What a Blessing.

 

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,” Hebrews 10:19 

One day all Christians will be in heaven, and what a true blessing it will be. On this earth we will never have a true understanding what heaven will truly be like. What our new glorified bodies will be like, or what it means to have a glorified soul and spirit. We will one day realize what it will be like to see the throne of God and the throne on His right where our Saviour sits. The twenty-four thrones in front of God’s throne where the twenty-four Elders will sit. I do not know who these Elders are, but what a blessing it would be to be one of them. What a blessing to think about the river that runs from the Throne of our Father through heaven. What a blessing it will be to be in the special place where Jesus has elected to make for us who are His. What a blessing it will be to see our Brothers and Sisters in heaven that we were with here on earth. I pray most of my family are there with me, what a blessing it would be, even though we are Brothers and Sisters there. Oh, how blessed we will be once we are with the Lord. However, as I have spoken of all these blessings, I have not spoken of a very great blessing, the blessing of BEING GOD’S CHILDREN! “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:7 And to make it feel so more wonderful listen to this scripture, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8:17 While we may be adopted it does in any way lessen our value to God, because we are considered as much a child as Jesus is. WHAT A TRUE BLESSING! Yes indeed, one day soon we will understand what we read in the Holy Scriptures as it all becomes real to us, just how blessed we are. Oh, how I wished I could make it more real to you, but that day when faith is no longer needed it will be real to us, all blessings, all the time. Jesus prayed this prayer for us to soon see His glory, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24 While you would think we have reached the highest of God’s blessings, I believe there is one more that must rate as the blessings of all blessings. That blessing is how we as sinners could ever be so blessed not only to one day stand in the kingdom of God, but before our Fathers Throne entirely and absolutely without one accountable sin! Sometimes we remember our sins, Paul did “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Philippians 3:6 I once knew a Pastor who had a sin in his past and thought God punished his sin with a child that had major issues. I do not believe God does that to His children, the child could have been given for many reasons. God forgives us our sins, cast them as far as the east is from the west, and while we may remember them, Jesus took them all to the cross and the Father has forgiven them through His glorious blood. My Brother Pastor is with the Lord now, and he no longer remembers that sin, praise the Lord. Folks, our glory is awaiting us, while we may not have the greatest of understanding now, we soon will and what a true blessing it will be, especially when we stand before God, 100% HOLY!!! Thank you, Jesus, for our blessings! “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29 

People lost or saved do not understand the bible.

 

“Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. (44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:43 - 44 

If we truly understand any of God’s word, then we understand how blessed we are to understand anything about God that is truth. People do not have the ability to comprehend what the truth of the bible is unless the Holy Spirit teaches it to them, even Christians. “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” 1 John 2:27 People on their own believe in humanism and therefore they are not believing spiritually. Whether lost or saved people on their own cannot grasp an understanding of God’s word. The bible is a revelation and therefor must be taught as a revelation. People even saved people can read the scriptures thru in completion 5 times a year and not understand what they are reading. As Christians we must understand that every ability we have as God’s children is by the work of the Holy Spirit, not by us. Everything in the life of the believer is a gift of God, we can only accomplish what God gives us by grace. If you attend a church of truth, the speaker must be of God or God sent otherwise the message is dead. Only God sent speakers can teach a godly message, because it is God who spiritually controls His speakers of truth. In fact, it is God who controls everything is a Christians life, “Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.” Nehemiah 9:20 It is God who ordained everything is a believer’s life, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 God even went on to prove this in the book of Acts “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; (28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:24,25,28 The more a Christian understands God is our everything in everything it is then the more we will understand just how blessed we truly are in His grace.

God is alone pure.

 “Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?” Job 4:17

Satan’s downfall was wanting to be God, mans downfall was wanting to be God. Satan told Eve, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Genesis 3:4 – 6 It was Eves desire to be like God, to treat God as though He did not know what He was talking about, “Ye shall not surely die:” then Satan’s next lie was “then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods,” Eve’s down fall was believing Satan over God, but God called Satan a liar, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44 and this is why people follow Satan’s advice and not God’s, this is why people refuse to hear God’s words. “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.” John 8:43 Eve ignored the warning of God, “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Genesis 3:3 but Satan told her that she would not die, and if she eats then she would “ye shall be as gods” Today some 6,000 years later man still cannot trust God, they would rather believe the lies of Satan over the Truth of God’s Word. Therefore, they will change the meaning of the bible, but to do what, to show the creature is as powerful, or more powerful than God. “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 1:25 Notice God said “served the creature more than the Creator” than is to eliminate God and do-it-yourself. This is all taught in humanizing salvation, power, grace, etc. They use words like decision, choice, turning over a new leaf, praying the sinner’s prayer, works of all sorts, baptism, church membership, or anything else in accomplishing salvation except Jesus Christ. This is the very same as saying “I don’t need God or His, love, mercy, grace, Jesus, the gospel, or the power of the Holy Spirit, because I can do it myself “I am god”, this is defined under the word humanism. Our forefather and foremother Adam and Eve eat of the forbidden fruit, Their eyes were opened, and because of that they thought they could see what God was hiding from them, that we can be gods and we do not need the salvation of God. Therefore, people will change the truth into a lie and salvation is do-it-ourselves. These same people are liars whom preach this hearsay from their pulpits also lie about God, listen to this lie, {God wants everyone to be saved} or {God loves everyone} or {God can’t change your will} or {salvation is your choice}. All of these contradict what God says in His word, “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” Psalms 3:8 His blessings are upon His people, not everyone, people go to hells flames every single day and most likely every minute of every day. Many will stand before the Great White Throne and tell the Lord of all their good works only to hear Jesus tell them that He never loved them because He knew them not as His. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22 – 23 The lie is from Satan and the world believes the Satan’s lie’s over the Truth of God and it will land them in hell’s eternal fire. Man, outside of Christ is nothing like God, God is pure, righteous, holy, and powerful, man has none of these attributes and what we did have in creation was lost in the fall of our fore-parents Adam and Eve. God is the Creator of all things including mankind, it is within His will and power what to make us or not to make us. God owes no one anything, He does not have to love you, nor was God obligated to make you a vessel of honor. God saves only by grace, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and if you were not elected before the foundation of the world, you are not a vessel of honor and nothing you do in life will ever change that. People can demonize God, the bible, the churches, and Christians, but it will not change God not His word. Just because you believe it does not make it true, just because you were raised in church believing something does not make it truth. The only truth is God’s word, everything else is a lie. God is truth, Jesus is truth, and those whom God has blessed to believe the truth is right, all else is a lie and the lie of Satan. “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Romans 3:3 - 4 

God Has Sovereign Control!

 “Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.” Deuteronomy 23:5 

As Christian we all need to understand that our life will have up’s and down’s. Sometimes we feel blessed and sometimes we feel cursed. However, we never need to forget to thank God for the good as well as the bad. We are the children of God, before the foundation of the world God elected us to be His and in time God sent the Holy Spirit to bring us to Jesus Christ. God sent His Beloved Son into this world and allowed Him to surrender Himself to Satan and the lost heathens to have His heel bruised Gen. 3:15, to die and be buried and to raise on the third day, shed His glorious blood to cleanse us from our sins. God loves us and therefore God has done this for us, God will never let His children down, EVER! We know that God has ordained or predestinated our life, we do not live on chance, nothing is chance with God’s children. Here in our text we see God turn a curse into a blessing, why, “…because the LORD thy God loved thee.” It did not matter that Balaam was hired to curse them, all that mattered was that they were loved of God. God’s love never expires, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3 But what about the curse, how did God turn the curse into a blessing? Because God is all powerful, God is the only source of sovereign, independent power, all powers are given from God, even to Satan and all demons. However, we can also narrow all powers in all creation down to two beings, Deity and Satanic. God proved to us His power and authority over Satan with His prophet Job. “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” Job 2:6 Here we see Satan ask God for the power to take everything Job had in his life, but Satan could not take Jobs life because God limited Satan’s power. This is why Balaam’s curse would not harm God’s people, God turned it in a blessing. As Christians we need never fear the powers that be, Satan, the haters, our governments, nor the world. We live every moment of our earthly life under the power and authority of God. God has given us this promise, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38 – 39 Therefore, we must be content with our life, with what we have in life, and to everything that happens in life. Everyday is a blessing from God, therefore we should never just praise God for the good times but for every event and happening in our life good or bad. God has set your entire life before you and you will live it to whatever God has decreed. A lot of Christians throughout time have died at the hands of Satan’s people, including Jesus Christ. We who are so blessed never need to feel less blessed that anyone else because, as Paul put it, “I Am what I am by God’s grace” therefore God can allow a curse on us to fulfill it’s purpose or God can turn a curse into a blessing. God taught us in Romans 9:21 “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” God controls the clay; the clay does not control the Potter. Everyone and everything created are instruments in God’s hands, therefore if Satan can curse us God has allowed it, to bless Him. Just as it was with Job, God allowed this event to show His power in Job. While Satan and heathenism have great powers, God is the ultimate power. 

Salvation is more than faith.

“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” James 2:24 

There are a lot of so-called Christians that believe this scripture is absolute proof that salvation includes works. Well it would if taken alone and out of context, but in context it is saying that a man without works is a lost man. How can God tell us in the scripture that salvation is NOT OF WORKS Eph. 2:9 and then tell us that works is part of salvation? There are a lot of scriptural examples that condemn the thought that works is in anyway part of salvation. Here are just a few, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:21, Romans 8:3, Romans 11:6, James 2:10-11, and there are many more. There is not one single scripture in the bible that is as clear as Eph. 2:9 that tells us that salvation is of works, not one! People that believe in works for salvation cannot be saved or God saved them, and they are really confused about the scriptures. It is impossible for the writing of the scriptures to be out of context because The Holy Spirit is the author of the scriptures. The scriptures were not written for the natural person to understand them, the scriptures are like a parable to the lost person, they cannot make heads or tails of them. "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:13 - 14 This makes it impossible for a lost person to understand the scriptures. The Holy Spirit does not teach non-truths just as He did not inspire people to write contradiction. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16 So the very thought that Paul and James believed or wrote in contradiction is very ungodly and confusing. Therefore, the conclusion of what James is saying is, if a person is saved and they have no works in their life, then they are not saved. Because faith in Jesus Christ always brings works, always. A person may not be as much a worker as the strongest in faith, but there are works of truth in their life. “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:2 If one pretends to believe in Christ and bears no fruit then they are not truly in Christ. God did not save that dead sinner to be fruitless, it is our fruits that glorify Jesus Christ and our Father and if there are no works than there is not glory to God. God left nothing up to the creature to self-accomplish, or a person is not a bad Christian that has no works, God thru the Holy Spirit accomplishes our works, therefore there are no bad Christians in Christ. “For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.” Ecclesiastes 9:1 “and LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.” Isaiah 26:12 Therefore, the conclusion must be that self-works for salvation is dead – that self-works in Christ is dead – because we are what God thru the Holy Spirit hath made us. Great workers in Christ are great workers thru the Holy Spirit’s power, just as all Christian workers are. However, we must conclude that all in Christ will have works of righteousness because all in Christ must glorify God in some part of their life otherwise, they are dead branches. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” James 2:24 Showing God’s glory thru your works. Just because someone says they are a Christian does not make them a Christian, just because a person appears to have good works does not mean they are a Christian. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21 A sinner must have faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and if they do, they must have a show of their faith by some works to glorify God. "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 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. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:17 - 19 Be careful in what you believe, there is only one truth and one salvation, and many lies of Satan. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39 They testify of Jesus as Saviour not your works.