8). Although they did see God, they saw evidence of who He was and how mightily He worked in their lives and on their behalf.
For instance, God led them. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night (Exodus 13:21); He fed them food from heaven (Exodus 16:4); He provided water from the Rock – Jesus Christ, which means salvation. But whoever drinks the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14).
· A mere man could not have provided things supernaturally like God did. Yet, man has wanted to get credited for and to be acknowledged as a god.
· As we walk through history, you will see how people wanted to be exalted, and that has continued to where are now in history with apostasy in the church.
· Brothers and sisters, there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). People are worshipping leaders and putting God on the back burner. Didn’t God tell us not to have any other gods before Him? Didn’t He say He is a jealous God, and that His name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14)?
Please take these messages as more than a warning, but also as an encouragement to press on despite all the evil that surrounds you, even in the church.
~ Betty A. Burnett ~
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