![\"Murderers](\"http:\/\/www.all-creatures.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/lambleft.jpg\")
<\/a>A Sermon Delivered to
\nThe Compassion Internet Church<\/p>\n
15 February 2015<\/p>\n
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor<\/p>\n
Scripture References:<\/p>\n
1 Samuel 15:22-23
\nPsalm 50:1-6
\nIsaiah 1:11-12, 21
\n2 Corinthians 4:3-6<\/p>\n
Murderers offer animal sacrifices because they think they can appease God, or a false god, with the blood of innocent animals.<\/p>\n
Furthermore they fool themselves into believing that their god wants them to do this because they will still be accepted, even though they continue in their worldly ways.<\/p>\n
The only one who wants such blood-thirsty things is the devil.<\/p>\n
No one who is truly a peacemaking child of God could ever kill another living being and believe that this is what our heavenly Father or Jesus desires.<\/p>\n
Psalm 50:1-6 shows us that these false ways may even work their way into Bible passages, or how they can be misinterpreted.<\/p>\n
1. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken,
\nAnd summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.<\/p>\n
2. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
\nGod has shone forth.<\/p>\n
Even though God may shine forth from a place to give us hope, it is no indication that the people of that place are either Godly or righteous.<\/p>\n
We could still see murderers offer animal sacrifices in such a place, just as we should be able to see all sorts of evil in the world around us.<\/p>\n
3. May our God come and not keep silence;
\nFire devours before Him,
\nAnd it is very tempestuous around Him.<\/p>\n
The fire that comes from God has several meanings:<\/p>\n
It could be the fires of moral conviction so that we would repent of our evil ways and return whole-heartedly to God and His heavenly will.<\/p>\n
It also could be the presence of the Holy Spirit coming to assist us in living in the heavenly will of God.<\/p>\n
Or, it could be a consuming fire to remove unrighteousness from His presence in that place, as we see in the next verse.<\/p>\n
4. He summons the heavens above,
\nAnd the earth, to judge His people:<\/p>\n
Then we come to the problem verse\u2026<\/p>\n
5. “Gather My godly ones to Me,
\nThose who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”<\/p>\n
Surely this psalmist knows what God said to Saul when He removed him from being king of Israel.<\/p>\n
Note what we are told in 1 Samuel 15:22-23\u2026<\/p>\n
22. And Samuel said [to Saul],
\n“Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
\nAs in obeying the voice of the LORD?
\nBehold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
\nAnd to heed than the fat of rams.<\/p>\n
23. “For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
\nAnd insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
\nBecause you have rejected the word of the LORD,
\nHe has also rejected you from being king.”
\nNASB<\/p>\n
Does this mean that the psalm\u2019s use of the word \u201csacrifice\u201d refers to something other than a blood sacrifice, or that we, today, are to understand that the only type of sacrifice that God desires is not one requiring killing or bloodshed?<\/p>\n
With this in mind, let\u2019s take a look at Isaiah 1:11-12\u2026<\/p>\n
11. “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?”
\nSays the LORD.
\n“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams,
\nAnd the fat of fed cattle.
\nAnd I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.<\/p>\n
12. “When you come to appear before Me,
\nWho requires of you this trampling of My courts?<\/p>\n
It is very clear to us that God does not want animal sacrifices, and He even goes on to tell us that those people who offer these blood sacrifices are murderers, as we are told in Isaiah 1:21\u2026<\/p>\n
21. How the faithful city has become a harlot,
\nShe who was full of justice!
\nRighteousness once lodged in her,
\nBut now murderers.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
Isaiah and the Lord call these people murderers, because they planned ahead to kill the animals, which makes their actions pre-meditated murder, which is really the same thing that people who raise animals for food do.<\/p>\n
Thus, people who eat the products of their killing become co-conspirators in the murder of the animals.<\/p>\n
In a way, the animals are being sacrificed to the devil.<\/p>\n
Murderers offer animal sacrifices, but the children of God do not.<\/p>\n
Therefore, we are to understand that the only sacrifice that God desires is for us to have the faith to truly repent and offer up to God our old worldly way of life and ask God to forgive us and help us change into the peacemaking children He desires us to be.<\/p>\n
God is always faithful to grant such a request when we truly mean it.<\/p>\n
And when this happens, we will understand the true meaning of both the previous verse and the following verse of our psalm lesson for today.<\/p>\n
6. And the heavens declare His righteousness,
\nFor God Himself is judge.
\nSelah.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
Murderers offer animal sacrifices, but righteous people offer their changed lives in Jesus Christ in service to the Lord.<\/p>\n
Murderers offer animal sacrifices, but they do their best to veil themselves and the horrible suffering of animals from the general public, not unlike the veiling of the Gospel spoken about in 2 Corinthians 4:1-6.<\/p>\n
1. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,<\/p>\n
These are some of the same things we hear from animal advocates and truly compassionate Christians who try to end the suffering of animals; for even though their heart aches from the pain, suffering, and death they see, they do not lose heart, for they know that if they don\u2019t speak out, the downtrodden of the world may not hear the truth.<\/p>\n
2. but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.<\/p>\n
Many people speak about the Gospel and encourage others to repent and be saved, and even add a false teaching: that no matter what worldly things they do, they will still be saved.<\/p>\n
When we are saved the Holy Spirit is supposed to enter into us and change us into the peacemaking children of God, who turn away from the evil ways of this world, and live in the heavenly will of God, where there is no more pain, suffering, or death; that is, if we allow the Holy Spirit to enter into us and change us.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, relatively few people do this and the majority of people, even in the churches, continue to corrupt creation, and we continue to see murderers offer animal sacrifices to the devil, even while thanking \u201cgod\u201d for the death that is on their plates.<\/p>\n
And the true gospel remains veiled.<\/p>\n
3. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,<\/p>\n
The murderers and their co-conspirators who we\u2019ve been talking about are those who are perishing, because they believe, or pretend to believe, the lie instead of the truth.<\/p>\n
Our ministry has been trying to tear down this veil and expose the truth for the past three decades.<\/p>\n
4. in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.<\/p>\n
This is why we continue to see murderers offer animal sacrifices, because they are being protected by those who try to blind the public from the truth.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, these workers of the devil include many clergy and politicians who continue to veil the truth and protect the evil people who cause so much pain, suffering, bloodshed, and death.<\/p>\n
If this were not so, they would remove the laws that protect factory farms and slaughterhouses from undercover and investigative reporters who try to expose the horrible truth and immense suffering to the public.<\/p>\n
5. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.<\/p>\n
When Jesus commanded us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48), He was also showing us the heavenly will of God for our lives which is part and parcel to preaching the gospel.<\/p>\n
This means that if there is no pain, suffering, or death in heaven, that in addition to our faith in God, we should be doing everything in our power to end as much pain, suffering, and death as we possibly can here on earth, which naturally means to return to the plant food diet God originally commanded us to eat (Genesis 1:29-30).<\/p>\n
And, if we do this, we will see no more murderers offer animal sacrifices either to the devil or for their own gluttonous appetites.<\/p>\n
6. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
All of the animal exploitation industries are a giant dark cloud that blocks out the light of God and veils the truth from the people.<\/p>\n
But we can end this.<\/p>\n
We can continue to speak the whole truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ which includes living in the heavenly will of God.<\/p>\n
And if we do this, we will see no more murderers offer animal sacrifices.<\/p>\n
We can remove the dark clouds and veil, and show the light of God to the world.<\/p>\n
We can do it.<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n
Also see our Sermons Archive: http:\/\/all-creatures.org\/sermons.html <\/a><\/p>\n
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