Tag: kingdom of heaven
Why is the Truth so hard to believe?
I find that if I tell someone the truth they have problems believing what I say, but if I tell them a total outright lie they accept it with no problems, why is that? We live in a world where everything seems to be upside down, a world where what use to be right is now wrong and what was once wrong is now excepted as being right. Years ago when someone gave you there word you could take it to the bank, now it better be recorded or notaries and have a lot of witnesses, what happened what changed?
Sometimes telling the truth can really hurt but God commands that we as His people should always tell the truth.
But is it necessary to always tell the truth? Let’s say some little old lady comes up to you in church and ask what do you think of my new hat. When you look at it right away you see it is the ugliest hat you ever seen, but what do you say to the lady who is standing waiting on an answer.
Do you hurt her feeling by saying I am sorry but that is one ugly hat. Or would you do as Jesus would do, find something about it that you do like, maybe the color, the shape, a flower on it. There are many ways to answer someone and still tell the truth without hurting them.
As a minister people are always asking me about God and Religion, and what is the reason for so many different Christian Churches.
The only answer I have is to tell them because the Trust is too hard to believe and 99% of people want a religion that fits their life style and what they want to believe. So for this very reason people push aside the Truth so they can have it their way, the only problem with this is it is not Gods way and apart for God everything is sin.
If you look at most of the Christian Churches today, they all claim to be teaching the Truth from the Bible and that there Church keeps all of God Holy Commandments. But if you look a little closer into their beliefs you will find that they don’t keep Gods 4th Commandment, why is that.
Open your Bible to Matthew 15:8&9, here is Jesus telling the religious leaders of His time about a problem they had “‘these people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” Could it be that 2000 years after Jesus came to this Earth to teach us what the Truth was that we are going back to the same problems the Jews had, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men over the commandments of God.
Look at what Paul said just before he died, Acts 20:29&30: For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30: Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Take a good look at how some of the really big TV and Radio Church Leaders live. Do you see them living in Million Dollars Home and Drive the best Cars and Trucks money can buy. Are they preaching the truth in these Churches that hold many many thousands of people are or they preaching what the people want to hear. Do you think if they were preaching the Truth direct from the Bible that they would still be so popular and there Churches so full.
How is it that the religious leaders in Jesus time could not see that He was the Christ the Son of God. Because once you close your eyes to truth you will never see clear again Luke 19; 47. 47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Gods truth is the only truth there is apart from it everything else is a lie. God is a God of love and mercy He will never force His truth on anyone. But as with the religious leaders in Jesus time the same is with our religious leaders today. Religion has become a big money maker, it is the bread and butter of most religious leaders. The more people they get into their churches the more money they make. They all preach Jesus but then they all make up excuses as to why we don’t need to do what Jesus said to do. The Bible calls three things as truth John: 14:6 Jesus is Truth, John: 17:17 The Bible is Truth, Psalm: 119: 151 Gods Commandments His Ten Commandments are Truth.
Truth in Noah time was so bad that only 8 people believed it and when the rain and floods started the majority of those who did not believe it died.
Truth cannot be determined by statistics or by the number of people who believe it, the truth will always remain the truth.
Even Jesus had a hard time convening people about the Truth in His days, except for a small group of 120 men and women who believe He was indeed the true Son of God.
Jesus gave to His people the seed of Abraham His truth written on two tablets of Stone His Ten Commandments Law. He also gave them other Laws dealing with how to deal with others and how to keep healthy. He also gave them prophecy to help them know when the fullness of time would come for God the Father to send His Son into the world
But when He came to His own people they rejected Him Galatians: 4: 4. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
What happen, they had Gods holy word, it told them that the Son of God who they was to be looking for was soon to be borne, how could they miss it.. John: 1: 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus people who had the Truth of His word to guide them, were so lost by believing a lie that when He did came to them they did not know Him.
I find that in today’s society people want a religion that more or less fits into their life style and truth does not really matter too much, just give it to me my way.
I once had a group of guys who wanted to know the truth of what is in the Bible; being they knew me and knew how I lived my life they ask me to do a Bible study with them. I told them; to understand the Bible and its truth you need to study both the Old and New Testaments. The reason for this was because a lot of what the new testaments says comes directly from the Old Testament and books like Daniel and Revelation are keys to unlocking the truth.
Everyone was happy with that and as we started getting into the Bible study I could see the light in their eyes began to glow with the understanding of God’s word, His truth. But about half way through the study I could see that light going out when it came to them having to give up some of the things they use to do, why is that?
Read Matthew: 13: 3 to 9:
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
They heard the truth but because of cares in this life they started to look for ways around the truth so that they would not need to change. Even to the point of saying there is no way that all the other religions can all be wrong and just you right.
Now hear how Jesus explains the parable
Matthew: 13
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
When the truth is first presented to someone Joy filled their heart, but as soon as the cares and wants of this world come before them they don’t want to let go of what they had, I want Jesus but I want the world as well.
1 Peter: 5:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Satan will stop at nothing in order to pull the Truth away from you; he will use the cares of this world, family, work, and friend to do just that
Look at Proverbs: 14: 12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
There are many different forms and types of Christian Churches for you to choose to follow, but if they are not following what the Bibles teaches from Genesis to Revelation you might be in the wrong place and when Jesus comes back to take home His true follower you might get left behind.
Matthew: 6: 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
You can’t eat from the Lords table during the day and dance on Satan table at night, it don’t work. If you are not 100% present for God then you are nothing for God, there is no halfway or sitting on the fence. Jesus said in
John 14:
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. It is as clear as that
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
True Christians will be the ones who keep the commandments of God, the same ones Jesus kept and followed while living on earth. Look at Matthew 5 remember this is Jesus speaking saying that He did not come to change things but to fulfill them.
Matthew: 5:
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
The last time I looked heaven and earth was still here
Take a look at the book of Isaiah: 66 and start at verse 22. The prophet Isaiah is giving a look into the future at the new Heaven and Earth. What will Gods people be doing?
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
The old Earth is gone and all that was sin is no more, God and His people that love Him are in the Holy City
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
What are they doing, from one Sabbath to another all flesh will come together to worship God
Now think about this, when God finished creating the earth on the seventh day He rested and blessed the seventh day and made it holy. He gave it to His children Adam & Eve so that they would always remember who their creator is.
We then find Him giving it to the Children of Israel telling them to Remember the Sabbath day His holy day of worship. We see Jesus and His disciples keeping the Sabbath as God the Father has commanded. After Jesus died on the cross in the New Testament we see His follower still keeping the Sabbath, and now we read the prophet Isaiah is giving a future view of the new earth and he is telling us that we are still keeping the Sabbath in the earth made new. You can’t get any clearer than that in telling the Truth.
Where will this old earth and its people who did not make the first resurrection of Gods true believers end up.
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
How do we know this will happen in the Earth made new, because we will look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against God Law, Gods Commandments all Ten of them. Remember again what Jesus said in the book of Matthew: 5: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. If you break one of them you are guilty of breaking them all.
So how do you know what is the Bible truth and what is not the Bible truth? The Bible tell us how to check, if what you believe or what your Church is teaching does not agree with the hold Bible from Genesis to Revelation then what they are saying is not the pure Truth.
Isaiah: 8: 20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them
The Bible will never contradict itself from Genesis to Revelation, if there is a contradiction the problem is not in the Bible the problem is in the interpolation.
Isaiah: 28: 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Look up every scripture dealing with a subject you want to know, our days with a good concordance and the internet that is very easy. If what you believe is not in line with what the entire Bible is teaching then you have a problem not the Bible.
2 Timothy: 3: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: The Bible says that All Scripture not some scripture and that includes the Old & New Testaments is giving by the inspiration of God
Foe over 1600 years men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit to write what God was showing them and telling them. All scripture from Genesis to Revelation is the inspired word of God, and it is to be used for doctrine and reproof and correction of what we think is truth. If what you believe is not 100% in line with the Bible then what you believe is a lie.
The prophet Daniel was inspired by God to tell us about future events that would happen to His people so that they would believe and have faith and put there life in His hands. God’s true believers were persecuted by the Roman Church all through the dark ages. Read Fox’s book of Martyrs
Daniel: 7: 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Daniel: 8: 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
This is why it is so important to study the Bible for yourself and not go by a priest or pastor, they could be wrong. Forget what you learned in school about God and go to the Bible and read it letting Gods Holy Spirit lead you into all Truth.
Jesus told us that the way would not be easy, it is not getting baptized and living happy ever after. The road to truth is narrow and few believe and follow it.
Matthew: 7:
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Jesus also told us that there will be false teachers claiming to have a link direct to God and will deceive many with there lies. But here again we must go by what the Bible says not man
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Just because a Church is big and has the best of everything does not mean it is a true church following Gods truth. Look at what Jesus told us
Matthew: 7:
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
They may have done a lot of good and wonderful things and preformed many miracles but if they are not keeping and teaching the pure truth of God’s word they are lost and don’t know it.
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Just before Jesus comes back to this world we are told that persecution of God true believers will once again take place. How will you know the different between God true believer, the book of Revelation makes it very clear! God’s holy people will be the ones being persecuted because they will be the ones keeping God Commandments
Revelation: 12:
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Out of the entire world the prophet John sees only a small group of people who are faithful to God; they are the ones doing what Jesus done, keeping His Father Commandments all Ten of them.
Revelation: 14:
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
When the time comes Jesus will divide His true believers from the fake believers. Matthew: 25: 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats
My friends whoever you are reading this please stop and pray right now asking God to show you His truth. But beware because when God is letting His light shine on you that you don’t reject it or try and look for ways around it.
Remember we are all baptized into the one and only body of God, so stop believing in what others say is the truth and go look it up for yourself.
Ephesians: 4:
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
There is only one Truth and that is the pure word of God found in His book the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, everything else is a lie.
Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth
Law & Grace
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Sometime things are hard to see even if it is right in front of our eyes, but praise God he has giving us a Spiritual Mirror so we can not only see but understand his words.
Story: I once had a Boat named the Egabrag 1
You might ask what was so great about the Egabrag,it was no different then any other Vessel, but it had one of the most importance jobs in the Military working for the US Navy
Every day it preformed it job flawless, it never failed to do its job, too much was counting on it to fulfill its daily mission.
For almost 20 years it worked non stop, She was not much to look at but her Crew had great pride in running her
When she was decommissioned and I took her over, I just could not help but wonder, Who could of came up with a name like Egabrag 1 the name just did not made sense, until one of the Crew told me, people in California did not like a boat being called the Garbage 1 Egabrag backwards is Garbage
Sometimes the Bible is like that; but just because we don’t understand a topic in the Bible it does not mean we should just skip over or pass it by, for it is by studying God word that we uncover the true meaning of the hidden truth berried deep in Gods word.
Let Us Pray
————————————————————
Are law’s importance?
Do laws put us in bondage?
Have you ever lived in a place where there were no laws?
What do you thing would happen to the USA if there were no law’s to govern the people?
Just think, if there were no laws; you could do whatever you want and no one would stop you. Except everyone else is doing the same thing as you, and there is no one stopping them either.
Do you see where a problem could come from?
What if I don’t like stopping for red lights, there are always a pain and turn red at the wrong times. So I am going to just drive straight through them from now on. I might not live long doing that; but remember there are no laws telling me I can’t.
Laws are not made to keep us from something good! They are made to keep us happy and safe. So everyone knows what to expect from the other person.
Were Gods Law’s to be a burden or a joy to mankind?
What about Grace if we have Grace Do we still need Law’s?
First we must understand What is GRACE?
We don’t have to earn it. It is the most valuable gift of all. The Scripture says in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Salvation does not come from any human effort. It is a free gift without money and without price, or let’s says with out cost to Mankind
In Revelation 5:9, the redeemed are pictured as standing before the throne of God, both the redeemed from the Old Testament times and from the New Testament times, singing glory to Jesus, the Lamb, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”
A great, fundamental truth is expressed here—the only way a sinner can be saved is through the blood of Jesus. Since the time of Adam, sinners have been saved only by believing and having Faith in Jesus.
If men are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, where does the Ten Commandment law come in?
Throughout all the ages of controversy between Christ and Satan, the devil has sought to destroy the authority of God over man by casting the law aside and by preventing knowledge of the truth about God’s law.
The enemy of Christ brings this about by rejection of the law; or a wrong concept or understanding of the dispensation of the law as opposed to the dispensation of the gospel. This is what we call being one sided or not seeing the hold picture.
Satan could bring in the principle of salvation through works, and prevent the functioning of the law according to God’s design.
Kind of writing it out backward so that you see it but don’t truly understand what it is saying. Do you see the ECARG & HTIAF Grace & Faith
The role that the law fulfills in relation to the gospel is two-fold.
1. First, it is God’s standard of what is right and true. As a standard the law expresses the mind and the will of God, for in Psalm 40:8 it says, “I delight to do thy will, 0 my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.”
2. Second the law also declares man’s duty to God, for in Ecclesiastes 12:13 we read, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
How often I have heard Christians boast that they don’t care about those old laws of God. “Why”
Because they hide behind Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
They say that since they are saved by grace, through the atoning blood of Christ, they don’t have to keep God’s commandments at all. Have you ever heard that theory?
BUT: You can not take just one scripture from the Bible and make a completed doctrine, that my friend is a very dangerous way to live. Because when you live your life that way you are not truly living it for Jesus, but for what fits your life style.
In Romans 6:15, the very next verse in the chapter, Paul says, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Paul says God forbid.” The fourteenth verse has stated, “Sin shall not have dominion over us,” or “it shall not be our ruler.”
We are not under Sin or the condemnation of the law either, when we obey God.
Why?
Because we are saved by grace, But that does not license us to sin? “God forbid.”
When an individual is saved by grace, he is under greater obligation than ever before to keep the laws of God.
As it says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.”
Are we licensed to break the law of God because we are saved by grace and saved by faith? God forbid. “Yea,” he says, “we establish the law.” The law is firmer than ever in our lives.
Question?
Who is under the law today in your city? Those who have broken it; they are under the law, and in jail.
The man who keeps the law, is the man who is free today.
The law breaker is under the condemnation of the law and doing time in jail.
Right here let us stop a moment and read the definition of sin in 1 John 3:4. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Are we clear on this. When a man sins he has transgressed the law.
Who’s Law; “GOD”.
Every sinner has broken the law. What is sin? “The transgression of the law.” When a man sins, what does he do? He breaks the law of God.
There must be a law, otherwise he couldn’t break it. We are not under the law unless we break the Law.
I would fear to be called a minister of the Lord today and tell people it is ok to break Gods laws.
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
How does God feel about man making his own laws and rules and teaching people to live by them instead of his commandment Law’s.
Matt:15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Is there danger in not keeping God Commandments?
You might say; Lord I am saved by grace I was told I don’t need to keep those old laws.
The governor of the state has life-and-death power. A man has been sentenced and condemned to die. He is under the sentence of death. Friends intervene; they present evidence to the governor, special factors involved in this case—contributing factors as to why this individual was caught in this particular crime.
As the governor investigates the evidence, he feels that this man deserves clemency; so he uses his official prerogative as the head of the commonwealth. He takes his pen and dips it in the ink and signs across those condemnation papers, “PARDONED,” and then signs his name.
That condemned man, my friend, has been saved by grace, not by his works or by his goodness.
He was doomed to die, and being ever so good in that death cell would never, never in this world save him. That is very obvious.
In other words, after an individual has broken the commandments of God, he cannot be good enough to save himself. The wages of sin is what? Death. We have all sinned, so are under the sentence of death. And there is only one way of salvation, through Jesus Christ.
Now the condemned man is pardoned. He can hardly believe his eyes as he sees the kindness, the stroke of generosity and love shown by that governor.
PARDONED. SAVED. FREE. You meet the freed man a little later and he says,
“Wonderful what that governor did for me, and wonderful this new freedom of mine.
Now I can break the law all I want, for the governor set me free from the law and from the sentence of death. I am saved by his grace.”
Did the governor pardon him so he could go out and become a greater law breaker? Shall we who are saved by grace continue law breaking? “God forbid.” We are under even greater obligation to keep the law because we are saved by God’s grace.
Matt:22: 36-40
36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38: This is the first and great commandment.
39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Love the Lord thy God it is the first four of the Ten Commandments;
Love thy neighbor it is the last six of the Ten Commandments;
Do we find any evident of keeping the old Jewish Ten Commandment Law in the New Testament Yes we do….
Matt:19:17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Mark:10:19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Luke:18:20: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother
Luke:1:6: And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Over and over and over again we hear Jesus telling the people to keep his commandments.
.
If you really Love the lord, and want to show him that you Love him, then do what?
Show him you love him by doing what he tells you to do.
I have heard some say, “Those commandments were only for the Jews.” Then a Christian can lie and steal, and murder people, and do anything else that he pleases. Is that possible?
Jesus says in ” John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
It was because Gods Laws were broken that Jesus gave His life. If these were to be abolished, why not abolish them before Jesus came to die? Then His death would not have been necessary.
John:14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John:15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Some people say, “Well, I can’t leave my church.” We’re not talking about church my friend.
We’re talking about following God. And if your church is in the way of you following God then you need to move out of it…….
Don’t look at the people. Look at the Light God is showing you.
We need to take one more quick glance here at what Jesus said. Matthew 7:21. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Now notice verse 22. This is an amazing statement by our Lord. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”
Oh yes, miracle worked in the name of Jesus. Good so called Christian people who refuse to do one thing, and that was to keep God’s laws.
Don’t you see Christ’s answer now in verse 23. “Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Oh, this is one of the most sobering passages in the Word of God, because we’re led face to face here with an understanding which we can’t escape—that it makes a difference to God what we believe and how we live.
It isn’t enough to say, “Yes, I believe. I’m a church member.” Church will never get you to Heaven
It’s a matter of how you live and what you believe about God that makes a difference.
Many will say, “Lord, we’ve cast out devils. We’ve done miracles. We’ve prophesied.” And yet, they will be lost.
It makes a difference what we believe. Anchor your faith firmly, my friends, to the rock of Scripture “GOD’s WORD” and nothing else.
Christian can you say you know Jesus and not keep his Commandments
1John:2:3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1John:2:4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
That’s not my saying brother and sister, for it is written in the book called the Bible, which is none other then God word.
1John:3:22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
People are always looking for bargains, for special discounts. Some churches advertise, “Come to us, we will give you a bargain, 10% off of the Ten Commandments.” But will that stand in the judgment?
Just because some great churches tell you that they will make it easy and only ask you to keep nine of the Ten Commandments, is that sufficient? Will you pass in the judgment day?
Has any church the right to discount the commandments of God? How do we dare imagine that we are on the high road to heaven when we knowingly break any of God’s commandments?
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
1John:3:24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1John:5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1John:5:3: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
So now we know that it is very importance to keep God’s commandments.
If you love God then who are you enemy with, That’s right the world.
For you can’t love God and the world!
What are we told will happen to God people because they love the Lord their God and claim to be his people. His people who keep his Laws and keep the testimony’s of his Son Jesus Christ.
Rv:12:17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rv:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rv:22:14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
If the world hated Jesus then you know it will also hate you, But don’t worry He Jesus will give you the power needed to obey
Some time ago one of the items of interest in the newspaper was about a cave-in in a mine down in Pennsylvania somewhere—I think you might remember it. There were some miners trapped but there was reason to believe they were still alive under ground.
There was no way to dig down through the mine shaft that had caved in so they were hoping the miners were off to the side of the main shaft in a little room in a horizontal shaft.
So they brought in a great drilling rig and started drilling down through that solid rock trying to get into that room where they felt they were probably entombed.
Hour after hour, day after day, while the world watched, virtually holding its breath, as the news media portrayed for us the picture of how they went down there 6 inches and then another foot and down finally to three feet.
The families camped at the mouth of the mine where the rescue operations were going on.
Finally the day came when that great boring rig bore through the ceiling of that room where the miners were trapped. Rapidly it was withdrawn and they lowered a microphone taped to a little speaker down that hole.
The man who was directing the rescue operation at the top spoke into his end of the microphone and said, “Are you alright? Are you alive? Are you there?!”
And then a voice came back from the heart of the earth. “Yes, we’re here. We’re alright.”
A great shout went up from the rescue workers at the opening of that pit. Then the director said this into the microphone. “What do you want the most?” There was a pause and then a voice came back, “FREEDOM.”
Oh friends, heaven is involved in the greatest rescue operation the world has ever known.
All the universe is watching. Day after day, week after week, year after year, for the last six-thousand horrible years,
God has been seeking to rescue those of us who have been entombed by the avalanche of sin.
What must it do to His heart by our procrastination, our idleness, our spiritual postponement of eternal things.
We send back a message and say, “Oh, we’re satisfied with the trinkets, we’re satisfied with the things, but thanks just the same.”
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?
Have you every ask your self just what is GRACE anyway,
Well here it is in a nut shell
GRACE “God’s Riches At Christ Expense”
Elder Tim McNab Restoring Gods Truth Ministry
In Vain Do They Worship Me!
Matthew: 15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
What did Jesus mean by saying this to the Great Religious leaders 2000 years ago. For almost 3500 years from the time of Moses the Religious leaders were responsible for the keeping of God holy word and for showing the common people what they need to do. But yet when Jesus came he told the Religious leaders in Mark:7:13: Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
If it was possible for the Religious leaders in Jesus time, to put there traditions before the word of God; could the Religious leaders of our time 2000 years after Jesus came be making the same mistake
We need a deep understanding of what Jesus meth when he said this.
Look at what Paul told the Galatians:1:6: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Paul was surprised that no sooner then he left false teachers came in behind him teaching something other than the truth and people believed it.
Let’s take a look into the book of Acts:20:29: For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Paul called them grievous wolves, why because they did not care for the flock these false teachers wanted only the power, glory, and money that could be made off the common people by selling them religion.
Search for the true church:
There must be over 2000 religions in our world today and over half of them claim to be Christians, follower of Jesus who claimed to be the son of God. Have you ever wondered why so many different Christian religions, how do you tell which one is the true one, they all claim to be the one true church.
I am a Christian first, and then I am a Seventh-day Adventist Christian last
I am a Bible Believing Christian because I believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and want to follow his example. I also believe in every word of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation that it is the word of God. Teaching us about His love for mankind and how we need to live to show the World that we love God.
I am a Seventh-day Adventist because I believe the Seventh-day Adventist Church teaches the Complete Bible Truth as close as it can be with what light God has let shown in our day and time.
Many Churches clam that they teach the uncompromised word of God. But when it comes to keeping the 4th commandment they all say oh we don’t need to keep that one, it was just for the Jews we keep Sunday as the Christian Sabbath. Problem is that no where in Bible can you find that teaching. Not even the disciples of Jesus kept Sunday all through the New Testament you find them keeping and teaching on the 7th day Sabbath. And what is more interesting it is the only Commandment that God said to Remember and our Religious leaders saying it is OK to forget. Who do you believe God word or mans traditions?
I believe that more Truth is yet to come as we come closer to the End of Time and the light of God word is revealed unto his Children that have kept His word.
Many of good men and woman were lead astray by religion leaders who’s goal were not to teach the Pure Gospel of Jesus Christ but to teach there own version of how they believe it should be at the same time making a very nice living off of believers.
For this way they could hold people in darkness
Let’s take a look at some of the parables Jesus used to warn His believer about false teachings creeping into the Church.
Matthew: 25:
1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
What does a Woman represent in the Bible? That is correct a Woman represent a Church, a pure Woman or a virgin would represent Gods Church; and a harlot Woman would represent Satan church. In this story Christ out lines it as virgins so we know he is talking about his church and not the world.
2: And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3: They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5: While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Both the wise and foolish became weary while waiting for the Bridegroom (Jesus) to come, so they slept. But look at what happens next
6: And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7: Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8: And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9: But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Here my friend is what makes the different, did they all bring enough oil with them. They all had Jesus, they all were Christians, but there was something missing with half of them, the oil. And what does oil represent in the Bible that is correct Gods Holy Spirit
10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Christians who are ready will go in with the Bridegroom when he comes; but what about all the rest.
11: Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12: But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
I don’t want to hear my Lord say to me I know you not. We need to be studying Gods word everyday we need to be obeying His commandments all ten of them. What did Jesus say in Revelation:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Gods true Church will be the ones keeping His commandments, why because Jesus said in John 14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
We don’t keep His commandment to be saved; we keep them because we are saved. If you love someone doing what they asked you to do is an enjoyment.
When I got married I wonted to do what ever it took to make my wife happy. So when she would ask me to do something I did it with joy. Why because I knew it showed her that I love her and still do after 39 years. When we do what Jesus ask us to do it shows others in the world who we love. So you see doing what someone ask is a way of showing you love them, that is what Jesus was saying.
There are some Churches today that say we don’t need to keep those old Ten Commandments Jesus did away with them on the Cross. Is that what Jesus said or is that someone interpolation, let’s take a look at what Jesus said
Look at Matthew 5:
17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
I did not come to do away with but to fulfill all the Law and commandments. These words are coming for the same God who created man and gave man His laws. Jesus said I am not come to do away with my Laws but to fulfill my Laws.
A rich young man came up to Jesus one day and asked this question
Mark: 10:17: Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
What must I do so I can have eternal life: What did Jesus reply to him
19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
If Jesus came to do away with the Ten Commandments why would He instruct this young ruler that he needs to keep them.
Let’s go on and see his answer:
20: And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21: One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22: And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
What was this young man real problem, Commandment number 1 Look at Exodus 20:
3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. His money was his God, he was blind to the fact that he was putting his money before God and breaking the very first Commandment.
Take a good look now in the book of Revelation and hear what the angle is saying to every creature on Earth, it is called the Everlasting Gospel.
Revelation 14:
6: And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Where in the Bible can we find those same words, in the 4th Commandment. It tells us who God is and what God did. God is the creator God; He made the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. He spoke the world into existence and then in Genesis 1 He said 31: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
Right in the very heart of Gods Ten Commandments we find the same words as the angle uses in the Book of Revelations. Go and read them for yourself
Exodus 20:
8: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
My friend the Angle in Revelation is pointing man back to his Creator God; and is telling all the Earth to Worship Him and Him only this whole controversy is over one thing, who do you worship. God or Satan
So my question why did Jesus say to the religious leaders 2000 years ago In Vane do they worship me; because He knew as we get nearer to the end of time the religious leaders will again put there traditions above Gods Law. If they hated Him they will hate His true followers that do as He has asked them to do.
Matthew 5:
18: Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
I ask you what should you be doing, what Man said or what Jesus said. Read your Bible and study it and let Gods Holy Spirit lead you into all truth. You can’t trust the religious leaders today any more then you could trust them 2000 years ago.
Matthew 7:
21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23: And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In the judgment many of the great religious leaders today will be standing there on the outside saying Lord look at all we done for you have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works yes even miracles. But what does the Bible say Jesus will answer them. I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These men knew the truth and refused to preach it because it was not the popular thing to do, it did not bring in the large groups of people that they needed to keep them living in there beautiful homes and churches. That is what will make the different between Gods true people. Who are you worshiping, who are you following.
Revelation:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
I hope as you read this sermon that you study your Bible and see that no where did Jesus do away with any of His Ten Commandments. They are still there and still to be obeyed as on the very first day God gave them to Moses. And on the 4th He told Moses Remember, Remember what I did back in creation how it was I who created this World and all the things in it and it was I who created Man and gave him My Sabbath to be a day that we both will be together
The Ten Commandments are the very character of God Himself, in them He is showing us what He is like; He is a God of love, mercy, passion, and a God Justice.
In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. In the garden God gave one little test to our first parents, He said you may eat freely of every tree in the garden except this one tree. It was a simple test of obeying what God said.
Along comes Satan and says to man oh you are not going to surely die. Who do you believe; you see the different it makes in doing what God said to do. Again God is giving man one little test of who will you obey. Jesus said in John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John:14:23: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Just remember we don’t keep His commandment to be saved; we keep them because we are saved by His grace and we show that we love Him by doing the things He said to do. Keeping His Law keeping His Commandments, the ones He wrote on stone with His own finger.
Matthew:12:8: For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Mark:2:28: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Luke:6:5: And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
In three of the four Gospels you will find Jesus telling us what day He is Lord of, He is Lord of the Sabbath day.
John a disciple of Jesus was witting the book of Revelations almost 50 years after the resurrection of Jesus. Read Revelations:1:10: I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. What day was John in the spirit, the day that Jesus called Himself Lord of; the Sabbath Day.
Friend do you love Jesus enough to do what He told you to do; don’t listen to anyone who is telling you different then what Jesus said. You want to show the world you love Jesus then do it His way and not the world’s way. Is God particular in what He says, you bet to know it. That is why He wrote the Ten Commandments Himself so no one could say oh those old Laws we don’t need them anymore.
God wrote them and on the 4th one He said Remember, don’t let anyone tell you to forget something that God told you to Remember.
God Bless
Elder Tim McNab
Truth about Lot’s Wife
Luke:17: 32: Remember Lot’s wife.
What was it about Lot’s Wife that Jesus would tell us to remember?
The world sometimes seams up-side down, so before we begin we need to ask Gods Blessing on what is the true meaning of what He said about Remember Lot’s wife
First we need to understand the story about Lot and his family so let’s go to the book of Genesis and start with Chapter 13:
7: And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8: And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
9: Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Abram was Lots uncle and together God had blessed them to the point that everything they had was too large for them to dwell together. So Abram said to Lot choose where you want to live, how wonderful was Lot’s uncle to give him first choice of all the land before them.
10: And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11: Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12: Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
Here we are told that Lot decided that he would dwell close to the big City of Sodom, but what did God say about Sodom.
13: But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Lot seen and knew about how wicked that city was but he believed that he could gain advantage by living there and maybe convert some of the people as well.
Sometime it’s not good to live in or near a big city, why because little by little Satan will use the things of pleasure to lure you or your family away from God and away from the truth.
Now understand that it is not Gods will that any should die but there are times when God must put a check on sin or it would destroy the world before its time. The City of Sodom was known for its wickedness and the time of probation for that City was drawing to and end. They were giving time to repent of all the Evil that was done in that great City, but there passion for sin was great.
Genesis: 18
16: And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17: And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
20: And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21: I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22: And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
We are told that these men were Angles that were with Jesus; they went on there way to Sodom while the Lord and Abraham stayed behind.
Genesis: 19
1: And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2: And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
God will never force His way into your home, he comes in only when He is invited into your home. Lot did not know at first these men were angles, he like many good men in his time, it was customary to watch by the gate for strangers coming into the city and invite them in to his home. Lot also knew the wickedness in the city at night and did not want these strangers to meet any harm, so he invited them into the safety of his home.
12: And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
13: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
The angles reveal to Lot there mission and give him warning to get out of the city because it will soon be destroyed. God will again in the last days give his people warning to get out of the Cities to a place of safety that He will provide for all who put there faith in him.
14: And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
Lot returned sorrowfully to his home and told the story of his failure. Then the angels bade him arise and take his wife and the two daughters who were yet in his house and leave the city. But Lot delayed.
Though daily distressed at beholding deeds of violence, he had no true conception of the debasing and abominable iniquity practiced in that vile city. He did not realize the terrible necessity for God’s judgments to put a check on sin. Some of his children clung to Sodom, and his wife refused to depart without them.
Lot like all true Christians did not loose his faith or belief in God even surrounded with all the evil and sin, he kept his eyes on God; but he did became unalarmed by all the vice in the city. By beholding we become changed, this is why we must guard the avenues of our minds, we must be carful of the things we watch and do as they will change us. Lot had hopped to turn others in Sodom to the one and true God, but in fact he ended up loosing his own family to the pleasure of Sin. We need to be carful of what we let our Children do and see as it will someday make a difference in there life, if they will or will not obey God and live or serve Satan and die.
17: And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
Is it importance to listen when God is giving instructions, when he tells you to do or not to do something in a cretin way. We might not understand the reason why God said to do something, but we need to make sure we do precisely to the T on how God said to do it. Remember Adam & Eve it was just a piece of fruit that’s all, but it was a piece of Fruit that God said don’t eat it for in the day you eat of it you will die. When God tells you to do something, do it according to His very word, when God says to remember something make sure you never forget it, it could save your life.
24: Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25: And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
The thought of leaving those whom he held dearest on earth seemed more than he could bear. It was hard to forsake his luxurious home and all the wealth acquired by the labors of his whole life, to go forth a destitute wanderer. Stupefied with sorrow, he lingered, loath to depart. But if it was not for the angels of God, they would all have perished in the ruin of Sodom. The heavenly messengers took him and his wife and daughters by the hand and led them out of the city.
26: But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
So here is the reason Jesus said remember Lot’s wife. She was instructed like Lot and his two daughters not to look back. God did everything He could to save her; all she needed to do was to obey His command. But the question is why did she looked back, did she for get something. In fact she did she left her heart there in Sodom, even thro her body was safe and on the outside of Sodom, her heart was on the things she left behind.
While her body was upon the plain, her heart clung to Sodom, and she perished with it. She rebelled against God because His judgments involved her possessions and her children in the ruin. Although so greatly favored in being called out from the wicked city, she felt that she was severely dealt with, because the wealth that it had taken years to accumulate must be left to destruction. Instead of thankfully accepting deliverance, she presumptuously looked back to desire the life of those who had rejected the divine warning. Her sin showed her to be unworthy of eternal life, for the preservation of which she felt so little gratitude. We should beware of treating lightly on God’s gracious provisions for our salvation
How sad when the children of the Father loose there hold on faith because of the trinkets of this world. When they would rather choose the pleasures of Sin for a season rather then eternal life with the God who loves them enough to die for them. Lot did all that a Father could do for his family, he was a man of faith, a man of purity, a man of prayers; but to his children and Wife he was only a foolish old man. To the world God people will look like foolish people because they will be different, they would choose the things of heaven over the pleasures of Sin in this world. They would choose to server God rather then Satan, they will be the ones doing what God said to do, John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
We must learn that there is nothing in this life more important then to serve the God who created us. Adam lost his grip on faith when Eve sinned and he chose to Sin with her rather then to be separated from her. He could not see Gods divine plan for mankind with out Eve, so rather then wait for God he too decided to join Eve in her act of rebellion and disobeying Gods divine instructions.
Now let’s look at the words of Jesus in the book of Luke
Luke:17:
28: Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29: But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
God is telling us that this world is becoming a city of sin just like Sodom and soon his judgment will fall on all who have choosing to disobey His Laws His Commandments. It is not His will that any should be lost because He paid the price for all by His death on the cross. To be lost in Sin is a personal choice, it is a choice you make to turn your back on the truth and be lost in this world of Sin. Just because you go to Church does not give you a free ticket into heaven, remember Lot’s Wife. She was safe outside but her heart was still there in Sodom.
Let’s look again at the story Jesus was telling in the book of Matthew
Story about 10 Virgins Matthew 25:
1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2: And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3: They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5: While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Now let’s understand the setting of the story, this illustration is about Gods Church. Why I say that is because it is about Woman who are Virgins. A woman in the Bible represents as a Church, and a Virgin Woman would be GodsChurch.
6: And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
The Bride Groom represents Jesus coming back for His people
7: Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8: And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9: But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
What does oil represent in the Bible, Gods Holy Spirit that is correct.
10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
So here we find only half of God Church were keeping His laws and commandments and so they had more of the oil that only God can supply, His Holy Spirit. The other half of the so called Christians had some oil but when the time came they ran short on the oil that would keep there light burning. That light my friend is Jesus as long as we are looking at Jesus and keeping His word that light will guide us safely to Him. John:17: 7: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Psalme:119: 105: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
All who will have the Oil of the Holy Spirit will have enough that there light will keep burning and keep them on the right path to Jesus. But we must learn now that we need to Obey Gods and do what he told us to do. It is very important to follow Gods word and do as He told us to do and not the world. Isaiah:8:20: To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. The only truth there is, is in God word, don’t let someone fool you and say it is OK to forget what God say to remember.
11: Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12: But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Friend the story here in not about people who do not know Jesus, the story is about God Church. The problem again is those who believe and do what God said to do; and those who believe and do what the world said to do.
There is a danger and Jesus is giving us a warren that we will become like Lots wife. When the time comes and the message to leave our homes and things of this world, will you be lost or saved. Will you be one of the Christians who keep the commandments of God, or the traditions of your Church, there is a big different.
Do not let the things of this world keep you from eternal life with Jesus, when he said to remember Lot’s wife He was telling us to take care and listen to the Holy Spirit. Read everyday in Gods word; asking for God’s Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth. Obey His commandments not your Church doctrines. The Church doctrines will lead you to disobey; but Gods Word will supply you with enough oil to get you through the night and into the Wedding feast. Obey and don’t look back at the cities when God is telling you to get out.
Exodus 20: 8-11 Again God says to remember, but many of the Churches today say it is OK to forget.
8: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Right in the middle of Gods Ten Commandments we find the word REMEMBER. And who is telling us to remember God is, and what is He saying to remember, His Law His commandments. When God said to remember he was telling us to look back at the past to find out what He said to remember.
Genesis: 2:
1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Right there in the very beginning of creation, God did something wonderful, He blessed the last day of creation and made it holy. Then He tells us to Remember what He God did in the beginning, so you would have no drought of where you came from.
Look at how the Bible describes the Church at the end of time, he calls it Laodiceans and says it is in a Luke Warm stage Revelations: 3:
14: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
With God there is no in-between, you are either all for God or you will be all against God. There will be no one sitting on the fence with one leg in both sides.
Matther:6:
24: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
The Truth is that many Christians today are no different then Lot’s Wife. They have a form of Godliness on the outside but want the goods of this world on the inside. They are not cold but they are not hot either; they are kind of right there in the middle, (Luke Warm). That my friend is a dangerous place to be in the present of the almighty God of all creation
In the end time there will be only two choices to make; those who keep God Commandments, and those who do not keep God commandments. What side will you be on?
Revelation 14:
12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Who is Satan persecution, There will only be two choices.
Revelation:12:17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
God is telling us by His prophet John that Satan will be angry with the small group (remnant ) of true Christians who refused to disobey God. Then Satan will make war with Gods true Christians and persecute them through the others so called Christians who have compromised with the world and trample down the truth of Gods Word.
But I tell you a truth my friend, don’t be afraid, just have faith because God will be with His true people. He will lead them through time of trouble just like He did for the children of Israel. For 40 years God provide everything they needed in the wilderness and God will again provide for His end time people who have left Sodom for the safety of His provisions.
Don’t take lightly what God is telling you to do, and don’t think because some Church tradition or big religious leader is saying it is OK to do contrary to what God said is OK.
Out of all of Lot’s family only He and two of his children were saved, everyone one else was lost.
Remember also Noah, God gave him a massage to preach to the world of the soon coming destruction, but no one believed him. It did not stop Noah because he believed Gods word and when the time came to make a choice to enter into Gods provision of safety only 8 people were saved Genesis:7: 16: And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
God shut him in and probation for this world ended. God will again shut His true believers in and away from the destruction that is coming upon this world. Because they will be the ones who made the choice to do according to His commands and to keep His word as a light unto the path that will lead to salvation.
Luke: 21:
25: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26: Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27: And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28: And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
My friend what side will you be on, I pray that you will choose to keep Gods Law and His commandments all ten of them and not the 9 that the Churches of this world are saying it is OK to keep.
Revelation:14:7: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Right there in the last book of the New Testament it is telling us to Worship the God who back in Genesis Created this world, the same God who in the 4th commandment made the made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. What should you be doing, what God said to do, or what your Church is saying to do. Remember Lot’s Wife and obey the command of a God who loves you so much He came to die in your place in order to give you eternal life with His in a paradise kingdom that He is preparing for all who by faith believe in Him.
Matthew: 7:
13: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Read and understand what Jesus was saying, He is giving us a warning. The path that will lead you to Him is narrow and only a few only the remnant will find it.
The path that leads to Jesus is not the one that the large Churches are teaching. Remember Revelation 12: 17: The dragon went to make war with the remnant of her seed. The few that will find the straight path will be the ones keeping Gods Commandments, God’s Law, and God’s testimonies. We must learn that in order for anyone to be saved we must do what God is telling us to do and not the Church or the Church traditions. We will all stand before Jesus one day and be judge for what we know is the Truth. How will you fair on that day if you are doing something other then what Jesus has told you do.
You see we live in a World today where people say oh I am OK I am a good person I don’t hurt any one or do anything wrong. But is that enough my friend to get you in to Heave when the time comes or will you refused to leave your Sodom home.
We do things at home and watch things on TV or at the Movies, but I ask if Jesus came to live with you today would you watch them in His presents; or take Him to see that Movie. Would you say those things to your neighbor or take that thing that is not yours if Jesus was standing right there next to you.
My friend the Bible said in Proverbs:14:12: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. We think we are OK living the way we do but we would not live that way if Jesus was standing there with us or living in our Homes. And in this scripture it is telling us that these little things may someday be the difference between us wanting to leave or holding us back in this world of Sin.
God is a God of love a God of mercy a God of justice, but you can’t disobey what He is telling you to do in order to be saved and expect to be saved. If you do; wend the time comes to leave this Sodom world you too will look back at all the treasure and things you had to leave behind and find yourself a pillar of salt outside of the Kingdom of Jesus.
We must learn to put our faith in God and God alone. You can’t go by what your Church is teaching or by what your pastor may be preaching. You must study the word of God for yourself day by day and let His Holy Spirit guide you into all Truth. As you read and pray little by little the Holy Spirit will open your understanding of Gods word. As we get closer to the time of the end there will be many deceivers in the all Churches. This is why you must know the word of God for yourself and what is says.
Yes I know what you are thinking, I can’t read that well or I can’t remember what the Bible says. That is no excuses, just believe and let God lead. Maybe you will not remember now but when the time comes God will bring back everything you have been learning to safely guide you out of Sodom. Daily Bible studies are very importance even if it is just 5min a day, devote that time and be alone with God, just obey His voice and do the things He said to do.
Look at the Bible from cover to cover and read, it is all about a God looking for a people that love Him and want to show it by doing what He God say to do. Salvation my friend is just that simple obey and live disobey and die, the same test that Adam & Eve was giving is giving to each and everyone of us today.
1Kings:18:21:How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him
I pray that today you will choose to follow God and His truth.
God Bless you my friend and may we meet someday in God kingdom
Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth Ministries
It’s closer then you think
Scripture Mt: 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
STORY: Harley the Pit Bull,
Anyone have a Dog? Anyone have a Pit-Bull?
Pit-Bulls are about the most loving Dogs in the world, they are just giving a Bad name by people who miss-use them. Well I have a Pit-Bull named Harley; she was dropped off on my door step by my Children and never picked up again, but she is a very loving dog so she stayed.
Now and then she will do some of the strangest things, like getting in my way under my legs so I can’t move with out knowing she is right there. Then all at once she will be gone, now where did that crazy dog go I would say. So I would look all over the house for her and can’t find her, what is going on I would think.
I would start looking under the beds and no Harley; well I would say I know she did not just disappear. So again I would start the search room by room and then at last I would check the Bathroom, and when I pulled the shower curtain there she is right in the bathtub. Oh I would say you want aBathbut then I would notice in her eyes something strange. As I reach down to pet her she would be trembling and her tale between her legs in fear.
What is wrong I would say but just about then I would hear it outside. Thunder out side, I would go and look and see dark clouds with thundering and lightning. Where did this come from it was Sunshine just a little while ago. Oh that’s it she could hear and feel that there was a storm coming and did her best to warn me to take shelter in the bathroom. When I would not go she had no choice but to leave me and go her self. I would think that is remarkable that Animals know when something like bad weather is about to happen long before we ever hear or see it.
Let us Pray!
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Did you know that right before a Hurricane or an Earthquake Animals will start to act strange as if they somehow know something bad is coming!
Why is this, it is something left over from Noah days.
Let’s take a look at what happened back then in Noah’s time.
God told Noah that the End of everything was coming, to build a really big boat.
The question is why?
Genesis 6:
12: And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
The Earth was Corrupt with Sin and God told Noah to warned the people that the end is coming. Noah preached for right at 120 years, and what happened no one believed him.
Only the Animals believed and when the time came they went into the Ark and were saved while the world outside perished.
In the book of Matthew Jesus himself is telling us something very importance for the time we live in.
Matthew 24:
37: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38: For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
It is sad but the Bible is telling us that our World today is no different then it was back in Noah’s time
39: And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Most of the signs about Jesus return have all been fulfilled except for a few.
Matthew 24:
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
What did Jesus mean by all this?
There is a time coming that people will not believe there eyes if it were told them, in fact it is told them and they still will not believe.
The end of Sin out of Gods kingdom is soon to be removed forever, never to rise again.
But listen to what Jesus is telling us about how people will feel about his coming.
2nd Peter 3:
3: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4: And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Are there scoffers in these last days?. There always has been scoffers but they are getting worse.
They are scoffing at everything including the nearness of the coming of Jesus Christ. You have seen scoffers. They are everywhere and complain about anything, listen to just a few
- “Everything that can be invented has been invented. I recommend that we close the US Patent Office.”– this was the statement of the director of the US Patent Office to President of the United States in 1889.
- Thomas J. Watson Jr. of IBM predicted in 1958: “There is a world market for no more than about five computers. There’s no future in it.”
- In 1896, one magazine author wrote: “The vast majority of people would prefer a smooth running, reliable steam engine . . . to the evil smelling dangerous, wasteful, and at best uncertain and unreliable gasoline engine.”
- In 1900, a spokesman for the granddaddy of the Mercedes Benz Co. said: “There will probably be a mass market for about 1,000 automobiles, that’s about it. And after all, there is a limit to the number of Chauffeurs who could be found to drive them.” And during the next seven years Henry Ford sold millions of Model “T”s.
- In 1903, a preacher predicted, regarding air travel, “it’s good for God and angels and the birds…”. – -his name? Bishop Milton Wright, father of Orville and Wilbur Wright.
- In 1948, radio pioneer Mary Summerville predicted: “Television will not last. It is a flash in the pan.” Newspaper editor C.P. Scott agreed: “Television? No good will come of this devise. For one thing, the word itself is half Greek and half Latin. Is isn’t going to amount to a thing.”
- In December of 1989, West German politicians confided to David Hasselhoff that the Berlin Wall would still be in place long after their children and grandchildren had died. Two weeks later it came down!
Scoffers! I tell you there are an abounding number of scoffers in our world today, scoffing, even in the Church, “you will hear people saying Jesus coming is a long way off. Don’t worry about it, just be cool we are all going to be raptured
The last days are not far in the future my friend; and I believe the last days are here just around the corner.
Scoffers are saying: the ground under Los Angeles is solid. We aren’t expecting any earthquakes in our life-time. We still have time to eat, drink and be merry.
But God says in Luke 12:40, “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”
I think there are going to be many, many disasters in the last days, just before the coming of Jesus.
One type of disaster will be in bad weather. Look at Psalm 50:3 (NLT) Our God approaches with the noise of thunder and a great storm rages around Him..
Lighting and thunder.
- When God came toMount Sinaithere was a storm. Remember?
- When He appeared to Elijah there was a great storm.
- And just before the second coming, I think we are going to have great storms.
“Natural disasters, Ellen G. White says in Counsels on Health, “will be more and more frequence and disastrous.”
Come over here to Revelation 7 in your Bible. The first verse talks about the wind.
Revelation 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
In the last 20 years or so we have seen some of most devastating hurricanes ever.
Do you remember names like Mitch, Frances, Andrew, Katrina, Rita, Lili, Charley, Ivan, Jeanne. Those aren’t names that people are very happy with.
Those are big named hurricanes. Some of them coming and splitting and turning around and coming back again. We have the weirdest stuff going on. I think that eventually the angels will let go of the four winds.
What do these winds represent? They represent trouble, strife, wars, and all kinds of problems in the last days.
STORY: . **** Galveston Hurricane Report of 1900 ****,
In Galveston on the rain-darkened and gusty morning of Saturday, September 8, 1900, newspaper readers saw, on page three of the local Daily News, an early-morning account of a tropical hurricane prowling the Gulf of Mexico.
On the previous day Galveston had been placed under a storm warning by the central office of the Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) in Washington, D.C.a one-column headline announced, “Storm in the Gulf.” Under that, a small subhead proclaimed, “Great Damage Reported onMississippi and Louisiana Coasts-Wires Down-Details Meagre.” The story, only one paragraph long, had been sent out ofNew Orleans at 12:45 A.M. that same day, but it added nothing to the information presented in the headlines. Additional details were unavailable “owing to the prostration of the wires.” Beneath theNew Orleans report appeared a brief local story: “At midnight the moon was shining brightly and the sky was not as threatening as earlier in the night. The weather bureau had no late advice as to the storm’s movements and it may be that the tropical disturbance has changed its course or spent its force before reachingTexas.”
This hurricane had been first observed on August 30 in the vicinity of 15° north latitude and 63° west longitude, about 125 miles northwest of Martinique, proceeding westward. Galvestonians had been aware of the storm since September 4, when it was reported moving northward overCuba. From the first, however, details had been sketchy because of poor communications. Ships at sea, where oncoming hurricanes built strength, had no way of telegraphing weather observations ashore, and other nineteenth-century technical shortcomings interfered.
Except for the rain and wind, Saturday began in the city of 38,000 inhabitants much the same as any other weekday. People prepared for another stint in the routine of six-day workweeks then common; not even an encroaching tide disturbed them greatly. Galvestonians had become used to occasional “overflows,” when high water swept beachfronts. Houses and stores were elevated as a safeguard.
The tide kept crashing farther inland, and the wind steadily increased. The Weather Bureau official in charge locally, Isaac M. Cline, drove a horse-drawn cart around low areas warning people to leave. Comparatively few people had evacuated the city, before bridges fromGalvestonIslandto the mainland fell, many of the people along the beach waited until it was too late to seek shelter in buildings downtown, away from the Gulf.
Houses near the beach began falling first. The storm lifted debris from one row of buildings and hurled it against the next row until eventually two-thirds of the city, then the fourth largest city inTexas, had been destroyed. People striving to make their way through wind and water to refuge were struck by hurtling bricks and lumber and flying slate from roofs. The greatest wind velocity registered before the anemometer blew away at 5:15 P.M. was an average of eighty-four miles an hour for a five-minute period, but gusts of 100 miles an hour had been recorded, and weathermen’s estimates later reached more than 120 miles an hour. About 6:30 P.M. a storm wave, sweeping ashore in advance of the hurricane’s vortex, caused a sudden rise of four feet in water depth, and shortly afterward the entire city was underwater to a maximum depth of fifteen feet. This storm wave caused much of the damage. The lowest barometer reading was 28.44, recorded shortly after 7:00 P.M. Around 10:00 P.M. the tide began to fall slowly, and little damage occurred after that.
September 9 dawned on desolation. Most of the city lay in shambles. Between 6,000 and 8,000 people in the city ofGalvestonhad died, and estimated casualties for the entire island ranged from 10,000 to 12,000. Property damage was impossible to estimate by current standards, but contemporary figures ranged from twenty to thirty million dollars.
A high-water mark of 15.7 feet and high winds had destroyed a third of the city, including 2,636 houses and 300 feet or 1,500 acres of shoreline. The sixteen ships anchored in the harbor at the time of the storm also suffered extensive damage.
More violent and costlier hurricanes have struck coastal areas of the United States since 1900, but because of the death toll the Galveston storm that year was in the 1980s still called the worst recorded natural disaster ever to strike the North American continent.
They had signs, they had reports, but no one picked up on them.
The worse thing that can happen is when the warning is giving and no one pays attention until it is too late.
If hindsight was foresight our first parents would have never sinned
I think we will have great storms in these last days and I don’t mean just Hurricanes. The winds of strife are beginning to blow, and in the last days there will be great trouble raging all over this entire Planet.
Take care because there is hope in Jesus
Revelation 7:
2: And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3: Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
God will take care of his people in these times, we have nothing to fear if we put our faith and trust in the hands of Jesus
Psalm: 91:
7: A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8: Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
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What are you doing to warn people of this soon coming End?
Look at what the Bible is telling us, we are the Watchman on the Wall we must tell the people. It is not our job to force them to hear or believe, but it is our job to let them know that it is coming and that it is closer then many people think it is.
There are many who have not heard, many who have not been told, many who have not been warned, and it is our job to warn them of what is coming.
Ezekiel 33:
6: But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
7: So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house ofIsrael; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8: When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9: Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
We must tell the world that Jesus is coming back soon, and not just soon but very soon. .
We are the Watchman on the Wall; every little thing you do will find someone who is looking for the truth.
Look at what Jesus is telling us in the book of Isaiah:55:
11: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
We go not alone, Jesus is right there with us
Hope is in Jesus, we must tell the World that Jesus is coming
What are you doing oh Watchman?
Jesus said in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.”
How can we sound the trumpet? How can we let the people know?
There are many ways to share the Gospel, the good news about Jesus.
Everything thing we do will fall into one of three categories.
1. Direct Contact:
- a. Face to Face sharing the good news
- b. Visiting the needed
- c. Bible studies
- d. Volunteering
- e. Missionary work
- f. Your personal behavior, and that effects people more then you think.
2. Indirect Contact:
- a. Mailing; this can be anything from sending a card to say Thanks, Miss you, happy birthday, hope you get well soon.
- b. Leaving literature behind, tracks, free Bible studies cards, Health booklets,
- c. Finding people who are in need and directing them to help
- d. Sharing your resources, Time or Money
There are a lot of Christian’s right here in our Church that I know who minister, through Indirect Contact; God bless you for what you do in His name.
3. Prayer:
- a. Just that on your knee interceding in someone behalf.
- b. Nothing will get you closer to Jesus then through Praying for someone else.
The gospel is going to the world. And, many Christian denominations are out there preaching about Jesus. We’re doing a lot, but we’ve got a lot more to do and we need to keep at it.
God has richly blessed the spread of His Gospel.
We need to keep something at heart, When the Gospel goes to the entire world, we go home!
Is it going to the world, I think it is and I think Jesus coming is a lot closer then you think
What are you doing personally to help other prepare for His coming?
Friends, the last days are an Opportunity.
It is the last opportunity for a dying world to know its creator, an opportunity for us to preach the gospel, an opportunity for you to give your heart to Jesus Christ
I wonder if there is anybody here today who needs a saving relationship with Jesus. Are you closer to Jesus today than you were last year?
Do you truly have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? If not would you like to receive Jesus as your Savior all you need to do is to invite Him in to your life?
If you want to know more details of last day events, I highly advise reading a very informative book called The Great Controversy, by EG White, especially the last chapters.
Friend: It is closer then you think.
May the Lord our God guide and Bless you as you seek for His Truth
What are your priorities?
At a Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk away.
6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed.. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, priorities.
Let us Pray! ——————————————————
What are your Priorities in life?
Do you really truth God; Do you trust him with your Money and with your time
There is a story that Luke tell about a Rich man..
LUKE 12:16 The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. It brought forth plentifully. I don’t know what the crop was. It could have been wheat or figs or kiwis or even Okra.
His problem was that his barns were too small. If you have a very good crop and a very small barn what do you do?
What follows is what his mind told him to do.
Verse 18: I will TEAR DOWN my barns and build bigger ones. There will I store all my grain and my goods. End of problem. Right? Wrong!
He forgot just one thing…. the uncertainty of life.
– He was considered a fool NOT because he was rich and successful.
– He was considered a fool Not because he was cautious & a careful planner
– He was called a Fool because he considered himself the OWNER of the goods which his farms produced.
He had the right Idea but the wrong priorities
In Verse 19–he talked to his SOUL(!); “Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, & be merry.
He should have talked with God. Instead he consulted with himself. That night his many years shriveled into a few hours.
At that point Jesus asked a question– When you die, who will take possession of your things?
Luke 12:20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
Have you ever gone to an Estate Sale or an auction of someone’s estate who you knew? You see the ownership of the things they valued being transferred to someone else.
There is no such thing as a FUNERAL HEARSE WITH A U-HAUL TRAILER BEHIND IT.
Ownership implies control. At the best we can only control our possessions for a time.
See if you think this statement is true: WE ONLY OWN THOSE THINGS OTHERS ARE WILLING TO ADMIT THAT WE OWN.
Who own your House or you Car, do you own them or the bank, they only allow you to live in the house or drive the car, Stop paying on them for a few months and see who really owns them
On this earth we have conditional ownership.
Only Jesus Christ has true ownership.
Christian stewardship is really a Relationship with Jesus.
If our farmer in this parable had recognized that he was just a steward and that God really owned the farm he would not have talked with himself.
His conversation might have been like this: “Lord, your FARM produced so bountifully this year under your blessing that your barn is too small to hold your harvest. Shall I tear it down and build a bigger one?
Jesus might have replied: Leave the barn alone, it is big enough. ……So what are we going to do with all your surplus?
No problem. Just give it to My children who are in need. In fact, the Lord may have said something like this: I invite you to Enjoy what I enjoy,—
Do you know what God Enjoys? “Giving” THE PRIVILEGE OF GIVING.
Giving is a divine privilege. Giving from a heart that is in love with Jesus will produce more joy to the giver than to the receiver.
I was in Galveston Texas one time, as I came upon a poor man who looked like he was wearing all the clothing he possessed. As he sat there on the floor his hand was outstretched. I put some money in his hand and went on. He said God Bless You Mister! I thought about that man. It is not a divine privilege to sit there against that cold wall and beg. The divine privilege is to be the one who is able to place the money in his hand.
As humans we were given two divine privileges that God has:
1)– To give, this is a divine privilege!
2)– To forgive. Only God can forgive us. But we can forgive each other.
But giving is not only in Money, most importance it is in TIME
One problem that we have is that we try to equate material things with security. The more we have the better or the safer we are.
So we get more and more until at some point we depend upon a god we can see rather that a God we can’t see. If an accumulation of material things brings happiness why are so many rich folks so unhappy?
A man wrote about the late JACKIE GLEASON. There were two Jackie Gleasons he said:
The LIFE-IS-A-LARK Gleason who charmed his audiences by saying: HOW SWEET IT IS!, and the private man trying to drown his problems in alcohol.
Like Solomon, Gleason could have anything he wanted, and both could have said: all is vanity. They both had vast amounts of money.
But the problem was that they did not have dominion over their possessions, their possessions dominated them.
Their goods had become their gods. If you remove one of the two “o”‘s from goods you have gods.
If we truly understand stewardship we will recognize that God gives us the FREEDOM OF DEPENDENCE!
We like to think that freedom is INDEPENDENCE. But that is not God’s plan at all.
God Planned that we should have the freedom of DEPENDENCE.
In their ideal state, ADAM AND EVE had no housing problems, no clothing problems, no problems with weather, health, payments etc.
It would be a strange person who wouldn’t settle for such a situation today.
Then one day along came an ugly old snake in the leaves he said,
Look, God knows that the day you eat of the fruit you will be as gods, you’ll be INDEPENDENT. You will not need Him. What happened?
Everything went berserk.
They were evicted from their home, they had clothing problems, the weather changed, they needed band aids to deal with the thorns,
Eve knew pain as she gave birth, they needed health insurance, they needed death benefits, they had big problems.
They were better off when God owned it all and they were the managers.
If today you place everything you own on the alter and give the ownership to God you are better off.
Look at it this way IF A PERSON DOESN’T OWN ANYTHING, HE IS NEVER SUBJECT TO LOSS
Job thought that way. That is why he could say “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job recognized Who owned everything he managed, therefore, God could trust him with 2X as much as he had before.
One day a church treasurer resigned. Finally the church asked the local grain elevator manager to take over. He agreed under two conditions:
That no treasurer’s report would be given for the first year. That no Questions be asked about finances during that whole 12 months.
The members were surprised but because he was known for his honesty they agreed. At the end of the year he gave the first treasurers report red:
*The church indebtness of $228,000 had been paid.
*The minister’s salary had been increased by 8%
*The Cooperative Program gifts had been paid 200%
*There were no outstanding bills.
*There was a cash balance of $11,252!
Immediately the shocked congregation asked: “How did you do it?” Where did all the money come from?
He quietly answered: “Most of you bring your grain to my elevator.
Throughout the year I simply withheld 10% on your behalf and gave it to the church in your name. I have your receipts here.
And none of you even missed it. Do you see what we could do for the Lord if we were all willing to return an honest Tithe to God, Who really owes it anyway?”
We Humans have been given possessions as a test to determine whether we can MANAGE eternal things.
If we can’t manage a few dollars down here, what would we do with a whole galaxy?
So this test here is given so there will be no possibility that a selfish person will get into heaven.
We have the divine privilege of giving. Job could say in JOB 29:15-16 “I was father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not, I searched out”
We should look for projects to give to, and not have to wait for appeals to be made. We should consider every NEED as an OPPORTUNITY.
In our parable today about the rich farmer who tore down his barns and built larger ones, the final outcome was not long in coming. LUKE 12:20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
The final verse says in verse 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Don’t get me wrong it’s OK to store up things for ourselves but at the same time we need to be RICH TOWARD GOD.
We make a living through what we get,
We make a life through what we GIVE!!
You can take it with you!
By giving to the needs of God and His work right here we are depositing PEARLS into that vault in heaven.
In my 401K the company gives .35 to every dollar I put in, that is good free money, You would be a fool not to invest.
God said for every dollar you give I will match it 100 times
You will see that your deposits have gained interest and there is quite an accumulation there. Why because you were unselfish here.
May God richly Bless you in your giving back to him what is already His.
Last Day Counterfeits
Prov. 14:12 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
If you were the devil and could counterfeit anything you wanted, what would it be? Certainly it would be some thing of great worth.
Have you ever seen a counterfeit pile of dirt or a counterfeit toothpick? We only copy valuable things. Money is often copied.
“Satan is constantly seeking to counterfeit the work of Christ.”
Matthew 13:24,25 – “Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.‘”
Satan especially likes to plant his tares among the wheat.
The arch counterfeiter is the devil. So, as you might expect, the biggest forgery today is in religion. Churches (most of them unknowingly) have become involved in teaching forged illusions of Bible truth. With so many clones out there, truth seekers become confused and many simply seek out the best counterfeit. Never be satisfied with anything less than the genuine article.
Swindler Satan’s simulations reach fervent pitch in the last days. In Luke 21:8 Jesus said: “Watch out that you are not deceived.”
I Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow ddeceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
God’s truth has splintered into more than 250 different beliefs. This forgery of truth has been masterminded by the devil.
This replica of truth is not new. Christ warned about it in His day: Mark 7:7 – “In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men.”
Let us look at a few of the many delusions the devil has devised and that most of the world accepts:
Everything was Good
(1)–Creation/Evolution Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” I believe that in the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth. The chance that higher life forms might have emerged through the evolutionary processes is comparable to the chance that a tornado sweeping through a landfill might accidently assemble a space shuttle all gassed up and ready to fly from the junk in the dump.
If we can’t believe in the first sentence in the Bible, then we must reject every other page as fraudulent.
Another hoax emanating from the time of Genesis comes from the Garden of Eden. It was there that the original “Snake in the Grass” announced a great counterfeit that is still believed by most of the Christian world today.
(2) – There is no Death. Genesis 3:4 – “‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman…” Almost every church today believes this deception. Most of the religions of the world have purchased the devil’s lie- hook, line, and sinker. In saying “There is no death” he was introducing the delusion that there is life apart from God, Who is the source and maintainer of all life. God said man is mortal, the devil said he is immortal and that evil or good, man will never die. Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The wage of sin is NOT eternal life. Even if that life is in the fire of hell. Think about it, if you are alive in the fire of hell forever then you would have to have eternal life. Not much of a life!…. but it does last an eternity. Is that what the Bible says? NO! The wage of SIN is not life in hell or anywhere else. The wage of sin is death. Eternal Death. Just the opposite of the gift of God which is eternal life. Praise God for Eternal life! (Note that even Jesus said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”)
So, this counterfeit, that there is no death, opens the door for yet another fabrication!
(3) – I call it– Fake Fire. You see, if a sinner dies, and somehow does not die, then he must be alive somewhere. Where is that? Hell! And so the belief that there is no death means that life is indestructible. After “death” the person continues to live on somewhere. The unsaved sinner can’t die. So people believe that when the sinner is cast into hell fire, he must live there forever.
He can’t die. And do you know that 95% of all Christian Churches, yet to this day, still believe it?! They have accepted the counterfeit. Why do I call this “fake fire”? Because -if- the fire of hell can’t do its job in a million years or more then it is lukewarm fire!
How does the Bible describe hell fire? II Peter 3:10-12 – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief… The elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
Next delusion: When Adam and Eve were created from the hand of God, their first full day was spent in worship on the holy Sabbath Day. This brings us to the next counterfeit:
The 7th day is the Sabbath
(4) – Sunday is the Sabbath. A gigantic perversion of Bible truth in religion today, involves the question of which day is the true day of worship. Sunday observance has its roots back in the days immediately after the flood (Genesis 10 and Nimrod) In that time, Sun worship was conducted on the day of the sun, that we call “Sun-day.” As sun-worship began to increase, God decided to give to his people a written copy of His law. In the heart of it is His Sabbath commandment.
Exodus 20:8-11 The longest commandment is the only one with the word REMEMBER! If there was not a counterfeit in the making, why do you suppose God would say that? And so today there are many Christians accepting this counterfeit as the genuine article.
But fortunately today there is a movement in the world to get back to the real thing. The Seventh-day Adventist church is basically a call for a return to the truth as it is in the Bible.
Sunday keeping is a counterfeit of God’s Bible Sabbath. God says: Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy!
The counterfeiting continues. The devil needed a logical event on which to base a reason for first-day observance. And so today we have good Christians keeping Sunday because of the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week. This is not a Bible reason for Sunday worship. We certainly believe in the resurrection of Christ. But this is not a reason to switch from keeping Sabbath.
Now because one lie leads to another, the need arose for a counterfeit Baptism.
(5) – Is Sprinkling Baptism: Baptism under the water is God’s true symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Sunday is not the symbol to honor His resurrection. The new life of the new Christian is! And so if you take Sunday keeping as the symbol of the resurrection, you must introduce a counterfeit baptism that does no require this three fold symbolism. Hence: sprinkling! And so the large majority of Christians today accept this counterfeit baptism and don’t know why.
Ephesians 4:5 speaks of one baptism. Matthew 3:16 tells of Jesus baptism; going down into the water, being buried in it, and coming up out of the water renewed.
(6) – False Christs Matthew 24:24 – “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible.”
How many Redeemers do we have? One! Who is that? Jesus Christ. Any other is a false Christ. However, it seems that the Papacy is about to establish an additional redeemer. The over 400 apparitions of the “Virgin Mary” in the last 100 years are shaking the Roman Catholic Church to its core. During just the last four years Pope John Paul II has received over four Million signed petitions to name Mary as CO-REDEMPTRIX with Jesus Christ.
The Pope is considering naming Mary also as the “Mediatrix of All Graces and Advocate for the People of God.” This means that all prayers must flow through her as the ONLY channel of grace from Jesus Christ.
This would in essence elevate Mary to a place in a new “Holy Quartet” of the Godhead!
[for more information see Waymarks, a pamphlet published by the Southern Union Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Volume 2, # 4, October 1997 issue.]
In John Paul II’s own words, “the new Eve beside the New Adam [Christ] in the Redemption.” Thus Mary would be the daughter of the Father, the mother of the Son and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
see Freedom Alert a periodical published by the Council on Religious Freedom, Vol. 13, Issue 4, 1997, E-mail address: page 8.
So you can see there are apocalyptic counterfeits currently in the making. If and when Mary is made a God, it means the World is racing inexorably towards a prophetic date with destiny! You have heard of these little books: God’s Little Instruction Book and etc. Now there is a Mary’s Little Instruction Book.
(7) False Church: God has a true church. She is described as a woman who is in deadly combat with a devil like dragon. Revelation 12:17 – “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
Lutherans and Calvinists are adopting common communions. [AP, 8-18-97]. A public announcement was made in Chattanooga, TN on Sunday May 4, 1997 by an archbishop of the Episcopal Church stating that Protestantism has all but died and that will leave only the Roman Catholic Church to represent Christianity. “God’s church is catholic,” he said. see Chattanooga Free Press, May 10, 1997 p. B1.
Ralph Reed, the director of the Christian Coalition in 1996 said: There is a growing strength of evangelicals and their Roman Catholic allies. “Dark distrust about popery has been swept into the ash heap of history. John F Kennedy’s election in 1960 buried the Catholic bogeyman forever. No longer burdened by the past, Roman Catholics, evangelicals, Greek Orthodox and many mainline denominations are forging a new alliance… See Freedom Report April, 1996, Clifford Goldstein, Editor.
“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of Doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees, sustain their institutions, then protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” – EG White, Great Controversy p. 445
(8) A COPIED COMING Prophecy warns that in the last days Satan would attempt to impersonate Christ’s second coming. II Thess. 2:3-4 That day shall not come, except there be a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed as God showing himself to be God. II Thess. 2:8-12 That wicked shall be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. Even him (Satan) whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. With all deceit (many counterfeits).
Luke 21:8 – “many shall come in My name.” II Cor. 11:14 (KJV) – “Satan, himself, is transformed into an angel of light.”
“in the last days he will appear in such a manner as to make men believe him to be Christ come the second time. He will bear the APPEARANCE OF CHRIST IN EVERY PARTICULAR…” – EG White, Vol. 5, Testimonies for the Church, p.698
Back in the 1970’s a rare discovery was made. It was called a pathological phenomenon. Scientists in China discovered a lady actually growing horns out of the top of her head. The written account said that she looked “like the Devil.”
For years the devil has sought to teach a false-hood here. We picture him as a red skinned imp with a tail and horns, and a pitchfork in his hand. This is a false picture. A trick. He has thrown this dust in the eyes of most in the world so that when he comes as an angel of light no one will recognize him and his coming will be accepted as the coming of Christ, Himself. What a counterfeit!
Speaking of Christs second coming: I Thess. 4:16-17 states the correct manner of His coming in the clouds of glory, and in the air.
Every Eye will see Jesus coming
Rev. 1:7 – Every Eye will see Jesus come!
Very soon, Satan will appear as the true Christ “He will be clothed as an angel of light…The apostate churches unite in the exaltation of Satan…” – EG White, Testimonies for Ministers, p.62 “Disguised as an angel of light, Satan will walk the earth as a wonder-worker. In beautiful language he will present lofty things. Good words will be spoken by him, and good deeds performed. Christ will be personified, but on one point there will be a marked distinction, Satan will turn the people from the LAW OF GOD. – EG White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 471-472.
“He will declare that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day of the week and that he is the lord of the first day.” – EG White, Maranatha p. 205
“Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds to deceive. God’s people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will COUNTERFEIT the miracles that will be wrought.” – EG White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 16.
Matt. 24:24 (KJV) “..shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, in so much, that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” – Revelation 16:14 (KJV) says “for they are the spirits of DEVILS, working miracles…”
“Before the end of time he (Satan) will work still greater wonders. So far as his power extends, he will perform ACTUAL miracles.” – EG White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol 5, p.698
(9) – Hoax Healings – these miracles are another great counterfeit of Satan.
Revelation 13:13 – “And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.”
Revelation 16:14 – “They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs…”
EG White – 2SM51 – “He is to work miracles; and this wonderful, miracle-working power is to sweep in the whole world.”
EG White Testimonies t the Church, Vol 1 – “The sick will be healed before us. Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are we prepared for this?”
Have you ever thought about why it is that we seem to be seeing less and less true miracles of physical healing from God? Could it be that these things will fade in importance in the last days, because Satan is counterfeiting so many of them. The devil knows his time is short and these miracles and the imitation of Christ’s Second Coming are his trump cards. As we hear more and more about these false healings and false Christ, we should wake up to the fact that the real genuine article is almost here. How often the fake just precedes the real event.
EG White Great Controversy, p. 625 – “Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent.” …. “only those who have been diligent students of the scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive.”
(10)-His counterfeit of the Bible– There are so many books out there claiming to contain the truth. The Koran, the book of Mormon, the new age writings, … the list could go on and on.
But there is only one Bible and It is hard to know which Bible is the Real Bible.
I stood at a Bible Book store and saw a
• Bible for Men with nuts, bolts, gears on the front cover.
• I saw a Bible for Women.
• A Bible For Mothers.
• A bible for Fathers.
• A bible for Students.
• A bible for Teenagers.
• A bible for Boys.
• A bible for Girls.
• A bible for Parents.
• A bible for New Converts.
• A bible for hillbillies.
• A bible for African Americans.
• A bible for Catholics.
I wanted a copy of God’s real word for me!
(11) –His emulation of the church-fellowship…
“The neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit that there is to the fellowship Christ wants to give His people. It’s an imitation dispensing liquor instead of grace, escape rather than reality, but it is a permissive, accepting fellowship. It is a place where you can tell secrets and they usually don’t want to tell others. The bar flourishes not because many people are alcoholics, but because God has put into the human heart the desire to know and to be known, and loved, and many seek a counterfeit at the price of a few beers and are led into the devil’s trap and barred from eternal life.”
(12) –His backward millennium with its deadly second chance after seven years of tribulation AFTER the second coming. Revelation 20 does not indicate there will be a second chance after the rapture. Jesus will come at the beginning of the 1000 years. All the righteous will be taken to heaven and all the wicked will be left behind dead and unburied.
(13) — TANGLED TONGUES:
There is a movement today in religion that says unless you speak in tongues you are not saved. Yet Jesus never spoke in tongues or David or John or hundreds of other Saints. Most of what is claimed as Bible examples of speaking in tongues is actually the gift of another LANGUAGE.
Listen to Acts 2:2-6 (Living Bible) – “Suddenly there was a sound like
the roaring of mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the
house where they were meeting. What looked like flames or tongues of fire
appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with
the Holy Spirit and began SPEAKING in languages they didn’t know for the Holy
Spirit gave them this ability.
And when they heard the roaring in the sky above the house, CROWDS CAME
RUNNING to see what it was all about and were stunned to hear their OWN
LANGUAGES being spoken by the disciples.”
That is how the Holy Spirit came to them. The same could and must happen to each of us today. The time is here. The Spirit is even now being poured out. Are you receiving it yet? If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be filled with another spirit.
I would like to share with you something that I will never forget. It happened when I was about 11 years old. A young lady about 26 years old had been suffering from cancer for eight months. She was paralyzed and wasn’t able to walk. One Saturday night she asked her husband to take her to the Holy Ghost Pentecostal church. He did and carried her in through the door. The group there were with the spirit that night and excitement was high. Immediately that paralyzed lady began to preach and pray. She started talking in an unknown tongue. “I couldn’t understand her,” her husband said.
But in a few minutes she stopped, and then, as if a hand had raised her to her feet, she stood up and began to walk around. (Remember she had been paralyzed.) They were all praising the Lord about that time. Suddenly she darted from the church with her husband trailing behind her; but he couldn’t catch her. She kept running until she reached the highway, where upon she immediately jumped in front of a passing car. She was killed. (Newspaper- Houston Press, Nov. 17, 1952)
Here was a woman who went to a Holy Ghost meeting. She started speaking in tongues. She apparently seemed to be healed and then was lifted out of her seat and ran out and flung herself in front of a speeding car.
Could that be the Spirit of God? I can’t believe it. The spirit of the DEVIL leads to self destruction as in the case of the swine that ran into the sea. If the Holy spirit takes charge of our lives, then he will lead us to life in Christ. If the Evil spirit takes charge, he will lead us to the road of destruction. Let us make sure that we have the Holy Spirit in control of our lives. The Devil is now trying to counterfeit every truth of God. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14.
Our only safety is to be led by the Holy Spirit. I want to be a son of God. Don’t you?
The best way to detect a counterfeit twenty dollar bill is to KNOW THE GENUINE. To avoid being taken in by all the falsehoods and videos and cassette tapes and mimeographed sheets that come in the mail, what must you do? Must you wade through all that stuff? NO! You concentrate on knowing Jesus Christ. He is the truth. Study your Bible. Focus on Jesus. And someday when the counterfeit is placed in your hands, you will instantly know it is a fake. I saw a counterfeit bill one day and it only took a glance and I knew it was bad.
Sometimes I wish Jesus would keep the counterfeits of His truth out of circulation like the Bank tries to do with the bad money. You can’t go to the Bank and get any counterfeit money. So do your spiritual banking with Jesus! Invest in the truth. The truth is Jesus.
Jesus said: “I am the way the Truth and the Life.”
Stick with Jesus and you will not be deceived.
Sermon from McDonald Road SDA Church
Does GOD still have Laws?
Are laws important?
Do laws put us in bondage?
Have you ever lived in a place where there were no laws?
What would happen to the USA if there were no laws to govern the people?
Just think, no laws so you could just do what ever you want and no one would stop you. Except everyone else is doing the same thing as you, and there is no one stopping them either.
Do you see where a problem could come from?
What if I don’t like stopping for a red light, there are always a pain and turn red at the wrong times. So I am going to just drive straight through them from now on. I might not live long doing that but remember there are no laws telling me I can’t.
Laws are not made to keep us from something good! They are made to keep us happy and safe. So everyone knows what to expect from the other person.
Did God give us laws?
Were Gods Laws to be a burden or a joy to mankind?
What about Grace if we have Grace Do we still need Laws?
GRACE:
We don’t have to earn it. It is the most valuable gift of all. The Scripture says in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation does not come from any human effort. It is a free gift without a penny and without price. It is the science of salvation that deserves our attention and our study.
In Revelation 5:9, the redeemed are pictured as standing before the throne of God, both those redeemed from the Old Testament times and from the New Testament times, singing glory to Jesus, the Lamb, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” A great, fundamental truth is expressed here—the only way a sinner can be saved is through the blood of Jesus. Since the time of Adam, sinners have been saved only by believing in Jesus.
If men are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, where does the Ten Commandment law come in?
Throughout all the ages of controversy between Christ and Satan, the devil has sought to destroy the authority of God over man by casting the law aside and by preventing knowledge of the truth about the law.
The enemy of Christ brings this about by rejection of the law or a wrong concept of the dispensation of the law as opposed to the dispensation of the gospel.
Satan could bring in the principle of salvation through works, and prevent the functioning of the law according to God’s design.
The role that the law fulfills in relation to the gospel is two-fold. First, it is God’s standard of what is right and true. As a standard the law expresses the mind or will of God, for in Psalm 40:8 it says, “I delight to do thy will, 0 my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.” The law also declares man’s duty to God, for in Ecclesiastes 12:13 we read, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
How often I have heard Christians boast that they don’t care about the law of God. They hide behind Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
They say that since they are saved by grace, through the atoning blood of Christ, they don’t have to keep God’s commandments at all. Have you ever heard that theory? Well, I am sure the Bible doesn’t teach that.
In Romans 6:15, the very next verse in the chapter, Paul says, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” The fourteenth verse has stated, “Sin shall not have dominion over us,” or “it shall not be our ruler.”
We are not under sin, or the condemnation of the law either, when we obey God. Why? Because we are saved by grace. But does that license us to sin? “God forbid.” Friends, when an individual is saved by grace, he is under greater obligation than ever before to keep the law of God.
As it says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” Are we licensed to break the law of God because we are saved by grace and saved by faith? God forbid. “Yea,” he says, “we establish the law.” The law is firmer than ever in our lives.
Who is under the law today in your city? Those who have broken it; they are under the law, and in jail. The man who keeps the law is the man who is free today. The law breaker is under the condemnation of the law.
Right here let us stop a moment and read the definition of sin in 1 John 3:4. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” That is very clear. When a man sins he has transgressed the law.
Every sinner has broken the law. What is sin? “The transgression of the law” When a man sins, what does he do? He breaks the law of God. There must be a law, otherwise he couldn’t break it. We are not under the law unless we break it.
I would fear to be called a minister of the Lord today, telling people that it is OK to break Gods laws or to say it is OK to forget what God said to Remember
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
How does God feel about man making his own laws and rules and teaching people to live by them instead of his commandment Law’s.
Matt:15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark:7:7: Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Colossians: 2:22: Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Is there danger in not keeping God Commandments?
Titus: 1:14: Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Let’s pretend there is a line drawn in the sand that said those who are on God side stand here and those who are not on God side stand over there.
What side would you want to stand on?
You might say; Lord I am saved by grace I was told I don’t need to need to keep those old laws.
Let’s look at it this way!
The governor of the state has life-and-death power. A man has been sentenced and condemned to die. He is under the sentence of death. Friends intervene. They present evidence to the governor, special factors involved in this case—contributing factors as to why this individual was caught in this particular crime.
As the governor investigates the evidence, he feels that this man deserves clemency; so he uses his official prerogative as the head of the commonwealth. He takes his pen and dips it in the ink and signs across those condemnation papers, “PARDONED,” and then signs his name.
That condemned man, my friend, has been saved by grace, not by his works or by his goodness.
He was doomed to die, and being ever so good in that death cell would never, never in this world save him. That is very obvious.
In other words, after an individual has broken the commandments of God, he cannot be good enough to save himself. The wages of sin is what? Death. We have all sinned, so are under the sentence of death. And there is only one way of salvation, through Jesus Christ.
Now the condemned man is pardoned. He can hardly believe his eyes as he sees the kindness, the stroke of generosity and love shown by that governor.
PARDONED, SAVED, FREE, You meet the freed man a little later and he says, “Wonderful what that governor did for me, and wonderful this new freedom of mine.
Now I can break the law all I like, for the governor set me free from the law and from the sentence of death. I was saved by grace.”
Did the governor pardon him so he could go out and become a greater law breaker? Shall we who are saved by grace continue law breaking? “God forbid.” We are under even greater obligation to keep the law because we are saved by grace
Matt:22: 36-40
36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38: This is the first and great commandment.
39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Is that Jesus we hear saying on these two commandments hang all the “WHAT” Law’s and Prophets.
Love the Lord thy God is the first four of the Ten Commandments;
Love thy neighbor is the last six of the Ten Commandments;
Do we find any evident of keeping the old Jewish Ten Commandment Law in the New Testament
Matt:19:17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Mark:10:19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Luke:18:20: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother
Luke:1:6: And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Over and over and over again we hear Jesus telling the people to keep his commandments.
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If you really Love the lord, and want to show him that you Love him, then do what?
Show him you love him by doing what he tells you to do.
I have heard some say, “Those commandments were only for the Jews.” Then a Christian can lie and steal, and murder people, and do anything else that he pleases. Is that possible?
Jesus says in” John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments. It was because these were broken that Jesus gave His life. If these were to be abolished, why not abolish them before Jesus came to die? Then His death would not have been necessary.
John:14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John:15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Somebody says, “Well, I can’t leave my church.” We’re not talking about churches today, friends.
We’re talking about following God.
Don’t look at the people. Look at the Light God is showing you.
We need to take one more quick glance here at what Jesus said. Matthew 7:21. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Now notice verse 22. This is an amazing statement by our Lord. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”
Oh yes, miracle workers in the name of Jesus.
Don’t you see? Notice Christ’s answer now in verse 23. “Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Oh, this is one of the most sobering passages in the Word of God, because we’re led face to face here with the understanding which we can’t escape—that it makes a difference to God what we believe and how we live.
It isn’t enough to say, “Yes, I believe. I’m a church member.”
It’s a matter of how we live and what we believe about our God that makes a difference.
Many will say, “Lord, we’ve cast out devils. We’ve done miracles. We’ve prophesied.” And yet, they’ll be lost.
It makes a difference what we believe. Anchor your faith firmly, my friends, to the rock of Scripture.
Christian can you say you know Jesus and not keep his Commandments
1John:2:3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1John:2:4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
That’s not my saying brother and sister, for it is written in the book called the Bible, which is none other then God word.
1Cor:7:19: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
1Cor:14:37: If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Thes:4:2: For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
1John:3:22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
People are always looking for bargains, for special discounts. Some churches advertise, “Come to us, we will give you a bargain, 10% off of the Ten Commandments.” But will that stand in the judgment?
Just because some great churches tell you that they will make it easy and only ask you to keep nine of the Ten Commandments, is that sufficient? Will you pass in the judgment day?
Has any church the right to discount the commandments of God? How do we dare to imagine that we are on the high road to heaven when we knowingly break any of God’s commandments?
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
1John:3:24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1John:5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1John:5:3: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
2John:1:6: And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
So now we know that it is very importance to keep God’s commandment WHY?
If you love God then who are you enemy with?
That’s right the world.
For you can’t love God and the world!
What are we told will happen to God people because they love the Lord their God and claim to be his people. His people who keep his Laws and keep the testimony’s of his Son Jesus Christ.
Rv:12:17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rv:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rv:22:14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Some time ago one of the items of interest in the newspaper was about a cave-in in a mine down in Pennsylvania somewhere—I think you might remember it. There were some miners trapped but there was reason to believe they were still alive under ground.
There was no way to dig down through the mine shaft that had caved in so they were hoping the miners were off to the side of the main shaft in a little room in a horizontal shaft.
So they brought in a great drilling rig and started drilling down through that virtually solid rock trying to get into that room where they felt they were probably entombed.
Hour after hour, day after day, while the world watched, virtually holding its breath, as the news media portrayed for us the picture of how they went down there 6 inches and then another foot and down finally to three feet.
The families camped at the mouth of the mine where the rescue operations were going on.
Finally the day came when that great boring rig bore through the ceiling of that room where the miners were trapped. Rapidly it was withdrawn and they lowered a microphone to a little speaker down that hole.
The man who was directing the rescue operation at the top spoke into his end of the microphone and said, “Are you alright? Are you alive? Are you there?”
And then a voice came back from the heart of the earth. “Yes, we’re here. We’re alright.”
A great shout went up from the rescue workers at the opening of that pit. Then the director said this into the microphone. “What do you want the most?” There was a pause and then a voice came back, “I want a cigar.”
Oh friends, heaven is involved in the greatest rescue operation the world has ever known.
The entire universe is watching. Day after day, week after week, year after year, for the last six-thousand horrible years,
God has been seeking to rescue those of us who have been entombed by the avalanche of sin.
What must it do to His heart by our procrastination, our idleness, our spiritual postponement of eternal things. We send back a message and say, “Oh, we’re satisfied with the trinkets, we’re satisfied with the things, but thanks just the same.”
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?
Don’t End Up In The Dark
Story: There was to be a 27 mile race through some very rough terrain. It would start at the end of town, go through swamp land, then through a forest, along a rocky road, and at last up a steep mountain terrain to the top, the first to get to the top would be the winner.
There were only two contestants and both were well skilled in this type of event, but Apple Jack was the favorite to win. He was bigger, faster, stronger, and had a winning record to show for it, so he partied on while waiting for the day of the big race to begin.
Tommy Tucker was small and thin guy and to look at him you could only wonder how he even got into this race. But day after day Tommy kept running, he kept working-out, no matter how hard or what the weather was he never stopped preparing for the race.
The day of the Race
Get on your mark, get set, Go!
Off they went, Apple Jack was way out in front, in fact so far ahead that he felt sure that Tommy would not catch up anytime soon, so he stopped in for a few laughs and drinks with the boys.
As he heard the crowd outside he looked and there was Tommy so he hurried out to catch up, but all of a sudden he could feel his legs getting weak, then his big arms were getting heavy then Apple Jack began having trouble breathing.
He tried to shake it off but he was just not in shape for the race, he procrastinated his time away in doing nothing to prepare himself for what was coming.
In the end Little Tommy won the big race, when he was asked how did you do it, he said it was all in the preparation!
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
There is a story that Jesus tells in Matthew 25. It’s a warning to all Christians today; it’s a story about Ten Virgins. Now you might ask, “why should we be concerned about a story Jesus told 2000 years ago?”
Because the story is not about the people living in Jesus time, but about the people living in our time. We’re living in the ‘end times!’
In the book of Matthew, verse 25 and beginning at verse 1, here Jesus is saying:
1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
- First we need to know what Jesus is referring to by the word virgins.
The Bible tells us that a Woman represents a Church:
The word woman in the book of Revelation
You will see that a pure woman represents Gods Church and an unpure woman represents a Church against Gods truth. – See Revelation 17:6
So a virgin must represent a Pure Church, God’s Church.
Matthew 25:1says, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.”
So what is that story about?
It is about a wedding right, I’d like to see that wedding!
So we know who the Virgins are, but who is the Bridegroom?
“And Jesus said unto them, can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. Mark 2:19
Jesus is saying that He is the bridegroom!
Question: When does the bridegroom come?
Answer: At the end of time, Correct
So we know, without a doubt, we are talking about the end of times.
OK, so what is the problem?
2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
What made the difference between 5 of them being wise and 5 of them being foolish? Let’s look, to see if we can find the answer.
3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: Understand what is going on here
4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Do any of you remember the Old days, before there were Electric Lights?
You know back when the only light is the house was that of a candle or an oil lamp ,
Story: I Remember Living With Only 1 Light in the House
Look at verse 5. While the bridegroom tarried, or while he delayed they all slumbered and slept.
Now I want us to look at one of many similarities in the Bible.
Revelation Chapter 3 is about 7 churches, representing 7 different time frames, and here we are at the last church
Revelation 3:13 says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The Church is in a slumbering time my friend, when it is a sleep and the people are not cold but they are not hot either. It is in a waiting time, waiting for Jesus to come, and while we are waiting some of the people are growing cold and becoming lukewarm.
STORY: Hot Sauna Baths
Matthew 25:6 says, And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7: Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8: And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
In scripture the meaning of the oil is not a difficult matter to make clear. A quick word study through the Bible will suffice. The oil quite typically represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures tell of the oil of gladness and the oil of anointing of God’s Presence.
The Old Testament scriptures showcase the oil of anointing for priests and kings. Throughout the Bible we also see the oil for the lamps which brings the Light of God’s illumination. Poetically the Word and Light of God is there as “a lamp unto our feet” to help guide us along the pathway when the hours of darkness come.
9: But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
So what was the difference then?
Those who were wise had looked around them and seen that the darkness was coming. They then made important preparations for the coming night.
They were not trusting and depending on the oil that was in the lamps of their own personal spirit. They knew that their own lamp would fail them somewhere down the line. So they had made it their priority to obtain a spiritual supply of oil outside of themselves.
They had that extra jar of oil. It was the ‘midnight oil‘. With that extra supply of oil the wise virgins were prepared. They were ready for the great drama that would unfold at the midnight hour.
When the hour of burnout came they were not left destitute in the darkness. They were prepared to recharge their lamps with a fresh supply of oil. The wise virgins then arose from their beds of ease and were ready to go out.
11: Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12: But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Matthew 25:31 says, When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38: When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39: Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45: Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
So how do we get this Extra Oil we need to keep us from the darkness, by doing what Jesus did helping others!
When Jesus shuts that door, my friend, I don’t want to be standing on the other side, I want to be ready to go in, because once he closes that door it will not open again.
Story: Noah Preached for 120 years
When the door of the ark closed those who were ready those who prepared went in to the safety of Gods protection.
People then had a choice just like we do today
There are two ways to look at this story.
1. The ten virgins may typify the whole Christian world at the time of Christ’s return given the fact that some (five) were ready for the Lord’s return and some (five) were not.
2. Christ is talking to his true church and saying prepare and be ready now so that your oil will not run out just before the bridegroom comments.
Preparation now will enable you to finish the race, so you don’t end up in the dark!
God Bless,
Tim
D5 Creation
