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| Hello Friends, I welcome you to join me on this journey as I share this time in words of praise to God, devotion to Him for His faithfulness in my life and instruction I've received through my own time with God. I welcome you to come and relax with me, have a cup of tea and enjoy this time together. Justene |
| Hi All, I would also like to welcome you to join in our journey. I hope to bring you along with pictures of the people, places and things in our life. There are so many things to say, see and do and we pray that this little spot on the computer can give you peace and pleasure in the presence of God. Blessings, Jana |
| Hi, I'm Brenda. Welcome to our place of prayer, praise and peace. As we continue to come together in fellowship we pray you will join us. Come back often to see the things God is doing in and through us. |
JourneyThruFaith.com
Dishonor
by Mary Justene Martin
January 8, 2012
I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings
of Israel. So why do you now treat as mere loot these very
sacrificial offerings that I commanded for my worship? Why do
you treat your sons better than me, turning them loose to get fat
on these offerings, and ignoring me? (1 Samuel 2:29 MSG)
Be well warned: It won't be long before I wipe out both your
family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to
old age! You'll see good things that I'm doing in Israel, but you'll
see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it.
(Verse 32)
Eli the prophet's sons were dishonoring the offerings to
God. Like many today, they were taking what was meant for
God and consuming it for themselves. This sounds rather
unimportant, that they should eat the meat from the sacrifices.
However, it is no different today, when hired preachers treat
their positions as a job, and pay themselves highly from the
offerings. God does allow a certain portion to the priests
(ministers), as provision for their labor, but when greed sets in
and they begin to heap treasures upon their own lust, this
dishonors God.
Indeed, many organized churches are running their
ministries as businesses. They advertise and try to present
signs and wonders as entertainment, and the people of God
enjoy the “show”.
Jesus threw the money-changers out of the synagogue.
How is what we are doing in many churches today any different.
We establish entertainment, set up coffee shops, and build
gymnasiums to draw crowds. How do these things honor God?
God is not impressed with numbers of pews filled, but with
hearts set on worshiping Him.
It is because of this dishonor that many people do not live
to see the promises of God. Our very lives are shortened
because we have taken what belongs to God and heaped it upon
our own greed.
As we later learn, these evil sons Hophni and Phinehas
were both killed in battle on the same day. But God promised
that He would have a priest :
I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to
what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an
enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.
(verse 35)
There are faithful men and women who will honor God, and
serve in His church for the equipping of God's people. They may
have large congregations or very small. One thing is certain,
they may be hard to find, but God is faithful to lead you to His
faithful ones. You have only to ask Him. Then you must be
prepared to walk with God in honor and worship. Church is not
optional. We are servants of God. Servants are ready to serve
regardless of what they themselves want to do.
In these exciting days ahead, God is going to reestablish
His kingdom, and those who are in position to serve will see the
end of this punishment for dishonor, which is death. God is not
the punisher here. If we serve the Lord our God, we will eat the
good of the land.
by Mary Justene Martin
January 8, 2012
I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings
of Israel. So why do you now treat as mere loot these very
sacrificial offerings that I commanded for my worship? Why do
you treat your sons better than me, turning them loose to get fat
on these offerings, and ignoring me? (1 Samuel 2:29 MSG)
Be well warned: It won't be long before I wipe out both your
family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to
old age! You'll see good things that I'm doing in Israel, but you'll
see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it.
(Verse 32)
Eli the prophet's sons were dishonoring the offerings to
God. Like many today, they were taking what was meant for
God and consuming it for themselves. This sounds rather
unimportant, that they should eat the meat from the sacrifices.
However, it is no different today, when hired preachers treat
their positions as a job, and pay themselves highly from the
offerings. God does allow a certain portion to the priests
(ministers), as provision for their labor, but when greed sets in
and they begin to heap treasures upon their own lust, this
dishonors God.
Indeed, many organized churches are running their
ministries as businesses. They advertise and try to present
signs and wonders as entertainment, and the people of God
enjoy the “show”.
Jesus threw the money-changers out of the synagogue.
How is what we are doing in many churches today any different.
We establish entertainment, set up coffee shops, and build
gymnasiums to draw crowds. How do these things honor God?
God is not impressed with numbers of pews filled, but with
hearts set on worshiping Him.
It is because of this dishonor that many people do not live
to see the promises of God. Our very lives are shortened
because we have taken what belongs to God and heaped it upon
our own greed.
As we later learn, these evil sons Hophni and Phinehas
were both killed in battle on the same day. But God promised
that He would have a priest :
I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to
what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an
enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.
(verse 35)
There are faithful men and women who will honor God, and
serve in His church for the equipping of God's people. They may
have large congregations or very small. One thing is certain,
they may be hard to find, but God is faithful to lead you to His
faithful ones. You have only to ask Him. Then you must be
prepared to walk with God in honor and worship. Church is not
optional. We are servants of God. Servants are ready to serve
regardless of what they themselves want to do.
In these exciting days ahead, God is going to reestablish
His kingdom, and those who are in position to serve will see the
end of this punishment for dishonor, which is death. God is not
the punisher here. If we serve the Lord our God, we will eat the
good of the land.