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We Must Obey God Rather Than Human Beings

27 Jun

Acts 5:27-29 – 27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!

Everyday new laws are popping up that are contrary to God and His Word.  Now it is more important than ever to remember that “We must obey God rather than human beings!”

Many of our Christian brothers and sisters have perished for what would seem like some of the simplest things they could have gone along with.  However, most of those simple things are an abomination to God.

Stay strong!  This world is on a slippery pace to the One World Order and start of the Tribulation.  Unfortunately those who don’t know God’s Word are doomed to go against It and Him.

 

An Analogy Of Lost Friends

20 Jun

As believers we look forward to an eternity with our loving Lord.  How did we learn of such things?

We learned of them because of others obedience to the commission that Christ gave to the church, which is to go out and spread the Good News.

Mark 16:15-16 –15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

What happens when someone dies without forgiveness in their sins?

They are separated from our Lord and go to hell for eternity.  Now if someone hears the message that you have been trying to share, then you have done your best.  If you believe faith is a personal thing just for oneself, then the commission of going out and sharing the Good News is not being fulfilled.

Matthew 5:13-16 –  13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We are to exalt the King.  Shout it from the mountain tops.  Jesus Christ is Lord and He died for us so that we do not have to pay the penalty of an eternal destiny in a place for those who have rejected the free gift of grace.

If you had friends in a burning building, would you try to warn them to get out? 

You see it’s not just that Heaven is a place for those who love God and made Him Lord, but Hell is exactly that, hell.  It’s not a lonely bar.  It’s not a place where you get your feelings hurt.  It’s a place of torment that was created by God for Satan and those who have rebelled against Him.

What are people guilty of that will have them end up in Hell?  Buying what the devil was selling.  You can eat of that tree and you will be like god.  You will be the god of your own life and you can live it any way you want with no one to answer to.  Pride.  It’s a lower level for some than others, but nevertheless pride.

God wants us to freely choose Him.  He wants lovingly obedient, humble, and grateful children.

If you do your best to reach those doomed for destruction, then you’ve tried.  God can’t make others love Him.  But if you didn’t, then how do we know if they would have accepted Him or not?

We know the Lord, because of those who loved the Lord enough to obey Him.  Reaching others for God is a job that is expected from all those who love Him.  Praying, witnessing, loving, caring, and sharing God’s love and Word.

 
 

Better To Have Wisdom

10 Jun

Proverbs 16:16 –16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
    to get insight rather than silver!

Wisdom is from the Lord!  How we are supposed to live is easier when we have wisdom. 

Gold, silver, wealth, will always preoccupy the mind.

Did our Lord come down the first time and chase after wealth?  Gold?  Silver? 

No our Lord came down and gave.  He gave it all.  He gave us a way and an example of how we are supposed to live our lives.  The early church was more into giving to others than taking for themselves.

Wisdom!  No one has more wisdom for you than the Holy Spirit.  He is the messenger.  Read the Word and hear his voice.  If the voice does not match the Word, it isn’t the voice of wisdom or the Holy Spirit. 

We need to turn our minds to heavenly things, not earthly things.  Or Lord is coming in the air.  The world’s lord is coming from this earth.  It’s important where we are looking.

 

Turn My Heart

03 Jun

Satan has only a few packages he’s been selling for six thousand years.  Almost all of them have to do with wealth, power, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc.  Even the ones not listed still fit in the category of ME.  SELF.  The devil is in the selfish business.  You can pretty much use the test of anything and if it comes up about me and not for the Kingdom and the Lord it’s self.

I saw these verses reading through the One Year Bible the other day.

Psalm 119:36-37 – 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

Picture this:  Bam!  Your heart stops ticking.  What do you have?  Memories for the eternal old folks home?

No.  You have your testimony of how you lived.  How did you do?  Was it all for you?  Was it for others but not based on the Lord?  What do you have to present to the Lord?

People want to live by a scale of good and bad.  Without an ultimate authority one wouldn’t even know what that is.  But we do have an Ultimate Authority.  His Son died on the cross and the acceptance of that death in the place of your own and making Him Lord is the only thing that counts for salvation.

Then there is the authority of accountability.  Whoops.  We’re back to who did you serve?

The good news is there is some time left to finish the race strong.  Don’t stand around on the track though, all the signs are pointing to a very soon return.

 

A Slave To Win As Many As Possible

28 May

I am grateful that Paul did not have the attitude of many Christians today.

1 Corinthians 9:19- 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Today many believe faith is a personal choice to be kept to oneself.  Others believe it’s the job of the clergy to spread the news.

Is that what the Bible and Word of God teaches?

Matthew 5:13-15 –  13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

No, we are to shout it from the mountain tops.

Are we ashamed?  If we are not then we need to allow the Spirit to be bold in us.

Persecution is coming quickly in this country.  It’s already started.  Stand up for your Lord, so the day you stand in front of Him, He will acknowledge you and say well done.

On the other hand, you do not want to stand in front of Him with nothing to present Him.

 

The Lord Looks At The Heart

21 May

We are going to be accountable in the end to the Lord and it is going to be based on our heart.

No, not the actual organ.  This is our heart for the Lord.  It includes our passion, our obedience, our love, our devotion, etc.

Samuel was to go and anoint one of Jesse’s sons to eventually take over for Saul after he had fell out of favor.  Saul was a head taller than most and was an outwardly impressive figure.  Therefore when Samuel got to Jesse’s place he thought he knew who the Lord was referring to when he saw him.

I Samuel 16:6-7 – 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

People’s heart fell astray much in the Old Testament and it troubled the Lord.

When David came along, who was he referred as?  Well after Saul had done his foolish disobedient thing, this is what Samuel said to him.

I Samuel 13:13-14 – 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

David was a man after God’s own heart.  Was David perfect?  Not by any means and I think it is a gift to us to be able to read that we don’t have to give up when we are not perfect.  However, we need to give our heart to our wonderful Lord.

Talk to Him throughout the day.  Give Him praise.  Ask Him what He wants from you.  Make Him first in your thoughts when you’re making a decision.  Read His Word daily and learn.  Care about what He cares about, not what man cares about.

These are some of the things that puts your heart towards our wonderful Lord.  Seek Him constantly and He will show you many others.

 

How About The Samaritans Who Came Out After Hearing About Jesus?

14 May

In John Chapter 4 the woman at the well went and told the people of that town to come see the man who told her everything she did.

The response is mentioned in verses 39-42.

John 4:39-42 – 39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” 

They were curious and were intrigued.  However, when did they really strengthen their belief?  When they took the time to go and check Him out.

Believers today so often just believe what someone says.  They don’t take time to check it out.

How do you check it out?

God’s Word is the only way you can check something out to see if it comes from God.

If not, anything goes.  Just look around.  It does.  We have a whole world full of self proclaimed Christians who don’t know the Word and they are just ripe for the evil one to pick.

Is that biblical?

1 Timothy 4:1 – 1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

It sure is.

In verse thirteen Paul says:

1 Timothy 4:13-16 – 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Some get into trouble when they try to prophecy and it is contradictory to the Word.  That’s another trap that is warned about in verse 1.

Study the Word so you won’t be deceived in these latter days.

 

Where Is The Promise Of His Coming?

06 May

2 Peter 3:3-4 – 3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Why would someone scoff at the idea of the Lord coming back?  The Word has said He is going to.

Acts 1:11 – 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

How was that?  He ascended from the Mount of Olives.  So could we say He descends back on the Mount of Olives?

Zechariah 14:2-4 – 2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

So why the scoffing?  One reason is because replacement theology exists in the church today and second those who don’t take the scriptures literally aren’t going by what it says.

A third reason for the scoffing is in verse 3 up above.  They are following their own evil desires.  Essentially there are a whole lot a so called Christians that don’t want Jesus to interfere with their earthly dwelling plans.  As the Bride of Christ we should relish the return of our Groom.

The Groom is coming for His bride soon.  We need to be ready.

 

Whose Land?

28 Apr

Joel 3:1-2 –  1 “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

Whose land did they divide up?  That’s right, God’s land.  He’s the One who says gets the land and He is the One Who is going to punish those trying to divide it up and give it away.

God made the promise to Abraham.  Unlike man He doesn’t break them or make His Word cheap.  That’s a comfort to me and it should be for us all to know we can trust our Lord.

The last days are coming and God is going to repay those for dividing up His land.  You hear that world rulers?  Land for peace is a bad idea, especially since every deal has been met with broken promises and they still demand that Israel give more.  Not to say that dividing it for good promises matters any less.

It’s just more of man’s rebellious spirit not wanting to do it God’s way.

Right before our Lord comes back to claim His throne on this earth for a thousand year reign, He has some cleaning up to do.  Part of that is repaying those who divided up HIS land.

So every time you see a land for false peace deal happening, just remember Whose land they are dividing.

 

Reminder Of The Man Of Lawlessness

21 Apr

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – 1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

I was responding back to someone who was nice enough to send a comment and wrote this back to him and thought it would be a good post.

The One who holds back the lawless one can only be the Holy Spirit.  When He’s out of the way the church is gone and out of the way also.

We need to love His appearing.  There are many that will be saved after the rapture and before the second coming.  They are the tribulation saints we read about.

Why the need for 144,000 sealed Jews, 12,000 from each tribe and two witnesses?  Because the church is gone.  Otherwise, isn’t that the churches job?

People don’t want to focus on this earth or delay in accepting the Lord.  If they don’t love the truth, then as the scripture says in verse 11, God sends then a powerful delusion.  Deep down they already want to believe the illusion and that’s why they have never sought Him.

The signs of the second coming are getting stronger each day.  The rapture is going to be at least 7 years prior to that.  Don’t hesitate to study all you can.  One, it will build your faith, two, we need to share with those who are willing to listen.  At least if they don’t accept now, they will have knowledge and could possibly be those who give up their lives and accept Jesus as a tribulation saint.  Otherwise it’s verse 11.