Mar. 30, 2008 - WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lords side? Let him come unto me" (Ex. 32:26). These were momentous words in their day and were spoken by one of the most noble leaders God's children have ever known. God had called Moses up on Mt. Sinai to confer with him concerning the law which was to govern Israel. "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." But when Moses delayed his coming down out of the mount, the people (Israel) gathered themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him." So upon their request Aaron said to break off the golden earrings from the ears of their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, and bring them unto him. He received them at their hand, put them in the fire and made a molten calf and fashioned it with a graving tool. An altar was built before this golden calf, and Aaron made a proclamation concerning it and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord." All , Israel rose up early in the morning and offered their burnt offerings on the altar of this image. Then they sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. But while his was going on, God was looking down on the scene. Up on the mount he spoke to Moses and said, "Get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves." After pleading with God in prayer to forgive them, Moses and Joshua returned to the camp and beheld the horrible scene of around the golden calf. Moses' wrath waxed hot, and he threw the tables of stone to the ground and broke them and went into the camp and tore down the calf, threw it into the fire and melted it, then ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water and made Israel drink the water? Then he turned to Aaron and said, "What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?" And Aaron, like many preachers today, tried to excuse himself because the people were set on mischief, Aaron really had no excuse to offer. He was responsible to God to preach the word and hold up a true standard of righteousness in spite of the fact that the people were bent on mischief. The time had come in Israel, and the situation had arisen when it was necessary for men to make a decision and necessary that a separation be made between those who were on the Lord's side and those who were not. Moses, being a true leader, stepped to the gate of the camp and issued the call, "Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me." A great flood of idolatry had swept into the camp in the absence Moses, thereby making a decision and a separation necessary. Even though there may have been some among them who were not in sympathy with all that had transpired in Moses' absence, yet the entire nation of Israel was in danger of being destroyed because of their sin, hence, the need of a separation.
Beloved, the picture is about the same today in the religious world. Many a golden calf, many an idol has been erected in the camp of the so-called saints and claiming their love and devotion. Just as idolatry swept into the camp of Israel, so has idolatry, worldliness, a compromise swept into the camp of organized religion. But thanks be to God, it hasn't come into the true church of God. This being true, the need is as urgent as in MosesÕ day that men make their decision and declare their position. This is no time for silence on the part of any who desire to go to heaven. The forces of evil are gathering their powers to encompass the camp of the saints, and those who are fearful to take their stand with God and true saints will surely be slain. The call is being issued as in Israel's day. The Holy Spirit is sounding the call far and near for men and women to come walk with him. The true ministry is blowing the trumpet with a clear note. The gospel is being preached in its simplicity, its purity and beauty, and people are being brought face to face with the decision and are deciding for eternity. Have you made your decision yet, dear reader? And have you declared your position that others may know whose side you are on? May I remind you right here that there are only two sides, and you are on one or the other. The only two sides are, the Lord's side, and the other side, I would to God people could realize the truth of this statement. So many folk think there are any number of ways to heaven and it makes little difference which way they choose. This is not so, my friend. There is only one way to heaven and that's the Lord's way, or the Lord's side. The other side may be divided into ranks, companies, divisions, schisms, and sects. Yet it is all on the opposite side from the Lord. Neither is there any room for neutrality. Jesus plainly teaches us that, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroadÓ (Matt. 12:30). This scripture definitely places us on one side or the other. "He that is not with me..." Jesus says. The individual who fails to take a definite stand with Jesus (and thereby the Word also) on all points of doctrine and on all issues of life automatically falls on side that is against him. We are either gathering with him or scattering abroad. There is absolutely no room for neutrality.
Perhaps someone will say, "There's too much confusion and strife in the religious world, I'd rather not bother with any of it." In assuming this attitude you place yourself outside the kingdom of God, a lost soul. You not care to enter the battle with Jesus against all that is sinful and wrong; you may not be willing to be numbered among the despised few who bear the reproach of the cross but there's coming a day when you would love to be on the Lord's side. The day when Jesus will come as a thief in the night, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the earth and all the works that are therein shall be burned up with the judgment flames of God, then you'll want to be nestled in the love of God and be numbered with the saints as they go marching through the pearly gates of Heaven. When time ceases to be and eternity has begun, only those who were on the Lord's side in this world will enjoy the bliss of his presence then. Many folk have the desire to walk the streets of heaven with Jesus, but refuse to walk the streets of earth with him. They are ashamed to confess him before men and he'll be ashamed of them before his Father and the angels. If you want to be on the Lord's side on judgment day, you'd better take your position with his saints now and fight the good fight of faith in this life. Will you be one of his servants today?
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