Splitting Wood

Good morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.

When we moved out to our little home in the woods 20 years ago, we began to burn wood for heat and cooking. When we first started out, Andrew and I used an ax for splitting everything. It’s a really good workout hand splitting wood.  One day, one of our elderly neighbors was wondering if we could help them out by splitting a big load of wood for them. Andrew and I went over there for 3 days and cut and split a semi load of wood for them. When we were all done, they said that they had a present for us. In one of their garages they had an old gas splitter that they said they hadn’t used for years, that they freely gave to us. Andrew and I got it fixed up with a different motor for really cheap and for 15 years has run like a top. I can’t even begin to count how many cords that we have split with that machine. Whenever I split wood I watch as the splitter divides the log into two pieces. One part goes to the left and the other falls to the right. Instead of being one piece, the log has now become divided.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

Jesus didn’t come to bring peace but to divide, but in the church, we are all supposed to be joined together under His teachings. Sometimes just one person in the church can sow discord. They can split the unity that we share as a body and bring it into division. It happens because of their own rebellion against the truth of God’s Word. God truly hates the sin of splitting up the church, but this is what the devil has been doing for centuries, trying to lead people away from the truth in Christ, and to believe a lie instead. He led Eve astray in the garden, and he continues to lead men away from serving the will of God. 

Proverbs 6:16-19  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross as a propitiation for our sins but remember that before he did that, he threw over tables in the temple and made a scourge that he used on people with whom he was extremely upset with. Our God is a loving God who is merciful and compassionate but he is also a God to be feared and respected. God really hates when people get involved breaking up a church group. The only one they please by doing so is the devil. Remember the devil wants power and authority, but he has not been granted that authority. It’s the same if a wife usurps over her husband, or if a private usurps over his general in the military. The devil thrives and lusts for control, but he himself has not been granted it.

To sow discord means to plant infighting and distrust in the hearts of church members. Like I said, this is what the devil did to Eve when he tried to convince her to distrust God and His command in the garden of Eden. The devil doesn’t want people to trust and believe in God, and tries to lead them away from Biblical truth and from serving God.

Granted we are all sinners who can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need, but God supplies us with His grace so that we can get back on the narrow path and do His will from our hearts. On the other hand, the devil does not want anybody to follow God or do His will at all. This is because he hates God and is filled with pride. The devil wants to be in charge and in control. The devil is a usurper who shortly before the return of Jesus will attempt to usurp over everything that is called God. To usurp means to seize or to hold an office, place, functions or powers by force or without the right to do so.  For example, Jesus teaches that a woman is not to usurp over her husband’s authority. She is supposed to obey her husband in everything. A wife who rejects this command not only rejects the commands of Jesus, but is influenced and deceived by the devil just as Eve was in the garden.  Even today the devil is trying to split up relationships. The devil wants to split up the church, led by his false Apostles and false prophets. He is actively trying to get people to go against scripture and try to get people to follow his pernicious ways. Getting involved with dividing a church group is an abomination to God.

I’ve taught my family for 20 years that if we make a mistake on our walk with God, He gives us the grace that we need in order to get back up, but one thing that we can never do is deny what the scriptures clearly teach. The scriptures are there to correct us and show us that we are going the wrong way. If people don’t believe what it says they cannot correct themselves, and therefore abide in their sins.  In the church we are united through the teachings of Jesus Christ. In the church over many years there are very close relationships that develop over time. If someone decides to turn away from their faith, they may decide to sow discord with others in the church in order to get them to leave too. This is an especially grievous sin in the eyes of God because this is what the devil did to some of the angels who were serving God in heaven. What he did is sowed discord between the angels so they would leave with him.

Haven’t you ever had that happen when you were going to school? Maybe you had a group of friends that you hung around with all the time and then one of them decides that they don’t want to be your friend anymore and tries to turn all of the rest of your close friends against you. That is what satan does. Remember Judas betrayed Christ which is exactly what the devil did to God. Again, this is such an evil sin that it is called an abomination to God. An abomination is something regarded with extreme disgust or hatred.

God doesn’t want division in the church but unity and oneness of mind. A house that’s divided against itself cannot stand. God has a great anger for someone who causes a split and division within a church group. This is too scary for me to even contemplate. Because these people are deceived by the devil this is what you were supposed to do with them.

Romans 16:17-18 – Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Because they are walking contrary to biblical truth, they decide to cause a division in the church. Completely avoid them because God will deal with them in his due time.

1 Corinthians 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

The devil doesn’t want you to join together in the same mind through service and obedience to the will of God, and tries to lead people away from scriptural truth. Sowing discord in this manner is one of the most wicked sins found in Scripture that is caused by pride.

Ephesians 4:3-6 – Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

Brethren in the church are members who have been baptized and had Holy Communion together. They sincerely believe in the process of sanctification and submission to God’s purpose.

Ps 133:1  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Divide mean to break into parts or to keep apart.

Prov 6:14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

We are supposed to be united through the teachings of God’s Holy Spirit which is found written in the pages of the King James Bible.

Ephesians 4:3-6 KJV. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Philippians 2:2 – Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

1 Peter 3:8 – Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

1 Cor 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

A religious schism occurs when a single religious body divides and becomes two separate religious bodies. I guarantee you that you don’t want to be involved in dividing a church, because when someone does so, they are not serving Christ but the desires of the devil. He doesn’t want you to serve and obey God. He wants to steal the sheep and consume them in lies. The devil divided Eve from obedience to God. He continues to try to divide people in the church from obedience to God. In the end he will usurp over everything that is called God. But the elect of God are not deceived because we are joined together according to the truth of scripture. And in one mind and one spirit we can never be divided! I’m reminded of that every time that we begin…..

……Splitting Wood

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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