Scriptures (Hover over each
for a popup)
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Revelation 2:7
Matthew 6:24
Philippians 4:8
Romans 6:1-2
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Today we go back to the basics; no fancy sermons, no
digging deep for understanding. I fear too many
who wish to know the deep things are not yet
sufficiently grounded in the "milk of the Word", living
in sin, listening to the flesh, and as we used to say
"running with the Devil". We all fight the lusts
of the flesh, for the flesh is sinful and corrupt and
will remain that way, even for the righteous, until it
is resurrected; only then will the nature brought by the
sin of the first Adam be eradicated from the believer's
existence. Until that day we fight it!
Many times people come to me and talk, and it seems
invariably those talks turn to end-times prophecy, who
the Antichrist might be, what the mark of the beast is,
when our Lord and Savior will return, and other such
questions. I tend to remind people that the Word
says in Revelation 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the Churches". You see,
the Spirit of God will reveal the secret things to you
(not when Jesus is returning); the Holy Spirit will
guide you away from those things that are not of God,
and will seek to lead you in the ways of Holiness, if
you but listen. When you live like this you will
avoid those who are false prophets and have the spirit
of the antichrist, and you will cleave to the Word, both
written and made flesh. If you read the Word of
God and listen to what the Spirit is telling you, you
will avoid the traps that the devil sets for you.
But...
You can't hear the Holy Spirit if you are not on the
straight and narrow path!
Matthew 6:24 tells us that you cannot serve two masters.
It goes so far as to say that you will love one and hate
the other; you cannot love both! While the world
"mammon" is translated in many texts as "riches", and
this is accurate in its context, it tends to be
misunderstood in today's english language.
"Riches" may not mean just "money", but may mean all
worldly things, from many herds of goats to Rolls Royce
automobiles.
You cannot seek God and worldly things! God and
worldly things are completely opposite. To seek
the things of the world is to hate God, and to seek the
things of God is to hate the things of the world!
When you truly seek to serve God, you will come to see
all the things of the world aew just incumbrances
weighing you down and keeping you from running the race,
trying to keep you from finishing the course.
So, what is sin? Sin is anything that is against
the nature of God. Philippians 4:8 tells us to
think on those things that are acceptable in God's
sight. Not land, houses, automobiles, clothes,
shoes, money, or any of that. True, noble, right,
pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy...
Is lying, cheating, stealing, fornicating, committing
adultery, cursing, drunkeness, crude talk and behavior,
or lascivious behavior any of the things named above?
No.
And yet you are doing it all the time. Television,
movies, music, websites, conversations with
friends...everywhere I look I see supposed Christians
who are committing these sins, or supporting others who
are committing these sins, and somehow they think they
are the Children of God!
Your actions say otherwise...
Every dirty joke, every crude statement, every
adulterous thought - all of it - is an affront to God
and shows your complete disdain for His Holiness and His
Word!
Do you think that because you are a Gentile saved by
Grace that you can live in sin? Do you not know
what Paul wrote to the Church at Rome? "What shall
we say, then? Shall we go on sinnig so that grace
may increase? By no means (God forbid)!" If
you are a Christian, you are dead to sin. You must
serve the old master to sin! Every time you sin
you are committing treason! You have been bought
with a great price and you now belong to Christ.
How dare you serve his adversary? How dare you be
traitor to the one who shed His blood to save you from
that same adversary!
Brothers and Sisters, it is time for yo to wake up!
Time grows short; our Lord may return at any time, or
you may die at any moment. Either way, are you
going to be found in sin when this happens. Are
you like the foolish virgins who were not looking for
their master? Are you like the servents who were
not paying attention to when their master would return?
Do you want Jesus to appear while you are telling some
filthy joke?
Do you want Jesus to call you away from some fleshly TV
program?
Do you want Jesus to pull you out of a theater in the
middle of some sex scene in a movie? How about a
scene where they are putting down our Lord and His
people?
Or do you want to be found reading, studying, and
meditating on His Word? Would you not rather Him
call you home in the middle of prayer or praise?
These are your choices...
You can go wrapped in the world, or you can go resting
in Him, but go you will...
The Christian Life is a HARD life! You cannot be
like your friends, family, and co-workers and truly live
for Christ! You cannot enjoy the same jokes and
stories; you cannot curse and swear; you cannot seek
riches and worldly possessions. You are called out
to be different.
But you want to be like the world now and be like Jesus
when you get to Heaven...
It don't work that way. Sorry.
If you are like the world now, you will be like the
devil when you get to Hell. Mark my words...
I've said it so many times: straight is the gate
and narrow is the way, and FEW there be that find it.
FEW, not millions and millions of churchgoers, but the
FEW that truly walk after Christ, the FEW that seek to
live like the Apostles. FEW...
And I fear that many I know are not part of that
few...your words say you are, but your actions say you
are still part of the world.
You can't serve two masters...
Your choice...
God doesn't force himself on you...
If you want to live for God, they you have to live for
God, 24x7; every day, all day, in every way you can see
to be like Him.
You are either a Christian, or you are not.
Make sure...
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