Today, the
gospel of Christ, remains and is an open
invitation to all and found to be the very heart
of the "kingdom of God". From the genesis of
time, it's been in the heart of God to give man
the choice to come under the provisions of His
kingdom. After the fall of man into sin, God
began His plan of reconciliation to provide a
"Way" to bring up a people into His kingdom. God
makes a covenant with Abraham that he would
become a father of many nations. In this
covenant, the Lord was preparing a people that
would "keep the way of the
Lord, to do righteousness and justice"
Genesis 18:19. The Lord further discloses the
conditions of this kingdom with the house of
Jacob and the children of Israel through the
priesthood of Moses saying ."if
you will indeed obey My voice and keep My
covenant, then you shall be a special
treasure to Me above all people; for all the
earth is Mine. 6. 'And you shall be to Me a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation'
Exodus 19:5-6. This "special treasure" remains
in the heart of the Lord today for those that
are seeking God, and for those that have found
the presence of the Lord, find that, His
presence, is also a very special treasure to
them. This divine kingdom displayed to the world
through the children of Israel would become the
image of the unseen divine kingdom that we have
today. The Lord provided the children of Israel
with divine direction, twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week.
The image of God's kingdom for man:
Exodus 13:21.
And the Lord went before
them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the
way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give
them light, so as to go by day and night
In like manner the children of God are being led
today, twenty-four hours a day by the presence
of God through His Holy Spirit. God had also
promised the children of Israel a promised land.
."a land flowing with milk
and honey". But because of sin, the
people of this kingdom were rebellious and
listened to the deceptive prophecies of false
prophets and many would never see this promised
land. And in like manner, today, the children
of God are promised a kingdom where Jesus is
Lord beginning with one's acceptance of Christ
that will lead them through this life throughout
eternity but many will be deceived and
corrupted, never finding the presence of God
that would of led them into eternity.
The ever resistance of many to God:
When we study in
the Old Testament, the book of Jeremiah, we can
clearly see the Lord's disappointments with this
people that would not obey God's word that was
spoken to them though His holy prophets but
instead "walked in the
counsels and in the imagination of their evil
heart". Even then, some of the prophets,
were not sent by God, but in His name, was
prophesying lies. God is about bringing truth to
His people but because of their evil heart,
"Truth" had perished.
Jeremiah 7:23.
"But this is what I
commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I
will be your God, and you shall be My people.
And walk in all the ways that I have commanded
you, that it may be well with you.' 24. "Yet
they did not obey or incline their ear, but
walked in the counsels and in the imagination of
their evil heart, and went backward and not
forward. 25. "Since the day that your fathers
came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I
have even sent to you all My servants the
prophets, daily rising up early and sending
them. 26. "Yet they did not obey Me or incline
their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did
worse than their fathers. 27. "Therefore you
shall speak all these words to them, but they
will not obey you. You shall also call to them,
but they will not answer you. 28. "So you shall
say to them, 'This is a nation that does not
obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive
correction. Truth has perished and has been cut
off from their mouth.
In the New
Testament, sadly it is prophesied, that some
men, appearing godly, but their true character
will prove otherwise. Their actions will show
their denial of the power of Christ to overcome
self in sin. Some of these men will be teaching
and defending their doctrines, doctrines
denying, some by not proclaiming, the divine
power that’s found in the anointing of Christ.
2 Timothy 3:1. But know
this, that in the last days perilous times will
come: 2. For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3.
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without
self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4.
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5. having
a form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away!
The Holy Spirit of God vs. false prophets:
Jeremiah 14:14.
And the Lord said to me,
"The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have
not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to
them; they prophesy to you a false vision,
divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of
their heart.
Today, in my
opinion, there are many false prophets,
proclaiming the name of the Lord, that continue
teaching a ."false vision,
divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of
their heart", perverting the true gospel
of Christ. Some will have congregational
approval because of the credentials they hold.
Jesus spoke of this in this way. John 5:44. "How
can you believe, who receive honor from one
another, and do not seek the honor that comes
from the only God?
And for those that set their focus on God rather
than the teachings of man will find that He has
provided a "Way" to "all Truth" for all mankind,
and that is through His Holy Spirit. God
foreknew this need for personal divine direction
because of the wickedness of man. This "Promise
of the Father" was given through the prophet
Joel and was later “poured out” so all would
have opportunity to truth.
Promise of the
Father:
Joel 2:27. Then you shall
know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that
I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My
people shall never be put to shame. 28. "And
it shall come to pass afterward that I
will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old
men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions; 29. And also on My menservants and
on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit
in those days.
This wonderful
“Promise of the Father” was manifested on the
day of Pentecost in the book of Acts, chapter 2
that continues to be present with those that are
His, forever. From the first day one accepts
the anointing of Christ throughout all eternity!
Jesus promised this in John 14:16-17 before His
execution and again after His resurrection just
before His ascension to heaven. Luke 24:49. "Behold,
I send the Promise of My Father upon you;
but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are
endued with power from on high.''
The apostle
Peter was the first to recognize Jesus’ “Promise
of the Father” and announced his
revelation to all that was present. From that
day forward, life was different for all mankind,
for everyone had been given opportunity to take
advantage of God’s personal presence in each of
their lives.
Acts 2:16. "But
this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17.
`And it shall come to pass in the last days,
says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on
all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your
old men shall dream dreams. 18. and on My
menservants and on My maidservants I will pour
out My Spirit in those days; … This is a
most wonderful promise and assurance that God
has given to all.
Preview of eternity:
There is a very
special reason why God has poured out His Spirit
on all flesh and that is to give all flesh
access to His kingdom. It’s my deepest belief
that this same Spirit that God has given us
today is the same Spirit that will give us
direction in eternity. The reason I believe this
is because of these words of Jesus.
John 14:15. "If
you love Me, keep My commandments. 16. "And I
will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may abide with you
forever,
Take note that
forever goes way
beyond our lives here on earth. All have been
given a wonderful opportunity of partaking in
this wonderful gift today. Some have partaken of
this and made the decision in their heart to
turn away. For those that resist this presence
of God, will never find their place in God’s
kingdom here on earth or in eternity.
Hebrews 6:4.
For it is impossible for
those who were once enlightened, and have tasted
the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of
the Holy Spirit, 5. and have tasted the good
word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6. if they fall away, to renew them again to
repentance, since they crucify again for
themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an
open shame.
Because of our
divine gift of choice, there are and will be
many that will not have a sincere love for the
Lord or a desire to submit to His righteousness.
Finding a sincere love for the Lord, one must
first recognize His divine presence. Even
creation teaches us His love and provisions.
When we realize the sacrifice that was paid for
our reconciliation into this divine
relationship, we find that He truly “first”
loved us. If we are truly thankful for His
provisions, to especially include His
sacrificial payment for our sin, our believing
is in direct correlation in our love for Him.
Jesus said, "If you love
Me, keep My commandments” and His
commandments come to us through the Holy Spirit
of God. Anyone that had placed their faith in a
doctrine that is in error to the true gospel of
Christ will struggle in finding a sincere love
for the Lord. Jesus made this comment that I
believe to be very applicable today.
Matthew 15:8. `These
people draw near to Me with their mouth, and
honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far
from Me. 9. And in vain they worship Me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
''
This divine kingdom is "at hand" today:
Study of the
Scriptures will show that this divine kingdom
actually was rooted in Genesis but because of
that root of sin, unbelief, and the sinful
rebellion in the carnal heart of man, God had to
prepare a Way for mankind to be able to
comprehend God's righteousness and His "Way"
into this divine reconciliation. Therefore the
precious blood of God's Son was given to pay the
debt of sin for all and because of His
sacrifice; Jesus became the High Priest for all,
that would accept this anointing of Christ that
leads and rules those in His kingdom. It's
through this Jesus, our divine Priest, and Lord
God, where we have access into this wonderful
kingdom, that is, if we believe in the “Way” of
Christ.
John 3:16. "For
God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.
For the children
of God, eternity begins the day they accept
Christ, for in this rebirth, there is no more
death, for they have passed from death to
eternal life. Jesus, in the days of His flesh,
began announcing this spiritual kingdom by
saying, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand". (Matthew
4:17) This kingdom is at hand today. It’s here
and available for everyone that believes and
accepts this wonderful gift. This kingdom is not
bordered by denomination preference or the other
gods of this world but by those that are
sanctified by the blood of Jesus , submitting to
God in all things through prayer and the
personal revelations that are given to those
that are His.
Luke 17:20.
Now when He was asked by
the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would
come, He answered them and said, "The
kingdom of God does not come with observation;
21. "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See
there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within
you."
This wonderful
kingdom of God is here today and we all have
access to all the advantages and privileges that
God has given to those that have chosen to be
included.
Importance of obedience:
This divine
kingdom is still "at hand", it's available and
present with us today. It's not found in a
church over here or over there, but found in the
hearts of those that are His. The Lord God still
commands us to keep His commandments, which is
given to each, through His Holy Spirit. For
those that hear His divine voice are still a
"special treasure" to Him, as His presence is
also a "special treasure" to those that hear and
obey.
In John 14:15.
"If you love Me, keep My
commandments. 16. "And I will pray the Father,
and He will give you another Helper, that He may
abide with you forever, 17. "even the Spirit of
truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know
Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
If we truly want
God’s presence in our lives it would make no
sense to be disobedient. Why would anyone want
divine presence and not take advantage of His
direction in our lives. If we’re disobedient,
we’re resisting God and His personal counseling.
The free gift within obedience:
The "Way" of
Christ is a free gift to all that will accept.
Even the obedience to God's word, not speaking
of the bible but that special personal word
that's found in the heart of those that are His,
is a most comforting gift. Obedience is not
works but taking advantage of the "Way" of
Christ. In other words, if someone gave you a
cell phone to use, having use of that cell phone
is the best part of that gift. Same with the
presence of Christ. Taking advantage or being
obedient to the divine direction that our Lord
God gives through His Holy Spirit is a wonderful
gift for it's always truth, given for our best
interest. Being obedient, is how we call Him,
Lord. Without obedience, there is no order and
without order, there is only chaos. And there is
no chaos in the kingdom of God. One cannot truly
take claim to accepting Christ and not submit to
the righteousness of God. For God's
righteousness is imputed by and revealed through
His Holy Spirit to those that are His, as well
as the power to obey.
James 2:24.
You see then that a man is
justified by works, and not by faith only.
...26. For as the body without the spirit is
dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Consider some of
the other gifts that God has given to the true
body of Christ.
1 Corinthians
12:7. But the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to each
one for the profit of all: 8. for to one is
given the word of wisdom through the
Spirit, to another the word of knowledge
through the same Spirit, 9. to another faith
by the same Spirit, to another gifts of
healings by the same Spirit, 10. to another
the working of miracles, to another
prophecy, to another discerning of spirits,
to another different kinds of tongues, to
another the interpretation of tongues.
I personally
believe that the use of these gifts are
available to all that are willing to seek the
kingdom of God and His righteousness.
1 Peter 2:24. who Himself
bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that
we, having died to sins, might live for
righteousness by whose stripes you were
healed.
Accepting and manifesting God's love:
Let's take a
moment here to discuss love. I find that the
love of the flesh is self-serving. It is a love
that can be lost, sometimes in only a moment.
It’s a selfish love, one that has to be earned.
Example: I love them because ... But the love of
God is a sacrificial love. It's about loving
without reason. It's about the choice to love
first. The bible establishes that God first
loved us (1 John 4:19). This is our example to
others, to first love without reason. God is the
foundation of love, and if we want to serve Him,
in His glory, we must make the choice to walk in
His likeness, to first love.
1 John 4:7.
Beloved, let us love one
another, for love is of God; and everyone who
loves is born of God and knows God. 8. He who
does not love does not know God, for God is
love.
It’s not even
possible to truly forgive others unless we have
love in our heart. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14. "For
if you forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15. "But
if you do not forgive men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
To be able to forgive, one must first chose to
love as Jesus first chose to love us. In doing
this, God’s love can be manifested to the world
through those that are His.
1 Corinthians 13:8. Love
never fails...
Love, the infrastructure of the kingdom of
God:
Love is the
infrastructure of the kingdom of God. Jesus said
in John 14:15. "If you
love Me, keep My commandments. Take note
that the first thing to keeping His commandments
is love. Then He continues with this promise, “And
I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may abide with you
forever” which is the Sprit of truth, the
Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit and
the commandments of God, are in twined with
love. Without love, one cannot believe in the
“Way” of Christ Jesus. They asked Jesus in
Matthew 22:36. "Teacher,
which is the great commandment in the law?'' 37.
Jesus said to him, " `You
shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind.'38. "This is the first and great
commandment. 39. "And the second is like it:
`You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
In the Old
Testament, God gave the children of Israel the
Ten Commandments and many times I’ve heard it
preached that no one can keep these commandments
for if you break even one, you have broken all
and I agree but I do not agree that it’s not
possible to keep them all. If one chooses to
love in the way that Jesus demonstrated, they
have fulfilled the commandment of love and in
doing so have kept all the commandments. The Ten
Commandments are the commandment of love. The
first four are dealing with our love for God and
the remaining six are dealing with our love for
others. If we love the Lord and our neighbors
including our enemies, we will not transgress
against them. When we accept Christ, and enter
His kingdom, we will also have the divine power
to demonstrate our sacrificial love for others.
The setting aside of self to consider and follow
through for what's best for those that God has
placed in our circle of influence.
Conscience & the Holy Spirit:
Our conscience,
what is it? How does it really work? Was it
created by God? Can the Holy Spirit be
revealed through one's conscience? These were
some of the questions that I had and I’d like to
share what I believe the Scriptures can teach us
about our conscience. In the genesis of time,
man was given a conscience. Adam and Eve
displayed their conscience by being afraid of
the presence of the Lord after eating fruit of
the tree of “good and evil”. The bible teaches
that, we can live by our conscience, showing our
faith to others, or we can have a weak
conscience. We can strive for a “good
conscience”, even “purging” our conscience from
dead works, or we can sear our conscience
through disregard and/or disobedience.
Depending upon our sincerity of heart, we can
contribute to the development of our having a
good conscience, by our choices. When one
studies the behavior of man in the bible, one
can see that many were convicted by their
conscience, even before the day of Pentecost
when God poured out His Spirit on all flesh as
He promised in Joel 2:28 and was fulfilled in
Acts 2:17. Paul writes in the book of Acts that
he strived to live in a good conscience, without
offense, before God and men. So is our behavior,
because of our conscience, always from God? And
to that, I'd say no. God gave all men a
conscience but it's not always under the
influence of God. Let me explain why I say
that. There are three parts to having a “good
and pure conscience”. First, one has to have a
pure heart towards God. Having a pure heart is
not by works but by the Spirit. In other words,
having a sincere heart seeking truth. As Jesus
said, in Mark 10:15. "Assuredly,
I say to you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child will by no
means enter it.'' Secondly, knowledge,
correct or incorrect, is the foundation of any
conscience but knowledge that is given by the
Holy Spirit is essential to finding a “good and
pure” conscience. And thirdly, we need to be
obedient to our “good conscience”. Actually I
believe our conscience is a mirror imagine of
our beliefs. The bible teaches us that the
very first part of our conscience is to have a
pure heart in sincerity towards God. If we have
an open heart to God, and His Holy Spirit, then
we will be open to His teaching and direction in
our lives as described in:
1 John 2:27.
But the anointing which
you have received from Him abides in you, and
you do not need that anyone teach you; but as
the same anointing teaches you concerning all
things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just
as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
This anointing
give us the foundational knowledge of our
conscience and the abiding is the obedience and
living in that knowledge. This is the “mystery
of the faith” that was spoken about in 1 Timothy
3:9 Paul also describes the importance of this
knowledge in walking with the Lord in Colossians
1:9. For
this reason we also, since
the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for
you, and to ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding; 10. that you may have
a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him,
being fruitful in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God; You see, our
knowledge is the foundation to our conscience
that directly effects our behavior. If one
receives the knowledge of man, their heart will
be aligned to those beliefs and their conscience
will become defiled. On the other hand if we
receive the truth that comes only from God
through His Spirit, our conscience will be
aligned to our beliefs in God. Some have a weak
conscience, simply because of their lack of
divine knowledge. It’s prophesied through out
the New Testament that many will align their
beliefs to the teachings of man, as it is
written in 1 John 2: 26.
These things I have written to you concerning
those who try to deceive you. In the
next verse, we are directed solely upon the
teachings of God through anointing of the Holy
Spirit, to avoid those deceptions that many will
trust as truth. This is why it is so important
that our hearts are pure and open to the
teaching of God through His Holy Spirit rather
than being influenced by the teachings of man.
Those that are willing to receive the “Promise
of the Father” (Acts 1:4) which is the baptism
of the Holy Spirit, are guaranteed a good
foundational knowledge, to a “good and pure
conscience”, if they so desire. In the Old
Testament, knowledge was given through the law
(Romans 3:20. Therefore
by the deeds of the law no flesh will be
justified in His sight, for by the law is the
knowledge of sin.) but after that Day of
Pentecost, knowledge in the deep things of God,
is given to anyone that is seeking, with a pure
Spirit. It’s through our conscience, where we
find our peace through our obedience to God, the
perfect peace that can only be found with a
“good and pure conscience”. Each one of us is
accountable for the choices we make that either
molds or defiles our conscience before God.
The bible teaches us that one of the main
aspects of the Holy Spirit is to reveal all
truth. Truth in it’s self has no emotion. It’s
in our own heart where we find emotion. If our
heart is pure, and open to God, then our emotion
of choice, to God’s truths, will be joy and
peace. On the other hand, if one’s heart is not
focused upon truth but rather seeking a belief
that is pleasing to their flesh, they will also
experience a sense of joy and piece. The danger
to our emotions is that, due to our fleshly
desires, our emotions, that are not properly
aligned, can dampen our convictions. Therefore,
some of our emotions can not be completely
trusted as "proof", so special attention should
also be given to our convictions. Each of our
personal convictions should be taken very
seriously, seeking the Lord's direction.
1 John 3:20.
For if our heart condemns
us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all
things. 21. Beloved, if our heart does not
condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22.
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because
we keep His commandments and do those things
that are pleasing in His sight.
Finding that
genuine “pure and good” conscience has to begin
with placing one’s trust in the anointing of the
Holy Spirit. 1 John 2: 27. If we place our
trust in man, regardless if it’s a parent,
pastor, good friend, whatever, we are opening
the door to deception. Jesus said in John
4:23. "But the hour is
coming, and now is, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and
truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship
Him. 24. "God is Spirit, and those who worship
Him must worship in spirit and truth.''
This kind of worship is the “pure in heart” such
as a child. I believe it is impossible to trust
in man and God. It’s one or the other. We must
place our trust in the Way that God has
provided, through Whom is the "Way", the "Truth"
and the "Light". Once focus is directed to man,
one’s heart has departed from the Lord. as
pointed out by the prophet in Jeremiah 17:5.
Thus says the Lord:
"Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes
flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the
Lord.
How can we make sure that we are listening to
the Holy Spirit? Start in sincere prayer,
asking for wisdom. James 1:5.
If any of you lacks
wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach, and it will
be given to him.
Let’s focus on the Holy Spirit for a moment. As
it is written in the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit
is defined as a Spirit of truth. The Holy
Spirit also teaches, brings things to our
remembrances. When one is filled with the
Spirit, it is the Spirit that speaks. The Holy
Spirit reveals the deep things of God, giving us
knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Without the
Holy Spirit no one can understand the Scriptures
for they are spiritually discerned. Therefore,
to have spiritual understanding, especially that
which is applicable to our personal lives,
begins with, asking God for wisdom. You see, if
one’s prayer is sincere, then the truths, the
divine knowledge that they'll find, will also be
genuine and spiritually discerned, and are of
the Lord. If those truths differ from the
opinion of others, do not waver, cling to those
truths, put your trust in them, for they are of
the Lord. In God’s system, all foundational
truths are built, one upon another. A good
house has to be built upon a good foundation.
The bible is the same way. It is a good solid
foundation but there are many truths for each
individual that can be built upon the truths
that God has already revealed to His apostles.
Are we not placing our trust in man for trusting
in the words of the Apostles? I think the best
way to explain this is by the very words of Paul
in 1 Corinthians 14:37.
If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or
spiritual, let him acknowledge that
the things which I write to you are the
commandments of the Lord. This goes back
to having a pure heart. Take note that Paul
directs his comment to those that thought of
themselves as being prophets or spiritual, as
the ones that would acknowledge or recognize
that Paul was writing the commandments of the
Lord. The precious truth is this: The Holy
Spirit that revealed those truths to the early
brethren in Christ is the same Holy Spirit, that
confirms those words of truth, to the children
of God today. Even and especially today, the
Holy Spirit reveals truth to those that are
seeking. Genuine joy and peace is found in
being obedient to the “conscience” that was
molded and is continually developed by the
truths given through the Holy Spirit of
God. Those that have accepted the baptism of the
Holy Spirit will find that, that free gift, to
be as tangible, as the blood that flows through
their veins and that our conscience is a
wonderful gift from God, our heavenly Father,
to be used as a tool for our edification before
God. In other words, it's our heavenly Father's
way of telling us, in the privacy of our own
heart, "you are my child in whom I am well
pleased", when we experience the joy of having a
"good and pure" conscience. Life and history
proves that everything that God has done or
created has a good and useful purpose. And
regardless as to what it is, it was created or
done for our own good to especially include our
conscience.
Prayer and submission are essential in the
kingdom of God:
Prayer and
submission are essential to being led by the
Holy Spirit of God. Jesus taught that in our
prayers we need to seek and submit to the will
of our heavenly Father, for as it is done it
heaven, it shall also be done here on earth.
Matthew 6:10 & Luke 11:2.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as
it is in heaven.
To be able to submit one must understand what
the Lord’s will is for them. That hearing and
understanding comes from within. God has given
all, that will accept the Way of the gospel of
Christ, spiritual understanding. As Jesus said:
John 10:27. ". "My sheep
hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow
Me.
Jesus also pointed out that only a few would
find this kingdom. He spoke of a narrow gate
which I believe is opened with the gospel of
Christ in obedience of the faith. Those that
believe in Jesus will also take advantage of His
Way to truth and Life.
Matthew 7:13. "Enter by
the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad
is the way that leads to destruction, and there
are many who go in by it. 14. "Because narrow is
the gate and difficult is the way which leads to
life, and there are few who find it.
The apostle Paul clearly understood and
continued with Christ’s teachings. The gospel of
Christ gives understanding and strength to put
to death the deeds of the flesh. Those that are
willing to do this are entering the kingdom of
God through the narrow gate for there is no
other way than the Way of Christ. These gates
represent choice. The gate that, many will go in
by, represents the desires of the flesh. It
would seem to me that sharing in a belief with
the “many” would not be a good thing to do. Each
one, in their own way, will resist the Holy
Spirit, even though many will take claim of
having it but will have their conscience seared
because of their disobedience.
Romans 6:16.
Do you not know that to
whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you
are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of
sin to death, or of obedience to
righteousness?
And the narrow
gate represents the choice of the “few”, seeking
and submitting to the will of God, living by the
Spirit.
Romans 8:11. But if the
Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the
flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13. For
if you live according to the flesh you will die;
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds
of the body, you will live. 14. For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God.
Jesus said, John 14:15. "If
you love Me, keep My commandments”. The
foundation to the Lord’s commandments is love,
loving the Lord first, loving those around us,
even our enemies. In this love, the gospel of
Christ can be manifested and souls can be won
for the Lord. Forgiveness is love. To forgive,
we must love, then true forgiveness can be
achieved.
Matthew 6:14. "For if you
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you. 15. "But if you do
not forgive men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses.
Colossians 3:12.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13.
bearing with one another, and forgiving one
another, if anyone has a complaint against
another; even as Christ forgave you, so you
also must do. 14. But above all these things
put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
Having a divine love is something that only the
beholder will know. Love is real. It cannot be
seen but is the greatest joy on earth. The joy
of loving one's spouse, their children,
grandchildren are immeasurable. The love for
the Lord is even greater. It's not just words
but a very enjoyable experience. For anyone
that is not experiencing this joy but taking
claim to being a child of God should review
their beliefs, for in doing so in the presence
of Christ in prayer, may find foundational
beliefs that may need some divine alignment.
Only the truth of God, through His Holy Spirit,
can redirect one's life into His love but only
if one's heart is sincerely open to truth.
Praise be to God, for the gospel of Christ and
His kingdom!
This world, ever
since the introduction of sin, is of wicked
domain but God has provided a kingdom of
righteousness for those that understand and
receive the love that comes only from God. True
righteousness and the love of God are
inseparable.
Romans 5:5. ... because
the love of God has been poured out in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
1 John 2:3. Now by this we
know that we know Him, if we keep His
commandments. 4. He who says, "I know Him,'' and
does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and
the truth is not in him. 5. But whoever keeps
His word, truly the love of God is perfected in
him. By this we know that we are in Him.
The eternal union of God's kingdom:
1 Thessalonians
4:13. But I do not want
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those
who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as
others who have no hope. 14. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15. For
this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that
we who are alive and remain until the coming of
the Lord will by no means precede those who are
asleep. 16. For the Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the
dead in Christ will rise first. 17. Then we who
are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18. Therefore comfort one another with these
words.
Matthew 6:33. "But seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you
John 1:12.
But as many as received
Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, even to those who believe in
His name:
Beliefs are chosen:
Our beliefs are
a direct path to our future. It is very
important what beliefs we accept as truth. Some
beliefs will lead some to the throne of God
while other beliefs will lead many to
destruction. The beliefs that I hold dear to my
heart that I have shared with you are for your
consideration. I do not claim to have a corner
market on God but I do share what God has done
for me in my life. My wife and I suffered the
loss of our first born (teenage) son in 1992 in
a fatal traffic accident. From that date, I
found a desperate need for the Lord for our pain
was severe. I know that others have also
suffered deeply and we’re not alone. But because
of need I have found the gospel of Christ and
His kingdom to bring healing to my soul, not
only for the loss of our beloved son but also to
give me incredible understanding and direction
for myself and my family. Since my acceptance to
the Way of Christ, the Lord has met our needs in
many ways. I am so thankful for the bible for it
is truly a written testimony of men and their
relationship with God. Not everyone in the bible
had a good relationship with the Lord but I
treasure the ones that did for I have found that
the same relationship that they held can be
found today because of what Jesus did for all by
His sacrificial death and payment. The blood of
Jesus is special to me for I being an earthly
father know the value of the spilled blood of a
son. For sure, the blood of my son is much
more valuable than my own blood. In John 3: 16
we see that God gave His only begotten Son, and
that has a very deep heart felt meaning to me.
For sure, the blood of a son (or daughter) is of
utmost value.
Today there are many teachings and differing
spiritual opinions. My beliefs and opinions are
only one of many. It is not my desire to have
followers but to point those that have found a
need to Whom that has taught and healed me. The
wounds of our loss are healed but the scares do
remain. For my family and I, our hope is in
Christ and His teachings. My hope is that one
day my entire family will be reunited in a
kingdom where love and righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:10. But the day
of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,
in which the heavens will pass away with a great
noise, and the elements will melt with fervent
heat; both the earth and the works that are in
it will be burned up. 11. Therefore, since all
these things will be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought you to be in holy conduct and
godliness, 12. looking for and hastening the
coming of the day of God, because of which the
heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the
elements will melt with fervent heat? 13.
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look
for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells.
Recognizing that Spirit of
Antichrist
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