Tag Archives: salvation

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Why Do We Mimic People’s Lives We Don’t Know?

Do you remember your very first day at school? A new kid in the community, with all those other kids around you? You found yourself being drawn to the most out-going kids there; you know, the one who had the nice clothing, who at that time was the most popular kid there that all the other kid were drawn to. Even the other kids were trying to befriend this popular kid. The fact that you were new at the school and wanted to be accepted by the other kids, you found yourself beginning to take on some of the qualities of that popular kid. You even found yourself dressing like them, talking like them and even taking on some of their mannerisms. When at first you were a shy, dry and introverted, even awkward kid at the time. You stood out to look at that other person, rehearsing how you will draw other kids to want to be around you, so you can set yourself as someone who “gets friends.” You couldn’t express yourself, even if you were given a microphone and a podium. We all remember those unforgettable and awkward moments in our memories, the one’s we try to forget. Even today as an adult, you still exhibit the attributes, characteristics and mannerisms of that individual who effected your life earlier on. You may even copy their lifestyle.

If you think of the popular entertainer Michael Jackson, his dress, his dance steps. We were attracted to him and mimicked his ways. Something effected us that caused us to want to be “like Mike.” Why, because we liked the attention he got. He was everything that you couldn’t be, suave, debonair, and everything that you couldn’t be because you were introverted, not knowing how to express yourself.

Having said all that, as you look at that one individual that you grew up around during those earlier years in school, you realize that they influenced you. That even today we sometime seem to exhibit some of the characteristics of that individual who had effected our life earlier on. Now as we look back over our lives even today we still tend to copy or mimic others lifestyle or even their character. I ask you why? What are we trying to say to everyone round us? What is that inter most statement we’re trying to say about ourselves? What are you longing for and why? Most of the time when we try to mimic someone’s character or behavior, it appears we are trying so hard to make a statement of purpose of who we are or would like to be seen as. Hence that is why we need not follow after men or women who fail at even being who they are, and even so now we usually take on the bad or inconsistent behavioral characteristics of others. Growing up a young man saw his dad fuss at his mom and she did what he told her to do. So that young man as an adult thinks he can fuss at women to get them to do what he wants. He has taken on the bad characteristics of his dad. Those people are trying to be, and exist and cope, but they’re jacked up! Why do we do we mimic people like this?

I learned one lesson: just being what God made me to be, made me different than anyone else. I can’t absorb the ways of someone else and expect to get the same results they got because that was them and this is me. I started being me, and its fun being yourself. You can’t be anyone other than you. I found out who I was.

So to help you get a grip before you slip on who you should be, realize that you are built up from the things you’re surrounded by, and you exhibit the characteristics of your surroundings. Those characteristics will follow you your entire life.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1

Some of us didn’t come to the Lord because our favorite person hadn’t come yet. When we found out that they finally did, then we came the Lord. Watch what you do things for. Make sure its truly unto God and not your flesh. Don’t say you’re a Child of God and you entangle yourself with the world or people in the world, because their life and mindset are not like yours. You have a hope of glory of being with your Father at the end. Their hope is to go to the next party, to hang out with their friends, to get the next thrill. Do you want to go home to your Father? If you want to go home, then leave the other mess alone. “But this is my brother!” or “This is my sister!” You have to leave your mother, brother, sister or cousin for the Lord. You see that they’re never going to come to Christ. Are you going to leave salvation to go to them? We get a “Mother Teresa” syndrome and want to save everyone. The Lord loves everyone but He knows everyone won’t come to Him. If you are going to serve the world, but stay in the House of God, you will disrupt the House of God, so you need to get out of the house. The Lord doesn’t pressure anyone to believe in Him, its a personal choice that person has to make. To personally choose something on your own without being influenced, you’ll maintain it. Yet if someone forces you to do it, you’ll do so as long as it takes for them to get out of your sight. The Lord knows that. That is why He says you choose this day whom you will serve.

As for us the baptized of Jesus Christ, we need to take heed to this Word of God so that we won’t find ourselves caught up or entangled in a lifestyle or behavior that is contrary to the Word of God. It’s so easy these day to get hooked into people and society today with new forms of connect called social media.

  • Instagram 400 million users
  • Snapchat 100 million users
  • Facebook 1.5 Billion users
  • Twitter 320 Million users
  • Linked In 400 million users
  • Pinterest 100 million users
  • Reddit 36 million users
  • WhatsApp 1 billion users

People are now captivated by social media. Satan just has to sit back in his easy chair and wait for people to be captivated by social media. A now you can see why we need to get control on what we are and who we are supposed to be. It’s so crucial that we know who we are and not try to be what we hear or what we see and even more what we are connected to.

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.


Romans 12:1-2

If you’re too busy with social media, will you be able to hear God? If we are “linking in” then we need to lockout then reset so we can truly see and understand where we are and what we are, and who we serve.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.


Ephesians 4:1-7

Can you walk worthily of your vocation if you are on vacation via youtube? No you can’t because it consumes you, your emotions, your time and life.

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. in Jesus Holy Name Amen.


1 Peter 1:7-9

As you are going through your life, you should be under the auspices of our Lord Jesus Christ, doing what He says, so that when He returns, you won’t be found lacking. If social media is causing you to take your heart away from Him, your Bible studies, and your love for Him…I’m not saying dump social media all together. Be careful what you do on social media. How can you control yourself not to let social media control you?

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Are You a Time Redeemer?

How many of you, have ever said “I wish I had the time to do this or have done that?” Maybe you’ve said, “If I could only get back that time I wasted.” What is so ironic about that internal conversation is that taking the time to think about how you wish you would have taken time to accomplish something is in itself a waste of time, if you don’t reconcile a way of redeeming the waste. When I received Christ as my Saviour, got baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, as a young person I was still youthful, and began to do things that weren’t conducive to my spiritual walk. Then as I matured in Christ, I began to say in reflection back, “Oh if I could have those youthful days over again, I would serve the Lord in my youth and have the time to do this or that.” Some things you can’t recover. If you did things that lead to this or that decision, due to the environment and mind set you had, if you had the life to live over in the same environment, you’d make the exact same decision, because its due to certain constraints in your life, thereby repeating that episode all over again. That is why its so important that in order to bring our lives into some type of control and stop dwelling on the events and situations of our past understand this: there are things you can’t recover.

A. Virginity. Can’t be recovered.

B. A word that has been said. Whatever intent behind the word whether kind or evil cannot be taken back, and has no strings attached to them. The Word of God says that we will be given account of every idle word that comes out of our mouths.

C. An event after its over. Once its over its over. You can’t recover that.

D. Youth after you have grown older. Can anyone recover their youth? No, its gone. Oh if you’re 20. “I wish I was 15.” If you’re 30. “I wish I was in my 20s.” If you’re 40, you wish you could go back to your 30s. Oh how sweet to go back to those moments. But when you were living them, you did so frivolously. You can’t recover that.

E. Time after it has passed. Do you remember those things? We need to maintain that in our heart that if its already done, its done. It has been racked up in a list in Heaven, giving an account of everything you’ve done in your life. Summation is either everlating life or not, heaven or hell. You are going to give an account. If he knows the number of hairs on our head, then the very idle work or act you do is being registered to your name. Are you a time redeemer? Can you redeem your time?

If you remember these sayings, it might help you move past the past. But you can redeem time, but not in the state that time is viewed as, as in passing of occurrences, thoughts, movements, moments in existence. You can’t recover that form of time, but in the true sense of the word redeem. Redeem means to compensate for faults or a bad aspects of something; to save, rescue, vindicate, reclaim, regain, repossess or rescue. Simply trying to get back where you started. To reunite yourself with you. To reunite yourself with you. If we use the words I just mentioned in a sentence, it would sound something like this: Save means from me. You are your own worst enemy. That is redeeming. I need to be vindicated from my past. Sometimes your past becomes your future, it haunts you because you never forget the things in your past. Not forgiving you for what you’ve done has been a problem for the Saints and the world. I will reclaim my life. Whose life is it? Its yours. Do you want someone to keep your life from you? Regain. I must regain who I am. A lot of us are walking around today and they don’t know where they’re going or how to get to where they don’t know they’re going. Repossess. I need God or Jesus in my life so that I can repossess my soul. Some of us have given our souls to Satan, doing his work everyday. But I need to have the knowledge of the Kingdom to repossess my soul. Sometimes we do things unconsciously not realizing we’re giving ourselves to something evil, then afterward we try to build ourselves back up to regain who we are. You’re soul is who you are. Not your name. The name is the expression of someone’s outward expression of who you are. The Word of God tells us not to be afraid of someone who can destroy the body, but body and soul, then cast it into hell.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;


Ephesians 5:13-20

Add the words I just spoke into verse 16.

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

16 Save the time, because the days are evil.

16 Rescue the time, because the days are evil.

16 Vindicate the time, because the days are evil.

16  Reclaim the time, because the days are evil.

16  Regain the time, because the days are evil.

16 Repossess the time, because the days are evil.

16 Rescue the time, because the days are evil.

All these words are telling you to grab a hold of the time you have, to utilize for your walk in Salvation, and bring others along with you, so they can be inspired to follow Christ. This is the time that we’ve spent doing frivolous things, so we can regain, hold and repossess our own souls for the work of the Kingdom. God is not just saying that, He is not mocked, whatever a man sows that shall he reap. Reclaiming the time. I need to reclaim that time, reclaim my life, regain who I am, vindicate my past, and I need to save me from me. The days are evil. Its getting harder and harder to maintain who you are. If you get caught up in society, they’ll possess your soul and you’ll try your best to be running after your own soul. If you do the things of the world, then the world dictates to you how you should live. Without God in our lives we can’t repossess what was stolen from us. He will restore the years that the canker worm has stolen from you. Worms take little bites here and there that weaken the structure. Its the seeds that people place in your lives that slowly eat at you, and you don’t realize until it confronts you and you can’t combat it because you’re broken down inside, eating at your self-will for a period of time. Then you don’t have the strength to say no. You can’t always allow people to conduct your life. The Word of God gives you advice on how to live holy before God. Your soul is not like a car where when you get done, you go and give it to the junk yard and get a new one. A name doesn’t dictate who you are, but a name is what people see you as. That name isn’t who I am. Who I am is what God says I am. He is the possessor of my soul and He should be of your soul. Whatever He says to do you should do, not what you want to do because it was you who got yourself in the mess in the first place.

People try to bring up excesses for how their life is going in the wrong direction. We blame everyone except ourselves. We don’t want to face who we really are. Redeeming who and what you really are is to ask the Lord to save you from you. I need to reclaim who I am and what I am because the world has told me I was “this,” but they don’t know the real you because they aren’t directors of souls like God, they only direct the outward person. They hope that directing the outward person will cause the inward person to follow along. You look at people who are recovering from drugs or alcohol. They profess they are not alcoholics or drug addicts. The act doesn’t justify who you are. You allow the possessor to control who you are. We allow the wrong thing to take control of us, guiding us doing things that we shouldn’t do. Its appealing to your flesh, not to your soul, common sense, or who you are. People adjust their life to the things they like; To possess or gain what that thing brings to their emotional standpoint in their walk. Some in the Church will say “I like going out to hear prophetic sayings from other pastors.” Why? “Because I need someone to tell me what I should be and where I should go.” Satan will tell you anything your flesh desires, to cause your heart to waver. We need to get a grip on who we are, redeem who we are, because these days are evil. There are little things catching you up easily. The normal superficial things we see; arguments, anger, places we like to go, things we like to watch, books we like to read…these are superficial things, but it goes deeper. The superficial things are keeping what is really going on with you camouflaged. We need to redeem ourselves from ourselves, be vindicated of our past, reclaim our lives, regain who we are, and we need God in our lives so we can repossess our souls. Satan knows how to work you externally, but not via your soul. He doesn’t know how to get to your soul because its off limits to him, but he can get you by the things you are influenced by. If he jacks you up externally, your soul will suffer. The Lord said “cast your cares on Me because I care for you.” He says there is no need to worry. But when Satan gets us to worry or get angry, it disturbs our soul, and we can’t get righteousness to flow in us because we’re upset. Satan knows what button to push in our lives to get us to come out of Christ.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 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, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.


Philippians 3:12 -14

They are things that are called baggage. We don’t forget the baggage, but we carry it forward in our lives, and wonder why we keep suffering from the same things in the past. Anything that you tie to yourself that is behind you will always hold you back. Past sins, desires, lifestyles or people. You can’t keep living in the past because everything there smells. David said, I was young but now I’m old. But one thing I do remember is that never have I seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. When you were young leave what you did in the past there, and don’t bring it to your future. Many are caught living in their past. Wondering why they never got over that old relationship, constantly bringing it to the front in the new relationship. Forgetting those things behind me. This is the process of redeeming the time. You are a redeemer because you forget those things behind you, thus reclaiming you. How many want to reclaim who you are? I need to be vindicated of my past, because its holding me back like an anchor on a ship, and I can’t move forward. A person who continues to allow the anchor of their past to hold them down, will never have a bright future. If you are in a place today you’re hard pressed to get out of, just look at your past.

How long halt you between 2 opinions. Some of us get saved, and baptized in the name of Jesus, and we tell ourselves that we’re now going to walk in the light; in whatever God brings our way and use it for our walk. As soon as we start walking, Satan brings all the people up from our past. That is why the first word for the definition of redeem is “save.” We are our own worst enemy and need to saved from ourselves.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Ephesians 6:13-16

Even though the days are evil, we have the whole armor that we may be able to withstand in those evil days, having done all we can do, stand! Hold your ground, you are a Child of God, and have been made the head and not the tail. These are the evil days. Stand for what you believe. The armor needed is already with you. Guard your loins with truth, a breastplate of righteousness to guard your heart, and have peace on your feet. The little darts of Satan are those who belittle and put you down that cause you to question who you are. But if you have faith, which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, then you will stand, unmovable, always abounding in the love of God.

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To Delay God’s Plans for You Hinders Your Blessings

As we walk the walk of faith in Christ Jesus, you’re going into a countless, priceless moment of your life that is going to be most unpleasant. Do you realize the things you go through in life won’t always be fun? Because what God has purposed in your life, is for you to go through it with flying colors. You cannot allow your emotions to dictate your reactions while you’re in a test. You must remember its your attitude that counts while you’re in a test or trial. If you whine and complain, you haven’t learned one lesson: faith and patience. If you don’t have these things in your walk, how can you tell others of how you have gone through with flying colors? That you’ve made it and you could bear it yourself? Yet you whine and complain the entire time, lacking faith. You are negative and faithless. He doesn’t reward faithlessness. Without faith its impossible to please Him.

Hebrews 11:5-6

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.

To delay God’s plans for you hinders your blessings. Its not about you, you need to please God. Without faith its impossible to please God. So that when you’re going through and complaining and whining you don’t have faith that God will see you through. Keep calm, God is waiting on you. He is waiting for you to get over you to be faithful and patient. Sometimes we get restless and get to the point and say “I’m done.” “I gave you 4 years, Lord to get this concluded. I’ve waited long enough. Now I’m going to do it.” And we mess things up. In the process of going through Your test, seek Him. He will give you the answer to your problem, and to your needs. He already knows what you need, but you need to shut up. Have you ever had those people in your life who talk, and talk, and talk, but never let you speak, and then when you do speak, they don’t listen?

We need to realize that because of our impatience…God has a pattern for us to lead us to salvation. But along that pattern at certain stages, He has blessings for us. But if we can’t get from one step to the next because we’re complaining, then He won’t give it to us at that stage. It may push that blessing back way down the road, because with the attitude we have we wouldn’t appreciate it. Most people receive blessings from God and they haven’t even asked for it. So why not ask Him for anything and say Lord help me to get closer to You so that I can please you. That will double the blessings He’ll give. Think about Job. Job did the same thing. He said all his appointed time, he would do one thing: Wait, until his change came. But if you walk around with a complaining mentality, then you show the Lord that you don’t want to advance along that pattern or path. You don’t know what’s in there and you wouldn’t know how to appreciate it. So the Lord will not give it to you. “Lord I want the perfect woman.” “Lord I want that woman.” But because of this section that you’re in, in your walk, and complaining, you won’t have it. Wouldn’t it be something if the Lord showed us at the end, that at this stage in our walk when we were doing crazy mess, the blessing we could have gotten it? Don’t you remember what you were saying during that time? Don’t you remember your prayer? Because at this part of the walk we’re complaining to the Lord, criticizing the Lord. This is the problem we deal with all the time as saints. If its too long we whine and complain. We may verbally say that God is going to do, but under our breaths we make statements of doubt. This walk is by faith, not by sight. Complete trust means we won’t whine or complain, but walk in all positiveness in our walk.

You have to be real with yourself. You can’t have all that negativity and faithlessness, because God doesn’t reward that. He rewards faithfulness, not faithlessness. He said in Hebrews its impossible to please God without having faith. You know for the Lord to take Enoch away…the one thing he did was please God. We think we please God, but Enoch pleased God because he didn’t whine, he was in awe of pleasing God, faithful to what God was showing him. He didn’t do anything of a nature that would cause negativity to his being. God said he would save you. If you have faith, the you would say “God is going to save us.” You wound’t say “God said He would.” Now there is faithlessness. People who listen to you will hear the doubt in your voice, but if you look at the aspect of it, quit denying the power of God, quit showing your impatience. Show God faithfulness and patience by waiting on the Lord. We have this concept of time in this “Shake and Bake Generation.” We don’t want to take the time to mix spices with flour and mix it in the chicken, no we use Shake and Bake with no work being applied. That is what this generation is, they don’t want to take time with things. They want the quickest way to salvation they can get. Door number one, door number two…We are so “shake and bake” that we want the easy way. Getting to Heaven requires you to do something, not just saying the words “I’m saved.” The person on the street who has never heard about Jesus, if we go to them and say just believe and receive that is a lie. Every religion has something attached to it. Our belief is attached to God’s love; our relationship with Him. The statement “believe and receive,” is only made for those who have once tasted of Jesus to come back to Him. We give people the shake and bake Jesus, shake and bake salvation. The point is, you build up all these peoples false hopes and desire and you inspire them to do wrong. We have to realize God knows everyone…Jesus said He knows the sheep that God gave them, and haven’t lost anyone of them. That means you have a relationship with those individuals. How would a person who in his heart serves Satan, love Jesus? No, you need to let them know that their heart is dark so they can serve the light. If you’ve never seen Jesus, you can have faith in His word and it will come to pass. The word is so true because Jesus says if we believe Him for His words sake then it will come to pass. When people say they’ve never met Jesus or point at you and say that you’ve never met Jesus, then you can say, I believe Him for His words sake. You went to school and they gave you books. You believed those books. Why? Because you were taught that. Why can’t you believe in the Bible?

When you start walking down the road to salvation, and you start doubting and becoming impatient, then there comes a fork in the road. Then you go down the road of faithlessness and impatience. There is no joy or direction, because you made that choice because you felt that you had control over your own life, how you want it. But you didn’t make yourself, you can’t cause things to come into fruition. If you go down a road of faithlessness and impatience, the only people you’ll meet are people like you, and you will look to trust someone. You can’t confide and trust in someone down that road, so if you go down there you get what you ask for. The plans for your life God orders, but He can’t lead you down a road of faithlessness? Where are you now? What road are you down now? Salvation, or faithlessness? Well why are you faithless and whine and complain? “Well I’m not complaining, I’m just questioning it.” Well you didn’t lack faith when you went to gamble on numbers. What do you do, or say? You have to admit it. You have to admit you’re standing in faithlessness. How do you go back to the right path? By completely trusting God to bring you back to the right move in your life.

Even in our faithlessness, He’s still there waiting for us to answer. Answer the question of if we’re willing to let go of ourselves and allow Him to lead. We go do what we want to do and then we go and cry to the Lord and say that He’ll never leave us nor forsake us. We’re in a hole and the Lord asks us how we got there. “Well, I fell and went my own way.” Then we call the Lord to help us. Every decision we make in our walk, we’re the recipient of every action bad or good in that decision. We say that we’re His children but are we really? His children know His voice and are obedient to His will. So are we really His children? You need to have an understanding with yourself. Tell self to shut up. If the Lord brings instructors to you then you need to just accept it and shut up. The world gives you things with sprinkles and whipped cream on top of it. The Lord doesn’t do that. He’ll say it may not taste good, but its good for you. The Bible says that we should not judge. Whatever judgement we’ve given ourselves we’ll get it doubly. But the Lord is so faithful that all we must do when we get in a hole is call on His name and He will rescue us. So we need to listen because everything that God has planned will be achieved when we obey Him, if we don’t get in the way.

 

Jeremiah 29:10-13

For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 

He knows where the fork in the road to the right will end up, because He already has seen it. He has blessings down that road. We have to be very careful what we do. When the Lord blesses us with something, we have to take care of it. People will be envious of your blessing but you need to take care of it. Its always from your past that Satan brings stuff up to take away your blessing. Satan doesn’t play. He’s in it for the gusto. You fall right into a trap, the light gets so bright  and moves closer and you become memorize and then you get hit.

Allow the Lord to shake and bake you for His righteousness. Have patience and be faithful pursuing Him during that time of your walk. Don’t make the left turn, make the right turn towards His righteousness. If you delay God’s plan in your life, you hinder your blessings. So step out of the way.

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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

Read more..

Do You Just like to Repeat or Do you Need to be Set Free, Part 2

When the Lord comes, will you be ready? It’s all about doing what God is saying, and that is to be a witness for Him. Last Sabbath we talked about are you caught in a repeat. Do you want to keep repeating what you did last year? Didn’t you enjoy what you did last year? One of the things I was trying to do is clean up my act last year. How many know that I’m not impervious that I make mistakes? That is because I’m on my way to salvation too. If I know a little bit more than you do, I’m glad to help. We have to meet the need of the Lord. How long hault you between 2 opinions?

Do you want to repeat or do you want to be free? If you repeat a situation and not be set free from it, sometimes we call that a habit, but you’ll be bound. When you allow someone to lock you in, it’s so hard to get free and you’re bound. Most people allow Satan to lock them in, he knows the combination. You who don’t know or understand that there is a code, you’ll continue to do what Satan tells you to do. If a person allows themselves to be carried away with habitual habits it will carry them and others around them away. The word habit is doing something that becomes almost involuntary. For instance looking both ways before crossing a street. Habits can be good, but they can also be bad. If it’s a habit, then its an addiction.

Habits form who you are sometimes. You get in a habit of saying things, acting a certain way, in an habitual personality. Sometimes to such an extent that they can destroy you. Good habits can destroy you too. Have you ever seen someone who brushes their hair 5000 times or brush their teach 16 times? You can’t get anywhere because of obsession. When you allow a thing to take control of your physical state or body, then you’ve allowed that thing to become a part of you as a person whether good or bad.

Sin. Sin can be your friend. Sin can be habitual. Think about some of the habits that you have that have become a sin to you. Have they become a part of you? People have a bad habit of ___________________? You have a bad habit of _________________________? Then you have another bad habit of__________________________? If you allow sin to become habitual in your body, you’ve become addicted. What do you usually do when you become addicted? You make a space in your life for it. You will work for it, create a place in your house for it, change your friends according to it; you create a space in your life for sin. You know you can love someone until you sin? “But its love pastor.” But love can be a sin. In this respect, I love him so much that you did what, gave him everything; my money, my time; I gave him everything, and got nothing in return. If you allow it, it will control your life. Habits do nothing but control. I do know that if a man or woman allows habits to exist in their life, they will eventually turn bad. Well, let’s say you have a habit of laughing. There is  serious situation that just transpired, and you start laughing. But you laugh all the time, and its a habit for you. How will you be received? Habits, habitual; that means you repeat it over and over again.

As you know addiction means a state of being enslaved to a habit or practice. Enslaved. You can be enslaved to sin. When it says to do this, you’ll do it whether you like it or not. Why can’t you be free? Because you enjoy being bound. You constantly want to be bound even though you say “Lord I want to be free.” Someone will steal your soul and put a combination on it so even the Lord can’t get in. They got in through your heart. When they got inside, Satan wants you for himself, so he’ll put a combination on there that you can’t get in. Does something have your soul locked up that you can’t get rid of that habitual, addictive type thing in your life? Some of us try to get over and say “It’s a generational curse.” But when does it stop? Generation means your giving it age and time, and nurturing it. My uncle did it, my cousin did it, my dad did it, now I’m doing it. So we blow it off. The Lord says “Well don’t you want to be free?” Then you say “Yes, but its a generational curse.” It has more hold on you than the Lord. Then people won’t own up to the fact that they’re the problem. They can’t see themselves because they’re caught in their own sin.

Satan will come to you disguised as God, and when you think its Him, it’s actually Satan. When you pray, do you pray out loud? Do you think Jesus only has ears? No, Satan and all his imps have ears too. When you’re born, there is a demon assigned to you. There was a show on years ago where a spiritual medium had a studio audience in which he told people in the audience about things their dead relatives said to them. The Word of God says when a person dies, they have no dealings in the world of the living. So people are captivated by these spiritual mediums who can seemingly talk to the dead. Its a problem now, because now you believe in what this spiritual medium can do and say. What you didn’t know is your uncle doesn’t know that man, but the spirit that was assigned to your uncle knows; a demonic force assigned to mimic your ways and voice so that it can appears as you to get someone else in this world convinced that the spiritual world exists through a medium. People fall for that. Satan has demons assigned. Millions upon millions upon millions of demons, and they’re all assigned to people, that is the only way Satan can cause you to fail. Satan is not omnipresent, omniscient; the demons report back to Satan to let him know what’s going on. So what does Satan do, he sends his demons out to reinforce a habit. Whatever is binding you, that demon is going to enhance it. Satan uses every tool possible. He uses your habitual mindset to blind you to what the Word of God says. This is how Satan drives you to make mistakes in your life because you’re hearing Satan’s or his imps voice and not the Lord’s. So when everything works out terribly for you, do you blame Satan? No you blame God. How many know that God gives your free will and this is a policy He deals with.

Why do you think Satan went to Eve first? Adam was first. Eve was the lesser of the two. Where did Satan catch Eve? She was admiring the tree God said not to eat from. Eve told Satan the Lord said we are not going eat of the fruit of this tree. That means she understood, and was disobedient; your senses were over flooded. Satan used your habits and addictions to drive your away from God. So when she ate the fruit, did she die? No, that solidified in her mind that what God said about her dying was a lie, because she did not die instantly. Satan became powerful to her. When she ate of the fruit it changed her seed making it deceived. So the only thing left for her to do was to mess up Adam’s seed, because her eyes were opened. When she ate of the fruit she did die: 1) she lost the love connection with God 2) she lost her ability to obey God 3) she lost her ability to decipher. It became habitual when Eve and Adam ate of that fruit. When they lost connection with their God because of something that they did, that is why its hard for us to stay focused anymore in the Church, that they stop coming to church. That they say “I don’t need this, I’ve got Jesus on my side.” None of us are Gods. How powerful do you think you are? You that powerful that you can go on your own?

Can you run on last years food or gas? You need freshness. You can’t live on an old anointing. You cannot live on an old anointing. His mercies are new every morning, but if you’re jacked up on the old one, you’ll never know when His mercies come. What did the Children of Israel do when they were set free from Egypt? They went back to Egypt in their hearts. They were living on the past, and made it their future. You cannot live on old stuff. You cannot put new wine in an old bottle because old wine has an effervescence which causes pressure and will break the new bottle. You need to get rid of your habit and allow God to give you the authority and power to move from where you are now. That is why Satan wanted to get inside of Eve, to mess up the generations to come. He knew that if he got Eve he’d get Adam.

Mark 7:15-16

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

Luke 6:40-49

The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Whatever you exhibit shows what’s inside of you. You want to be set free? You have to admit that you are bound. The hardest thing for people in the Church is to admit their wrong because they can’t see. They can only see themselves. When you think yourself something the you’re nothing. Nothing makes a mess of everyone around it. Allow God to deliver you. If you can’t allow God to restore you back, then why be in his Kingdom? You are not a god. God is God, we’re just here. We have to know Him for ourselves. No one else can give an account for you. We have to give an account for ourselves. You can’t go further if you haven’t been obedient. How can you say you’re a child of the King and can’t be obedient to Him? Obedience is better than sacrifice, no matter what abilities you may have. Move when God says to move. If you can’t hear Him clearly the how will you know when to move. If you can’t hear Him then you need to spend time with Him to hear His voice.