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We
have
to
move
beyond
the
"veil
of
flesh"
into
trusting
alone
&
only
in
God.
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Vain
By Bobbie Jean Merck
On February 8, 2004 the Lord spoke to me
saying, "Excellence is the opposite of vain and vanity." When I hear such a
clear word, I want to seek the Lord's wisdom, knowledge, and understanding on
its meaning for us today.
We are familiar with the words of Jesus' exhortation in Matthew
6:7, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they
think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." He used the word "vain"
on other occasions. We know Jesus was, is and shall be excellence, therefore, we
will begin with His teachings.
Since our lives are motivated, activated, and revealed by our
worship, hear this. "But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). Oh, saints, the meaning is alarming and
should set our lives in a mode of guarding against such vain worship.
Vain worship is hypocritical. Hypocrisy is rooted in pride ~ the
love of self more than the love of God and others. Hypocrisy has only one ending
~ a fall, a destruction. Vain worship talks much but does little. It is an
order of pretense coming to God with the mouth and even honoring God with the
lips. It is vain for one major, mega reason: the heart is far from God. You and
I know talk is cheap as the ole' saying goes. We have also heard, "put up or
shut up." In other words, prove that your heart agrees and is in your
words by doing what you are saying. Herein lies the great secret and
mystery of faith and trust. "What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he
hath faith..." (James 2:14).
Just to say "I have faith" does not mean one
possesses faith as a working, living reality in their daily lives and its
circumstances and all that concerns them. Anyone can say they have faith. When
you possess "the faith of God" your faith results in the works and consequent
fruits of faith. Otherwise it is vain, just as the Apostle James identifies it
as "dead faith," i.e. non-producing words!
Such worship is the result of divided loyalties. We say we love
God, but we treat Him less than God. He is not first. He does not rule and reign
in our lives. And the simple Truth is, if God does not rule and reign over and
in our lives, we will not rule and reign in our life and in all that concerns
us. Such divided, vain loyalty and worship is insincerity. When we have
vain, divided, insincere loyalty, our abilities, our effectiveness, and our
happiness are empty and non-effective. We cannot master any opposing force, but
rather, opposing forces master us. We are truly a divided house that will surely
fall. Inward division does not produce abundant living.
One of the major meanings of vain is to be "without a cause."
Surely, we should dedicate ourselves to "The Cause: Jesus Christ & His Kingdom"
and commit all our life and its energies to that one purpose and goal. We cannot
be vain in our worship and expect desired results from God. "Aaron erected an
altar in front of the calf and proclaimed a festival the next day for the
Eternal" (Exodus 32:5 Moffatt). Worship to and of God must be 24/7: NOW!
Not tomorrow's "next day."
It has been said, "Satan doesn't care how spiritual your
intentions may be as long as they are focused on tomorrow.*"
Vain worship is the fruit of teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men (Matthew 15:9). "Their worship of me is worthless. The
things they teach are nothing but human rules they have memorized" (The
Everyday Bible).
The word "vain" also means: in a casual sense
(lack of respect and fear), groundless (not rooted and grounded in agape-love),
futile, useless, objectless; untrue, false; nothingness, emptiness.
The reward of vanity and vain behavior is nothingness and emptiness. "Let not
him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompense" (Job
15:31).
"Vain" means to get nothing in return. Anything that is vain
disappoints the hope that it rests upon. Trusting in man, in the arm of flesh,
and in anything but God is vain.
Thus saith the Lord;
Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose
heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and
shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the
wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
Jeremiah 17:5-7
We have to move beyond the "veil of flesh"
into trusting alone and only in God. Only He and His Word NEVER fail.
The words "vain" and "vanity" are so numerous in their
meanings it certainly causes the wise person to awake to righteousness, and to
"sin not" in being vain and in speaking vainly and vanity. Some of
their meanings are falsehood, lying, sin, ruin, unsubstantial, unreal, and
worthless in addition to those already written about.
Finally, "vainglory" means selfish
ambition, the ambition which has no motivation of service to others and whose
only aims are profit and power. We have been and are warned to do
nothing through vainglory. Vainglory can be properly applied to a self-seeking
pursuit of a political office by unfair means. The vainglory of
Philippians 2:3 came to be used of "party squabbles," of the jockeying for
position, deceiving and seducing for place and power.
As we in America face this history making election for our national
elections, we Christians must be awake and alert to God's will, plan, purpose,
and heart for this nation. That is rooted in and focused upon Almighty God's
"righteousness, Truth, and justice." Our prayers must be centered in that
cause. We do not make decisions and choices after "our will," but after God's
will. Yes, God created us with freedom to choose. In this life we can choose
whatever we choose. However, we cannot choose the consequences of our choices.
Our choices have within them the law of consequences set in motion
by God, determined by these choices being those of good or evil.
I call heaven and
earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may
live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his
voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length
of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy
fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Deuteronomy 30: 19-20
God's heart cries for us to choose life and
blessings! History reveals killing of babies (modern day abortion),
homosexuality, and other evils contrary to the holiness and goodness of God,
result in cursings and death. God's laws are immutable. He has given His laws
that we may obey and have a wonderful life of blessings and absolute life: Zoe,
the God-kind of life.
Yes, America is "hanging in the balance." Let us hear the God-given
call of Moses, "He that is on the Lord's side, let him come across the line to
righteousness, Truth, and justice." (See Exodus 32). Also, "And Elijah came unto
all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be
God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).
Let us choose and vote right, fulfilling Matthew 6:33. "But seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you."
Vainglory is expressed in empty praise and flattery. Someone said,
"Flattery is soft-soap, and soap is ninety percent lye." Also, "Flattery is
telling others exactly what they think of themselves."
Another has said, "Conscience is the only mirror that doesn't flatter."
Sincerity and honesty avoid flattery and vainglory. The Bible says, "Anyone who
gives false praise to his neighbor is setting a trap for him" (Proverbs 29:5
The Everyday Bible).
We are commanded not to walk after the flesh as the non-believers walk. "This I
say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other
Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind" (Ephesians 4:17). In other words, we
are not to conduct our lives like them and this refers to a habitual action.
The word "vanity" in the Greek means aimlessness, or leading to no object
or end. Such actions begin in the mind. The Everyday Bible says, "In the Lord's
name, I tell you this; I warn you: Do not continue living like those who do not
believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing."
Second Peter 2:18 is a graphic picture. Leaders are given strict
"righteousness, Truth, and justice" commands.
The following are excerpts from a prophecy given through myself at
the Christian Life Church in Temple, Texas on January 28, 2001:
For a season I allowed space and time for [leaders] to repent and
to come into My way without compromise, for what they have compromised to keep,
they will surely lose. They will find out in many cases, the blood is on their
head, for they did not as a leader teach My people Righteousness, Truth, and
Justice, but rather allowed a lie to be lived. They allowed lying vanities to be
observed, and by allowing lying vanities to be observed they forsook their own
mercy.... So the sheep will not ultimately be blamed for the wrong choices and
the wrong decisions.... So speak for Righteousness, speak for Truth, and speak
for Justice. For those who have voted otherwise will pay for that sin until they
repent. It will not be something that I will do unto them, but it will be what
they have done to themselves.
Though there are levels of leadership in the
Body of Christ, as an ambassador for Christ, every born-again person is a
leader. Therefore, the commands of God are for the entire Body of
believers in Christ. Each and every one of us is accountable to God, ourselves,
and our future generations to vote "righteousness, Truth, and justice."
As James 3:1 declares, "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall
receive the greater condemnation." Let us hold fast our confession of
faith by heeding Titus 1:9-11.
Holding fast the faithful
word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to
exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain
talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for
filthy lucre's sake.
Amplified Version
We avoid vain talk by talking sound speech. Sound speech is
healthy, wholesome, right speech or talking. Such is the speech and talk of the
person of wisdom. Wisdom does right in God's sight.
Vain talk is speech that is useless and idle: just talking without
thinking, or murmuring, complaining, gossiping etc. It is truly building your
house (your life) on sand, chasing the wind, shooting at stars, and pursuing
one's own shadow. A bad, frustrating, and defeating symptom of a vain
talker is they never hear and understand what is being said. A vain talker uses
impressive language, or language trying to impress you, but their language has
little or no solid content of truth. So, we can understand, a vain talker does
not talk the Word. Such vain talking is shameful, ugly, dishonest and is spoken
for selfish gain or profit.
Indeed, it is time for Second Corinthians 13:5,8 and First
Corinthians 11:27-32 in the believer's life daily.
Examine and test and
evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and
showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you
not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience]
that Jesus Christ is in you-unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial
and rejected?
For we can do nothing against the Truth [not serve any party or
personal interest], but only for the Truth [which is the Gospel].
Amplified Version
So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup
of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and
sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man [thoroughly] examine
himself, and [only when he has done] so should he eat of the bread and drink of
the cup.
For anyone who eats and drinks without discriminating and
recognizing with due appreciation that [it is Christ's] body, eats and drinks a
sentence (a verdict of judgment) upon himself. That [careless and unworthy
participation] is the reason many of you are weak and sickly, and quite enough
of you have fallen into the sleep of death.
For if we searchingly examined ourselves
[detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we should not be
judged and penalty decreed [by divine judgment].
But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are
disciplined and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned [to eternal
punishment along] with the world.
Amplified Version
Paul, as an apostle, was led by the Holy Spirit to make these
commands very strong and clear. They were given not to deny and to take away
one's liberties and freedoms, but to set us free from bondages and blockers that
prevent our blessings coming to us!
Look at Second Timothy 2:16, "But avoid all empty (vain, useless,
idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness" (Amplified
Version)
The Linguistic Key to The Greek New Testament by Fritz Rienecker
and Cleon Rogers says, "In the ancient world useless talking was considered to
be caused from a sickness of the soul and demonstrated itself either in quantity
or quality of the speech.*" "Stay away from those who talk about
useless worldly things. That kind of talk will lead a person more and more away
from God" (2 Timothy 2:16 The Everyday Bible).
We cannot deny the importance of a renewed and transformed mind and
right talk or speech. In our innermost being we are created for excellence and
positive achievement. Therefore, that which is negative and lacks excellence
keeps us from being what God created us to be and from achieving. His perfect
will for our lives.
Burn-out and break-downs are the result of negative attitudes. We
are not fashioned, nor created by God for the negative. Negativism is infection
leading to poison and self-destruction. Excellence is the opposite
of vain, and vanity, and vain glory. God is Excellent, and He is excellent in
all His workings. He gives to us, as we seek His excellence, His very own spirit
of excellence ~ just as we see in Daniel. Let us pursue excellence! That
is God's blessing in Christ Jesus to us!
|
Only
God
and
His
Word
NEVER
fail.
~
America
is
"hanging
in
the
balance" |
