“And in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Prov. 24:6b)
I happened to come across a video on YouTube yesterday from a content creator my lovely wife and I were once subscribed to, one that we unsubscribed from for his content seemed to begin to draw away from the Scriptures a little too much.
In this particular video he was asking for assistance, wanting to hire someone to help his endeavors, but at the same time stated that he was upset because that particular social media site was, he believed, shadow banning his videos. He has almost three hundred thousand subscribers and the video I mentioned had sixty thousand views.
How much is enough my friends?
I pray that I am wrong, but I believe that whatever counsel he is receiving now is leading him astray, leading him into believing that more is better, and I have yet to find anyone in this life who could ever find contentment who searches for more.
“Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.” (Prov. 23:3)
Even men of God, when the ladder is climbed, when a form of success is achieved in this world, are susceptible to counsel that is not wise, at least not in the ways of the will of God.
“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.” (Psalm 115:1)
More in the pews, a need for an addition to the church, more viewers, more accolades, recognition to these means more are being reached for the Lord, yet if you will listen to many of their words, the content diminishes in the truths of the Word of God and increases in worldly wisdom, in that which has no eternal value.
Recognizing what people want and offering that to them that which they want to hear is a sure-fire way to increase in number those that will listen to you. A subtle trap indeed, and one which fulfills 2nd Timothy 4:3.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”
Directing their attention towards the ever growing evil and offering an untold number of examples seems to draw the largest crowds today, and of course ending the presentation, whether it be from the pulpit or on a social media site, with some facsimile of love that we are to hold towards the wicked, yet always with an underlying current of “see how wickedly the wicked are behaving.”
Many of these remind me of an old carnival show that offers you, for a price, the opportunity to go inside the tent to see the “freaks,” and then walk out feeling glad you are not like them. A subtle deception to say the least.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matt. 28:19)
No, not anymore, now it is imperative to draw their attention to the wickedness of the world first, and then offer to those who have a form of godliness a few bites of Scripture, not to draw them towards reaching out to the wicked with the truths of the Scriptures, but to make them feel better about themselves.
See the cross from a distance, but do not pick your own cross up, watch the world, but do not venture into the darkness with the light of Christ, feel better about yourself, but do nothing that would cause others to seek for the grace of God in their lives.
The counsel of the wise of this world my friends is not to be the counsel we are to adhere to, yet few it seems today can differentiate it from the counsel of those who have been blessed with the wisdom of the Living God.
But it has always been so. Korah, Absalom, those who stood against Jeremiah, the Pharisees, nothing changes. More is better.
“Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:22)
Do not expect large crowds to follow you as you follow Christ, but if they do, when you point to Him, you will find that many of them will leave you when you do.
