Tag Archives: Rome

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Case of the Missing Faith

Matthew 8:5-13

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.  And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

This man of the Roman army, a leader of the Roman army came to Him and said “My servant…” One thing we have to understand is that he cared about those under his authority, under his leadership. Jesus marveled. Why did He marvel? When the Centurion said he tells the one to go and he goes, when he tells the one to sit down, he sits down. Why are the Children of God so disobedient? When you were at school and your teacher told you to be quiet, you sat down and were quiet. At your job, the boss tells you go pick up that thing and bring it over here and put this together. You don’t look at him and say why. If you do, you won’t have a job long. If you challenge the one in authority, he can ask you why are you here? “I’m here because I need the money and have nothing else to do.” So he will ask, didn’t you sign some papers saying you will abide by the rules of this company? The point is, when God gives us authority, we have to obey His authority. We want people to do what we say, but we won’t do what they say. Can you imagine the sight of Christ saying that He’d not found so great faith in Israel, after having been teaching to His disciples on faith? The Centurion had great faith in Jesus Who commands the air, the spirits. The Centurion believed that Jesus authority was sure. He had enough faith in Jesus that He had authority. He knew that when Jesus said it, it would be done. He knew that all power was in Christ hands. He had not found one, no not even in Israel as faithful. Can He say that to you today? The Children of the Kingdom will be cast out..those who walk around thinking they are Christians when they aren’t. Because the servants boss had faith, the results went to the servant. It wasn’t about the servants boss, but about God because of the Centurions faith.

Do we have faith like that today? Or do we need something to crank us up? So if you’re going through something, could it be you’re the one going through, and its waiting on you?

Matthew 8:14-16

And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

God was showing His authority over sickness. Some people are sick because they want to be sick. If you serve a God who can heal, why are you sick? We sometimes use sickness as a crutch. Has your salvation become a crutch so that people will look at you and praise you instead of God? Sometimes things may not seem so clear as to where we are in Him. We’ll do things because we’re not sure where He is or where we are, to test our faith to see if Christ will be there to help us out. We’ll stretch the limit, come almost there to only find out that maybe He’s not really watching me right now…”God are you there?” Sometimes things might not seem so clear where we are in Him, even if we may have strayed away from salvation, a little off mark from the high calling of salvation.

What do you tell children when crossing the street? You stop, look both ways and listen. Have we done that in our lives with our sin, and asked how it will affect our walk in Christ, affect my Salvation? Do you know its a personal walk, not a public one? You don’t need anyone poisoning your walk by their views or understanding. Words are powerful, and even more so to the feeble-minded. It’s important that you get the right info the right way and in all you’re getting get an understanding. It’s important that we stop look and listen for the Breath of God. People breathing down our neck, talking to about everything under the sun except the Son. Misery loves company, and company has friends. He has been exhaling in our lives, but we continue doing what we’re doing in hope that He understands. We’ve used that term before “He understands me. We’re that tight.” He understands what we are doing, walking by sight and kind of by faith. At one time or another we’ve done that. The Bible tells us we walk by faith and not by sight. But most of us blend it: a little bit of sight a little bit of faith. We comfortably do that. When your mind is walking by sight, then your mind is influenced around you, you are walking by others. When they are jacked up, you’re jacked up. Sometimes we allow things, emotions and situations to dominate our walk. In most cases we begin to second guess ourselves and our faith begins to wean, leading to faithlessness.

 

Hebrews 11:1-6

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

Everywhere you see faith in these passages, substitute for “complete trust.”

Have you ever gone to someone who you know can’t help you? Most of the time we go to someone who can help. You have faith that they can do what you know can be done. If you can’t trust in anybody, then you’ll not go to the “body,” but go to another body to help you take care of your body! We’re sick because we want to be sick, laid up, stressed out, and prostrate before everyone because we get attention. We’re sick because we want attention. What about those who really are sick? Where is their faith? The case of the missing faith. If you have the faith of a grain of a mustard seed…

I have a concept of what faith is: trusting in something that you don’t have an idea or clue about, because you have complete trust. You exhibit and use complete trust everyday. When you get out of your bed do you step on a cloud or the floor? You trust that the floor is going to hold you. You don’t have to think about it because you trust it completely. This is how it should be with Jesus. We don’t have to think about Him because we know He is faithful. This is what faith is, not having to worry about your salvation. Not arrogantly, but not having to worry about if you are going to be healed, or going back with Him. Why do we read the Word of God? Because we completely trust in it. Do you completely trust God? Then why are you limping? By His stripes you are healed. Our complete trust is conditional. What we don’t want to accept is we’ve given Him conditions for our life, when He never gave us conditions. How many love the Lord? We love Him on conditions and completely trust Him on conditions. Have we lost our hope? Or more than that, have we quietly lost our hope in Christ Jesus? Maybe a dream we’ve had that didn’t come to pass or a relationship that did go the way you planned and you quietly blamed Jesus because it didn’t come to fruition. And now you sit in your pity, patty party, blaming yourself and Jesus too, instead of standing on your most holy faith and asking the Lord to forgive you and forgive yourself. Hope lost. You have no faith when hope is lost. Without faith you can’t please God. Hopelessness sets into you.

In conclusion, we can’t allow our self pity to rule or ruin our walk in Christ Jesus.

Romans 12:1-16

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, 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. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

 

5 Points to remember:

1 Do not lean-to your own understanding, Proverbs 3:5-6

2 Change the way you have been thinking from a selfish worldy mind to a Christ Jesus mind, Romans 12:2-4

3 Don’t allow things or your situations to dictate your walk, Ephesians 4:14-16

4 Without faith you cannot please God, Hebrews 11:6

5 You can do all things through Christ, Philippians 4:13

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Don’t Do as the Romans Do When in Rome

Deuteronomy 18:9

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

In this day and age to do as others in their environment, you tend to mock after your surroundings. If everyone around you is drinking, everyone around just to be a part try it and they get hooked. When in Rome do as the Romans. Don’t do as the Romans do. This statement is truly spoken of someone who is a part of this sinful world. Know this, that any time you take the thoughts, views, or lifestyles of another person, you will reap the consequences or in other words you will reap the same consequences or reward or judgement of that action. So if you take the sins of or the burden or the sins of someone else upon yourself, you will reap the same consequences that that other individual will reap.

Matthew 7:2

…and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Deuteronomy 18:1

The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance

This goes for the Pastors, Ministers, Elders…the Lord is saying don’t look for an inheritance. Don’t worry about owning anything having anything because I will provide for you. Now in this day and age, they are all concerned about having a steady flow of income for their so called needs. Its seems as though no one wants to trust in the Lord and wait on the Lord. If you trust in the Lord He shall renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). Don’t worry about having or possessing things, God will be your portion. That is what He’s telling the Levites, the priests, the tribe of Levi. Men and Women of God today are so concerned about getting a dollar bill. That is why they go around pimping the Lord and pimping the saints because they want to make money. There are very few pastors who wrote books, Christian writers who wrote books and gave them away free. Most put a price tag to something that is supposed to deliver them from their situation. But it comes with a price tag. That is almost prevalent of everything in this world today. You can’t get nothing for free in the US. Everything has a price tag. You know you need to drive your car back and forth, so they charge you gas. The one’s who own the gas companies stick a price to everything. And then if they feel like when they need more money or less money, they will create a shortage to raise the price of gas. Now the men and women of God writing these books are doing somewhat the same thing. I have a Word of God for you for $7.95. Now if its a Word of God for the people of God it should be free. The Bible tells us that they sold all that they had and gave so that none would have lack. But most today in the Church, pastors, leaders, bishops apostles, today, all say, I’m not going to have lack because I will make you pay for it. You ask them to speak at your ministry, and they send paperwork ahead of them stating that they will not do anything probono, and states that before they come and minister to you and your people, upon average they will ask for $3,000-$5,000. If you cannot pay, they are not coming. That is why they whether you to contact them instead of them contacting you. If you contact them, its out of your pocket, if they contact you its out of their pocket. I’m truly against pimping the Word of God that they said comes from God. The Word of god said that there is never a price for the Word of God.

Deuteronomy 18:4

The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

The first of all you make and do goes to the priest first, then after that, whatever you have after its for you to sell or whatever the case may be. But the priest should get his first because he is not working. The Lord is their inheritance. You will provide for them. If they aren’t taken care of, you aren’t talking care of Me.

Deuteronomy 18:5

For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.

He has given that because they own nothing. Now in this day and age, most elders and bishops and priest don’t have anything. Most of the people of the Church complain of where every dollar is going, granted some take advantage. Some say they will not pay their dues anymore, but those very same people will go out and buy a lottery ticket or an expensive dinner, or go out and frivolously take that money to have a good old partying time, and won’t be concerned about where it went to. But the very moment that they fall into need, they don’t have money to pay for their bills or transportation, food, their knocking on the door of the Church saying, I gave you x number of dollars, and I want food, money, and I want you to pay my bills. In other words what I’m saying is this they gave their money on the pretext that they could get it back later, as though the Church was a bank. They weren’t giving to the Church to help the ministry go forth, but they were giving so the church could hold on to it so they could get it back without reservation. The Lord is not a part of that situation of their life in that respect. He will blow on their finances. They figure if they gave the church $10,000 last year, and when they come back and need to get something that costs $5,000-$6,000 the church better give it. Now they went and gave the lottery people and gave them $50,000 over a period of time. Do they go back to the lottery people and demand their money? What mindset is taking place. And I’m taking about the so called “I’m in the church” folks. What kind of mindset is that? Can they go to the local store where they got the lottery ticket and say I’m hungry, can you give me some food and pay my bills? They look at the Church as being a genie bank. Now granted, we know that some ministries have abused their people, lied to their people, stole from their people, with the whole intention to get rich gain. Not mentioning any names, the whole point was is that they bought multi-million dollar homes, cars, boats, planes. Now, those things a frivolous. They have nothing to do with spreading the Word of God. Well I need a plane so I can get to my destination on time. Well take a plane, a public transportation plane to save the ministry money. You don’t need a hundred thousand dollar plane. Never once did you read in the Word of God did Paul have a chauffeur, that pulled his donkey, or any of the disciples being carted around. What is it this day that we have to drive around in the latest vehicle, finest of clothes, shoes, living in the finest of homes? What is it? None of the disciples or apostles or men of God back then did it. But people who are in the Church see this and they’re saying that the Church is taking their money. Those individuals should look a little closer and realize pay your tithes, give your offering. That is all God is requiring of you. He’s not requiring that you give an abundance of money, He is concerned that your brother has nothing and you have all this. He wants us to share, when our brothers don’t have give. Don’t put a clause on it. If you know, and this is for Pastors. If you have a word from God for the people of God, it should not come at a price. Its supposed to be free. Because all that you do is suppose to be for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

1 Peter 5:2-3

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.

This goes right back to what I said in Deuteronomy 18:9-11, the main verse we were alluding to.

Deuteronomy 18:9-13

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

The Lord doesn’t want you to have any part of these. But there are pastors and leaders who delve into these. You have some Pastors who are masons, and masons worship the devil. You can’t be a mason and a Child of God, you will either love the one and hate the other one, or hate the one and love the other one. You cannot be a mason, freemason, bound mason or whatever you want to call it and be a man of God or Child of God. They are totally opposite. But you say you like the benefits, you like to walk around and have some power, wear the ring…any society that has secrets is not of God, or that meets in the shadows or dead of night, that talks about forbidden things that the Word of God talks against is not of God. If you are a man of God, your portion is God, your life is God. It can’t be your life is mason and God. But you say you were a mason before coming to God. You can get out of masonry. So I’m saying to you when you cross over from the world and came into the House of God to be a Child of God. Whatever was in the world stays in the world. Whatever mindset, ritual, believing pattern with any group you had don’t bring in the House of God, it is an abomination. And the Lord doesn’t use abomination lightly. So as you cross over from the world and into the Church as a laity, the Bible says by leaving those things:

Philippians 3:13-14

 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We have to remember one thing in this walk. When God told them not to take upon themselves not to take on the abomination of the world. He’s telling the Church the same thing. Leave the world in the world, and leave the Church in the Church. Render unto Cesar Caesar’s and unto God God’s. Leave that world in the world. Now that we’re in the Church now, seek those things that are from on high. Don’t seek those things in the world and justify getting rich off of your working members. You are trying to make a star out of yourself, that is a sin and an abomination to God. Your inheritances lie with God, not with man. Don’t go around saying you have this or that, giving your own-self an inheritance in this world. If you are dedicating your life to God, then He shall make a way for you. Sometimes, you know, it seems like we want to equate ourselves, we came out of the world, and getting into the Church we still want to have the same things. Open your eyes, listen with your ears what God is saying to the Church. Be in the world but not of the world. Amen.