Lost Joy?

The joy of the Lord is our strength. Nehemiah 8:10

If our strength comes from the "joy of the Lord," then where does the joy of the lord come from? We know it comes from the Lord but if we are not experiencing it, then why? We are Christians, right? If we have lost it, how can we find it? Many Christians are joyless today. Their constant prayer is that the lord would "return the joy of their salvation to them." While this is wise, we should always ask and pray, but is there something we are missing?

Many Christians are defeated with no joy…many times joy is not present because of sin, but what if the person isn't living a sinful life. They are tempting to be set apart and living a godly life. I believe many times joy is not present for mere disobedience. Overwhelming joy comes from seeing people saved, it isn't conjured up. American Christians are constantly being poured into with conferences and speakers but they are not being poured out. The "filling" they have had, has become stagnate, old, stale and leads to a joyless christian life. I believe they are missing the joy that is promised to them because they are not “going,” as Jesus commanded. Their Christians zeal, passion and enthusiasm is gone as a result of it.

Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy.

6 He who continually goes forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,

Bringing his sheaves with him..

Psalm 126:6 

Read Luke 15
It talks about different types of lost souls.

1. The lost sheep
2. The lost coin
3. The lost son

The lost sheep shows the habit of the sinner and is an example of the sinner who is prone to wander. The lost coin shows the helplessness of the sinner, perhaps he is lost because of someone else’s neglect. The lost son shows the willfulness of the sinner, it is a picture of the backslider - the prodigal son left his father’s house with his eyes open and willingly.

We must be about our Fathers business, what is His business? It is the Great Commission and reaching the lost. Before Jesus ascended, he gave us the commission to go into all the world. He commanded us to preach to every living creature, make disciples and Baptize them. He also commanded us to teach them all that He has commanded. 

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20

Well this is a difficult thing for a culture that doesn't want to be bothered. They want to go to church on Sundays and maybe Wednesdays if they are "radical,"(sarcasm intended).

And He said to them, 

“Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Luke 2:49 

Jesus came for the lost, his mission was to set the captive free, that was and still is the Fathers business. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed

Luke 4:18

Whatever makes heaven happy naturally makes us happy if we are born again because our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20)!!

Again, joy comes from reaching the lost, take a look at the scriptures below...when the lost were found, joy was the result!!

Parable of the Lost Sheep
Luke 15:4-7 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Parable of the Lost Coin
Luke 15:8-10 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Parable of the Lost Son
Luke 15:22-24 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Today, if you are a joyless christian, let me encourage you to start reaching the lost. Be bold, courageous and fearless. Do what Jesus commanded. You don't need to know the bible you just need to know Jesus. We present Jesus not scripture. Stay focused on the harvest. keep your motives pure and be poured out for Jesus. Rip souls out of the hand of Satan and just watch how much joy comes flooding into your heart.

Spiritual Gluttons

When we are poured into constantly, sermon after sermon, and we don't pour ourselves out by serving, we become stagnant!! No new filling can come. We must be poured out! It is beyond me why people don't want to serve. It's like pulling teeth! We naturally want to serve when we get healed and saved!!! 

“So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”

Luke 4:39 NKJV

Feeling Justified in Our Sin...

I am up early thinking about the grace of God. I am so thankful for it! I was lost and now I am found, blind but now I see! However, lately my attention has been focused on how we treat the grace of God like a COMMON thing. Our sin seems to be no big deal, we do not treat it like the cancer that it is. 

While it is true that I have sin just like the next person, my sin grieves me. It is detestable. I do  not give my flesh a pass just because I am human. It isn't that I am better than anyone else. I just find it offensive that we wouldn't press forward towards the mark, knowing that our sin caused such a gruesome death upon the cross to a man that was innocent. I guess to Americans it is not a big deal...I mean it is just the story of Jesus right? Wrong! It is so much more than that. 

I really believe it is a lack of understanding when we throw off restraint and give ourselves a pass or licence to sin. We need to stay sensitive to what the spirit is saying, keeping our hearts tender and not hardened by the world around us or by the things that happen to us. Easier said than done-right?  

Lately, I have been tested on this very thing. Wanting to pay evil for evil and wanting to live in the flesh instead of the spirit.. In fact I have failed on several occasions this past year. I have had things in my heart that I have shared with a select few and it grieves my sole. I have been reminded that murder begins in the heart with hatred (Matt 5:21) and I am ashamed to even repeat some of the thoughts that I have had. The spirit of hatred has been dangling in my face like candy. However, even though I feel that I have a right to these feelings- I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Let those of us who are mature think this way. It is so easy to let the pains we experience turn to these unhealthy feelings that rob us from what God intended for us. It is in our best interest that we release those feelings, we have heard it so many times we are numb to it. Hatred, anger and other unhealthy emotions literally lead to death, even physical death (cancer, heart attaches etc. ).

We need to be imitators of Christ and walk according to the spirit . If we don't ....we walk as enemies of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:12-21). Let this not be. Let us not recrucify Christ (Hebrews 6:6) by sinning deliberately and treating His Grace like a common thing (Hebrews 10:26-29).

Taking a Stand

Acts 13

I have had the unfortunate experience, like many of you, of people coming against me because one reason or another. During my study this morning, I was encouraged by the lives of Paul and Barnabas. I am so grateful that the Lord has revealed this to me. I have been wrestling for a few weeks and this is not be the first time I have encountered this.

In Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas have been sent out by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel. They immediately go to the synagogues to proclaim the word of God (v.5). They were not “pastors” per se. they were just obedient to proclaim the word. They continued through the whole island when they came across a man that desired to hear the word. He was a man of high stature (he was a part of the government) and he was very intelligent (v.7). However, he had evil intentions. Many people that desire to hear the word of God are not desiring to walk with God. The man wanted to turn the other governors (proconsul) away from the faith. That was his sole reason for listening.

In our society, people do not offer the reasons or intentions for serving the Lord. They will always say it is because they love the Lord. There are many false prophets and teachers. Now when I say false prophets or teachers- automatically we stop and think how harsh. It isn’t politically correct. As Americans we have become to politically correct. A false prophet or teacher is anyone who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration or teaches something that contradicts the word of God. They come as sheep. They are gentle, meek, and very nice people. They seem to love the Lord with everything in them. As Americans we have a very difficult time with this. It is not politically correct to call them false prophets. We are labeled if we do, as not walking in “love” or mean. This makes it very difficult for some of us to say anything.

However, Paul called the man out.

            Acts 13:9-10 (ESV)

But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

I want to point out that Paul said the false prophet/ teacher were “making crooked the straight paths.” Can you imagine this happening in today’s churches? Oh my, we would have a mass exodus. We would be called unloving, mean, and maybe even accused of having a Jezebel spirit or worse!

It doesn’t stop there. Paul and Barnabas continued and the very next synagogue there was another incident.

            Acts 13:15 (ESV)

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

Paul stood up and addressed the men that “feared God” (v. 16). Paul proceeded to proclaim the gospel in versus 17-39 and then proceeded to warn them about scoffers in verse 41. The people loved the truth, they wanted more. Notice that the “God fearing” people wanted the truth without compromise, while the deceitful man in the previous verses only wanted the truth in order to turn men towards him. The God fearing men BEGGED for more (v. 42)! They were not offended; they loved the truth and had a deep desire to stay on the straight path.

Then in verse 44 the WHOLE CITY GATHERED!!!! They sparked revival!!!!

However, in verse 45 the leaders became jealous. Paul and Barnabas did not do anything to them personally. They came with the gospel, a warning and the truth unadulterated. They challenged the people! The leaders should have been happy! I mean they were in a revival! Nope!

This is where my heart burns. It is here that the leaders began to CONTRADICT what Paul was proclaiming. They made it personal. I have seen it happen more than once, a leader or leaders come against someone for proclaiming the truth. Whatever the reason is, they begin to contradict everything the person is saying, even from the pulpit. This is shameful!

So I guess Paul just walks away and keeps the peace????? NOPE! In verse 46 Paul and Barnabas spoke BOLDLY against them. They even went as far as to say that the leaders were not worthy of salvation!!!!! Wow, that is not politically correct!

           

 Acts 13:46-47(ESV)

And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,

that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

This did not stop the leaders, they went even further:

            Acts 13:50 (ESV)

But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

When I read this, my heart hurt for them. I have been there. The rejection and the persecution can really affect you but if you continue reading. They simply went on to the next synagogue and shook the dust off from their feet, which caused them to be filled with JOY and the HOLY SPIRIT!

            Acts 13:51-52 (ESV)

But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

When you take a stand, people, leaders, family, best friends will come against you. Yet that is when you are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit!! God fills you! It is never easy but always rewarding. Take a stand, no matter the cost! He is worthy!!

Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)

This week has been a very tough week. I have been wrestling a lot. I have been crying out and my eyes hurt! The sins of the church are becoming overwhelming, the state of the government is crippling and the world seems to be coming to an end before my eyes. I see prophecy being fulfilled, which is very encouraging. However, the state of man is very frustrating. Speaking to people is like hitting your head on a cement wall, it is useless!

I was speaking to a good friend this morning, he said that I remind him of the weeping prophet, Jeremiah. This resonated with me. So I began to read and study and now I am here testifying of the things I hear and see.

Jeremiah was Gods prophet for more than 40 years. The leaders of his day did not listen to his warnings. He was rejected by his family, friends, priests, and prophets alike. He was put into prison and taken to Egypt against his will. He stood alone as he preached repentance. Some consider his ministry a failure because no one responded even though the things he said actually came to pass. However, he stayed faithful to God and the call on his life no matter what.

Jeremiah spent his days crying out to Gods people, trying to get them to understand. He preached truth and repentance. God ALWAYS looks for truth…When truth is not found or when it is lacking, judgment is at hand. Today, more and more, you find preachers talking about the promises of God but are not teaching the conditions of the promises. They are like sales men. They are lacking truth. Truth is not our enemy. In fact, truth is what breaks the chains of our sins. We cannot be free from our sin and chains, apart from truth.  

Jeremiah 5:3-6 (NKJV) O Lord, are not Your eyes on the truth?
You have stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.

⁴ Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.
⁵ I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For they have known the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.”

But these have altogether broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
⁶ Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them,
A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.

In verse 5 it says “But these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds,” really spoke to me and reminded me of Matt 1:28-30. They both talk about the yoke of oxen. Jesus said His yoke is easy….

Greatness is achieved not by wealth and power but by the knowledge of God and obedience to Him…

Hosea 4:6(NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

Notice that the scripture says “My people.” This is referring to the people of God. The leaders failed to teach Gods law. It goes on to say that they perish because of their lack of knowledge. If they had been taught Gods precepts, then they would have been ok. This should shake us a bit because this is happening today. People are claiming the promises of God and wondering why they are not experiencing those same promises in accordance with the word of God. They are baffled, unknowledgeable.

It is interesting, people think they can live any way they choose but even Jesus said….

Matt 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

This scripture is quoted a lot but people use this scripture incorrectly. When you tell them that they shouldn’t do this or that, they say you are being legalistic. Notice: “the Yoke is easy and light,” NOT GONE!!!!

Oxen would wear yokes to keep them on the right track. Without the yoke, they would wander aimlessly and they would be guided by their own desires, much like the church today.

The yoke in today’s church has been removed and broken just like is Jeremiahs day:

Verse 5: But these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds…

Jesus said His yoke is easy and light but many have broken their yoke off completely. Jesus’ yoke naturally directs our path, if you do not wear it or apply it then you will be exposed to bad elements and the wild animals of the forest/desert (verse 6). The wild animals are a picture of foreign nations who will lay siege to our life city, or worse our country.

Why? Because of our transgressions and backsliding ways. Many will say that this is an Old Testament story; therefore, it does not apply today. I would beg to differ.

Jesus preached repentance and so did many New Testament believers.  Whether repentance is for yesterday or today is not the question, the question is of the heart.

Again, Jesus said: “19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

 John 3:19-21 (NKJV)

People love their sin more than they love Jesus… doesn't it grieve your heart? I am not saying that we need to be sinless, because we can’t. However I am saying that we need to repent, turn from our sin, deny ourselves and take up our cross (Jesus's yoke)….

Matthew 4:17(NKJV) From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Luke 9:23 Then He (Jesus)said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

So my question to you is: Will you take up your cross, deny yourself and follow Jesus or will you love the darkness and not listen, like in the days of Jeremiah?

Your goal is to find out what Jesus’ yoke is. What did He preach and teach….many preachers and pastors have forsaken these teaching so you will have to dig. There are many different versions of the Bible, start where you need to, and seek God with all of your heart. Do not rely on man to teach you what you must know. 

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

Lately I have been really in tuned to the fact that we can grieve the Holy Spirit. Grieve here means to cause injury or to distress Him. The Holy Spirit resides in us and as we live our lives we will either be living according to Gods will or living according to our will. When we sin, we actually offend (grieve) the Holy Spirit.

Eph 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

When we first get saved, we can actually feel the grief of the Holy Spirit when we sin. This can and will remain if we stay sensitive to it. When we feel conviction or distaste for the sin we have committed, we should honor it. This is God’s love. He chastises those that He loves (Hebrews 12:5-8) and one of the reasons the Holy Spirit was sent, was to convict us (John 16:8) and keep us on the straight and narrow path (Matt 7:14).  Many people confuse conviction and condemnation, which is another study all together, but I encourage you to learn the difference. Conviction is our friend, condemnation is not.

In the scripture above, we can actually know what grieves the spirit. Even though the Holy Spirit teaches us and convicts us, God still felt it necessary to put it in writing. I believe that is because we can sear our conscious (1 Tim 4:2) and become insensitive to spiritual truths. When we ignore the conviction and continue in our sin, we actually grieve the Holy Spirit. When we feel the conviction we should stop immediately!!  If we do not, we put ourselves in a very dangerous situation because this makes us vulnerable to deceiving spirits that will lead us astray (1 Tim 4:1-5). The goal is to have a soft pliable heart, ears to hear the spirit (chaos silenced) and our minds filled with the word.

The text talks about several things that we should “put away.”

1.       Bitterness

2.      Wrath

3.       Anger

4.      Clamor

5.      Evil speaking

Instead we should be:

1.       Kind

2.      Tenderhearted

3.       Forgiving one another

My personal goal is to not grieve the spirit…I believe that when we do we actually lose dominion or ground in the kingdom. I know God never leaves us or forsakes us but when we willfully sin, we lose power.

Sin separates us from God and enslaves us (Romans 6:16). Although we walk by faith and God’s grace is sufficient, this does not void the principle of “you reap what you sew” (Galatians 6:7-8).  Now understand, there are two kinds of sin, deliberate or premeditated sin and then there is the sin we commit because we are human and imperfect. I am talking about willful, premeditated sin that you have full control over. When we commit such sin, we lose ground or dominion, just like Adam in the Garden of Eden.  The bible says that sin, no longer has dominion over us and we can die to it or rule over it (Romans 6:14, Romans 6:11, Genesis 4:7).

The bible says that signs and wonders will follow those that believe (Mk 16:17). In fact, the disciples asked Jesus privately, why they couldn't cast a certain demo n out. Jesus replied that there are certain demons, that only come out by praying and fasting (Mk 9:29). This tells me that there are some things that we will not have power over, unless we do x, y, and z.  Now, do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that we are saved by our works. However, what I am saying is that in order to have a certain level of dominion or power, we need to be set apart. We need to not grieve the Holy Spirit and we need to be doing what scripture prescribes.

When I lay my hands on someone, I want them to experience healing. When I pray, I want to see signs and wonders. I do not want to have all these promises in the bible and never experience them to the fullest. We are given these promises and we are expected to be a good steward of them.  It is our responsibility and mandate.

My question to you, have you seen someone healed when you have prayed? Have you seen signs and wonders manifest? If you haven’t, is it because you are grieving the Holy Spirit?

I pray that your heart would be softened to these truths. 

The Household of God

Christ Brings Division

Matt 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’[e] 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

The word translated household is this text occurs one other time in Matt 10:25

It is the Greek word oikiakos which means one belonging to the house.

I have read this verse several times and I have always assumed that it meant the household of your family because it refers to your mother, father, sister and brother….However, about a week ago I was worshipping and praying and God spoke this word to me in the context of our church family. So I opened up my concordance and found that this particular word “household” is only used one other time in the bible…

 Matt 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

As you can see the household described is not limited to our biological family, it is referring to the house of God or the household of Beelzebub. This made me excited because God led me to it but it made me very sad…for obvious reasons.

I have been thinking about it a  great deal and then yesterday, listening to a sermon, this scripture was used:

Matthew 12:50(NKJV) For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

As you would expect, I listened at attention! For me this was another confirmation!!!! So here I am documenting what I have been hearing! Jesus does not exclude his natural family in these versus. In fact doing more of a search I remembered these versus:

Matt 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Mark 3:31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. ³² And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”

³³ But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” ³⁴ And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

Unfortunately, I believe that those that call themselves Christians but really are not, will be those that persecute other Christians. They will be the very people that deliver you up, just like Judas. The true Christian will stand on the truth of God when the others will compromise to keep the peace. This next verse gives us direction on how to conduct ourselves when we are delivered up…

Persecutions Are Coming

Matt 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

1. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves

2. Beware of men

3. Do not worry

4. Speak whatever God tells you

5. Endure

6. Flee to another city

7. Do not FEAR (x3)

8. Confess Him before men

Those who are well have no need of a Physician...

This morning I was very discouraged. I see so many falling for false doctrine. Believing things because it makes them feel good. I decided NOT to study, rather I got on my knees and talked with my Father in heaven. I expressed anguish. So many people falling into ditches. What should I do -what should I say to them? I do not want to argue but I do not want to see them headed to destruction without warning them. My heart aches. I hate that the devil has deceived so many people that seem so genuine. People I love and care about. I don’t want to be that Christian that seems like they are “judging” everyone. I know what they are believing is not biblical. Do I say something or stay silent?

Well, He answers quickly.

Mark 2:17  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Matthew 9:12-13 (NKJV) When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Luke 5:31-32 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus dealt with the” righteous” or “the well” very briefly. The "righteous" and "the well" that Jesus was referring to were the Pharisees. They were not teachable…..He did not sit there and try and talk the Pharisees into believing. He would make a statement and literally walk away. It would make the “righteous” mad and angry. Today this can be applied to anyone that is not teachable. They think they are righteous, they think they know the scriptures but they want to believe what they want to believe. 

Many times these people have heard these things from various preachers and it “sounds good.” However, ignorance is not a plea. We are all called to study our bibles and find out for ourselves what the word actually says. When we see a brother or sister stumbling in the word, we are to offer help but ultimately they need to receive it. If pride gets in the way, all we can do is pray for them. Arguing doctrine is NOT biblical.

Jesus was actually quoting Hos 6:6

A Call to Repentance

Hosea 6:6-8 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 “But like men[a] they transgressed the covenant;

There they dealt treacherously with Me.

8 Gilead is a city of evildoers

And defiled with blood.

Now the language of this can be confusing. Language evolves throughout time, so if we do not look up what these terms means when they were written, we will not understand correctly.

Mercy here means “loyalty” or “devotion.”

Knowledge of God does not refer to mere head knowledge, but rather "a genuine recognition of God’s authority that produces obedience to His commandments."

So the text would actually read:

I (God) desire loyalty/devotion and not sacrifice,

And a genuine recognition of My (Gods) authority that produces obedience to My (Gods) commandments.

But like men they transgressed the covenant;

There they dealt treacherously with Me.

This really helped me to understand. I am to give guidance but if it is not received, I am to walk away and shake the dust. I am not supposed to waste my time on the "righteous" or "the well." I am supposed to focus on those that know how much they truly need God. Those that will actually pick up their cross. The others are mere distractions and they are the "righteous" Jesus walked away from. 

The bottom line is if we love God, we will keep His commands (John 14:15).

The Man of God and the Word of God

2 Timothy 3:10-17 (NKJV) 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Do Not En-cage the Holy Spirit

I was listening to a sermon and a great man of God said something about this scripture that gave me great revelation, so I wanted to document it. Some revelation is His and some is mine. Enjoy!

He Kicked Over the Tables

Matthew 21:12-17 (NKJV)

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

First, I want to talk about the money changers. The money changers sold sacrifices, they commercialized the altar. They made it EASY for people to bring sacrifices for their sins. Like they are today saying "all you have to do is say a little prayer" or "just believe." 
Our sacrifice now is Jesus. We do not need to bring a blood sacrifice anymore. However, we are still called to be a living sacrifice, we are to pick up our cross daily and we are to honor God, keeping His sacrifice Holy and we are not to exploit it or commercialize it.

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service

Luke 9:23 (NKJV)

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,[a] and follow Me.

Second, they were selling doves. When you sell something you have to control it, either with a cage or leash. The dove is a picture of the Holy Spirit. Those that come to exploit the church or to commercialize it they attempt to control the Holy Spirit. They try and use it for their gain rather than the gain of the Kingdom of God.  

2 Corinthians 2:17 (NKJV) For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

1 Corinthians 5:8n (NKJV) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

2 Peter 2:3 (NKJV) By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does[a] not slumber.

Third, den of thieves!!!! This refers to the people that come to Gods house just for attendance purposes. They do not come to pray!!!!! They come to make themselves feel like they did their good deed for the week. They are not expecting God to move. Why would they, they control the Holy Spirit! They en-cage Him. They control anything that forces them to look at themselves.  They kill, steal, and destroy the very thing God is trying to do!

            Mark 11:16 (NLT) and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.

Lastly, we all have seen that new Christian so on fire that they offend people around them! We tell them they need balance. We try and conform them to how we are…., this verse is talking to those older Christians that have become lukewarm and complacent. ”Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants, You have perfected praise’!” They are not scared to speak. They want to tell everyone what they have! They want to share it regardless of what everyone around them is saying. HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECTED IN THEIR WEAKNESS.

Luke 19:47 (NKJV) And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him

John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

You just do not understand what I am going through!!!

You know when you encounter someone that is doing something that seems odd, or doing something that you may not agree with. Many times people will say, “You do not know what that person is going through.” Well this morning I was just thinking how often we need to remember just the opposite. People do not know what you are going through and they haven’t walked in your shoes, so why would they understand you or your position unless you explain it to them.

Many times, when I make a decision and people do not understand it, I have gotten upset. I think I should not have to explain myself.  While that is valid many times, I think communication would effectively relieve many of these issues.

Here we see a proverb that really speaks to the issue:

Proverbs 11:2 (NKJV) When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.

I know, none of us have pride lol. Just for the sake of this study, we will amuse the thought that everyone has a bit of pride in them.

The word pride here means “to boil up.” 

It refers to raging arrogance and insolence. Or in my words:  over confident, self-important and rude.

I have been guilty of these and there is no shame in it. We are all human.

What I want to really focus on is not being like this ever again! Like many proverbs the solution is in the same verse. “But with the humble is wisdom.”

Now we can know the scriptures inside and out but true wisdom is not just the knowledge but the actual practice of the knowledge that you have.  In other words, being doers of the word -not just hearers.

So that takes me to the next word….HUMILITY!!!

This word shows up one other time in the Hebrew concordance :

Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

It means to act submissively or modest.

Humility is often seen as weakness, and few of us know much about it or pursue it. For the good of our souls, we need to gain a clearer understanding of pride and humility and of how to forsake the one and embrace the other.

A good story to read is 2 Chronicles 26. King Uzziah depended on the Lord; after his fame spread throughout the land he became dependent on himself. History shows at every point how easy it is for pride to increase as we become stronger, more successful, more prosperous, and more recognized in our endeavors. In fact, anything, real or imagined, that elevates us above others can be a platform for pride. Ironically, this is true even when these things come as a result of God’s blessings.

Romans 12:3 (NKJV) For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Walking with the Lord always leads us to success and blessing. If we do not keep our attitudes and thoughts in line with the word we can easily take credit for our success. Thinking that we have done this or that but in reality we would not have done no such thing without the blessings of God upon our lives. We need to remember who we were without Him and give credit where credit is due.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ

Jesus was talking to the disciples and He mentioned Satan getting cast out of heaven. At first, I did not read this scripture and think it was about pride but when you read it in context you can see why Jesus warned His disciples. The disciples, just like us, have authority over demons. This could ultimately leave us with a swollen heads, if we do not remember who gave us this authority and why He gave it to us we can become powerful in our own minds. We need to keep our perspectives in line with the Word. Jesus said not to rejoice in this…this is true humility.

Luke 10:17 Then the seventy[e] returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Just like power can throw us off track, so can knowledge….

1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.

This scripture was for the Christians that used the scriptures to make other Christians, for lack of words, feel stupid. Some believers in the bible did not think it was proper to eat certain foods. However, others thought the idea was stupid and used scriptures to back them up. We are all called to walk in our own convictions. Things that I maybe sin for me may not be sin for you. We need to stay true to our OWN convictions; we need to keep our conscious clear. Do not flaunt your enlightened point of view! We are not to belittle weaker Christians with our knowledge making ourselves feel more superior. Instead of puffing up with knowledge and telling people they do not have to do this or that. Love them! Help them! Support them!!! Do not use the scriptures against them!!! This is humility.

We need to remember that His strength is perfected in our weakness!!!

Lastly, I want to remind you that Lucifer, the devil, was cast out of heaven because of pride. This should really shake us. He was blessed, and possibly the most beautiful, powerful, and intelligent of all the angels in Heaven. He let these facts change him. He forgot his purpose and place.

I found this in the Forerunner commentary:

Jude 1:6   (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)

Jude puts this in an interesting way. They were not "the bad angels," or even "the angels who sinned." He calls them "the angels who were not content with where God had placed them."

We know from Revelation 12:4 that one-third of the angels were under Lucifer's, or Hillel's, hand, and he convinced them to leave their proper domain—the place where they had dominion, the place of their responsibility and authority—so that they could get more for themselves. In doing this, they sinned. Their discontent caused them to attempt to take by force what had not been given, but which they thought they deserved. This is the same thing that happened in Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16:1-35).

Side note: Many times people think they can do things better than others, they know it all, or they are just plan critical....this is a sign of pride...

Lace Up Your Shoes!!!

Well, today is the day! Many of you already know about my "criminal ticket." I will be facing the judge but I go with peace knowing MY STEPS ARE ORDERED FROM THE LORD!!! It has almost been thirteen years since I surrendered my Life to Jesus and have been considered a "criminal!" I go with anticipation that someone in my path needs to be introduced to my Jesus.

My prayer is: yes Lord, send me. It is my pleasure!

For the record, I am praying for Gods will to be done, not mine.

As I sit here praying and meditating this verse came to my mind…

Ephesians 6:15 (AMP) 15 And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

My initial response was:

Put on my shoes of peace because I am headed to war and a soldier cannot fight without shoes…..our spiritual shoes are peace! We need to put peace on! However, I wanted to be sure I understood correctly. So here I am, doing another bible study.

I looked up shod….

It is a Greek word that means to bind, fasten with chains, to throw into chains and to under-bind or bind under one’s self….

My interpretation is to: put them (shoes/peace) on so nothing can take them off!!!!

Then I look up the Mathew Henry commentary about this verse. I am not going to share what I read verbatim because it is too long but I would like to share what helped me. 

Shoes, or “greaves of brass,”  were formerly part of the military armor (1 Sam. 17:6), the use of them was to defend the feet against the gall-traps, and sharp sticks, which were laid secretly in the way, to obstruct the marching of the enemy, those who fell upon them became unable to march and fight. The preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and committed heart to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of faith.

Many that are reading this have not been to physical war; however, we may have seen war movies. There is always that soldier that has no peace. He is tormented, scared, fearful and always a mess. How effective is he? Not very! In fact many times he is the one wounded or killed because his mild is not sober, he cannot think correctly. He is consumed with anxiety and worry. This is a good analogy for a Christian that fails to put on the shoes or peace. Without peace (or our spiritual shoes) we can stumble across things that the enemy has secretly put in our way that can spiritually take us out, or in some cases remove us completely from the battle, just like the above analogy. However, when we put on our shoes (peace) nothing the enemy brings can affect us. We can fight the good fight, and finish the race we are called to. The enemy can put as many obstacles in our way as he would like because with our shoes (peace) we do not stumble.

We here about putting the armor of God on, the shoes are actually part of the armor. We will not get very far if we do not have peace. We will be like that soldier in war that is falling apart or losing his mind. We need to stay sober minded!!!

Ephesians 6:10-18 (AMP)

¹⁰ In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

¹¹ Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

¹² For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

1 Peter 5:8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.