Monday, July 20, 2020

THE ONLY TRUE GOD







By Pastor Mike Taylor
21 Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.." (Isaiah 41:21-24)



In these last days of man's attempt to rule this world, God has laid out a challenge to anyone claiming to be a god. Since there is only One God and His Name is Jehovah or YAHWEH, God almighty proclaims in His Word that if there be any other god, then declare the end from the beginning. His challenge is to predict the future. He makes the challenge in verses 21-22 in the opening passage.
"Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come." (Isaiah 41:21-22)
Prophecy is only known to God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. The bible is 27% prophecy and every point that has been fulfilled in history was foretold in your bible with 100% accuracy. Our God knows what will happen before the world was formed. Those that still need to be fulfilled, will come to pass as the God that formed this universe and all that is in it, has willed it and foresaw it's outcome. The false religion of Islam and their god, Allah, knows nothing.
Those that remain unfulfilled are in complete harmony with current secularist futurist predictions. That is to say, events relied on by secular forecasters to develop long-term geopolitical or environmental trends suggest the same outcomes predicted by Scripture. God has shown us the future and it is in His Word..your bible.

A FEW EXAMPLES

Man sees unrest and wars that virtually cover our planet in a hop scotch form of unrest and upheaval. The Bible predicted wars and rumors of wars in the last days. The elite in Washington predicts a generational war with Islam and the Arab nations.

The bible predicts unusual weather patterns and environmental disasters. Weather forecasters have reported nine of the hottest years on record since 1995 and will continue for the unforeseeable future. Earthquakes have increased 400% in the last 10-20 years and volcanoes long thought to be dormant have once again come alive all over the planet.

The Bible has predicted there will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars. NASA predicts that there will be shift in the 11 year solar cycles that will produce increasing hotter temperatures on the surface of the earth.
The bible predicts that the sun will someday scorch men with painful sores:
'And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. (Revelation 16:8-9)

NASA says changes in the ozone layers and increasing ultraviolet light is responsible for most skin cancers.
God Himself issues a challenge to other so-called 'gods' to predict the future. Of course, none of them can, save they come to pass.
Only our God, the King of the Universe is omniscient and omniprescent and knows what will happen and when it will happen. God not only knows the future, but the circumstances that will bring it to pass.


Our God continues to challenge the false religions of this world. Satan can know some of the details, as he will cause them to happen, but he won't know everything, as he can't predict the future.
The best he can do is detail what he has planned in advance to one of his 'prophets'. He doesn't know how those plans will turn out. He had a plan to defeat Jesus by having Him killed by His Chosen People. Had he known the outcome, he would have planned things differently:
7 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1st Corinthians 2:8)


Almighty God issues His challenge, because He knows that there are NO other gods, but the God of heaven and earth. He alone is God and it stands to reason that He is able to accurately predict the future. But man led by Satan is determined to be a “god unto himself”...


ISLAM, A FALSE RELIGION WITH A FALSE GOD
"Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you." (Isaiah 41:24)
Although Islam does profess a type of prophecy that they say will happen, they take their predictions from what is said in the bible and twist them to the own end.

Islamic predictions of a coming messiah type figure riding on a white horse is taken from Revelation 6,
 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”(Revelation 6:1-2)



They predict this will be the Mahdi, but as Christians we know that the Bible is identifying the coming Anti-Christ that will come with smooth words to conquer by deceit. Islam predicts that this coming “mahdi” will lead a vast conquering Islamic army to conquer the world by the sword.
There was no predictions or prophecy of the coming of Mohammed, but the “twelvers” of Shia Islam claim that the Mahdi has remained alive since 860 A.D., but Mohammed is as dead as anybody else.
Islam predicts that the returning Mahdi will line up with their version of Jesus (Isa) and subdue the whole earth for Islam. They don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but a prophet of God, and not God Himself. In this coming “war” Isa and the Mahdi will kill 1/3 of all mankind and is a hijacking of Revelation's passages that even Satan can read the prophecies of God written by John the Apostle.
Their version lines up with the Anti-Christ and the false prophet. Islam proclaims that this Mahdi and Isa will place a mark in the forehead of it's warriors and followers, as the Bible proclaims the Beast will require a mark on the foreheads, or in their right hand. Coincidence? The False prophet will promote the Anti-Christ to the destruction of those who believe the lie.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:13-17)



THE RISE OF ISLAM
Forty plus years ago, you never heard of Islam, as it was assigned to the backward nations of the Middle East and Indonesia. Theirs was a culture and way of life right out of the 6th Century with all it's backward ways. Islam was not a threat to the West or for that matter our Christian way of life. But all that changed starting in 1979 with the overthrow of the Shah of Iran by the Mullahs, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinin, the leader of the revolution, supported by various  leftist and Islamic organizations and Iranian student movements. From that point, with the kidnapping of our American citizens as hostages, that then POTUS Carter was ill equipped to deal with, a declaration of war was declared and waged by the rising Islamic nation led by Iran.
It has now been 41 years since that “silent” war erupted and it has been getting louder with each passing year. All over the world, Islam is the fastest growing so called “religion” which is nothing but a political movement of conquest that is 1 billion + and growing stronger with new converts even in the once great Christian nation of the U.S.A.
As the home of the brave, land of the free becomes more steeped in apostasy, Islam continues to fill the void left by those who abandoned and forsaken the God of heaven.
DID GOD RAISE UP A LEADER OF JUDGMENT?
We had a “leader” (and I use that tongue in cheek) who on camera professed his form of “christianity” but behind the scenes praised Islam and promoted its religious ideology whenever he gets a chance. Many believe, as I do, that he is still a closest Muslim, himself and is working behind the scenes to fulfill that mission and bring down the present Trump administration.. Christianity of those who follow Jesus Christ are regarded as a danger to modern society, by hate speech, ridicule and sometimes even prosecution for their once honored beliefs in the One true God that this nation was founded upon and our motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” was held in high esteem.
IN the past, I have had little hope of this nation rising out of the apostasy that has engulfed her. On our borders, illegal immigration had become rampant, and possible terrorists, even such as ISIS, may have infiltrated our country and planning attacks, all in the name of “Allah”. Many have already taken place, in San Bernadino, Orlando, and even in Oklahoma. More are sure to come...unless?
I see the news reports, of attacks that are growing from “migrants” that have come from countries bent on our destruction and this past“idiot in chief” who promoted their repatriation into this country, and a past Democratic candidate that would have increased that amount 500% if we were so unfortunate to have her as our next POTUS. But thank God that He gave us a temporary reprieve from their nefarious plans of Illegal immigration and the growing terrorist risk that confront our country are number one on the minds of most Americans that truly have their head above ground and not stuck in the sand and ignoring what is happening. But since POTUS Trump took office, there has been nothing but attempts to bring down what he wanted to do...PUT AMERICA FIRST.
Trump wanted to build a wall on our southern border and I say “build that wall”. Rid this country of the scourge that has infiltrated it in the last 10 years and remove the threat to our freedoms and our way of life. He wants to remove illegal immigrants who have come here illegally and break our laws. We should do as the Netherlands has done and remove all Muslims and tear down all Mosques and ban Sharia law that is anathema to our Constitution and our way of life, as this is war on our soil and we should own up to it......
I don't want to get political, but America is at a breaking point. Either she will rise out of these ashes or we will support a leader who has his head on straight and sees the danger, or be lulled to sleep by someone who thinks that there are no problems in this country and wants more of the same of what happened the last 8 years of the Obummer administration...God forbid!!
This coming 2020 election is pivotal. We will continue to be a nation of laws, and God will give us a leader who will continue to pull this nation out of her stupor, or, as a nation, we have been judged as wanting, and God's judgment is about to fall on this land we have grown up in from sea to shining sea, and its inevitable implosion into utter chaos. We see chaos already raising her ugly head with Antifa and BLM, the rioting, the looting, and mostly in democratic run cities as they allow this to continue. I know it is in God's hands and His plan for the end of man's rule will come to pass, no matter what we wish.
THE COMING ANTI-CHRIST
IN the past, I have made an hypothesis that the coming Anti-Christ will be Muslim. If he comes from the Middle East, and called the Assyrian, we have a high probability that this man is indeed Muslim. Of course, there are many problems that Israel will face, should this man be of such a religion...but what does the Bible say about this man?
23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” (Daniel 8:23-25)



But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.” (Daniel 11:38)
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” (Daniel 8:25)


Whether this man proclaims a false Christianity, or believes and follows the war-like ideology of Islam, the bible says he will magnify his own name above all....He will abandon the God of the Bible, or the false god, Allah for himself.


ISLAM, THE TERROR OF THE NATIONS
Is the Anti-Christ Islamic? Is the supposed coming of the 12th Imam, the Anti-Christ.? Understand that Satan is a powerful deceiver. He relishes deceiving mankind with a parallel false religion that mirrors God’s way and His salvation message. Could Islam be that false message, with its false god and its false messiah? Some believe that Islam will be defeated in the battle of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38- 39, but it would do well as a watchful Christian to keep an eye on Islam prior to these battles, as Islam is the antithesis of all that is Holy and ordained by our Almighty God, Jehovah or Yahweh…the great I AM, THAT I AM. Paul spoke of this man called the Anti-Christ and his false religion:


9 “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (II Thessalonians 2:9-12.)


IRAN IS AGAIN LEADING IN THE NEWS
It has been 41 years since Iran stuck their slimey head above the political landscape and has been almost daily the center of Islamic barbarism. From the time of 9/11 and the World Trade Center, the nation of America has dealt with the ideology of Islam and Iran has become the focal point of all that Islam stands for in their crusade for conquest and world domination.
I was horrified to learn that the so called Iran Nuclear Deal, was nothing but a sham by our past POTUS that gave Iran license to pursue their goal of becoming a nuclear power. For the last 30 years, Iran has been secretly planning on conquest and developing a nuclear weapon and that administration gave them the green light, and wrapped the deal in a ribbon with a big red bow.
Their not so hidden agenda is to be the hegemony power in the Middle East and plans to destroy Israel is priority #1 on their list. The fulfilling of Ezekiel 38 - 39 is on our doorstep and awaits for its prophetic completion. Those who believe your bible, know that the God of heaven will defend Israel with a vengeance and fury that will be devastating to this coalition led by Iran when they come down to Israel. I believe that Islam will be dealt a major blow when 5/6 of this invading army is defeated by God Himself on the mountains of Israel. But know that Islam will not be totally defeated, in my humble opinion.


THE UNVEILING OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
I'm a firm believer that what is holding back the total onslaught of Islam and the rise of the Anti-Christ is the U.S.A standing in it's way. That's why this election is so important. Either the unveiling of the Anti-Christ will come shortly in the near future, or be delayed because American becomes stronger by being led by a patriot that loves this country. If Islam is the underlying “religion” of the man of sin, then it is being held in check by One all powerful Force, God's Holy Spirit, which is the essence of His power on earth.

6 “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-10)





And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”



Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4)




If , and I make that with all sincerity, this nation falls into further apostasy and God's judgment falls on this land, then the unveiling of the Anti-Christ, could be coming sooner than later. But this nation with it's large Christian population could suspend judgment on this nation, (although it will come on the whole world) for a season. I am reminded of II Chronicles:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:4)

God is in control. He sees the end from the beginning. He sees the future of this country and it's rise, or it's fall. He sees the false religion of Islam and will judge her and her leader harshly with fire and brimstone in their ultimate defeat. He will finally judge the nations, the Anti-Christ and his false prophet in the lake of fire. The only thing that stands firmly in Satan's path to complete destruction of this world, are Christians who pray and hold fast to the teachings of the Bible. If this nation does not turn back to God, then God will bring judgment on this nation, but not before removing all restraint that is holding back that judgment:
It all comes down to God knows the future...we are watching and praying for His will to be done. When God removes the Restrainer (God's Holy Spirit), God will also remove His people, the Church at that time. It will be sooner, or it will be later. It doesn't bother me who will be elected this time around. I will do my civic duty and vote my conscious, but whoever is elected, it will hasten or slow the removal of God's Church and the revealing of the Anti-Christ. Whether he be Muslim, false Christianity, or finally an atheist in the end, does not matter to those who are born of the blood and the water of Jesus Christ. The blood from being covered by His atonement death on the cross, and the water from being baptized and embracing that we have died to the former lives we had, and we live anew to God in our bodies...Till He Comes.
IN THE END, JESUS SHOWS WHO IS THE TRUE GOD
The time of the worship of Satan, through the Anti-Chris is short lived...3.5 years after entering the Holy of Holys in Jerusalem's Third Temple and proclaiming himself “a god”, The True God comes to put down all rebellion and deal with Satan's man and his false prophet..

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”(Revelation 19:11-15)


19 “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:19-21)


 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”(Revelation 20:1-3)



The wiles of the devil are suspended, but not done, as he is looses for a little season when he deceives many who are born during this 1000 year reign of Christ...How can this be when you have lived your life under the righteous rule of a Living God on earth, and you think you can come against Him??


7 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”(Revelation 20:7-10)





WHERE TO DO YOU STAND?

If you have been following the news and see that the world is even a more dangerous place than you can ever remember, what will you do when quite literally “all hell breaks loose” and the end of this age is upon us...not in your head, but for real!!. Will you wake up one day and find millions gone and haven't a clue to what has happened? I tell you what has happened before it happens for real. God has removed His Church and you are shackled with the knowledge that the Tribulation will start soon after God removes His church from this planet, the Bride of Christ at the rapture when Jesus calls out “come up hither”. How do I know that when the Holy Spirit is removed, we will be removed at the exact same moment? As Jesus proclaimed that He would send a Comforter and He would be with us to the end of the age. He would never leave us or forsake us....!!!

I PROPOSE YOU SOME QUESTIONS.

Will you submit to the religion of the Anti-Christ, or Islam, and take whatever that mark is planted on your forehead and in your right hand? What will you do, what will you think, and where will be your faith be? Will it be in men, or in God? Men will fail you, but God never will. Like I said, this election is pivotable for the near future. We will, as a nation, go down in flames, or rise up for a season until Jesus comes and removes His Bride from this earth. God knows the future. He is God and He has given us ample warning of the nearness of the hour of the soon coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. It could be this fall...it's could be next year...it could be before I finish this message. But make no mistake, God knows when that time is up...we can only see the season. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 what the signs would be. Would you not agree that they are all around us?...the times are shouting at each of us, growing more fervent in their attempt to bring us to repentance and choose His Son while there is still time.

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.” (Luke 21:28)


We have been seeing these signs for a number of years, since the creation of Israel as a nation in 1948. That generation will not pass away till all things be fulfilled..Men have tried to pinpoint the coming of Jesus, but God said that we will know the season, and we will know the length of a generation. It's in your bible...70 years, and 80 by strength. (Psalm 90)We are near the end of that generation. Jesus could come and if you're not ready, will catch you by surprise and flat footed. Don't let that happen. Make Jesus your Savior right now..


16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:16-19)



But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:8-13)


Jesus is coming soon...Sooner than anyone can imagine, as the signs of the times scream that revelation. The end of the age is upon us.


(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2nd Corinthians 6:2)


To put off accepting Jesus as your personal Savior will open you up for the coming most horrific time in all of the history of mankind, THE TRIBULATION of seven years of death and destruction.



This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying you accept Jesus as your Savior today..if you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com. . God bless you all,



TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET


Thursday, July 16, 2020

Judgment: Bema seat or White Throne?

 



- Nathele Graham 
 
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Hebrews 9:27-28.
 
Some facts in life are hard to deal with. One of the realities is that death will eventually come to everyone...even you. After death, there will be a judgment. That's a little unnerving to think about, but it doesn't have to be a painful event. Not everyone will face the same judgment, but it's our own choice that determines which judgment we will face. One is the bema seat judgment of Christ and the other is the White Throne judgment. You make the choice as to which one you will face. Placing your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation will result in the Bema seat rewards judgment, but rejecting Christ will set you before God and His judgment of your works.
 
"According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:10-11. When you first come to Christ, a foundation is laid. That foundation is Jesus Christ. What you build upon that foundation is controlled by you. Study Scripture and learn how to please Christ. He is our example of what a Christian life should look like. He showed love to all people, but stood against anyone who twisted Scripture for their own purposes. Follow His example and begin building a solid Christian life. Instead of making choices that please people, make choices that please Christ. This means you have to humble yourself and put things out of your life that are contrary to His teaching. As you make godly choices and they become habits, you'll soon have a life built upon the Rock...Jesus Christ. Jesus encouraged doing works with a correct motive. "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 6:1. Only those things done for Christ will last.
 
Salvation does not come by doing works of any kind. Not baptism, not missionary work, not feeding the hungry. Salvation is by grace. "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." Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus did all that was needed for salvation; He shed His blood as the final sacrifice to take away sin. You need to accept His finished work on the cross in order to receive the gift of grace...eternal life with Him. If you really understand what His death on the cross saved you from, you'll be overwhelmed with gratitude. The only way to say thank you is to honor Him with your life. That's where works come in. You earn rewards for the works you do. For instance, if you don't give into temptation, you'll earn a crown. "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James 1:12. Peter encouraged men who are called to be pastors to be proper shepherds over the flock "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Peter 5:4. At the end of his life, Paul wrote a letter to Timothy wherein he said that he looked back on his life and felt he had done good for the Lord. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8. There are other crowns named in Scripture, but each one has to be earned by works and only Christians are eligible to receive them.
 
Very soon, Christians will be called Home in the Rapture. That's when Christians will receive their judgment. When talking about the Christian's judgment before Christ, the Greek word used is "bema". That's not a seat of condemnation but one where works will be judged and crowns given. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10. Standing before Jesus Christ will be overwhelming. You will look upon God who humbly became a man in order to provide the only way of salvation to this rebellious world.   On the day of judgment...the Bema seat of Christ...your works will be judged. This is when the life you built upon the Foundation of Jesus Christ is important. "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." 1 Corinthians 3:12-13. Jesus knows the motives behind every thing you do. You might do wonderful things, but if those works are done for your own glory instead of God's then you won't receive a reward for them. That's "wood, hay, and stubble" which will be burned up by the fire. If your works were done for Christ, that's another story. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1 Corinthians 3:14-15. The works done for Christ, the gold, silver and precious stones, will survive the fire of judgment. The wood, hay, and stubble will be burned up. Your salvation is secure, but your works will be judged. The same fire that will burn up the things that you did for your own self-gain will reveal the things you've done in the name of Jesus Christ. Whether you've done great and powerful works of witnessing to crowds of people, or something that might seem insignificant, such as laying a foundation of Christ in the heart of a child, if you've done it for Christ it will last. Christ will judge the works, not judge you for salvation. That's already been settled when you accepted His sacrifice on the cross.
 
The day of judgment for the Christian will happen soon after the Rapture. John received seven letters dictated by Jesus to be delivered to seven congregations. Those letters describe history in advance...prophecy. They spell out the various Christian eras throughout the ages. We are living in the era of Laodicea, which is the last letter. The next big event in Christian history is the Rapture. According to Biblical prophecy, that day is very close. "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." Revelation 4:1-2. What follows is an amazing account of what John saw in Heaven. There will be no more Christian's on earth who are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We will all be around the throne and praising our Lord. Chaos on earth will just be beginning. God's wrath will be poured out, and those judgments begin when Jesus opens the first seal. "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see." Revelation 6:1. What John saw was demonic chaos led by Satan that has never been seen before. H saw plagues, economic collapse, vicious violence that makes the mobs of rioters of today look tame. Through it all there will be a few people who turn to Christ, but they will be beheaded for not following Satan. At the end of seven years of hell on earth, it will be over. The nation of Israel will at long last turn to Christ, their Messiah, and He will fight for them. Satan will be bound for a thousand years. Then, he'll be set free once again and the final battle of history will take place. Satan loses.
 
At the end, there will be a judgment of all who have ever rejected Jesus and who think their works are good enough to get them into Heaven. Only the righteous person can stand before God, and only Christians are righteous because of our faith in Jesus Christ. Unbelievers are on their own. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works." Revelation 20:11-12. Instead of putting their faith in Jesus and what He did, they put their faith in themselves. Everything done without Christ at the center is wood, hay, and stubble and is burned in the judgment. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." Revelation 20:13. Nobody at the White Throne judgment will enter Heaven. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:14-15.
Sin separates a person from God, but Jesus took our sins upon Himself. After the cross, the only thing that can cause you to face the White Throne judgment is your rejection of Christ prior to death. Jesus paid for all sins and when you truly accept His sacrifice, you won't face punishment. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9. Don't wait to confess and believe. Time is running out. It's your choice which judgment you will face: Bema Seat or the Great White Throne.
 
God bless you all,

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

NOT ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE WILL PASS AWAY










By Pastor Mike Taylor

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.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)

To realize the full implication of these words, we must look at the context of this powerful statement ...Who was Jesus speaking with? Jesus was chastising the Pharisees in His sermon on the mount, for putting undue bondage on the people they controlled, but wouldn't follow what God said themselves.

In Matthew’s day, right after Jesus’ death and His resurrection, men were trying to water down righteousness and the biblical walk of faith unto holiness. A very sharp and critical name was applied to these heretics of the true faith in God. They were called
 antinomics , which means “no law”. They taught grace without responsibility and holiness without righteousness.

It is one of the present day church’s pitfall of weekend Laodecian “Christians’ and I use that term loosely when applied to these self proclaimed Christians, “in name only.”  Our Lord and Savior’s own words forever destroy the notion that a Christian can willfully disobey and ignore the Laws and Commandments of Almighty God. Does that mean the “ law keeping” is required for salvation? No, but what were the words that Jesus spoke of........

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.”(John 14:13-15)


We must realize that Jesus was the Word, even before He was born to a woman here on earth. Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, the One who gave standards to live by all down through Biblical history. The Old Testament is the revelation of that Word. The basic Ten Commandments and the clear principles of His laws and are just as real in the New Testament, as it was in the Old Testament. Notice when Jesus spoke that verse again in Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law (the first five books of the Torah) or the prophets (the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament) I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (or complete them). The Son of God came not to destroy His revelation He gave to us in the Old Testament, but to supply the finishing touches, to flesh out and fully explain what it was Jehovah-Jireh had given to Godly men to write down. Many people think they must follow the literal interpretation of the “law” but Jesus was focusing on the spiritual application of a “born again” believer in relation to keeping His commands for righteous living.

When you throw out the Law of God, you basically have defiled the Holy of Holys and the tapestry that was torn from top to bottom at Jesus’ death, and was removed so that we might enter right into the throne room of God, spiritually. Holiness is non-existent in any redemptive plan if you destroy the commandments of God. But stopping there....can you keep the law perfectly?? No, none of us can. It is why Jesus came to give Himself as a ransom for many, because mankind can't keep the law perfectly...But, we are to endeavor to try and become transformed into the image of ABBA Father's Son Jesus Christ...
28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)


Jesus proclaims in Luke 21:33, that the whole Word of God (from Genesis to Revelation) will never pass away. He said, “heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”


Before I fully understood the implication of these verses, I was reading in Matthew, these scripture verses and they seemed to jump out at me, to be highlighted, to be italicized, or whatever made me stop and think to myself. “what did I just read?”…I had read it many, many times and it never became real to me, until that day. Maybe it wasn’t my time, but God’s time, that He revealed this simple truth to me.

 Matthew 5:18 “ 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.” 
A jot and a tittle are the smallest scripts in the Hebrew language which is the dotting of an “I” and the crossing of a “T”. If they will not pass away, even being the smallest part of the written language, God is saying that nothing, nothing of His Word will pass away.  Every one of us will be judged according to what scripture says, and you can do what you will with God’s Law, but they stand unmoved. God said, “I am the same today, yesterday, and forever. I change not.” No wonder Paul wrote in Hebrews 10:31. “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Make no mistake about trying to follow God's commandments. Law keeping will not save you. But many people, from the Pharisees of Jesus day, until our so-called “Modern Churches” of religiousity, whether you be Catholic or Protestant is not found in keeping some sort of obedience to your church. It's not about religion, it is about relationship. Do you love Jesus? Then you press on trying to do as He ask of you. Will you do it perfectly? Again, NO....even if you fail in one point of the law then you have broken them all. That is why we need a Savior found in Jesus Christ...but even as Paul said, we press on to a higher calling in Christ Jesus.....
13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” (Phillipians 3:14:16)

Even the Apostle Paul admitted that he could not attain the level of righteousness that Jesus had on earth, but he was determined in his spirit to keep pressing on being obedient to the One who saved him and promised him new life in eternity....It is a lifelong process that we will NEVER attain in this life, until Jesus changes us into what He is....spiritual of flesh and bones unable to sin forevermore.


EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEED THOSE OF THE PHARISEES. 

We all know who the Pharisees were in Jesus day and how He chided them, rebuked them for the self-righteous application of the law, (to everyone else) but not to themselves. Oh, they knew the law, backwards and forwards, but they didn’t internalize it’s message.

In our day, Jesus has laid the very foundation of how we are suppose to live our lives, by reading these verses. Grace is free, but some Christian’s make it cheap. Jesus did not come to cast off His Word, but to provide the grace to change a man’s heart. He did not come to only cover our sins, which He did, but to ultimately destroy sin, at it’s root.
Last week I covered that we are supposed to be salt and light to a dying world, but many so called “Christians” have lost their saltiness and as Jesus said, it is good for nothing but to be cast out and trampled under men's feet....That is what Jesus railed at the Pharisees for and called them “white washed tombs”.....

27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,” (Matthew 23:27-29)



The Old Testament standards are the very standards, that Jesus and the early church lived by, preached by and lived by. They gave us the New Testament for a completed interpretation of the Old Testament.

The apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 10:16-18 …..
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin."

He will not remember their sin or lawbreaking anymore. The Laws of our God and Savior cannot be separated from the whole Word of God.

I have a dear brother, (and I call him brother, as that is what he is) tell me at work before I retired from my local hospital, that we have been released from the law, because of  the sacrifice of  Jesus Christ. What he failed to realize and I hope I made it more clear to him, that we have been released from the penalty, our death sentence of transgressing that Law. He pointed out that we don’t keep the law, with all it’s laws of sacrifice, and that I had to agree with him. Yes, Jesus freed us from having to sacrifice an animal to cover our sins daily, as Jesus became our perfect sacrifice. Jesus also removed the commandments or traditions of men that had become equal to the Laws of God and His commandments, in the Pharisee system of Judaism, called the Talmud. Jesus actually purified the whole of the  Old Testament Law, by fulfilling the law of sacrifice and breaking that yoke of ceremonial sacrifice that could not, in itself, remove sin. It was to remind them and us, of the need for a Savior. We the saints of the New Covenant have entered into a new relationship with Almighty God, through His Son’s sacrifice. Paul wrote in Hebrews 

20 “by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is to say, His flesh. 
21  And having an high priest over the house of God;
22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."(Hebrews 10:20-22)

 Now we can come straight to the Father, through His Son.

Does that make us “loose” from the Ten Commandments and free to live as we please? NO, IT DOES NOT!! These verses are not present day “modern Protestant” theology in a lot of churches, but it is true Christianity and very Biblical. The heart and soul of a true called out child of God is a picture in purity. The commandments of God become our delight and we rejoice in the peace of a pure heart. Our righteousness according to God’s Word, is as filthy rags, but God expects us to press on to the example set by His Son, Jesus Christ. Even though we do them imperfectly, we follow them in obedience to the Words of  our God, and our Savior, for His blessings, and as a guide on how to live our life, as He lived His life. Worldly and a sinful generation love religion without holiness, but it will be wholly inadequate when we face the awesome judgment bar. I fully warn those who think going to church every Sunday or Wednesday night, giving tithes to your church, helping the poor, or anything that looks religious even down to “pew warming” looks righteous on the outside, but are you living it according to what the Bible teaches the other 6 days of the week​?....are you living like the devil and only on Sunday, do you put on church clothes and try and appear like you are following God?

Paul writes again in 1 Corinthians 
3:10-15

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

If you’re not living according to the plan laid out by God and following His footsteps, the blessings and the rewards that a Christian should one day receive  by following His way of life found in  His law and His commandments, will be diminished or non-existent, but as it is written in v. 15, all that will stand is he himself and Christ in his heart…as though by fire. Everything else will be burned up. And if there is no payment for sin via the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, then He will lose even his life. Where is the cutoff? Better to follow God’s ways closely than to follow from afar off and be found lacking on that day or woefully deceived and be found a modern day Pharisee.

Paul wrote in Hebrews 10:28-31
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Notice that in v. 29 is using sanctified in the past tense. If a person, through willful and with forethought, decides he wants to turn against God, and I just don’t and can’t envision any true Christian doing so, if he wants to turn 180 degrees in the other direction, after the sanctification process begins, God will allow Him to do that, but with many episodes and trips behind the proverbial “woodshed”.  God will not loose what is His, but for disobedience will bring much chastisement in every increasing degrees, until God gets your attention, or keep being inflicted with righteous “whupping” to the even the point of death.



EXCEPT OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEED THOSE OF THE PHARISEES.

James, the earthly brother of Jesus, wrote an incredible book that is said to be the first book of the New Testament written and it ties the commandments of the Old Testament to the NEW Testament church. James 1:21-27

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
That is our goal and should be what drives us “Keep yourself unspotted from this world”.

James went on to say, that faith by itself, if it’s does not have good deeds, or fruit, called works by James,  then that faith is dead. I told my friend at work, that the keeping of the law by following the commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is complimentary to a Christian walk of faith…it’s like two sides of a weighing scale…if on one side, you have works only, they cannot save you, so your scale hits bottom. If on the other hand, you have good works, being a good, upright moral person and have no faith in Jesus Christ, then  your works are for nothing….you must have both, to have a balance in your life and reap the blessings and the reward from the Father. By doing so, you are not easily deceived by the enemy in this end of days.


17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?"( James 2:17-22)

We have a whole generation of church goers, church leaders, and pastors that have been schooled to believe and practice the doctrines of lawlessness. People who have the moniker of “Christian” about them, but hold onto a sense of cheap grace. They teach and believe 
grace without responsibility and holiness without righteousness.  It is true that if a human being calls upon the name of the Lord, “thou shalt be saved”. But that is the beginning of your call to salvation, not it’s end. We are called to fruit worthy of repentance. It’s a lifelong process. (If you love Jesus, keep His commandments in your everyday life)

Some people, not all, live outside the whole of scripture and boldly state they are Christian, but get highly offended when you point out certain scriptures that don’t fit their concept of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Understand one thing, my reader, even the devil believes the Word of God, but he is certainly not a saint. He takes pleasure in perverting it, and we should not discard from living with the whole counsel of the Word of God, not just the parts we like.


THE LAW IS OUR SCHOOL MASTER

One of the apostle Paul’s great lessons is found in Romans chapter seven. Conviction of sin always precedes conversion and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. It is impossible to repent of sin, without a sense of guilt, a conviction of sin arising out of transgressing God’s Law and upon Holy Spirit conviction from God, the Holy Spirit draws a person close, and knocks upon the door of his heart, asking entrance into that person’s life. Roman’s 7....


7 “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.” (Romans 7:7-9)


If you read the whole chapter, Paul laments about what he wants to do, that he does not...what he is not suppose to do, that is what he does....it is called being mortal and living in sinful flesh....sounds ominous based on what I have stated in this message so far, until you get to the end of the chapter...who can deliver us from our tendency to sin???
23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:23-25)



SIN, WHEN IDENTIFIED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, CREATES A SENSE OF GUILT, THE FOREBODING OF ONE’S CONDITION, WITHOUT GOD.

I emphasize this point, because without the Holy Spirit drawing us, and bringing to the forefront of our knowledge the transgression of His Law, can we feel convicted of the way we are living. I’ve seen people sweat, shake, and look like they are near a physical death, when the Holy Spirit is dealing with them. They have such a foreboding of their lost condition, their knowledge of being without God and the implication of a life devoid of God and His Salvation. What a person does with that calling could be a matter of life and death to that person, eternally, as we are not promised even tomorrow, just today.

Paul continues on in Romans 7:
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”(Romans 7:12-14)


The apostle says that the law is holy and spiritual. Why? Not because God is magnifying sin, but that He is magnifying His grace to forgive and to cleanse. He reveals His law of holiness, through His Son that we might see our nature of sin.


EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED THOSE OF THE PHARISEES!

That continued statement sounds harsh and unfair until we discover what Jesus came in our world to accomplish. If he were telling dark sinners that they must lift themselves up to live more “righteously” than the Pharisees by works ONLY, then he would have been a taskmaster, and not a Savior. But, His death was already sealed in the plan of God and Jesus Christ knew well the glory of His suffering. He came to break the powers of sin and to create a brand new family called the church, His future Bride at His coming in the rapture.

Jesus came, lived, died and rose again, that he might destroy the “works of the devil”. John wrote in 1
st John 3:8

He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son  of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”


John used the word “manifested” as he was speaking beyond the physical birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God  has sent His Son into the world by a series of prophesies and miraculous events which made His life and death a divine occasion. The life and death of Jesus Christ was triumph over every limitation and calamity of this human life. He came out of eternity, gave up His glory, to enter into our little, limited world to bring an end to Satan’s schemes and plans. The result was the redemption of the highest level possible to the human family. We were redeemed, transformed  into new creatures, filled with His Holy Spirit, to live and walk in newness of life far beyond what the Pharisees practiced in their concept of religion. Someday we will be translated into a newness of life complete for all eternity.


CONCLUSION

The apostle Paul could not have echoed the idea of Jesus Christ and what He means to each and everyone of us by a second letter to the church of Corinth.,

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" (2nd Corinthians 5:17-18)

We are all new creatures in Christ Jesus. We have been given a deposit of redemption into a heavenly Family of God. We walk no more by the world’s bondage. We have been forgiven of our past transgressions against His Holy Law, and now we walk in obedience to His way of life by following His Commandments, His judgments, His Law of Liberty by faith, not by site, as evidenced by our good deeds and works to help others. Unless our faith, and our righteousness 


:EXCEEDS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE PHARISEES, WE WILL NOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD


Understand the implications. Grace is a free gift of mercy. It produces a new creature, one prone to good works and living as Jesus did, without sin as humanly possible. Living a righteous life following Jesus produces good fruit, good works, NOT the other way around. No matter of works can save you, but it is the evidence that you believed and accepted His gift of grace and are a changed person, dead to the lusts of this world.
Dead to this world, and raised to newness of life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let each of us live like it, as Jesus is coming soon...Be ready.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:16-19)


8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)


Recalling what I have said and Jesus told us...

if you love Me, keep my commandments”....if you love Him, then as best a mortal can, repent of your sins, and anytime you mess up...(and you will in this life) come to Him in repentance, and He will raise you up and give you strength to overcome that temptation. But live like Jesus could come today, (as He could) and be ready working for the Kingdom of God. Because each of us, (I know I want to hear)...
for Jesus to say “well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord”...So come Lord Jesus.



This is pastor Mike Taylor praying for your being ready to meet our Savior, by accepting His free gift of salvation and living it the best you can.. If you need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com,

God bless you, till we meet at Jesus Feet.