AN EASY WORD

Today in most churches in America not much of God’s word is taught. Oh I know every Sunday morning between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm people gather in church to hear God’s word, but sadly in most churches in America (and I would say most around the world) the people gather in vain, what they hear is a sermon with a good moral meaning or maybe an entrance level salvation sermon, but what is not heard is a “message from God” (God saying something to the people through the pastor) nor is any depth from the word of God taught. Sadly Christians who have been saved for many years sit on the pews year after year going to same church year after year because they are comfortable with the people, they like their Sunday School Class, or they like the pastor, but there has not been any spiritual growth or development in them. They sit there with a big toothless smile because all they have been given is salvation sermons or sermons that beat them over the head about sin knocking out their teeth. Now partly they have some blame in this being comfortable at the sake of spiritual growth and development it is almost as bad as sin. Sin ends us in hell, but not growing up in God ends us in heaven empty handed. I am not sure what God is going to do with those people who lived their entire life for themselves in selfishness and then at the last few minutes of their lives get saved or never come to any spiritual maturity. They will not know God. They will not know how God operates and functions, how He does things. They will not know how the Spirit moves and how they fit into God’s big picture. They will be invited to the wedding feast (our believing alone unto salvation does this for us) based on a last minute conversion and now at the feast they do not know how to act and function because they have never been taught. In Matthew we see this in action. Jesus was teaching the multitudes a parable and in verses 11-14 of Chapter 22 of Matthew we see this play out. Jesus said, “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.” (Matthew 22:11-12) Now Jesus is the head of the wedding feast (the bridegroom) and He saw a man without a “wedding garment” on; now this garment is not salvation it is a wedding garment he is in Heaven at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” (or the wedding feast) and the people are the Bride of Christ, but Jesus spots someone who is not wearing a wedding garment. John tells us of this glorious Supper, “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:5-9) Here the “fine linen is the righteousness of saints” it is NOT the wedding garment it is salvation and the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” is happening in Heaven. When understanding (especially parables) the Scriptures you must, by the Spirit of God, define the verses by the verses that is why the Bible is a Spiritual book it is the very words in the verses that make up the truth that define the spiritual principles and our daily concepts from which we are to die for. There are precepts; where we get our concepts from mentioned in the Scriptures like the Trinity not defined in a singular verse yet the concept of the Trinity screams out to man from each page of the Bible. My friend salvation gets us in the door, but our “wedding garment” is what we have learned of Christ, the spiritual maturity and development we have achieved, but here stands a man with no development, no spiritual growth because verse 11 says the man, “had not on a wedding garment” not an old and worn out wedding garment or even the wedding garment of another person, but NO wedding garment. Did you know all people will not have the same wedding garment when invited to the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb?” Oh no we all will receive different rewards based on what we have learned and done for God, our wedding garment. Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) Here in verse 15 is the man at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” without a wedding garment. Now I am not 100% sure, but I believe those Christians at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” without a wedding garment on will need to be trained by God so that they will be useful to God in the things God has for them to do in the ages to come. Who would want to live their entire life as a Christian and end up in such a situation in Heaven? I believe there will be countless of billions of Christians in this situation. We do not get it all when we get to Heaven (as some Christians believe) if this be true then why live for God now when we could just live like hell now and right before we die repent. What does that say about a righteous and holy God? My friend this is not the way God operates and functions; God expects us to believe on His precious Son, repent (stop sinning), and then grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ, but my friend it takes two things to grow in God: a desire on our part and someone able in God to open the Scriptures unto us. I believe those who the LORD draws by His Spirit have that desire, God even builds (hardwires us) that desire in us “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” (Psalms 42:7) There is a call (by His Spirit) that comes out from the heart of God to all those who answer His call, but how do people end up in Heaven empty handed? Ah the second need; someone (maybe a pastor, teacher, friend, etc.) who can open up the Scriptures to where someone can partake of the life of God contained in the Scriptures. Today not too many evangelists, pastors, teachers today have the ability in God to open up the Scriptures; this requires time studying the Scriptures, time spent before God in retrospect and reflection of one’s motives, attitudes, and character (letting God shine His flashlight on our heart) to become the vessel for which the life of God can flow. You do not get this ability when you get saved, work around the church awhile, finish Bible school with some religious degree, or pastor for many years, but by allowing God to work dealing and judging in our lives. Not too many evangelists, pastors, teachers, friends are willing to endure this so every Sunday people sit on the pews (chairs now for the cool churches) and learn nothing because the speakers have nothing to give of God to the people. I have seen it time and time again. All the people get is some salvation sermon (every Sunday) and no one usually responds, but everyone is happy they went to church. Wrong, wrong, wrong my friend!! There must be more, God expects more. There must come a time when the salvation sermon stops so the people can move away from the cross into the resurrection life of God. Now the cross is wonderful please do not misunderstand me here. The cross is our beginning point in God a most blessed place, but not our ending point. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) Did you get that? Salvation is not for everyone only for those who believe. Paul did not stay at the cross in God he knew there was more. Where did Paul learn these truths; in all of his religious training when called Saul and in the wilderness (like anyone who wants to become something in God) by the Spirit of God as Paul. There he received revelation. Paul did not stay at the cross he moved on as he allowed the LORD to work in his life. We see that in Philippians when he said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians 3:10) Paul was not talking about the cross he was talking about knowing God and the power of his (God’s) resurrection. So too in our lives we must move on from the cross and desire to know Him and His resurrection power, but for this to happen we must have men of God who can teach us the deeper things of God. This is why the church globally is full of babies they have never been taught the deeper things of God. Now many pastors are smart enough to know the deeper things of God will raise questions maybe they will not be able to answer (because they have not studied the Scriptures or allowed the Holy Spirit to work in their lives) so why put up with all of this hassle I will just keep giving “my folks” a salvation sermon and everyone is happy, wrong. God is very unhappy this is NOT God’s intention for His people. Did you know if you want people to like you and give you money just tell them what they already know and what they want to hear. Many pastors have learned this all too well, to hell with spiritual growth and development. They say follow “the money” so true in churches today. Sadly “the money” to many times leads to selfish and self-seeking pastors and church leadership who want to keep their rice bowl intact at the sake of spiritual growth and development of the people. And easy word makes babies who always needs their diaper changed from all of the messes they make! A hard word (a deep word) makes mature men and women who can handle the responsibility and authority God grants to His children. Enough of this easy preaching and teaching! Enough babies in the Body of Christ! We must come to know Jesus Christ before His teaching has any real meaning for us other than that of an ideal which leads to despair out from an easy word, but when I am birthed from above by the Spirit of God I have come to know Jesus Christ did not come to teach us only, but He came to make us what He teaches we should be. And out from a deep word from God we come to know the Father and we come to know what it takes to become like the Son. The choice is ours: an easy word and appear before God empty handed or a hard word (a deep word) and have something to wear a “wedding garment” and something to give God. Written by David Stahl