Take Up Your Cross, And Follow Jesus.

Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

In today’s time, most Christians have no idea what it is to be a real Christian. I know many will laugh and will ask who give you the right to judge other Christians, well no one. But let me ask you this question, are you properly following Jesus? Before, you answer that question, I would ask you to study this verse. Study it really good, and then ask yourself “am I rightly following Christ”. We have Christians who commit numerous sinful acts and they still attend church on regular basis, some even fill the pulpits. It is true that we are all sinners, and if we are saved then we are saved by the same God, through the same Saviour, or we are not saved. And please let us not forget, we are all sinners. Therefore, we should stop judging other Christians and start judging our own selves. Now, with that said, let me ask again, just how good of a Christian are you. Sometimes Christians are full of themselves instead of the Lord. Following Jesus is a most glorious thing, but to truly follow Jesus is very painful and miserable at time. If we think back at the life that Jesus lived, we should see just how horrible and painful of a life we ought to live. Christians who truly followed Jesus have lived miserable earthly lives. Peter was forced to lie about Jesus three time in denying Him. Paul lived a very hard life in his following of Jesus. Many of the Lord’s Apostles and disciples live hard lives and were even crucified for following the Lord. Millions of real followers of Christ have been murdered simply for their faith in Christ, and following Him. Many of Christians have lived in starvation, and died slow and horrible deaths just for the right to live for Jesus Christ. To farther the gospel, to keep the church in truth, and to preserve the doctrine of the scriptures. Today, Christians are weak, we have a hard time understanding the scriptures, we have a hard time following the scriptures. All of these past Christians gave everything to follow Jesus Christ, but in our day we look for excuses not to attend the church services. The Lord told us “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” Hebrews 10:25 but we look around and members are absent and some of them because they simply had something else to-do. Beloved, the first point we must all learn if we are going too pick-up our cross and follow the Lord, is the Lord is first. Jesus said “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38 No matter where that will have led Him, even to the cross. So what does it mean to truly follow Jesus, well the first point is “let him deny himself”. Beloved, a Christians life is not about themselves, while many Christians believe they are to be happy in this life, happiness only comes if God gives it. Following Jesus normally does not mean a happy earthly life, except spiritually. So while we are to deny ourselves, the second point is “take up his cross” but what cross? That is our suffering, our suffering for the Lord, the truth, and the church is our cross. We must learn that this life is not about us being happy (in the flesh), but about God being blessed in us. It is about our following Jesus Christ no matter where that road leads nor how bumpy it may get. In Romans 8:28 it says, “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.” But for who’s good? Our good, no, not at all, everything is for God’s good even if it means we will suffer, or even give our life to the Lord.  And the last thing our scripture says is “follow me.” Are you following Jesus Christ in your life, are you really? In order to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we must deny ourselves, suffer our crosses in life, and follow Him. Now beloved, that is a tall order, examine yourself and then see if you are really following the Lord. Read this very carefully - "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." 1 Peter 4:1-2

The Law Is Not Made For The Righteous Man.

1 Timothy 1:9 “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,”

I personally see this scripture as a profound statement. There has been much debate for thousands of years over the doctrine of justifiable works, or works for justified righteousness. People, even in our time still believe that salvation can come by works, or in living in the realm of the laws of God. Nothing can be farther of the truth, Paul wrote “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”  Galatians 2:16 I could open up an old debate on works for salvation, but that would be pointless since the bible many times over has proven works for salvation totally wrong. The bible pinpoint states that, the law was not written for righteousness, and neither was it ever intended for salvation. The Law was written to condemn, it was written to show sinners that they are sinners, it was written as a schoolmaster to deliver us (the saved) to Jesus Christ. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith…But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Galatians 3:24-25 This is why it was and is intended for “the for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane…” However, please understands that it is not intended to help them, nor to justify them, nor to make them righteous in any way, it is intended to condemn them. Both here on earth and in eternity. In judgment Jesus Christ will hear the lost souls as they tell Him how good they were, they will attempt to tell Him how little they broke the law of God and how they deserve to enter heaven, only to hear these words, “… I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:23 The law was not intended for the “righteous man” because you (if you are saved in Christ Jesus) have already fulfilled the law. Christ Jesus fulfilled it and you are in Him and He is in you. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4 Since Jesus Christ died in your place, as a substitute, then you have fulfilled the law, all the law of God in Christ, making it rendered useless to us who are righteous. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14 We must understand that being saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, we have no un-cleansed sins. The law cannot condemn us in any way, as the law was written to do. As believers in the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ the law and its condemnation should be the farthest thing from a believer’s mind. Now, also as believers in Jesus Christ and children of God, we must also understand that the law of God is still just that, the law of God. We should always obey our Father, and we should never take pleasure in failing His laws. We should always keep His law in our minds and heart and work to obey them, and all of them. However, the most blessedness of the believer is to know we live under grace and not the law. “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21If we fail, Jesus continues to cleanse us. Amen!

God Sought Me.

“But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.” Romans 10:20

 

We live in a Religionist Christian world where the call is to seek Christ, but is that true with God? The difference between the Religionist Christian and the Sovereign Grace Christian is that one says man seeks, finds and gets saved, and the other says that God seeks, finds, and saves the sinner. The question is, who is right and who is wrong, because both cannot be right. Romans chapter 10 is a proper passage for this thought because of its wording. If one is not looking, much can be over looked, and a wrong conclusion can be reached about the true meaning. The Lord says in verse 10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,” some will take that to mean that salvation can be accomplished by prayer, some know it as “the Romans Road”. But there is a catch to this verse many miss and it is the very next part of that verse “shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead”. One can confess all their life how much they are saved, they can pray all the sinner’s prayer they want to, and they will still die and go to hell. If one does not believe in their heart than they cannot be a real confession. God made this true in verse 10 when He said “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” This is the issue for so many who claim that they are Christian but in reality are nothing more than Religionist Christian. In case you might not know the word means, “Religionist” means – an excessive religious zeal – meaning Christianity is about Jesus Christ and Religion is about “expressing a zeal” which is what everything except Christianity is. The difference between a Religionist Christian and a Christian is one is saved and the other is lost seeking a zeal. God defined a Religionist Christian this way in verse 2 “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” Now back to our point. Believing in the heart is impossible unless God quickens the heart and gives you the faith to believe. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Proving that salvation is the work of God and is not the choice nor action of the lost sinner. Now let us get back to our text chapter. It is true that God said “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Verse 13 but the question must also be asked “who will call”? Will people defy God’s truth and believe on their own? God also said of the lost sinner “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3:10 -12 He was speaking of every lost sinner and since He was then, no lost sinner will just simply wake up and seek salvation in Jesus Christ. The truth is a sinner will only seek salvation if they are drawn by God himself. And the drawing I am speaking of is a deity drawing and no other way. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44 Now we see Paul quote Isaiah “But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not…” Isaiah 65:1 "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name." Paul said “Esaias is very bold” as every God called Minister should also be, speak the truth, people may hate you for the truth’s sake, but God will love and reward you for it. Esaias went on to say “…I was found of them that sought me not…” This is what God is saying “I was not sought, and I am found by those not seeking me” this is a total opposite to what the Religionist Christian teaches. God went on in to prove my point Romans 10:14-15 "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent…” See the truth is, one cannot simply make a choice or simply pray a prayer, or even simply call, God must send the messenger and call you out and then save your soul, even when you are not looking. I hope you are a saved believer, if not I pray that God will seek you out even though you are not seeking Him.

Stop Using God’s Name In Vain, Please.

Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

We sometimes as Christians forget what we should not do, sometime the world does it so much we grow accustom to allowing and even doing the wrong things. Using God’s name or names in vain should something (1.) we never accept in any form and (2.) absolutely never do. Now please let us study this word “vain” so that we will not be mistaken as to what is vain and what is not. The word “vain” In the Hebrew which is its usage in Exodus 20:7 the word is “shâv” and it means - in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjectively), uselessness (as deceptive, objectively; also adverbially in vain): - false (-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity. – in the New Testament the Lord uses the word often but not exactly as to using His name in vain. The word vain is used in such ways as “use not vain repetitions”, “in vain do they worship me”, “became vain in their imaginations”, “our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” If we preach not that Christ is the risen Saviour. We also see it used in other examples but not with anything good. Mary speaking of Jesus said in Luke 1:49 “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.” The Psalmist wrote in Psalms 111:9 "...holy and reverend is his name." The word “reverend” has a twofold meaning (1.) it means we are to revere or to feel deep respect or admiration for Him, and (2.) It should cause us to be frightened. As Christians we should know more than anyone else how to respect and use in reverence the names of the Lord. If you ever use the names (any of them) in vain at any time you have just insulted the name of God. If you use His names in a false way, or a weakened way you have brought insult upon the Lord. I hear Christians use the Lords names in vain a lot and personally it is insulting to me, and should be to you. The three worst letters used today is (omg) which is insulting to the name of God and to every Believer in Jesus Christ that knows better. Folks, it just takes a little self-discipline and personally I believe it is about one of the worse things a saved believer by grace and mercy can do. However, it ought to make us fearful of God, He has told us it is unacceptable to Him. Now, one might ask what exactly is God’s name? Well, just look up the names of God, and you will find many, and those are the ones you should not use in vain. It doesn’t matter that others may use the same names, if it is God’s name then it is Holy and should be Revered to the highest level. I believe Ministers that use the name “Reverend” ought not do so because the scriptures use the word once and it says it is God’s name. However, other names of God are used by others. There were other people named Jesus in the scriptures, and lord, and even god, however I believe that all names of God Are Holy and should never be used in vain. As Christians, who have tasted of the good gifts of God, the grace and mercy of His gift of salvation, please let us all drop the insulting usages of His Blessed names.