September 2^nd . 2018

9:30 am -----------------------------------------Members One Of Another – Romans 12:3-8

10:00 am -------------------------------To The Saints & Faithful At Central – Colossians 1

Wednesday: 7:00 pm---------------Knowing The Message & Manner of The Minister – 1 Thessalonians 2

“They That Observe Lying Vanities Forsake Their Own Mercy” – Jonah 2:8

HAT are the lying vanities of which the scripture speaks? The wise man wrote: “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, ALL IS VANITY” (Prov.12:8). The flesh, the world and the devil promise many things, but are all liars! Riches are deceitful¸ promising happiness and contentment, when in fact they gender the opposite. The world talks of wisdom, knowledge, enlightenment, when in fact they lie about most things (not revealing the facts, bringing up false ‘witnesses’, manufacturing ‘findings’ and ‘sources’). David said in his haste “All men are liars.” God’s people are not liars, but the world is so full of them, that all seem to be so. And David’s son said: “Money answereth all things” i.e. behind every lying scheme, especially religion, is the love of money. The devil, who is the father of lies, is the perpetrator and perpetuator of all lies and he craftily does it in the name of God. Behind the façade of religion is the smiling face of the devil, who has his ministers of righteousness, who are all liars, evil men and seducers, waxing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

For us to observe lying vanities, is to listen to the world and put stock in what it is saying. To observe lying vanities is to listen to and participate in the religions of the world, which are full of liars. To observe lying vanities is to walk with, talk with, and commune with the liars of this world (evil communications corrupt good manners), for you cannot really believe anyone except a believer. To observe lying vanities is to think that anyone or anything in this world can be of some good to us. Fact is, there is nothing truly good in this world except the things of God and the people of God. God says of this world, “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, NO, NOT ONE!” (Psa.14:3). To observe lying vanities is to be deceived by the god of this world who would have us to observe the things of this world as objects of pleasure, peace, contentment; things that will give us happiness and security in this world. The god of this world tempted the first man and woman in the world with lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life. By listening to and observing these lying vanities, they plunged themselves into deep misery, pain and sorrow.

To forsake our own mercy is to absent ourselves from the preaching of God’s Word, which exposes all lies within us and without us, and reveals to us the vanities of this world. The Word of God is His mercy to poor, blind, ignorant sinners. It is full of warnings, rebukes, reproofs and corrections to save us from destruction with this world . . . to save us from this untoward generation. To observe lying vanities and forsake our own mercy is to forsake the preaching of the gospel, thinking we need to do this or that rather than hearing the Word. It is the greatest vanity of all vanities to think that anyone or anything is more important than hearing God’s Word and assembling with His people. It is the greatest mercy of all to hear the Word of Truth

Yes . . . They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. To listen to, pursue, and court the things of this world and the people of this world rather than the things of God and the people of God, is to cut your own throat . . . it is to cut off your own life-line . . . it is to commit spiritual suicide. Wherefore . . . “Flee Idolatry” . . . “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” . . . “Come thou with us and we will do thee good” . . . “Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby” . . . “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity.”

Lest There Be One Like Esau -- “Who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright . . .” – Hebrews 12:16