Message From The MessengerBlood Sucking Leeches
[Or Unholy Alliances]

... a Message from the Messenger
Bible 1611.Com / Sluice Box Adventures.com / Old Paths Baptist Mission © 2014

Christian … these are little foxes that can spoil your vine.

Do you want to please God and stand for Jesus Christ?

This message reveals the pit falls and provides the principles to having the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The illustration given is that of George Washington, our nation’s first president, and his disastrous “run-in” with leeches!

• Ye Are The Branches
• We Are His Branches
• A Godly King Weakened By Leeches
• The Big Bloodletting
• The Biggest Warning!
• The Big Lesson To Be Learned In II Corinthians 6!
• The Big Leeches Of Our Day!

Blood Sucking Leeches [Or Unholy Alliances]

A thought I had several years ago came to me that I was about to witness another oddity in my life.

 [For those of you who know me, this does not surprise you.]

And odd though it may be, it seems ... the oddities are always ... something BIG!

Case in point, thirty miles from the black earth farming community of Beason is Decatur, Illinois.  It is known as The Soy City ... and it is the largest agricultural processing center in the world.  The largest means the biggest!  It was through God's grace and mercy, and by His provision to me, that I had received a reward for all my labor for coming to Illinois in 1994.

I had truly sampled the inside of, and seen the inner workings, of two of the largest grain processing giants of the world, the A.E. Staley Company, and the Archer Daniels Midland Company.  It is ADM that is known as The Super Market To The World!  And after that, for two years, as The Lord God had it, I enjoyed the privilege of working for the largest [the biggest!] construction and mining equipment manufacturer in the world.  I had the responsibility to "automate" over 4 million square feet of the facilities [heating, ventilation, waste water process, and energy management] for the Decatur Caterpillar plant. It had been exciting ... and NO!  I did not deserve such a privilege.  It was The Lord my God that was good to me.

Ready to go?  The oddity arrives.  As God would have it, my "stay" at Caterpillar was lining out just as the LARGEST, or BIGGEST truck in the world was being fabbed before my very eyes!  It was a BIG ... BIG ... BIG TRUCK!   "How big was this thing?" you say. Well, let me tell you.  It was so BIG and HEAVY that it would sink through the surface of any of our conventional asphalt state highways.  It was so BIG that it weighed over 600,000 pounds empty.  When it was fully loaded, it weighed nearly 1.3 million pounds! That TRUCK surely was an ODDITY.

Years ago, now nearly twenty-five years, I was a sailor in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.  Guess what?  Another oddity! 

As God would have it, my stay on board the U.S.S Enterprise was at a time when this nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was THE LARGEST ... I mean THE BIGGEST warship in the world.  This bird farm was so massive, and so BIG, that it was a floating city for over 6,000 men, and boasted an airport 4 1/2 acres in size as a home for 100 aircraft.  Furthermore, it had great power! Its eight nuclear reactors could pump out over 200,000-horse power!

I am not done yet!  I still have more to say, and to lay bare the BIGGEST thing of all!  Are you ready?  I have witnessed the greatest work of all ... in all the earth ... and of all time. I witnessed it twenty-five years ago, and I am still witnessing it to this very day.  Here we go!  It is the "SO GREAT SALVATION" of Jesus Christ, THE SON OF GOD, of Hebrews 2. It is THE BIGGEST SALVATION by THE BIGGEST God.  He saves the BIGGEST of sinners ... EVEN ME, by THE BIGGEST GRACE that can ever be seen by man ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH through faith. AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, [by grace are ye saved;]." [Ephesians 2:4-5]  For "his great love" ... is THE BIGGEST LOVE.  I have witnessed it!  I have tasted ... THE LORD IS GRACIOUS! "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." [I Peter 2:3]  I have been greatly blessed.

I have in these forty-eight years that I have been on the earth, seen so much.  I have visited the eastern shores of the Continent of Africa. I have been to Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, too.  I have labored in the giant oil fields of the northern most reaches of the BIGGEST state of all these United States, ALASKA.  I am enjoying the greatest gift ... THE BIGGEST GIFT ... that any man could have NEXT TO TRUE BIBLE SALVATION, and that is ... a Bible-believing wife ... whose price is far above rubies! "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." [Proverbs 31:10] Amen!

Truly I have enjoyed this witness of THE BIGGEST, and THE GREATEST GOD revealed both in nature [Romans 1:20] and in THE BIBLE.  The BIBLE I am referring to is THE AUTHORIZED VERSION of THE HOLY BIBLE of 1611 [or any edition of it].  It is commonly known as the King James Bible. I have long since never doubted a word of it, nor desired to correct any word found in it, even if it singed me good in judgment, and even in my times of deep distress and discouragement when I may have in my heart foolishly charged God with wrong doing.

I can say as the prophet of God said ... "O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forebearing, and I could not stay." [Jeremiah 20:7-9]

I simply have in child-likeness believed THE BOOK ... no matter how hard things got ... for it has BURNED in my heart for these last twenty-five years.  I have by GRACE not gotten off course either ... for He has held me to Himself. God is faithful, and I [literally] have taken God at His word concerning I Peter 1:5. "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

And while I have seen the Lord hold me to Himself, I have with sadness watched as many people, churches, Bible colleges and even our nation, are slowly slipping ... degree by degree ... away from THE GOD of THE BIBLE.  Why has this happened?  Could it be, that we can, through unholy alliances, lose something that we never intended to give up?  Are these little foxes ... really these unholy alliances?  Unholy Alliances

Two Questions!

1. What are these little foxes ... that can spoil the vine?

2. And just what is this vine?

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." [Song of Solomon 2:15].

I. Ye Are The Branches

In John 15:1, Jesus Christ said this of Himself, "I am the true vine", and in verse 5, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

When you by faith believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, you received Him into your heart.  At that moment you were "quickened" ... BORN AGAIN [John 3:3] YOU became an "adopted son" of God. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." [John 1:12]

The Holy Ghost was sent into you. "And because ye are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into hearts, crying, Abba, Father." [Galatians 4:6].  You became engrafted into "The Vine" as a branch.  And being a branch, you were brought into a tender [or abiding] relationship with God.

 II. We Are His Branches ... II Corinthians 6:14-20

1. Not To Be Unequally Yoked

You are set apart from the world to be yoked with God, The Father, through The Son. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

2. No Concord or Agreement With The Devil [or his agents]

"And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" We are his purchased possessions. It is for this reason the Bible says: "for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

 III. A Godly King Weakened By Leeches...

1. Jehoshaphat Joining Affinity

"Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab." [II Chronicles 18:1]  Beware Christian of the dangers of "riches and honor" in your journey. "If riches increase, set not your heart on them." [Psalm 62:7b] Both riches and honor can be a prelude to a horrible end.  Possessing great riches, or money, is one thing, but wanting riches, or money, is quite another.

Let The Spirit of God warn you. "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." [I Timothy 6:9-10]

In our text: "Joined affinity" means that Jehoshaphat had to loose his salt to conform to Ahab, and to Ahab's ways, which is the World's system.  Should we, as Christians, line out with this world, and fit in?  God forbid!  Remember what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:1-2. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrafice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." And again: "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." [I Corinthians 6:20]

2. Jehoshaphat Going Down!

"And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria." [II Chronicles 18:2a]  Let me say this first, this was positively the wrong place for a godly king like Jehosphaphat to be.  Ahab's Samaria was a hellish center of mystery Babylon religion.

[Turn to: 1 Kings 16:30-33 to see this.]  "And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him."

To Jehoshaphat, going down to Samaria really didn't seem too far to go.  This brings to mind these words from a song. "Sin brings you farther than you ever wanted to go."  Oh, my, the dear price that some of us are paying ... to buy into the philosophy of this old world.  Going down is almost always a process ... of slowly ... degree by degree ... slipping down from where you used to be.   I have heard it said, that you could place a frog in a big kettle of water sitting over a hot fire to the frog's great delight.

He is so happy, just swimming and enjoying life, though, imperceptibly, degree by degree, the water comes to a boil.  That frog dies ... for he never knew it was for his life ... for a horrible end. Jehoshaphat was running blind, and was fooled. [See Jeremiah 17:9]

3. Jehoshaphat Persuaded!

"And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead. And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead?" [II Chron. 18, vs.2b]

Who you hang around with ... is who you will become like.  If you leave off ... or trade off, your "inner" principles given to you by God's Holy Spirit, just so you can get along with the crowd, or just so you can marry that worldly person ... you will do it to your own eternal hurt ... and to the hurt of all those around you.  Just think of all the children hurt by all these unholy alliances.

Well, look around you! If you place yourself deliberately in the place of temptation ... you are setting yourself up for a Great Fall.  Jehoshaphat "went down" to Samaria, and he looked all round and about this strange city in the company of his newly found friend. [Some friend!]  He was ready to give away the store.  Why? Why? Why?

I will tell WHY! Jehoshaphat left off from FLYING BY THE INSTRUMENTS [BY THE OLD BLACK BOOK!] and was GOING BY THE SEAT OF THE PANTS! [By his FEELINGS!]  Ahab persuaded, ever so sweetly, and ever so craftily, and implored FOR his dear brother to TEAM up in an ecumenical crusade against a common enemy! It sounded good, but wait a minute!

4. Jehoshaphat Becoming One With Ahab!

"And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war."  Sounds like an alliance to me.  Sounds a lot like a marriage to me!  In I Corinthians 6:9-20, Paul is dealing with a church [as if it was CARNAL] concerning their need to stay pure, and to: "Flee fornication."  He says: "Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ?"

Now compare this scripture with that of II Corinthians 6:14-16.  Agreements! Concords!  Yokes! ... are all analogous to LINKING!, to HITCHING UP!, to MARRYING, even to Fornicating!  "What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two saith he, shall be one flesh."

IV. The Big Bloodletting ...

Unholy Alliances are like Blood-Sucking Leeches.  The will take the life out of you.  They are after the blood!  LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD!

Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Vs 14. "For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off."

Deuteronomy 12:23 "Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh."

In a book called: GEORGE WASHINGTON, by Douglas Southall Freeman, Volume 7, page 620,621; we find this peculiar account of the death of George Washington, The United States Of America's first President.

December 14, 1799

"At that darkest of hours, long before the dawn of a mid-December day, Washington suffered a severe ague. [A flue-like condition] Sometime between 2 and 3 o' clock he woke, Martha and told her he was ill. She noticed that he breathed with difficulty and scarcely could speak. Her impulse was to go at once for a servant, but fearful lest she contract another of her dangerous colds, the General would not allow her to get up in the chilled room.

During the long night watch that followed, the intensity of Martha's anxiety must have matched the General's physical suffering. With the sunrise, which was after 7 o'clock, the housemaid Caroline came as usual to make the morning fire. Martha directed her at once to call Tobias Lear and, at Washington's request, a summons also was sent to overseer Rawlins at Union Farm to come and bleed him,"

[Note "bloodletting" was common practice right up to the 1930's by well meaning physicians]

"since it would be some time before the Doctor could arrive. Lear dressed quickly and hurried to the bedchamber. Martha was up and told him of the General's seizure. His breathing still was labored and his words almost unintelligible. Lear dispatched his own servant in all haste with a note for Doctor Craik. This done, he: returned to the bedside and saw there was no change.

Washington tried to take some of the mixture of molasses, vinegar and butter that was offered him in the hope it might relieve his throat, but he could not swallow any of it.  Each effort to do so brought on a spasm and it seemed almost as if he would suffocate. Soon after daybreak Rawlins arrived, and as the overseer tremulously began his unhappy task, Washington said, "Don't be afraid."

[He should have been afraid!]

"Then the incision was made, the General observed, "The orifice is not large enough," though the blood flowed rather freely."

[They were taking his blood! Life is in the Blood!]

"In her apprehension, Martha feared the procedure might be harmful to the General rather than helpful,"

[She was right!]

"and at her earnest request, Lear moved to stop the bleeding, but Washington gestured otherwise and as he could speak, said "More."

[Oh! like Jehoshaphat who had THE BOOK to warn him!]

"Shortly, out of respect to Martha's continuing concern, the measure was stopped after about half a pint was taken. Still there was no change. Lear then, gently as he could applied sal volatile externally to the throat. As his fingers touched the affected area, Washington remarked, " 'Tis very sore." A soft cloth soaked in the solution then was wrapped around his neck, and his feet were bathed in warm water.

It was past 8 o'clock and still there was no change. About this time Washington said he would like to get up. His clothes were brought and he was dressed, probably by his body servant, Christopher, who had come in the early morning to wait on his master, and remained to attend him throughout the day and evening.

Washington was helped to a chair by the fire, where he sat for almost two hours, without relief. Martha, meanwhile, remembering Doctor Craik's suggestion that in event of serious illness at Mount Vernon, Dr. Gustavus Richard Brown of Port Tobaco should be called, asked Lear to send for him. The groom Cyrus was dispatched at once on the urgent mission.

It was then about 9 o'clock. Shortly afterward, Doctor Craik alighted at the door and hurried to his beloved friend's bedside. As soon as he ascertained the nature of the affliction, which he diagnosed as "inflammatory quinsy," the Doctor put a blister of cantharides"

[SPANISH FLIES ... THE LEECH EFFECT AGAIN!]

 "on the throat in the hope of drawing the inflammation to the surface. A second bleeding then was done."

[OH, No! They are taking life out of him ... which is in the blood!]

 "Washington was able to inhale from a steaming kettle of vinegar and water, but could not gargle. When he leaned back to let the mixture of sage tea and vinegar run down his throat, he again almost suffocated."

In a short time, and not until his Doctor bled him again a third time, George Washington died.  They had taken over a pint and half of life-sustaining blood ... out of a sick man!

Did he die early?  I believe he died early based on the principle that the "life of the flesh is in the blood."

 Instead of helping George Washington, they were killing him.

 Even more curious is that George Washington, himself, thought this procedure was for his good.  He was fooling himself!

V. The Biggest Warning!...

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." [I Corinthians 10:11]

The practical application then for the blood-bought New Testament believer in Jesus Christ in the Church Age is to learn from the witness of The Holy Ghost's BOOK concerning a godly king ... Jehoshaphat, and his joining infinity for the wrong relationships, whether they be the wrong people, or the wrong causes, or for the wrong activities to be involved in.

At all times, we need to remember that our tender relationship with THE SON OF GOD ... is like the branches are to "the Vine", and our ability to produce good fruit depends on our maintaining our first love with God's BOOK, and the Savior, and the LORD, ... THE LORD Jesus Christ. "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

We cannot have a divided mind concerning our loyalty, and our love for God. He wants us simply lock, stock and barrel ... to produce THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! Amen!

The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit is:

1. Love

2. Joy

3. Peace

4. Longsuffering

5. Gentleness

6. Goodness

7. Faith

8. Meekness

9. Temperance

Therefore, we cannot afford these UNHOLY ALLIANCES!

We cannot tolerate those BLOOD-SUCKINGS LEECHES that weaken our relationship as the branches to THE VINE, or we will not produce the fruit of THE SPIRIT!  We will be fruitless ... in terms of all measurements, and for all eternity!

Unholy Alliances [Or Blood-Sucking Leeches] will:

1. Grieve The Holy Spirit. "And grieve not holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." [Ephesians 4:30]

2. Quench The Holy Spirit. "Quench not the Spirit" [I Thessalonians 5:19]VI. 

The Big Lesson To Be Learned in II Corinthians 6

Lesson A. Three Have No’s...
1. Vs.14 Have no unequal yoke with unbelievers.
2. Vs.15 Have no concord with The Devil, or no part with an infidel.
3. Vs.16 Have no agreement with false churches or religions.

Lesson B. Three Actions...
1. Vs.17 Come Out!
2. Vs.17 Separate!
3. Vs.17 Touch Not!

Lesson C. Two Rewards
1. Vs.17 God will receive you!
2. Vs.18 And be a Father to you.

VII. The Big Leeches Of Our Day!

Big Leech No.1 ... an Unholy Alliance ... is if we choose to marry an unbeliever. [Someone ... who is not "born again" ... nor "set apart" ... nor all out for Jesus Christ!]
 
Big Leech No.2 ... an Unholy Alliance ... is if we choose to listen to the wrong music.  Music, itself, is not neutral, it speaks a language.  Satan infiltrated most of the churches of the land with so-called Christian music. It is nothing more than pure rock, or country & western ... it is the world's stuff!

Big Leech No.3 ... an Unholy Alliance ... is if we choose to sit in front of the television ... to get our entertainment.  An inordinate amount of imbibing here involves the destruction the temple of the believer with impurities.  Even so-called clean programming is not harmless.  Precious time is lost that will never be recovered ... and life is too short.  Stay busy for God in his work.

Big Leech No.4 ... an Unholy Alliance ... is if we choose to fellowship, congregate and associate with the merely religious [or unregenerate] in any of their assemblies.  That would be disastrous for the true Bible-believer.  You would give up what is precious to the Lord.

Big Leech No.5 ... an Unholy Alliance ... is if we choose to wear the attire or clothing that blurs or destroys the distinction that God made between the male and the female.

Big Leech No.6 ... an Unholy Alliance ... is if we choose to wear the attire or clothing that is immodest.

Big Leech No.7 ... an Unholy Alliance ... is if we choose to make our goal: the material prosperity, money and popularity offered by the world.

I John 2:15-17
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."