THE IDOLATRY OF MY FATHER’S HOUSE …
Last Sunday, one of the nursing home residents told me she sent her visitors home early so she could attend the church service. I thought this can only be the Lord drawing this dear soul to Himself. During the service I noticed a certain look upon her face. I’m not sure how to describe it, maybe a look that said I don’t fully understand, a sort of troubled look. After the service I asked if she understood what was being said. She said she didn’t understand completely, but she understood that she needed to be born again if she wanted to go to heaven when she died. The fact that she had ears to hear that much is significant. She wanted to know if she became born again could she stay in the religion that she was brought up in. (Her religion is Roman Catholicism, the idolatrous religion that I came out of.) She said her mother taught her that everyone prayed to God in their own way and we would all find out more when we died. I said my mother taught me things also, but that both of our mother’s were wrong. But I also told her that my mother was born again when she was in her late 80’s. She said does that extend to the age of 92. I was surprised to hear how old she was. She said her “religion” was deep within her and it was going to be hard to change at her age. I ministered to her and encouraged her to have an open heart and to believe God’s Word. *
The Gospel is salvation’s call. Family can be a great hindrance to that call. Please pray for this soul if you are a born again Christian. We have been praying and hoping that we see an 11th hour salvation. Praise God! *
1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
Matthew Henry Commentary:
The effects of their faith were famous.
They quit their idolatry; they turned from their idols, and abandoned all the false worship they had been educated in.
They gave themselves up to God, to the living and true God, and devoted themselves to his service.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Matthew Henry Commentary:
This call, though it was a very trying call, was the call of God, and therefore a sufficient ground for faith and rule of obedience. The manner in which he was called Stephen relates in Acts 7:2-3, The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia–And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I will show thee. This was an effectual call, by which he was converted from the idolatry of his father’s house, Genesis 12:1 ….
Hebrews 11:24-25 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Matthew Henry Commentary:
How great a temptation Moses was under. Pharaoh’s daughter is said to have been his only child, and was herself childless; and having found Moses, and saved him as she did, she resolved to take him and bring him up as her son; and so he stood fair to be in time king of Egypt, and he might thereby have been serviceable to Israel. He owed his life to this princess; and to refuse such kindness from her would look not only like ingratitude to her, but a neglect of Providence, that seemed to intend his advancement and his brethren’s advantage.
[2.] How glorious was the triumph of his faith in so great a trial. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter lest he should undervalue the truer honour of being a son of Abraham, the father of the faithful; he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter lest it should look like renouncing his religion as well as his relation to Israel; and no doubt both these he must have done if he had accepted this honour; he therefore nobly refused it.
(2.) He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, Hebrews 11:25. He was willing to take his lot with the people of God here, though it was a suffering lot, that he might have his portion with them hereafter, rather than to enjoy all the sensual sinful pleasures of Pharaoh’s court, which would be but for a season, and would then be punished with everlasting misery. Herein he acted rationally as well as religiously, and conquered the temptation to worldly pleasure as he had done before to worldly preferment. Here observe,
[1.] The pleasures of sin are and will be but short; they must end in speedy repentance or in speedy ruin.
[2.] The pleasures of this world, and especially those of a court, are too often the pleasures of sin; and they are always so when we cannot enjoy them without deserting God and his people. A true believer will despise them when they are offered upon such terms.
[3.] Suffering is to be chosen rather than sin, there being more evil in the least sin than there can be in the greatest suffering.
[4.] It greatly alleviates the evil of suffering when we suffer with the people of God, embarked in the same interest and animated by the same Spirit.
