NOT A VIRTUE!

MEMORISE : As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a
fool returneth to his folly. PROVERBS 26 : 11
READ : PROVERBS 15 : 20 - 21 :
20 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man
despiseth his mother.
21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but
a man of understanding walketh uprightly.
MESSAGE :
Foolishness is not a virtue; rather it is a vice that
costs its victim eternity in hell fire. The Bible says
that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
( Proverbs 9 : 10 ). In other words, lack of the fear of
God is the beginning of foolishness. So, when someone
decides to live without the fear of God, he does
whatever he pleases without consideration for the
Word of God, he feels he is free to do whatever he
likes with his life, he behaves as if he owns his life,
but in actual sense, his life is borrowed and the
Owner may ask for it anytime. Our Lord Jesus told a
parable of a prosperous farmer who did not reckon
with God in all his dealings. Considering the wealth he
had possessed he said :
"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods
laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink,
and be merry.But God said unto him, Thou fool, this
night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose
shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Luke
12 : 19 - 20.
Some people who claim to be children of God behave
foolishly sometimes. Our memory verse for today
says: "As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool
returneth to his folly." Some brethren who had been
modest and holy are now regretting their past pure
Christian life! Those vanities they forsook in the
past are now back in full force. This scripture is now
fulfilled in their lives. Jesus said when a demon is
cast out of a man, he goes away but after sometime
he comes back to check whether that life is still
empty. If he finds the life empty he goes back to
take seven more powerful demons to take possession
of the life ( Luke 11 : 24 - 26 ). It is foolishness to
go back to your old lifestyle after you have been
cleansed from your former sins and impurities. The
Bible says :
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the
world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and
overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the
beginning." 2 Peter 2 : 20.
In the past, you could identify a child of God from
afar off ( with few exceptions of those who were
pretenders ). Many things that are now being
celebrated were abominations in those days. It is
unfortunate that a wholesale return to those vanities
is now in vogue. Some Christian scholars were brought
to me in my office by their leaders many years ago
and I saw assorted wild paintings- red, green, silver,
brown, pink etc on their faces and lips. I could not
help but tell them that that was the first time I
would see Bible scholars in such a wild exhibition of
vanities. Their leader then promised that he would do
something about it and that when Lazarus came out
from the dead he was gradually striped of the grave
clothes he had on. Theologians know how to explain
things away. Beloved, going back from your first love
is not a virtue; it is rather a vice. Repent today,
tomorrow may be too late.
ACTION POINT :
Check your life and see if there is any foolish act of
sin, unrighteousness or backsliding. Repent.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EPHESIANS 1 : 1 - 4 : 16
AND PSALMS 18 : 20 - 28.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.
HYMN 4 : TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.