The Mixed Multitude (Exodus 12:38) (Numbers 11:1-4)

The Mixed Multitude (Exodus 12:38) (Numbers 11:1-4)

There are different categories of Christians in the Church which include the following:

The Antioch Christian (Acts 11:26)

The Sermon-proof Christian (Matthew 13:15)

The Compromising Christian (Exodus 8:23, 25 & 10:7)

The Pharisee Christian (Matthew 5:20) (Matthew Ch.23)

The Carnal Christian (Romans Ch.8)

The Mixed Multitude Christian (Exodus 12:38) (Numbers 11:1-4)

The mixed multitudes in Scripture were the mingled people who followed the Jews (Israelites) out of Egypt during their exodus to Canaan. They were not originally Jews but the descendants of the servants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and a race known as the Kenites who also went with them (Exodus 12:37)

The mixed multitudes were not supposed to be in the company of the Jews because God forbade the Jews from associating with them based on the Laws of Separation (Deuteronomy 7:1-6) to avoid pollution with the people and ways of the world. The mixed multitudes were a snare to the Jews during their wilderness journey. Their lust for flesh to eat and their complaints constituted backsliding and sin (Numbers 11:1-35).

The Mixed Multitudes are in every church where Christians gather. They are killers of destiny who will pollute your relationship with Christ if you allow them. The mixed multitude is anyone within your life and ministry who acts to draw you backwards spiritually. They are the ones who tell you to take things easy when the Bible says in Matthew 11:12 that the Kingdom of God suffers violence and only the violent can take it by force.

The Mixed Multitude Christian cannot endure the ruggedness of the Narrow Way to heaven and cannot maintain the purity of heart (Matthew 5:8) that is required to reach heaven. Therefore, they are not ready for heaven and want to hinder others who are striving to go to heaven. 

They seek for ease and pleasure and cannot endure the sufferings, the persecutions, the trials and tribulations (Luke 6:22) that Christ promised His disciples would experience before wearing the Crown.

The mixed multitude Christians discourage you from the spiritual exercises that help build your relationship with Jesus Christ and your spiritual life. They carry bibles like everyone else but are never strict on the biblical standards of holiness that the Bible teaches. 

They are bread and butter Christians who seek to follow Christ without carrying a Cross contrary to Jesus’ command in Mark 8:34. They are murmur and grumble a lot and are fond of criticizing anything and everything and see no good in others and everything.

They seek for miracles and short cuts that do not involve paying a price. They move from church to church looking for comfortable churches and worldly pastors who can accommodate them and their water melon lifestyle. They come to church to seat on arranged chairs. They come late and are the first to leave. They find fault with holiness messages that exposes them. They are not interested in kingdom investment but want the benefits of the kingdom.

They are not ready to be available for work in the Vineyard. When the Antioch Christian says ‘Here I am, send me’, the Mixed Multitude Christian says ‘I am going home. When you need me, come for me.’ They are the gossips and backbiters who create divisions among the brethren.

Iron and clay do not mix (Daniel 2:41). Therefore, a disciple of Christ should not mix with a Mixed Multitude Christian, to maintain his focus on the Kingdom of God and eternity with Christ. The Bible warns that we dissociate from certain categories of brethren in the church who pollute the Body of Christ. Among them are the ones listed in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.

Associate with those whose spiritual iron and axe will sharpen yours because iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). A heaven focused Christian must watch whom he associates with because evil communication corrupts good manners (John 15:33).

 

The mixed multitudes in the church are spiritual/ church prostitutes who run from church to church, who do not stay to build. They are prayer collectors who cannot pray but run after pastors and prophets to do their praying for them. They complain but do not complement.

They seek for title and leadership positions in church for the purpose of dominating and oppressing others. Jesus taught that a leader should submit to serve others first.

They are not interested in the original gospel of salvation that preaches salvation for deliverance from sin and conversion from sinning to righteousness. 

Rather, they are more interested in the gospel that teaches about earthly prosperity without the Christ and righteousness which false teachers are peddling.

They deviate from the original gospel of salvation to the easier, one-sided gospel that benefits the mortal perishable body of man but does not benefit the immortal soul of man that will face judgment and cannot die. Therefore, they are prime candidates of false teachers and their doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1) (Galatians 1:8-9), who lead them to indulge in base passions contrary to Jesus teaching about self-denial in Mark 8:34.

The mixed multitude in the church will gladly follow any gospel that gives them limitless freedom to do as they like, that ministers unto their fleshly passions. They are reluctant to follow a gospel which restricts and limits them from indulgence in fleshly passions. 

The true Christian gospel places strict limits and restrictions on its members from indulging in base passions and teaches self-denial and consecration (Mark 8:34). 

God always sets boundaries!

Ayodele John Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com

Learn from the life of Rahab

Learn from the life of Rahab

The story of Rahab is found in the book of Joshua 2:1-21. She was one of the four women mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ. The other three were Bathsheba, Tamar and Ruth. Rahab married Salmon and Boaz was born. Boaz married Ruth and their great-grandson was King David from whose line Jesus came.

Before Rahab became an Israelite, she was a citizen of Jericho where she lived as a pagan and prostitute. Thus her status in Jericho made her a most unlikely candidate for the blessings of God. Further, the city of Jericho was doomed, having been marked for destruction. But she worked her way into the blessings of God.

When the conquest of Jericho was about to commence, spies were sent ahead to view the land. Rahab accommodated and protected the spies and helped them to escape when the King of Jericho sent men to arrest them. She made an agreement with the spies that rescued her and her entire family from the destruction of the city of Jericho.

The lessons to learn from this remarkable woman are as follows:

1)      Her faith: Her recognition of the mighty acts of Jehovah God in the past formed the basis of her faith in Him. She was aware of how God dried up the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross over on dry ground. She was also aware of how God empowered the Israelites to utterly destroy the strongest Amorite Kings, Og and Bashan and their kingdoms. Obviously she was aware of the ten plagues in Egypt which brought that world power to its knees and the total destruction of the Egyptian armies in the Red Sea.

By her knowledge of the past events, she acknowledged the power of the Mighty God of Israel over all the nations on earth. She stated to the spies that ‘the Lord your God is God in Heaven above and in earth beneath’.

2)      Her insight: Based on her knowledge of the mighty acts of the God of Israel and His wonders, she was truthful and intelligent to foresee the total conquest of, and destruction of the nations of Canaan including the city of Jericho. She was sure that any resistance from Jericho against the impending invasion would be useless.

3)      Her ability to take risks: Having foreseen how events would turn out in Canaan, she planned for the escape of herself and family from the impending conquest and destruction. She obeyed her own part of the agreement to the letter. She could have chosen to remain loyal to the King of Jericho by giving up the spies. But she did not and rather made a clear decision not to sink with the doomed city. She took the risk to work her escape from the destruction and by that effort; she worked her way into the blessings of God and became a member of the Israelite nation.

How does the Rahab story apply to you?

1)      She made a clear decision to turn her life over to the God of Israel. She chose to be saved rather than to be destroyed along with the multitudes in Jericho. Out of the many families in Jericho, only her family was saved. 

      Matthew 7:13-14 says that few shall be saved and many will be lost and we see this occur in Jericho. It also occurred in Sodom and Gomorrah where only 3 persons escaped the destruction of the two cities. Also only 2 persons of the 600,000 men who started the Exodus actually entered into the Promised Land. The others perished in the wilderness.

Rahab escaped the destruction because she did not allow any traditional loyalties to Jericho to hinder her from submitting to the God of Israel. Do you allow any traditional loyalty to your environment or any religion; parents, relations, friends or peers to hinder you from turning to the God of Israel for salvation?   

You must take a decision not to follow the ways of the multitudes in the world (Exodus 23:2). You must decide not to perish with the perishing multitude. Determine to be among the few who will make it to heaven (Luke 13:24)

2)      There is a direct link between knowledge, faith, action and commitment. Rahab’s knowledge of the power of the God of Israel formed the basis of her faith to trust in Him for her future. Based on her faith, she took action and committed herself to that action without looking back.

You know the power of the God of Israel; what He has done; what He is doing and what He can do based on His promises. You are aware from the Scriptures that God destroyed the first world because of sin; He destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah for their sinfulness, and has promised to destroy this doomed world at a future date but is warning you to flee for your life by accepting his free gift of salvation that will secure your soul from damnation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

You know that death and judgment are certain (Hebrews 9:27) (2 Corinthians 5:10). You know that the world and its systems rooted in darkness and iniquity will be pass away (1 John 2:15-17). 

You are aware of the reality of heaven and hell. You know that your life on earth is very short (Job 14:1). You know that there is an urgent need to accept Jesus Christ now as Lord and Saviour, before it becomes too late to do so (2 Corinthians 6:2). Then, why are you still hesitating to take the right decision unlike Rahab?

May be you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour but like Lot’s wife, you have looked back into the world. Lot’s wife was already out of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah before she looked back into the world and was destroyed.   

You laid your hands on the plough but have you looked back into the world from which you were called out of? (Luke 9:62) (1 Corinthians 1:1-3). James 4:4 says that whoever is a friend of the world is an enemy of God. If you are an enemy of God, how can you make it to Heaven? Hell would be your home.

Hebrews 10: 26-31 warns that it will be much worse for anyone who tramples upon the Blood of the Covenant by which he was saved. You ought to repent and take a firm decision to follow the Lord to the end (Ruth 1:16). Without a solid commitment and loyalty to the Lord, no one will make it to Heaven!

You have a role to play in the salvation of your soul, go and play your part. Act by accepting Jesus as Lord and Personal Saviour now and pray for the empowerment to be committed to your decision to the end.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me standing in the faith to the end in Jesus name, amen.

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com

SELF CONTROL IS THE KEY

SELF CONTROL IS THE KEY
Marriage doesn't cure Lust; if it did adultery wouldn't exist.
Don't view marriage as a Sex release.
Self control is still a requirement. (1 Corinthians 6:12-13) (Galatians 5:22)
Lust doesn't care if you're Married or Single.
You may be Solomon in Wisdom or David in Praise or Abraham in Faith or Joshua in War But if you are not Joseph in Discipline you will end up like Samson in destruction.

Lesson to learn from the life of Ezra (Ezra 7:10)

Lesson to learn from the life of Ezra (Ezra 7:10)

Ezra was a scribe who returned from the captivity to mobilize people and materials for the reconstruction of the Temple.

Ezra 7:10 says,

‘’ For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments’’

We live in an age where it is viewed as a negativity to take a stand for what is right; where one is told to be tolerant of the convictions of others. We live in an age where, if one speaks out against an evil or a wrong teaching, he is accused of being judgmental and narrow minded.

God’s Word is very clear: neutrality is not an option and there is no sitting on the fence or a middle ground position. In the Bible runs the principle of two choices – right and wrong – and there is no middle ground (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19) (Revelations 3:15-16).

There are decisions where we have to take a decisive stand. Ezra took a decisive stand for God – to seek the law of the Lord, to do it and teach it in Israel.

What have we prepared our hearts to seek? Have we prepared our hearts seek the love of the world and the things in the world (1 John 2:15-16)?

Have we prepared our hearts to run after sin, and to seek first the world and its unrighteousness contrary to Matthew 6:33)?

As a Minister in the Church, have you prepared your heart to teach what the people wish to hear which could be contrary to what God wants you to teach them (Isaiah 58:1)? 

Have you prepared your heart to teach what God wants the people to hear without fear or favour, not minding who gets offended?

What have we prepared our hearts to do?

Ayodele John Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com

How to Have Holy Sex

How to Have Holy Sex

There is an aggressive rage of the demons of sexual perversions ravaging the world today particularly Christendom and polluting the minds of men including Christians who should be a light radiating into the dark world (Matthew 5:14).

The sexual demons are luring men into sexual abominations that desecrate the sacredness of God’s holy orders – marriage and sex – which He created to propagate and multiply the human race.

The sexual abomination that occurred in Genesis 6:4 was one of the major reasons God took the decision to destroy the world of Noah. God took the same stand in Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis Chapter 19 where sexual abominations were the order of the day in that society. 

In our present world, unholy and ungodly sexual activities are rampant and being shamelessly celebrated. Fathers are having sex with their daughters and mothers too are doing same with their sons. Men are marrying men and women too are marrying women.

 All kinds of horrible, disgusting, demon inspired sexual perversions are occurring and even in marriage, many couples engage in sexual perverse activities contrary to the Word of the Lord. 

Sexual intercourse was created and ordained by God in Genesis 2:24 that say a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and they shall become one flesh. The sexual union makes a man and his wife become one flesh.

Sex is a wonderful experience in marriage (Proverbs 5:18-19). Verse 18 in these scriptures says ‘let thy fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of thy youth’ and verse 19 says ‘let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe and let her breasts satisfy thee at all times and be thou ravished with her love.’ 

These scriptures indicate that in sexual terms, a man should be satisfied with his wife only (Proverbs 5:20).

Sex was created for marriage between a man and a woman in lawful wedlock. The marriage is a lawful wedlock where parental consent was obtained and where dowry/bride price was paid where the culture requests for it (Genesis 24).

Cohabiting with a woman in the name of a marriage without her parental consent and payment of dowry/bride price where applicable is an unlawful wedlock. Anything done in an unlawful wedlock is illegal and unholy.

The ‘husband’ in such unlawful wedlock is a thief in the eyes of the Lord who must do necessary restitution to convert his unlawful union to a lawful wedlock recognized by the Word of the Lord God.

Any sex conducted before a man or woman marries known as premarital sex is ungodly and unholy and is also known as fornication, a sin before the Lord God. Likewise, any sexual intercourse between a married person with another person besides his lawful spouse, constitutes an ungodly and unholy intercourse known as adultery (Exodus 20:14).

Marriage was created for one man and one woman because God created one Eve for one Adam and the Bible says that two shall become one. Therefore, marriage is monogamous for life as long as the partners live, being bound to each other for life (Romans 7:3) (1 Corinthians 7:39). 

Lawful sexual intercourse is that conducted between the man and only his lawful spouse. Having a lover (girlfriend, mistress or a concubine) besides one’s lawful wife is unlawful and any sexual intercourse with such lovers in ungodly.

Likewise, for the wife to have a lover (man friend, boyfriend or whatever appellation) besides her lawful husband, is ungodly and any sexual intercourse with such lovers is unholy as well.

Adultery is unholy sexual intercourse and the command in Exodus 20:14 that prohibit it uphold the sacredness of marriage and the divine appointment of marriage.

Where a wife separates from her husband on grounds not allowed in the Scriptures, she is to remain unmarried for the rest of her life or else be reconciled to her lawful husband (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Divorces and remarriages are generally not allowed for every cause in the Scriptures (Malachi 2:14-16) (Matthew 5:32) (1 Corinthians 7:10-11).

Where a wife separates unlawfully from her lawful husband and ‘marries’ another man or cohabits with another man, it is an adultery and any sexual intercourse in that arrangement is ungodly and unholy as well.

1 Corinthians 7:5 says that husbands and wives in lawful wedlock must respect each other regarding lawful sexual needs, to pay the matrimonial debt and render the conjugal duty to each other, mutually satisfying each other.

According to the same scripture (1 Corinthians 7:5), husbands and wives belong to each other and neither has any authority to refuse what the other needs or demands in a normal temperate relationship. All acts of perversion or unnatural affection – oral sex, anal sex, menstrual sex, masturbation, vibrator sex etc. – must be rejected.

By the same verses, a couple may by mutual consent and for an agreed time abstain from sexual intercourse for purposes of prayer and fasting and come together again in order not to fall into sexual sin.

Self-control must be exercised in sexual activities between husbands and wives (1 Corinthians 6:12). Self-control is essential to holy living (Galatians 5:22). 1 Corinthians 5:22 says ‘all things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful unto me but I will not be brought under the power of any.’’

This means that we should not allow anything (sex included), to control us or to have authority over us. The Bible also teaches about moderation in appetites and passions.

I wish to make a digression:

In an online relationship forum, someone asked a question that if on a Sunday morning, a wife is fully dressed and ready to leave for church, her husband has a sexual urge and wants sex, should the wife undress for sex and go to church late?

Most of the respondents said that they would undress and have the sex first and go to church late or not go at all, that the sexual desire must first be fully satisfied before attending to church. I disagree with their position on several grounds as follows:

§  First, it constitutes an abuse of God’s time. Ecclesiastes 3:1-10 says there is a time for everything. A focused Christian who values the essence of attending church would not allow anything to hinder him from going to church or to get there late. The sex should wait until after the church service. God says in 1 Samuel 2:30 that He would despise anyone who despises Him.

§  Secondly, it constitutes a dishonor for God and a lack of fear of Him and a fear for man above God (Matthew 10:28). Assume it was a working day that the wife is fully dressed and ready to leave for her work place that her husband develops an urge; would she undress for sex and end up getting to her place of work late or not going at all? 

If the husband is fully dressed and ready to leave for work and develops a sexual urge, would he stay behind to first have sex and get to his place of work late?  Are we fearing and honoring our earthly employer’s time above God and God’s time? 

Dishonoring God and fearing men above God was King Saul’s blunder in 1 Samuel 15:24 that caused God to reject him as King.

§  Thirdly, it indicates despising spiritual things and gratifying the flesh above the things of the Spirit which was Esau’s blunder in Genesis 25:29-34 that ruined his destiny.

§  Fourthly, such a Christian who has sex at the time he should be in Church is a carnal Christian who cannot please the Lord (Romans Ch.8). Sex is a natural and carnal desire that is not sinful in itself but when it is conducted in ways that violates other laws of God, it becomes sinful carnality.

The above violations are attributed to a lack of self-control (1 Corinthians 6:12-13). Self-control must be exercised to disallow anything fleshly from ruling over us, dominating or controlling us. Abuse of sex or any of the other passions through lack of self-control can ruin one’s destiny.

Holiness is required in the use of sex in lawful marriage (Hebrews 13:4) (1 Thessalonians 4:2-8). We are to abstain from sexual sins and to possess our bodies in sanctification and honor.

When a husband honours his own body and that of his wife as vessels of honour unto God, he will not abuse his body and hers in sexual terms and will not defile his matrimony.

The body of man is the temple of God to be kept holy. God vows to destroy anyone who abuses and defiles His temple which the body of man is (Romans 12:1-2) (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Excessive sexual lusting and vile passions that includes the sexual perverse activities and ungodly sex styles and positions are dishonorable practice. These constitute heathen practices and those that engage in them are worthy of death and hell (Romans Chapter 1).

God forces no one to believe Him or to abide by His Word because man is a free moral agent. But His Word in Revelations 21:8 says that the immoral and the abominable shall have their part in the Lake of Fire that burns with brimstone.

May we not go from church to hell in Jesus name. Amen

Ayodele John Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com.ng
Lagos, Nigeria