Part Two of the Prodigal Son

Brethren, in this Parable of the Prodigal Son we read about a young son (i.e. Believer) who chooses to run away from the responsibilities that his father (i.e. the Lord) had for him to do. And not only that…when this self-centered, rebellious younger son decided to ‘desert’ his father…he left, selfishly taking a share of the family’s wealth with him. Now, once this rebellious son squandered all his money on licentious living…he realized that he needed to figure out a way to make (more) money (for food)…because he was starving to death! But even after he found a ‘job’ (feeding pigs)…he found out that because there was a great famine in the land…food was not that easy to come by. So out of desperation…he decided to ‘crawl back’ to his father’s house…and beg his father for forgiveness…knowing that even his father’s hired hands ate well!

Most times suffering is a great way to get ‘right’ with the Lord. That is IF the suffering is the result of unrepentant sin. In the story of the Prodigal Son the father didn’t ‘chase after’ his rebellious son as he was running away! I believe the father knew that his rebellious son needed to go thru some ‘tough times’ in order to appreciate what he had left behind.  King David thanked the Lord for disciplining him because he believed it kept him from going carnal.

Church, please listen up! A faithful, church-going born-again child of God can be seen (by the Lord) to be a 'wandering from the faith' child...like the Prodigal Son. That’s because a Believer can be doing all kinds of ‘church stuff’…and be listening to all kinds of professing ‘Bible teachers’…and be filling their heads with Christian music…and still be seen by the Lord to be a ‘wandering’ child…’dead’ to the faith!  I shared this next thought in my podcast. But it’s important so I’m going to repeat it. 

Scriptures imply that the Church of Sardis had a large marquee outside their place that read: HOME OF SARDIS BIBLE CHURCH. And yet, the Lord said that the Believers inside that big, beautiful church were biblically ‘dead’! Not spiritually ‘dead.’ (They were doing lots of spiritual stuff!) Yeshua considered them to be biblically ‘dead.’ How could that be? There were Believers inside the place where they met! And the place they met was called a Bible Church!  And the Believers inside the Bible Church of Sardis were faithful church-goers! So, what was the Lord’s issue with these Believers? They had ‘left’ (i.e. deserted) their first love…which should have been following the biblical Ways of their Father! The ‘faithful’ church-going Believers in the Bible Church of Sardis had ‘wandered away' from doing the things which pleased their Heavenly Father. They were instead doing those ‘church things’ which pleased the Brethren. Or pleased self. Now, IF you don’t believe that can happen to born-again Believers (who are faithfully attending a born-again church) you’re deceived! Listen to these sad words of Christ about the Bible Church of Laodicea. Revelation 3:15-16, 20 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you Believers were cold or hot. ​So because you Believers are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any Believer hears My voice and opens the door, I will come to them and I will dine with them, and they with Me. These sad words of Yeshua Christ go right along with what He said in John 14:23-24 Yeshua replied, “Those Believers who love Me will do what I say. (AND IF they do what I say)…My Father will love them, and (AND IF they do what I say) THEN WE will come and make our home with each of them.  Any Believer who doesn’t love ME (even though they say they love ME) will show ME that they don’t really love ME by NOT obeying My Word.   (Par added but clearly implied) 

Brother Bob