Do You Truly Believe

Jesus said to those Jews who believed on Him in John 8:31-32, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The problem here was that these were truly counterfeit believers and did not know the truth and therefore were not set free but were slaves of sin.  They thought because they were born a Jew, that they were of Abraham’s seed by hereditary ties, which was true, but that didn’t make them God’s children.  You are not a child of God because of the family you were born into, it doesn’t work that way.  You are a child of God when you are born again and only God can make that happen and He truly wants to, but you must receive His precious free gift of grace.

Read John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Now read John 8:33-39, “They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.”

There are many in the church that think they are God’s children but all they have is a form of religion, or a works mentality, or they think because that were raised in the church they are fine, and others think because they are basically good people they are God’s children but none of these are proof of sonship.  Look at what Jesus said in in the book of John to a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a religious leader, a teacher of the law, when he came to Jesus at night.  

Jesus said this in John 3:1-13, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”

You see none of these things mentioned above makes you a child of God, just like the Jews that Jesus was talking to.  Jesus loved these Jews, but read the strong words that He spoke to them in John 8:39-45, “They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”

There are many that claim to be believers but they know not the truth.  The Word says that as Jesus spoke to the Jews that many believed on Him but the problem they had was that they didn’t really know the truth, they liked what He said but it hadn’t sunk down into their hearts where it could change their lives, it was all head knowledge.

This is a big problem today, let’s face it most everyone wants to hear the good, easy listening stuff but not the things that are convicting, that hurt and cause us to tremble at the Word of God, those things that if we respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit we will have to change our way of thinking and our way of life.  It’s ok that the Lord sacrificed for us, laying down His life for the redemption of our sins, but God forbid that we should have to sacrifice for Him, letting go of our sins and our idols and the things that keep us from a fulfilled life in Him.  Taking up your cross, denying yourselves and following Him isn’t easy and maybe many of you didn’t sign up for that but that is what the Word says that we must do.  

The Jews liked to hear the good things but they weren’t so happy when they heard the real truth, no, they were downright angry.  These were fighting words to these Jews and they were so angry at the truth they even said that Jesus had a devil and they wanted to kill Him.  Where do you find the real truth?  It comes from the Word of God.  You just read where to find it, it is in John 8:31-32, in the Word of God.  Many are turning a deaf ear to the truth, wanting to hear the inspirational speakers or the prosperity preachers or the preachers that tell them what makes them feel good; I have said this before that if anyone makes you feel good in your sins, be careful it is a trap, and you don’t want to be caught dead in it!!  My Bible says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.”   Paul said to examine yourself to see if you are in the faith, and I hope you will, and don’t compare yourself with some other believer, but study the scriptures and then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free!!

Something to think about and have a nice day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!

Thinking

I was thinking this morning about how things are pretty much meaningless.  I think about what King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes.  King Solomon had everything that he could ever want; he had wealth, he had wisdom and knowledge and he ruled over the greatest nation in the world.  He had more wisdom and knowledge than any other man that ever lived, outside of Jesus, he also had blessings of God and His approval and love on his life.  Solomon had prosperity and popularity, anything he wanted was at his fingertips and he engaged in many activities, but he didn’t use the wisdom and knowledge God had given him when it came to women.  He married foreign women and committed idolatry by worshiping their gods.  King Solomon had a lot of experience in life plus he also judged some hard cases that came up but with all that he concluded that all was vanity, a chasing after the wind, so to speak, without the direction of God leading him and guiding him.

I also thought about my past experiences in my life.  The many things that I was involved with and thought were so great at the time but now seem so irrelevant and many were just a waste of time.  I guess when you get older you can look back with more clarity on what was good and what wasn’t and I have to agree with King Solomon that most of the things I did or was involved with were meaningless.

Read what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, “I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”

I know it is very hard for young people to understand what I am saying but when they get older they will probably look back and realize that what I am saying is true, even if they don’t want to admit it.  And it is not just the young people that will have a hard time believing this but even the middle aged and many seniors will have a hard time believing this, but it is the truth.  You can have all the money in the world, all the wisdom and knowledge, all the popularity and fame, all the material things in the world and even good health but they will not give you everlasting peace and joy in your heart, only a personal relationship with the Lord will do that.

Now read what King Solomon said in chapter 2 verses 13-19, “Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.”

Now read verses 24-26 in that same chapter, “There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.”

There are many other things that Solomon wrote about and it would be good if you were to read them and I hope you will, but now I want you to read what King Solomon wrote to sum up all that he said.  This was his conclusion, read Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”  

King Solomon was saying that we should enjoy life without excluding the commands of God and we should daily be seeking to have a relationship with Him.  We are to fear God, and that isn’t just a passive fear seeing how close we can come to sin without falling into it, but a fear that keeps us fleeing from sin in any form if we are aware of it and hating our sin.  We can never use God’s grace as a license to sin like some people seem to preach, to their shame, but they will have to stand before the Lord someday and give an account and there won’t be any excuses because God may say this, “would you like to see it on the screen!!”  Shepherds should be feeding the Lord’s sheep and not devouring them.  If anyone makes you feel good in your sin, be careful, there is a trap waiting for you; don’t be caught dead in it.

The Bible says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”  Repentance is to change one’s mind about sin and go in the other direction which should bring godly sorrow and a turning away from sin and should result in a humble and contrite heart and then bring forth salvation.  Once you are born-again, you will have the power of God to help you resist sin.  Being sorry is an action word that should compel us to always resist sin, with the Lord’s help.  Judas was sorry also but it was worldly sorrow and it brought forth death because he went out and hung himself.  Now contrast that with Peter who denied the Lord and went and wept bitterly because of his godly sorrow and remorse and he was reinstated to the Lord’s service because he sought the Lord’s forgiveness and was forgiven, praise the Lord!!  So if you have sinned don’t take it lightly, sin is very serious to God, repent and confess it and turn from it.

Read 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”     

I have given you something to think about and I hope you will act positively on it.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super, super day!!  PS Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!

Fear

What ever happened to repentance and the fear of the Lord and godly sorrow?   People have lost these attributes in their lives and this is also happening in the church.   

Read what Proverbs 16:5-6 has to say about this, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.”

Now read Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

Now read Proverbs 14:6-7, “A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.”

Now read Proverbs 15:10-12, “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men? A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.”

Fear can only be accomplished through the Holy Spirit, we cannot work it up on our own but if we only sit under preachers or teachers that only stir our emotions by making us feel good then we may never truly fear the Lord and we may never deal with our sins.

Be careful of anyone that makes you feel good in your sins!!  Think about what God thinks of sin.  I can say this, that He hates sin in any form and so should we.  

Now read Romans chapter 6:1-23, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

My Pastor used to say, “shall we sin that grace shall abound, of course not stupid.”  If you think of your old sinful life as dead and buried with Christ then you are set free of the bondage of sin and its sinful practices.  Believers should never be practicing sin, but if we do sin we have an advocate who is Jesus Christ, our Savior, who prays for us and if we repent and confess our sin we will be forgiven and cleansed and washed clean through the blood of Jesus.  But, if we insist on continuing in our sins, God will correct us.  The Bible says He chastises those He loves and we don’t want that to happen.   

I have given you something to think about and I hope you will, and if you are in this situation, I hope you will repent and get right with the Lord.  God bless you and yours and have a super day!!  

The Roaring Lion

I have heard it said that you can hear a lion’s roar on a clear day for five miles. It seems to me if you were standing close to one and it was angry it would be a scary sound at high volume if it roared.  Why do you think that the enemy of our souls was spoken of in the way he was in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

What does a lion do?  It kills and steals from the family that the animal belongs to that he kills and then destroys the life of the victim and makes a mom sad.  I know he is just doing what comes naturally, and many of us think nothing of it; it sounds a lot like our enemy, he does what he does naturally also and we have to be aware of it.  Let’s read some more of what Jesus said about our enemy in John 8:44, talking to the Jewish leaders, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

What kind of lies do you hear from him?  God doesn’t love you. You are not good enough, God can’t or won’t forgive you.  You are stupid or ugly or you are a failure or you don’t fit into God’s plan.  The list could go on and on.. like God’s Word isn’t true, God doesn’t keep His promises.  You just think you are saved but you’re not and at times he uses people to try to discourage you.  And when you feel down he might say I told you so, but you wouldn’t listen they are all the enemy’s lies.  What you need to do is stand on the promises of God and not be moved.       

Our enemy is also stealing the word out of the hearts of some who hear it, read Matthew 13:19, “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.”

I am writing these things to show you how cunning the evil one is and how he will try to deceive the very elect, if that were possible.  He will devour anyone that he can, so Christians need to stand strong in the faith, putting on the whole Armor of God daily.  When a person is born-again they are taken from the hands of the enemy and he wants them back, not that he cares for them he just wants them to be miserable in the end like he will be.  That’s why it is important to be prayed up and walking in the Spirit with the whole armor of God on so that you can resist the devil and he will flee from you.  When Jesus was in the desert, when He was being tested, He came back with scripture every time and the devil had to flee from Him and the angels ministered to Him.  There are believers that are not prayed up and are still walking in the flesh and grieving the Holy Spirit and the devil loves it because he can harass them, trying to put them back in bondage again.  For the believer that is walking in the Spirit, prayed up and standing on the promises of God, the enemy has very little hope of pulling him or her in the wrong direction because of the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, praise the Lord!!  What does the Bible say about this?  It is not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit sayeth the Lord!!  This is something to think about and have a super day and may God bless you and yours!!