Giver of Life

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

I am going to ask you to do something for me. But first...

There is only One who gives eternal life, Christ Jesus. If you think that life automatically comes by just knowing who He is without His being a very big part of your every day life, you are mistaken. That is exactly where the enemy wants you. It's his job to steer in wrong directions. He's as alive as Jesus Christ. (Think about the good and bad consciences that show up on shoulders!) He's a very jealous, prideful and destructive being. Also, he is just as active in this world as Jesus. He knows his time is almost up and that Jesus, the one who will reign victorious and will win the final battle. It's this enemy's job to bring as many as will ignore God's warnings into destruction along with him. 

While this may sound harsh, sometimes it's those hard words that need to be said. Jesus had many words of warning and rebuke along with words of His love for all. No child likes to be scolded for doing something wrong. It's even harder for an adult to be scolded by God!

So...I read an article about how science is close to creating eternal life of their own through stem cell technology. The article stated that Genesis 3:4 comes to mind: Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” That serpent has been our enemy since then.

  

A quote from the article: I believe we are watching humankind’s God-denying lust for the ultimate conquering of death in an attempt to thwart the curse that Yahweh has decreed upon a fallen creation. Of course, Yahweh will not be thwarted. He will not be mocked. To create and to give life – real life – is the glory of Yahweh himself. That glory will not be shared with fallen man.

That glory will not be shared...

As I began to read the article an indignation came over me. And sadness for those who think they are doing good in trying to create life without God. The idea has been around a very long time that man believes he can be like God. Some already know where that has taken them. Others alive who hold to this belief will one day also know. Satan thought he could be like God. It got him cast out of heaven. When someone dies without acknowledging God, heaven is not attainable.

I'm thankful for knowing the truth. It IS necessary for eternal life. Our life and our truths are not what matter. Only God's truth matters. Only God gives life. Only God. 

Okay, so here's what I want you to do: Read John 10. It's a picture of Jesus, our way to eternal life and the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Please do not be deceived. One Way, one Door, one Truth, one Shepherd. That's it. Go for it...

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&version=NKJV 

John 10:28 -  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

No Middle of the Road

Galatians 1:6-7 - I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

The sermon Sunday was called Enemies of the Cross. This can refer to a couple things. There are some clergymen who, like the scripture above says, pervert the Gospel. They preach half a message...that of the grace, mercy and love of God without mentioning that He is also a God who will one day judge. (We can avoid that judgment by receiving Christ.)

Some of these men might suggest that saying a "sinner's prayer" is all one needs to do to be saved and granted eternal life. They don't take it a step further and mention that you need to turn away from sin. Oh, heavens, don't talk about sin! You'll lose members of your church. They might tell you being a better person and doing good works is all that is needed. This is an enemy of the cross. They do not tell the whole truth. 

I'm going to take a different route based on words our pastor used. But let me share a handful of his words: If you don't serve God, you serve the devil. There is no middle ground. There's no gray area. It's all or nothing.

It's like a rock vs. sand. A rock is stable. You can stand on it. You will sink in sand. You can stand firmly on the Words of God but you have to believe them first, then obey His commands. Stand firm in Christ. Without that firm foundation of Christ you will fall, sink. Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock...But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand... (Matthew 7:24,26)

You either have Jesus or you do not. You believe and have faith with all your heart or you only believe with your mind and your faith is in something or someone else. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1John 5:20)

You are either a friend of Jesus or you are His enemy. Enemy may seem like a strong word, but it's not my word. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)  An adulterer here means one who is faithless toward God or ungodly. The world represents those who do not live a life for Christ.

You either believe the truth of God's Word or you believe lies. No in between. No picking and choosing what we want to believe. We might fail due to misunderstanding of the Word. But to say it's nonsense and think that some things don't apply today is a lie the enemy wants us to hang on to. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. (John 8:45)

We either believe that it is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved or we believe our works will save us. The first part is accurate, not the second. Jesus did all that was needed when He died on the Cross. To think we can add to that is pride. We think we are good enough in our own abilities and do these works in our own determination. Won't work. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  Grace and faith in Jesus only. 

The Bible tells us things that seem strange. It tells us we are to die now to receive life. The world thinks if they don't know if they are going to heaven, they might as well enjoy life today. (I used to think hell was life on earth...and then when I died came heaven!) The thing is...we can know if we are going to heaven today...if we believe, follow and trust in Christ. We give in to Him (which is not some horrible thing) and learn His truths, live them out, have His Spirit in us and be lead by Him. It's not torture! If we die now, we will have eternal life later. If we do not, we will not. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)  Believing in our heart, not in our mind.

We either have life now in Christ or we live our everyday lives in death. When we receive Christ we receive life. If we do not we are living in sin. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)...  (Ephesians 2:4-5)

We either live in victory in Christ or we are living in defeat. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Corinthians 15:56-57)

So, it's either Jesus or the devil. Black or white...no gray area. It's a hard word and one which I was rebellious about more than half my life. Then I received Christ, His Spirit filled me and I began to know Him and learn more about Him through reading and studying His Word. That Word brought life to me. That Word being Jesus and also His written Word. Submit to Him, acknowledge Him and He will teach you. He wants to. Doesn't matter where you are in life, your age, social status, nothing. He is there for all people who want to believe and know Him. 

Romans 10:8-11 - But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Warfare

Jude 1:9 - Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 

There are some people who go about fighting battles with the devil. I admit I was guilty of this because I'd heard it done and assumed since it came from another Christian it was okay. I looked up to the people who did this. If Michael the Archangel didn't attempt it, what makes anyone think they can?

We are to put all our trust in the Lord to do our battle, not believe we are like God and can do it ourselves. Who says I have more influence? Trust in Him. I should not lean on my own understanding. Why would anyone want to fight the enemy alone anyway? We call on His authority. He'll get the job done in the proper way.

There are scriptures that tell us the battle is the LORD's. And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." (2Chronicles 20:15)  We all fight battles, though not always physical ones, even as Christians. We are not to fear. He's got our backs, providing we do trust in Him.

And: ...he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! ...” (‭Zechariah‬ ‭3:1-2)

What battles do we have that seem undaunting? Instead of even hauling the enemy into the picture why not just call on the name of the Lord for the matter? Instead of shouting at the devil for "whatever," why not ask the Lord to provide what you need to get through or ask Him to do His will in the circumstance? 

Let's stop giving so much credit to the devil. We know Who will win in the end. Why acknowledge a loser!?

So rebuking the enemy, the devil...we earnestly call on Jesus to do it. Let the Lord rebuke him. For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us.” ‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭44:6-7)

Get out of His way so He can do battle. As long as we stand in the way He cannot do it. We are called to trust in the Lord our God. We are to call on Him when we are in need. The battle is His if we are His children.

Psalms‬ ‭34:6-9 - This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

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These Things I Have Spoken

John 16:1-11

These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, "Where are You going?"

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.


And these thing Jesus speaks to us today. Yesterday in church the message was about how we need the Holy Spirit in our lives, how we need to walk in the Spirit, that in and through the Spirit is how God works through us. If it had not been for Jesus and His death the Holy Spirit would not be accessible to us...through our acceptance of Jesus in our lives.

First, I see in these verses how Jesus is telling of things His disciples will experience; I see today how these words can be for any Christian who will face persecution...especially with the way things are happening in this world, how Christians are being treated...how God is being treated...even in our country...because they have not known the Father or Me. We see it in the news almost daily now. Who would ever have imagined it would come to this...and yet the Bible has warned about the last days (Matthew 24:7-17).

Second, the job of the Holy Spirit is explained. When the Holy Spirit would come to them, He would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. No one wants to be shown their sin. The righteousness is Christ's; proof of His righteousness, that because He was falsely accused, He would choose to die for those sins we have but would rise again and be with His Father. Judgment is what Christ would, and has, placed upon our enemy the devil.

We do have an enemy. He lives among us every day trying to bollux up all lives. He wants all people to join his ranks and he's doing a good job. The Holy Spirit is truth. He shows us truths. He will show us the enemy's plan vs. Jesus' plan. The enemy's plan is death and destruction; Jesus' plan is salvation and eternal life. The Holy Spirit of God shows us our sin that can only be taken away through Jesus and His righteousness, nothing we do on our own...and through Jesus alone the enemy is defeated in our life. There's a big bunch of truth right there.

It all starts with Jesus. It starts with believing in Him, receiving Him, being born again...spiritually, I might add...being filled with the Holy Spirit of truth. We don't need to be healthy, wealthy, wise or all cleaned up and good. We just need to be willing to submit to Christ. We need to be serious about Him. We need to follow and obey Him. Then, and only then, we become children of God. As soon as we make that commitment, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and He leads us into all truth. The truth of God's Word becomes alive and exciting...and convicting.

That's why Jesus told us, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ...unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again." (John 3:3,5,7) It means making a decision, choosing to receive Christ. You can only be led to Christ, but the decision is yours to make. It's an important, life changing one.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭13-14‬ - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.