By Mike Oppenheimer
Let Us Reason

I’m going to use an example of a disturbing sermon from a popular teacher* to show why the church is being misled by false teaching and starving for truth in God’s Word. Recently, Francis Chan spoke to a group at Bethel Church, and using Bible verses, he warned that God will destroy (kill) anyone who questions or opposes the teachings of Christian leaders. He proceeded to name some of those leaders (e.g., Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, John Piper, etc.) who should not be spoken against.

His main premise: using the Old Testament where God told the people of Israel not to speak or act against God’s temple in which the penalty was death.

In the New Testament, people are now the temple of God. Therefore, we must never speak or act against God’s temple. His basic text: “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17).

Chan used the story of Uzza who was struck dead for touching the ark to keep it from falling, saying, “we don’t understand the word sacred.”

He gave other examples of those who were punished, such as Moses. In referring to Moses, Chan recalled the first time he read this and of thinking to himself that God is not going to keep him out of the promised land.

Chan interprets God’s response to Moses as: “Because you didn’t treat me as holy [which fits in the greater context of Chan’s message], I’m not going to let you enter the promised land.” But this is not exactly what happened. In Numbers 20:11-12, Moses was told to speak to the Rock, but he instead “smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly” (Moses was angry at the people). “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” Moses was angry with the people which led him to disobey God.

Chan also refers to the story of Saul and Samuel. Samuel is late, and Saul makes the sacrifice; God then says he will tear the kingdom from him.

Chan’s reasoning from the Scriptures goes from bad to worse. I am certainly aware that there is great need for broken relationships to be reconciled, but what Chan is saying is just not accurate in so many ways.

Along the way, he tells us that unity is what gets the world to believe. No, it isn’t. John 13:35 says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

What it is saying is that the world will know we are truly learners (disciples) i.e., followers of Jesus, by our love for each other, but even witnessing that won’t get them to believe. Only the Gospel, the Word of God, can do that.

Chan also says he used to read this passage and wonder how his idea of unity is going to happen. Sounds like the musing found in Roman Catholicism. Francis Chan, it already did—at Pentecost (1 Corinthians 12:13: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body . . . and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”)The Spirit comes into the believer, and the believer is put in His body. The unity is spiritual, and it is produced by Jesus, not us.

Regarding Chan’s unity or be destroyed sermon, Lighthouse Trails has pointed out,

“and even those who question confusing theologies, are clearly under attack here, but how is it that God would want to slay us? We thought further: Doesn’t Scripture say, “the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:21)? But Chan is saying that God has no need of people like us (who are a part of God’s temple) and will destroy us.” (source)

It’s ironic that the examples Chan gives, for the most part, were God judging leaders, those who were visible in positions of leadership and influential.

The point Chan is trying to get across to everyone is: stop speaking out and challenging leaders; correcting someone who is in rebellion or deceived is not love and is what Chan deems as destroying the temple. “If anyone tries to destroy this unity . . . this temple.”

Then speaking of a divisive person, Chan says divisiveness is different than other sins—referencing Titus 3:10 from a Bible version that says to warn a divisive person once then twice then have nothing to do with him. In the King James, Titus 3:10 says, “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject.” This verse is talking about those who cause division by teaching false teachings. If we look at the verse prior to 10, we can see that Paul is referring to “foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law,” which he says are “unprofitable and vain [useless].” In other words, it is about teachings that would certainly include those who divide people from the doctrine of Christ.

But Chan is saying keep your mouth shut about everyone and everything. According to Chan’s reasoning, then Paul is guilty, for he named people and warned the church; Jesus also named people and groups that led others astray with their false teachings.

Chan then apologizes for saying things too flippantly of other leaders, “[W]hen I speak against that brother, I’m taking a sledge hammer to the temple.” Are we condemned by God for speaking up when someone is teaching something wrong? Or rather, is that person wrong for teaching WHAT IS WRONG?

Consider if someone teaches that we are all little gods or messiahs, or that Jesus is not God in the flesh, or that there is no Trinity. According to Chan, we have no right to speak on this. Chan calls it gossip and warns you will be judged. In contrast, what does Scripture say about exposing false doctrine and those who spread it?

Titus 1:13 says,  “rebuke them sharply.” Ephesians 5:11 is among the many exhortations to test one’s teaching: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Romans 16:17 says,  [M]ark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”

Chan takes it a step further and describes incidents in the Bible where God took people’s lives, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:10) where Peter told both of them they would die for lying to the Holy Spirit.

Chan spoke of those who have negative criticism of leaders, but he does not name those critics (after all, that would be doing what he is opposing). But he does name some leaders who should NOT be criticized.

Are you gonna bash Rick Warren? This is a guy that loves the Lord. You might not agree with everything he does, but man, I’m telling you, he loves Jesus. And he’s a supernaturally spirit-filled man.

Are you gonna attack Mark Driscoll? Are you gonna attack John Piper? Are you gonna attack Mike Bickel? Are you gonna attack some of these expressing of the body of Christ that may look a little different?—I’m just saying, dude, put that down! I’ve met these people and I’ve seen their hearts. I hang out with people in different denominations and I’m like, man, they love Jesus. It looks different from me, but I can see the Spirit in them and we better be careful!

Chan vouches for them, saying that they love Jesus. Be that the case, they can still be wrong and do extensive damage spiritually. How or why do they have spiritual immunity when they say something terribly wrong that can bring great harm? (Peter loved Jesus. Does that make Paul wrong for rebuking him publicly for his error (Galatians 2:11, 14)?

Instead, Chan does the very thing he accuses others of and calls people names. He should add his name to his list of those whom God will destroy (according to his reasoning).

Bickle! Really? One may not remember Bickle’s Latter Rain involvement with Bob Jones and Paul Cain as their head prophet (in the Vineyard) who was a disciple of William Branham.

For Chan to use Ananias and Sapphira who lied about a promise and were killed is an absolutely insufficient example. Can Chan show any lies from those whom he accuses, those who question unbiblical teachings?  Is this really the same thing, or has he gone beyond the Scripture (which Paul instructed us not to do)?

What Francis Chan has done is pronounce a death sentence on Christians who are trying to use discernment, saying he has found examples in the Bible to back up his pronouncement.

Chan isn’t the first one who has done this. For instance, Kenneth Copeland used the same tactic as did Paul Crouch, Benny Hinn, and so many others. We should look to them as the examples of what Chan says should be the church’s policy to allow. They have threatened believers, but shhh don’t say anything.

In other words, this is just a new way to implement the “touch not God’s anointed” tactic to stop criticism coming at them.  (By the way, by him saying this, he did exactly what he told his audience not to do.)

Chan says we are to warn the “offending” person to put the sledgehammer down. To not destroy the temple. He says, “If you come from another church, don’t go telling me anything about what happened over there and how they mistreated you and oh, you poor victim!” He then calls such people enablers and insane. And then he says:

I’m a part of the temple of God. Man, let’s be careful with our words. Man, I hear people criticize leaders around our nation. And I haven’t been quick to confront it but now it’s like, I’m getting serious. Like, are you crazy?

Chan references 2 Chronicles 7 where the temple is dedicated by sacrifice, and fire from the sky takes place. Then he says, “could you imagine picking up a sledgehammer and striking the temple? [after the fire]”?

He continues, “What if one of your friends picked up the hammer and were about to do that? What would you scream? Wouldn’t you scream, put it down? What were you thinking?  You’re insane! No! Don’t do it Don’t do it! Don’t do it! This is something that is sacred!”

Chan then references 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, saying that we are the temple of God, and if someone destroys (criticizes) the temple, God will destroy that person.

His point in using 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 is to apply it to his examples of physical destruction.

To show how his teaching is off in application, let’s turn to a few Bible commentators:

Consider the following three commentators on 1 Corinthians 3:17:

If any man defile . . .  Or, “destroy, corrupt” . . . The figurative sense is, “If any man by his doctrines or precepts shall pursue such a course as tends to destroy the church, God shall severely punish him.” (Barnes’ Notes emphasis added)

If any man injure, corrupt, or destroy the church of God by false doctrine (Adam Clarke’s Commentary; emphasis added)

If any man defile the temple of God . . . By the wisdom of the world, through philosophy, and vain deceit; by bringing in false doctrines, errors, and heresies, and hereby corrupt their minds from the simplicity that is in Christ (Gills Commentary emphasis added)

What we have here is a serious bending of the Scripture by Chan in order to fit his message. In actuality, the verse (1 Corinthians 3:17) means the very opposite of what he is saying. The divisiveness is made by false doctrine being taught, not by those who expose it.

Chan is presenting a standard to not openly question things or refute unbiblical teachings. A pastor or teacher should always allow and even insist that we compare what is said to the Word of God—for his accountability and our safety. Paul commended the Bereans for looking into the Scriptures on what he said!

As a unified body, we are to protect one another from being misled by what is false; but according to Chan, we are not allowed to discuss this.

But God’s heart is for His people, to see them protected and safe just like we would want for our own family. Chan poses a question:

“God, how come more people aren’t dead?” And here’s what I heard from the Lord: “THEY HAVEN’T BEEN WARNED.”

While Chan says he doesn’t want us destroyed by God, he predicts that God will take the lives of those who have negative things to say about the teachings of today’s leaders. Apparently, his ministry is to warn those who discern teachings to stop discerning.

Chan continues:

And so the only way that God can bring unity is if He actually acts and He actually opposes the proud and He actually humbles and He actually destroys. And I’m just saying, I really believe that time is coming when God Himself has listened to all the bickering, all the gossip, all the division, and He’s held back because the warning hasn’t gone out. And I believe He’s telling me—warn.

Consider this your first warning.

Hmmm.

Consider what John and James said. If false teachers present doctrines that mislead is that not causing destruction to the temple? It is the people who teach falsely who are to be warned about according to the Bible. False teaching comes from pride. Testing what is said is an act of humility to the Word.

While I’m not going to defend those who are crass and call names or maliciously gossip and belittle people, I will defend those who humbly and biblically discern truth from error and speak from love for the brethren who are the recipients of these false teachings.

The way I see it, Chan’s sermon is an attempt (whether he realizes it or not) to intimidate, silence, and control what people say. Surely, this is not the mind of Christ.

We need more biblical judging of teaching, not less. Not condemnation but discerning what is spoken as either false or true, especially in this day and age.

Chan later says, “That doesn’t mean I don’t go to people and even other leaders and say, hey, I’m really concerned about your belief in this area, but that’s between me and them.”

Sorry, not if they are distributing false teaching to thousands or millions. This is not treated as a personal offense but an offense to the whole body.

The mature in faith listen to the content rather than being swayed by enthusiasm or speaking abilities expressing emotion.

We are told to “try the spirits” to see whether they are from God.

If we all keep quiet about what is wrong, as Chan insists, surely the church will be overrun with false teachers. This is what the policy of silence does when facing heresy, which is the real divisiveness.

These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. (Proverbs 24:23-25)

It seems that God’s Word expresses a very different idea than Chan’s on how to view those who confront what is wrong.

*Chan’s sermon in question:

(artwork from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/TissUzah.jpg; public domain)

Transcript on file with Lighthouse Trails.

By Harry Ironside

Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. (Psalm 84: 3)

You will notice the heading to this Psalm, the words “To the chief Musician. A Psalm for the sons of Korah.” There is a critical question as to where these headings properly belong in the original Hebrew, at the beginning of the Psalm that follows them or whether they should follow the previous Psalm. There is nothing to indicate either way; in the Hebrew, the one Psalm is so closely linked with the other. The late Dr. Thirtle has suggested that there seems to be good reason to believe these titles really belong to the preceding Psalm. If that is the case, it does not interfere with something I want to point out here. The heading of the next Psalm is practically the same, so we can transfer it to this Psalm if we give that of Psalm 84 to Psalm 83.

“To the chief Musician,” the One who said as He came forth from resurrection, “In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee” (Hebrews 2:12; also Psalm 22:22). He is the chief Musician, the One who leads the praises of His people. Therefore, these are very definitely dedicated to our blessed Lord Jesus Himself, the great Leader of the choir of the redeemed.

Then you have the words, “A Psalm for the sons of Korah.” That to my mind is very interesting. Who were the sons of Korah? Well, they constituted part of the sanctuary choir at Jerusalem after David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Mount Zion and pitched a tent for it, and later on, when King Solomon built that glorious Temple every whit of which uttered the glory of our Blessed Savior. These sons of Korah led the people in their worship.

But who were they actually? Well, if you turn to those early chapters of the First Book of Chronicles that some of you never read, you will find by careful investigation that these sons of Korah were the lineal descendants of that Korah who, with Dathan and Abiram, led in the apostasy in the wilderness—that very Korah who, with his ungodly associates, withstood Moses the mediator and Aaron the High Priest, and said, “You take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi; all the Lord’s people are holy.” It is as though they said, “We do not need a mediator, we do not need a High Priest, we do not need anybody to represent us before God. Neither do we need an atoning sacrifice. We are good enough for God as we are.” That is the same as the apostasy today. We read of those who, having gone in the way of Cain, following the error of Balaam, shall perish in the gainsaying of Korah. You remember how the judgment fell upon Korah, how Moses said, “If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up . . . then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord” (Numbers 16:29-30). Earlier, Moses gave the cry, “Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men” (v. 16), and those who feared God left the companionship of Korah, Datlan, and Abiram and went over toward the sanctuary Moses had pitched. But those who did not fear Him remained with the apostates, and the judgment took place exactly as Moses had intimated, and Korah and all his company, we are told, went down alive into the pit.

Here is a singular thing; here are the sons of Korah, centuries afterwards, leading the praise of the people of God. If Korah and all his company went down alive into the pit, how is it there were any sons of Korah to bear testimony to the grace of God in later days?

Well, we get the fullest account of this event in the 16th chapter of Numbers, but we have a supplementary account in the 26th chapter where we have these added words, “Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not” (Numbers 26:11). I take it to imply this, that when the sons of Korah were put to the test, when they had to choose between loyalty to God or fealty to their own father, they said, “God must be first; we dare not put father’s will first if it is in opposition to the will of God.”

It is a solemn thing when children are put in a position like that. I don’t suppose many of you were ever in a place like that. I hope all reading this have made the great decision. I hope we have all come to the place where we can say:

My heart is fixed, Eternal God,
Fixed on Thee;
And my unchanging choice is made,
Christ for me.

He is my Prophet, Priest and King,
Who did for me salvation bring;
And while I’ve breath I still will sing,
Christ for me.
(Richard Jukes, 1804-1867)

But if you made that decision, some of you in your childhood, some in young manhood or young womanhood, in most cases, I am sure it brought real joy to father and mother, for many of us have had the great privilege of a Christian training.

But it is very different for some people. I remember one night walking the streets of San Francisco from 9:30 till 2am with a young Jewish man who was greatly agitated and much concerned. It was my custom to preach once a month on a Thursday night in a Mission to Israel established in that city. This particular night, after the meeting, I can remember the text, “Wake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man that is my fellow. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad”—this young man came to me and said, “I was greatly stirred tonight; your sermon started so many questions in my mind. I wish you had time to let me talk with you a bit.”

I answered him, “I have plenty of time.” It happened that my family was away in the country, so it did not make any particular difference what time I got home; it was a lovely summer night, and I said, “We will go for a walk.” Up and down the streets we trod for all those hours. He brought up question after question, and I tried to answer everything right from the Book itself.

Finally, at two in the morning, we stood at a corner, and he looked at me and said, “Well, sir, you have answered all my questions satisfactorily and frankly. I am absolutely convinced now that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of Israel, and our people made a terrible mistake when they crucified Him so long ago.”

I said, “I am glad to hear that. Now I trust you will come right out for Him, and by baptism confess His name.”

He said, “Oh, I couldn’t do that. If I were to confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah, I would break my dear old Jewish mother’s heart; my stern Jewish father would disown me. He would call in an orthodox Rabbi and have a funeral service for me, and I would never again be recognized as in the land of the living. My business associates would disown me, and all my business prospects would fall away. Intellectually, I am convinced, but give Him my heart I cannot.” I pleaded with him, but he turned away. I never saw him again. Before the next occasion when I would have visited San Francisco, the disastrous earthquake of 1906 had taken place, and our Mission had been swept out of existence. It was many years before we had a testimony again in that city.

But think of his position; he had to choose between God and his parents. Jesus demands just such a choice, and if our parents stand in the way, He says, “Whosoever loveth father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

Do you want a proof of the Deity of Christ? You have it right here. Imagine any man, no matter how good, standing up before a congregation and saying, “Look here, if you love your father and mother more than me, you are not worthy of me.” If it were only a man who said something like that, you would say, “Who does he think he is? He imagines he has more right to my love and allegiance than my own parents; the man is insane.” But Christ has more right, for He is God over all, blessed for evermore (Romans 9:5).

I have tried to picture this. I have thought at times I could see those sons of Korah go up to their father, put their arms on his shoulders and say, “Father, don’t set yourself against God. Whoever hardened himself against Him and prospered? Listen to the voice of His servant and yield, surrender to Him while there is time.”

I think I see that stern old man say, “No, I will never own that I need a mediator or a savior. I am good enough for God as I am, and I shall not listen to Moses and Aaron.”

Then came the call, “Come away from the tents of this wicked man.” I think I see those sons of Korah say, “Father, if you won’t change, we shall have to leave you. We cannot go on with you. We must be true to God at all costs.” I think I see them wending their way across the plain to yonder sanctuary, perhaps even then singing as they go, “I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10).

Well, the years went by, and the descendants of the sons of Korah were the Temple choir. Isn’t that wonderfully in keeping? When I read some of these songs dedicated to the sons of Korah, I say: This is of special interest to me, because, you know, I am one of the sons of Korah. The sons of Korah were saved from going down to the pit, and I have been saved from going down to the pit. So, I read them with special interest because I am a debtor to mercy, mercy that saved me, that turned my wayward feet from the path that leads to the pit.

Now God puts a song into the mouths of His redeemed. All whom He saves from going down to the pit belong to His heavenly choir. Some of us are not very good singers down here. They have to be pretty familiar hymns for me to be able to join in at all. My wife sometimes nudges me when I do get going and says, “Do keep on the key.” But one of these days, if you want to hear singing, you slip around to my mansion in the glory. Every one of the sons of Korah will belong to the choir eventually. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me” (Psalm 50:23). We shall all do that by and by.

As these sons of Korah were linked up with the worship of the Temple and looked about them, they saw something the bulk of the people could not see. It was customary in those oriental sanctuaries never to drive the birds out. They were permitted to flit about at will. I saw the same thing in Jerusalem when I was there several years ago. We went out to that abomination of desolation, the Mosque of the Dome of the Rock that covers the site of the Temple. There were birds inside that great Mosque, singing beautifully. That is the kind of thing the sons of Korah noticed, of which they sang in this Psalm: “The sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God” (Psalm 84:3).

The Jews never drove the birds out of the Temple. They allowed them to make their nests there. On some occasions, even when the priest was offering sacrifice at the altar, you could see, underneath, the swallow’s nest and the mother bird sitting upon it or the nest of the sparrow with the mother sparrow resting there in perfect quiet. They were not afraid because no hand was ever raised against them. The priests said, “They have put their trust in Jehovah by entering into His house: we must not make them afraid.” They had a beautiful name for them; they called them “God’s pensioners.” They had shown their confidence in Him, and they fed upon scraps of the shewbread and one thing and another and were at home in the house of God. The sons of Korah realized that would be a lovely theme for a hymn, and we have been singing about the sparrows ever since. “The sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of Hosts, my King, and my God.”

The sparrow and the swallow. I suppose we are right in saying that the sparrow is the most worthless of birds. Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?” And that farthing was a coin of much less value than a British farthing. I have been carrying a British farthing around for six weeks, and I cannot get anyone to give me anything for it. But Jesus said, referring to the infinitesimal farthing of His day, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? You could go into the market and see two sparrows, cleaned, with a skewer through them, lying offered for sale, and the poorest people bought them to make a sort of sparrow pie. Then, the Lord elsewhere says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?” Dr. James H. Brookes, one of our great American preachers, used to say, “I think that is how I got in. The Lord was saving four others, and I was thrown in for good measure.”

What does the Book say about us in our sinful state? It says we are altogether “unprofitable.” “I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing”—no goodness or worth, yet God in His grace looked upon me and loved me. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father’s knowledge. As someone once said, “The One who created the heavens and the earth attends every sparrow’s funeral.” If He cares for the little birds, Jesus says, remember “ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7). Utterly worthless in ourselves, but of such value to Christ that He came from off the Throne Eternal down to Calvary’s depth of woe to redeem us to Himself; of such value to God the Father, He sent His only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him; of such value to God the Holy Spirit, He has come to convince of sin, in order to draw our wayward hearts to Christ. Poor, worthless sparrows—yet the object of wondrous grace.

There is not only the sparrow but the swallow. If we say the sparrow is the most worthless of birds, what shall we say of the swallow? Surely it is the most restless. Did you ever see a swallow be still?—Always on the wing, going all the time. Isn’t that like us?—Trying this thing and that thing, going into this, that, and the other, always restless, always discontented, always unhappy as long as we are away from God. Some of us have tried hard to find rest, we have tested so many things, tried one thing after another, and still our hearts are just as restless as ever because we have not come to Christ Himself, who says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

I heard the Voice of Jesus say,
Come unto Me and rest
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.

I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.
(Horatius Bonar, 1846)

So we read, “The sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of Hosts, my King, and my God.”

Notice the plural, not “Thine altar” but “Thine altars.” There were two of them. Those two altars give us the two aspects of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, the work He did on Earth and the work He is doing in Heaven. We need both to get perfect rest. The brazen altar, the altar out in the courtyard, the birds are nesting there; that altar speaks of the Cross work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Upon that altar on which the fire was ever burning, they placed the parts of the victim which went up in flame to God. All those sacrifices speak to us of the one Supreme Offering, the Perfect Offering, the Complete Offering of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you found rest in the brazen altar?
Can you look back to an experience in your life in accord with the words of the hymn:

Near the Cross, a trembling soul,
Love and Mercy found me
There the bright and morning star
Shed its beams around me.

In the Cross, in the Cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
(Fanny Crosby, 1869)

That brazen altar says, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). It tells of satisfaction made for sin, of an acceptable propitiation on the basis of which every poor sinner may come to God through Christ and may find rest of conscience. “Christ for my sins” is the message of the brazen altar.

In the House itself, in the inner sanctuary, representing Heaven itself, where Christ is now ministering, stood the golden altar. No sacrificial victim was ever offered on that altar, but instead there was the constantly ascending sweet smoke of the incense before God. “Let my prayer come before Thee as incense,” said David, and that sweet fragrant incense rising before God speaks of the constant intercession of the risen Christ in glory.

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for [us]. (Hebrews 7:25)

O Christians, there is a living Christ in Heaven deeply concerned about everything that exercises you, constantly bearing you up before God. He has abundant stores of grace to minister to you and to help you in every time of need. That golden altar says, “Christ for my cares.” It tells me that the same Blessed One who died for me now lives for me, lives to sustain and keep me, and to make me victorious as I go through this scene of trial and testing.

In the Epistle to the Philippians, we read:

Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4: 6-7)

Some of us came as troubled, guilty sinners to the brazen altar and found rest for our consciences, but have we turned to the golden altar and found rest for our souls. Do we know what it is to walk in holy, happy fellowship with a risen Christ, committing our way to Him in accordance with the Word, “casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you?”
There are Christians who find it easier to trust the Lord for the salvation of their immortal souls than for the rent money next month or for food or raiment day by day. Yet the Lord Jesus Christ says, “[S]eek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Who said that? I like Livingstone’s remark in another connection, “It is the word,” he said, “of a gentleman, who will never go back on His word, and there’s an end of it. He will see you through.”

Millions of Christians could testify to the fact that He has never failed one who commits all things into His hands. If we have never done it before, if we have never yielded ourselves and all our affairs, oh, that we might do it today. He is waiting to have us do that very thing. He longs to undertake for us; and then, indeed, we shall know the meaning of these words, “The sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.” Then, too, we shall enter into and understand the next verse, “Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee.”

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin; The blood of Jesus whispers peace within. (Edward Henry Bickersteth, Jr., 1875)

(The article above is an excerpt of Harry Ironside’s book, Changed by Beholding. | Painting by Lighthouse Trails reader Jeannette Dube of Canada; used with permission.)

By Cedric Fisher
Truth Keepers Ministry

I firmly believe that the Remnant of God’s people are going though a purifying and strengthening process by waves of trials. I know many Believers who are wrestling with great hardships. My family has not been exempted from that purging process. It seems that you barely get through one trial, have a brief period of peace, and another one comes rolling in. I sometimes feel like a rock in the surging tide. We have no option but to accept it, stand in God’s armor (Ephesians 6:11), and wait for the wave to pass. It is essential to remember to put on His armor—not ours. Trying to fight in our armor would be a disaster.

When the Believer attempts to fight the enemies of righteousness in his or her own strength and abilities, it is a huge mismatch. Sometimes all that we can do in the firefight of light against darkness is to cry out for more light. Like a solar powered vehicle, we are “light-powered” and must stay in the light to function at optimum performance. It means to overcome evil by doing good, to walk in the light, and not descend into a mêlée designed by Satan with his rules and on his battlefield. Instead we commit our battle to the Lord and trust in His faithfulness.

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. – Psalm 37:5

The Hebrew word for “commit” is galal, which means to “roll off or roll oneself.” When I discovered that blessed nugget long ago it became a source of great comfort and relief for me. It means to roll off my burden onto the Lord. That is much different than handing Him a burden. A burden that can be handed off does not appear to be much of a burden.

When working on a farm, I carried heavy bags of feed on my shoulder. One did not lay such a heavy burden down—it had to be rolled off. Sometimes I would carry it to the entrance of the barn and roll it off onto another guy who would take it inside and stack it. The relief is instantaneous and you feel light-footed as you head back to the truck for another bag. Click here to continue reading.

(Cedric is an ordained minister and the director of Truthkeepers, a web-based ministry warning about spiritual deception in the church (www.truthkeepers.com). He and his wife, Cheryl, live on the East Coast where he pastors a small house church that he pioneered. His past experience helps him to identify diabolical darkness that masquerades as Christianity today. Cedric believes God has called him to not only prepare believers to be equipped to avoid deception and apostasy but also to expose the heresies that have inundated modern Christianity.)

(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)