'Every Wind of Doctrine'

"El Elyon" The God Most High

*Psalms 46:4, "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High."

If you have visited the plains of central United States you know that it is vast. At first view, you begin to understand what the early settlers saw in this part of America. There is land as far as the eye can see, lush and green. The sky seems endless with clouds that appear to be a mile high. There is an old adage that comes to mind when witnessing this site, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

When traveling through this corner of the world one cannot help but notice that there are areas where the wind never stops blowing and the trees bend and grow according to the way the wind blows. The trees roots are planted firmly in the ground but their trunks are turned and bent according to the breeze with their tops slightly bowed in a funny "cockeyed" sort of reverence. As if bowed but still wanting nourishment from the sun's light.

People can be like this at times. Even a slight breeze can cause those with the firmest convictions to bend. Often these winds are rumors of some new thing. New things that can elevate your physical or spiritual life. New things that can trigger greater satisfaction, and we all get tired of the same old things. The same old things are never satisfying enough to keep us motivated.

It's often difficult to keep your balance in a strong wind if you are not firmly planted where you are standing. The wind can often pick you up and move you along with it's flow. If the wind is at your back you know that it is moving where you are going, but, when facing such strong winds it is hard to stand upright unless you have something with which to tether yourself. Something to anchor yourself to when others are saying, "Let's go in the same direction everyone else is going."

*I Kings 11:1-8, "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods."

*I Kings 14:21-25, "And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem."

*I Kings 15:1-3, "Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father."

*I Kings 15:9-14, "And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days."

In the second year of the reign of Israel's king Ahab, Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, became the fourth king to reign in Judah and he strengthened himself against Israel. He placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah. He set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim.

In the third year of Jehoshaphat's reign, he sent out his princes to teach in the cities of Judah, and with them he sent Levites and priests. They taught in Judah, carrying the book of the law of the LORD, going throughout all the cities of Judah teaching the people. Then the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah so they made peace with Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshaphat went out among the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim and brought them back to the LORD God of their fathers. He set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city. He instructed the judges, "Take heed what you do: for you do not judge for man, but for the LORD, Who is with you in the judgment. Therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."

In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed Levites, priests, and the chief of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of the LORD and for controversies when they returned to Jerusalem. He further instructed them saying, "Thus shall you do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart."

The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David and did not worship Baalim. He sought the Lord God of his father and walked in the commandments of God, not according to the ways of Israel. His heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD and he took away the high places and groves out of Judah. Therefore, the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him presents so that he became wealthy and received great honor.

Winds of doctrine can and will destroy a ruler, a nation, a people. There are many doctrines in the world from which to choose, many which offer health, peace, and prosperity within the world we live but few offer hope in the world to come. Health, peace, and prosperity are something we all desire but something that can be destroyed, disrupted, or lost in a moment of time. When a people moves away from all that is good into an area that provokes evil the course of a whole nation can change.

Within the world we are offered many choices and unless we are rooted and grounded in sound doctrine the course of our life can veer off course throwing us into a whirlwind of opportunities. Jesus said wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction but straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life.

We have been given sure and precious promises through the word of truth. The scriptures tell us that whatsoever is declared in heaven is declared in the earth and we know what is declared in heaven because God has given us His Word. We have a sure Word of promise the Word of God, the Bible. It is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet.

Solomon chose to seek wisdom from God; however, the words which he spoke and wrote became a distant din to what his wives offered him in his old age. He forgot that there was nothing new under the sun and that all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

The wives which he chose caused not only Solomon to stumble but his sons as well. He forgot the commandment of God: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments," (Exodus 20:3-6).

The only thing God requires from us is our obedience. Obedience to His word, His commandments. We can do and do all that we want but the only thing that will ever remain throughout eternity is what we do in obedience to Him. He has called us and given us His word to go forth into the world preaching the gospel and truth. It is the only thing that will stand the course of time, the only thing that will remain. Heaven and earth shall pass away but His word will never pass away. It is the only true doctrine, the doctrine that leads to eternal life.

Other doctrines may offer health, peace, and prosperity for a moment, but only the doctrine of Jesus Christ can offer everlasting hope. Ask and it shall be given. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Eternal peace, eternal life, eternal prosperity. Jesus is at the door, open and He shall come into all who call upon His name.

*II Chronicles 7:14 tells us, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." When we seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness the course of our life leads to eternal life, eternal salvation.

P Jehoshaphat was a man who sought to move the kingdom back to God, but when he had riches and honor he chose to make affinity with Ahab. This would lead Judah back into the darkness of idolatry for the next fifteen years.

August 13, 2005