The blind and the lame shall not come into the house - btw - THE KING JAMES BIBLE IS STILL PERFECT TODAY!

The blind and the lame shall not come into the house

2 Sam 5:8 offers this statement as do other places - Malachi 1 being another that I know well from one of the greates messages that I have ever heard (Inspecting our Service to God - Pastor Bob Brado - 2002)

Is this a difficult statement, in some ways perhaps but without much time this morning I wanted to give a couple spiritual applications

1) Blind and lame are obvious handicaps (is that still PC to say?). Someone with one of these conditions will be noticed because it is outward and not easily hidden.
2) Those with a handicap like this are certainly well capable of doing many useful and important things of great benefit but in this case (from a spiritual perspective I am referring) someone with a handicap should not be in the house (in the service of God actively ministering).
3) God expects our best, a sacrifice that is given to Him is to be whole and unspotted.
4) Might we consider that if God wants those that are brought into our house with no obvious handicaps that this could be applied to say that we as Christians need to be sure that what is brought in the house is whole and pure in all areas that are readily apparent to us prior to allowing them to serve in certain capacities. If there is a blatent deficiency - whether it be in doctrine, in testimony, whatever - there should be disqualification until their be healing. Consider the implications of how many people that one can influence if there is an area of blatent deficiency that seems to be acceptible. Why else does God provide the qualifications of deacons and pastors in the 5t's. Example - we had an experienced agent in the call center coaching our newer team of agents just coming out of training. The experienced agent was taking the calls and the others were typing for him and listening to how he handled it. I happened to silent monitor one of the calls. On this call the agent told the customer something that was inaccurate and I know for a fact that the agent knows the right information. I never would have anticipated that this agent would say something like this. The inaccurate way creates a much shorter call with less trouble for the agent but obviously is a disservice to the customer. Because the three new agents were sitting with him, they consider him an authority and will understandably mimic his handling of the issue. Now I have 4 agents that will likely continue this which will multiply over all of the customers that they deal with. This is very dangerous. The next step was to openly talk to the agent in correction and be certain that the new agents know that the info given is wrong, that it must be corrected to the customer that heard it and that there will be accountability when the expectations of service are not met.
The first and foremost application of this is that we must consider our ways - are we unblemished, are we sanctified, is our service to God acceptible or do we have eyes blinded by the world, ears plugged from hearing God's voice, lame legs not willing to move at God's command or bad doctrine that will lead others astray? God doesnt imply here that if someone has one useful thing to offer despite other blatent handicaps that they should be used but rather if they have a single handicap they should be eliminated until there has been healing in that area.

Next Chapter - I have preached 2 Sam 6 and love the text primarily because it demonstrates an important and often overlooked truth - it shows that just any way of doing something doesn't cut it with God. David was attempting to move the ark. He has his new cart - it will be the fastest and easiest way to get that cart from point A to point B (from man's reasoning). One problem, that is not the best way in God's eyes - it is not His ordained way. God uses sanctified men to accomplish His work and He gives us His word to tell us just how we are to do it. When we try on our own power with our methods and our standards then our ways will falter and it will cost lives and souls.

Hag 1:5-7
(5) Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
(6) Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
(7) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

Our ways are not His ways nor are our thoughts His thoughts - Isa. 55

There are many factors to consider in bringing people into the house, into service and how we go about our service. Our heart - absolutely, our motives - absolutely (Sermon on the mount) - our methods - Absolutely.
God could have made creation to work in a much less complex manner. He could have allowed for everyone and everything to do as it wanted and yet all would work just fine. He did not have to have a water cycle, a food chain etc. Certain species would not have to rely on other species which rely on other species etc in order to form the stability needed - yet it does.
There is an order, a structure, a complexity, a set of rules that nature abides by - sodomites try to defy that proper order of how God designed things, yet try as they might they cannot overcome God and it causes confusion and death.
God has standards - we always try our ways of doing things (like leaves for a covering) and he rejects that. Lets do things His way - lets seek God's ways and be sure that the offerings and service we give are not blind and lame in His eyes.

Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth

Anybody wonder what I read this morning?
1 Samuel 3 of course
The word of the Lord was precious in those days - the people were in a time when Eli had lost control, Hophni and Phinehas were corrupt and vile (knew not the Lord), the people had been made to transgress (2:24) and so God was not on speaking terms with them. Judgment was imminent and God chose to relay the soon coming recompense unto the lone bright spot in the service of the priesthood - little Samuel - gird with his linen ephod and the coat his momma made him.
The "spiritual" leaders knew not the Lord
The "spiritual" leaders were as carnal, if not more carnal then the rest of the people - breaking God's laws, defiling the temple, threatening the people, corrupting the priesthood, dishonouring their father etc made no difference to them - there was no fear of God before their eyes (Rom 3:18).

Yet in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation there was one that was shining as a light in the dark world (Php 2:15) , and he was but a child.

He knew very little yet. He did not recognize that it was God that was speaking to him. He knew very little - but this he knew - that he was of a godly heritage, that God was greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him (Ps. 89:7). He knew that he was a child brought forth by God in miraculous fashion as the result of heartfelt, broken, cries to God by Hannah. He knew that he was dedicated to the service of God and that this was serious business.

So God called and he obeyed in the way that he knew how - by assuming it was Eli. Then again, then again - until Eli recognized what was happening. He had to learn how to recognize God's speaking, did we not also need this lesson?

So we say this morning, speak Lord, for thy servant heareth - there is much we dont know - like how to go out or come in (1 Kings 3:7) - like how God thinks or about his wondrous ways (Isa. 55) - and if we think that we know anything, we know nothing yet as we ought to know (1 Cor. 8:2). But this we do know, that God has put us in a position to recieve His word, His direction, His instruction - and the message that He gives - we must faithfully apply and then give to the rest of the world. This we do know that He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Php 1:6).

The wonderful thing about our message is that beyond the imminent judgment, there is a way of escape and forgiveness. Samuel had no such hope to offer to Eli, I sure am grateful for the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Let us then be children - sanctified and listening - who knows if perhaps he will use us to call down thunder from heaven to drive away the enemies or to prove a point of God (1 Sam 7+12 respectively).

Speak, Lord!