Sister Brenda Wednesday Evening 10/7/15

Sister Brenda Wednesday Evening 10/7/15

I have this children’s story to tell.  We have some children here, but I think it will be good to all of us. 

Willy was a little mouse that lived in a hole in the wall in someone’s house.  He lived in a matchbox; it was where he had his bed.  When the story starts, he had slept most of the day and now it was night.  He lay there without being able to go to sleep. 

He hadn’t eaten his supper very well.  His mom had told him that he should eat, but he hadn’t wanted it then.  Now something was wafting into the wall and it smelt like Limburger cheese.  He peaked out the hole and thought, “Someone is so nice; they are so kind!  They have left some cheese somewhere for me.” 

He stuck his head out the hole and looked for the grey cat that lived in the house.  He followed his nose and saw a huge hunk of Limburger cheese on a little piece of red wood.  He then remembered that his mom warned him about traps because Uncle Bill had suddenly disappeared because he had gotten in a trap. 

He ran back to his hole and got back into his bed.  Then he thought about it and thought, “My mom is really old fashioned.  Surely this is not a trap.  There is a great big piece of Limburger cheese.” 

He went out again.  He thought, “Maybe I could just nibble on it.” 

He nibbled and nothing happened and he got closer.  And nibbled more.  He put one foot and then the other onto the piece of wood.  Then he took a big bite and SNAP.  The cheese went flying and he was like Uncle Bill.  He was no more.  He was caught in the trap.

God help us to be careful what we nibble at.  There are a lot of things in the world that are not sinful, but each of us as we search our heart need to know what would be a weakness to us that we could nibble too much at and would become a hindrance to us.  We can get caught up in a lot of things.

Lev 22:32  Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,

We don’t want to nibble on anything that would cause us to be defiled or cause us to profane His name.  We need to hallow His name more than any book, more than any pleasure that we would enjoy. 

“I am the Lord which hallow you.”  You and I are important and precious to Him.  He really cares about us.  Think of how we love our children.  We love our companion.  They are precious to us.  We are precious to Him.  He wants us free of trouble or anything that would hinder us.

Willy thought the cheese was an act of kindness to him.  Instead of a feast, it was there to destroy him.  There is nothing kind or sweet about the devil.  The plan of the enemy is to destroy us.  He doesn’t love us or care about any of us.

I was just listening to Brother McCramy’s testimony.  He was on drugs and had a dream.  While dreaming he thought he had died and gone to hell.  He had been raised in the church and his mom was saved.  He thought, “I cannot be lost.  This cannot be true.”  In hell the devil looked at him and said, “You played the fool.”  He mocked him after tricking him.

We don’t want that to happen to us; we don’t want to be tricked with the enemies plan.

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Gen 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

We see how the devil presented himself as an angel of light to her.  “You won’t die.”  Nothing he said was true.  The devil is a liar.  All he says is lies.

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Remember that.  Whenever the enemy presents that Limburger cheese that you can see no harm in, remember he is a liar and has as an end the cause that you be lost.

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

All the things that the enemy tries to get to hinder us will all pass away.  Heaven will be awesome!  We cannot imagine all that is there.  We don’t want to even nibble at what the enemy is offering.

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

This is how to be victorious.  Keep God first in your life.  Love Him more than anything else.

Willy remembered his mother’s warning and ran back into the hole.  God is faithful to us.  He will check us and be faithful to us.  He will check us that we won’t be deceived.  Remember he said, “Mom is old-fashioned and doesn’t really like Limburger cheese.” 

We can think that, “The way we believe is old fashioned.”

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

We have so many examples in the bible that we can see what happened when people didn’t obey what God told them to do.  They are written for our admonition.  If we will take it, it will help us.

Jer 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

We can have peace in the midst of all the storms around us.

Uncle Bill was an example to Willy.  Instead of taking the example, he thought, “Uncle Bill was probably careless.  I’m not being careless; I am just nibbling.  He probably slipped; I am sure footed.  I am not going to slip.”

Psa 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Psa 19:8  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psa 19:9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

Psa 19:10  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Psa 19:11  Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

His mother had told him that he’d better eat.  If we don’t stay in the Word and eat, then we will be hungry and seeking food.  If we do then we will be satisfied.  The Word of God satisfies us like nothing else can.

1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

God won’t shout at us, but if we listen and take heed then God will help us.

We have many examples in the Word of God of people that played around like Willy did.  Saul was one. 

Naaman had a lot of nice gifts to give Elijah.  Elijah took none of them but gave all the glory to the Lord.  Elijah’s servant ran after Naaman because he was not satisfied with the way he was but wanted more.  He, in turn, got Naaman’s leprosy. 

Solomon loved many strange women and his heart was turned from the true God to worship strange gods.  Remember Lot’s wife, she looked back.  Sampson played around, nibbled at what was not God’s will and he messed it up.

God help us to not play around but to listen and learn, live close to God, and watch and pray.

Willy toyed with the cheese.  He walked around it, smelled it, he nibbled.  He even ran away one time when he remembered Uncle Bill.  He allowed the truth that he had been taught to go by the wayside.  Nothing happened for a while.

Mar 13:33  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Mar 13:34  For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Mar 13:35  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

God help us to watch. 

Luk 21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Luk 21:35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

1Ti 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Here is a huge, wonderful promise if we will take heed.  Save yourself and you can help someone else.  We cannot help anyone else if we don’t take care and watch ourselves.

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Willy gave into unbelief when he remembered, “This is a trap; Uncle Bill never came back.”  He over road it with, “Mom is old-fashioned.  Mom doesn’t like limburger cheese. Uncle Billy slipped…”, and so on.

Pro 4:13  Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Pro 4:14  Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Pro 4:15  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

I say to me, “Brenda, take heed.  Take instruction.”  We are very blessed in Paradise.  We have wonderful Sunday school teachers.  We have Brother Gary that loves us and watches for us.

Pro 4:20  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Pro 4:21  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

Pro 4:22  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Pro 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Pro 4:24  Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Pro 4:25  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Pro 4:26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Pro 4:27  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

We can all take our bibles home, read that again in the morning or every day if we want to.  It is such good admonition.  Ponder the path of thy feet:  God help us to make it.  If everyone that has been saved were here, we would have a full church.  They nibbled on something and it messed them up. 

I want to make it to heaven.