EXTRACTS
“And Israel joined himself to Baal-Peor” (Numbers 25: 3). Satan uses things which appeal to our flesh, but his real object is to get something which is of himself into the place which God should have in the hearts of His people. His effort is to bring us under the influence of what is idolatrous. The beginnings of unfaithfulness can be detected if we observe how our soul’s relations with God are being affected. Satan will, of course, seek to blind us as to this, but the mercy of God will not leave us without warning. Let us always be prepared to deal honestly with our own souls! When we try to persuade ourselves that there is no harm in this or that, it is generally because there is some inward consciousness that the things in question are not so harmless as we would like to suppose them to be. Let us ask ourselves honestly. Are the things to which we are turning likely to
increase our delight and liberty in private prayer, our love for the Scriptures, our pleasure in the company of spiritual persons, or our habitual experience of nearness to God? If not, let us take warning in time, and “flee from idolatry” before it has fully accomplished its deadly work in our souls. Let us watch the beginnings of idolatrous influence, the first movements of departure. Let us pray with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any idolatrous way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139: 23, 24—note). How many who once walked in the Spirit have now
“joined themselves to Baal-Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead”! (Psalm 106: 28).
C. A. Coates (‘An Outline of Numbers’, pp.313, 314)
JT I think our ministry meetings correspond in a little measure. When ministry is flowing in a prophetic way, the person affected by the stream will say, “God is indeed amongst you”, 1 Corinthians 14: 25. That is important, because so many claim He is with them. Lately it has been said by some that the Lord can be with groups of people opposed to each other. It is a dishonour to the Lord to say that. He is in the midst of those gathered together unto His name, but this involves what His name implies and that those gathered are in accord with it. Those who name the name of the Lord are enjoined to withdraw from iniquity, and to pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2: 19–22). Ignoring these great truths, unrighteous persons have imitated those seeking to walk in the truth and claimed He was with them. This is manifestly wrong, and deceptive.
J. Taylor (Vol.52, p.219)
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