MARCH 1 ARE YOU SERIOUS?

 Are you serious?  Years ago, my older brother and I were discussing the second coming of Christ.  I explained that the Bible teaches Jesus is coming back to this earth someday to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords for one thousand years.  Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. In this verse in Revelation the Lamb is Jesus. John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.   Jesus will reign literally for one thousand years. Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. My brother was astonished.  His response, “Are you serious?”.  I told him I absolutely was. Said he,  “You believe Jesus will return to earth and be king over all the nations?”  Me, “That’s right.”  My brother, “ You believe America will lay down it’s democracy and bow to a king?”   “Indeed” was my answer.  To which he said, “I had no idea you believed that.”  I know I was a big disappointment to my brother.  I am sad I disappointed him, but I am happy I asked Jesus to save me.  I realize the Bible seems like fables to many people.  I hurt for them.  1 Corinthians 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.   I believe if you are saved the Bible is the most precious book on earth.  The more I study it the more it studies me.  God’s Holy Spirit in me leads me to the truth.  John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth …   I understand that the natural man cannot understand.  Not that I can boast of anything I have done to win God’s favor.  All I contributed to my salvation was to prove I am a sinner.  His grace saved me.  His grace will save you if you will ask Him to.  Jesus is coming again.  Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. We see the signs all around us.  Jesus may soon say, “Here I come ready or not.”  Then the Christians will be taken to Heaven until Jesus comes back to be worldwide ruler.  Are you ready? 

  Are you young enough to be saved?   Matthew 18:2-4 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  The disciples had asked Jesus who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?  Many of us live in a goal-oriented world.  Set goals.  Accomplish them.  Enjoy the fruit of our labor.  Accomplish.  Accomplish.  Accomplish.  Sometimes the attitude is “He who dies with the most toys wins.”  Of course, all of us die and leave our toys and accomplishments behind.  Right?  Well, not exactly.  The sacrifices we make as Christians helping others are recorded in Heaven and follow us to Heaven.  Revelation 14:13  Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Even giving a cup of water in the name of Jesus to someone thirsty is recorded and will be rewarded.  Mark 9:41  For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. So, in Heaven the greatest Christian will be the most faithful servant of our Lord down here.  Matthew 23:11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.  The question is are you young enough to be saved?  In order to repent and trust Jesus we must know we need a savior. Matthew 9:12  …They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. Can you let go of your ego and accomplishments and pride and become like a little child?  Humble himself.   The Greek translates to depress, abase, bring low, of bringing to the ground, making level, reducing to a plain.  Can you reduce yourself to be plain instead of someone special?  If you are depressed over your sinful past, you can make yourself low and present yourself to Jesus.  Only then when you realize how holy He is and how unholy you are can you truly repent.  We need a savior.  He is Jesus.   John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If you are young enough (humble enough) to be converted, Jesus has open arms to welcome you into His family.  Will you make yourself young enough? 

 Bit on the heel.  It was a dark night in the Piney Woods of East Texas. The clouds hid the moon. As  older Boy Scouts another counselor and I had the assignment of clearing the main trail of limbs and snakes. Soon many scouts would travel this dark path to the campgrounds.  We spotted a Copperhead snake on the trail.  I suggested he hold the flashlight and I would kill the snake.  I straddled the snake to pin his head with the edge of my clipboard.  I intended to crush the serpent’s head.  However, when I slammed the edge of the clipboard to the ground the other scout screamed, dropped the flashlight, and ran.  In the darkness I was hoping I hit my target.  Finally, I did that which was logical. I ran. I did not get bit. There is another serpent that shall have his head crushed in the future.  Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  Satan took the form of a serpent and tempted Eve to disobey God.  She yielded and sinned. This verse promises that even though Satan would bruise the heel of the coming Messiah, (Jesus), the coming Messiah will eventually bruise his head. I am sure there was great celebration among the powers of darkness when Jesus died on the cross.  (His heel was bit).  But what a wonderful Sunday followed.  He arose!  Satan is having fun today deceiving the world and watching us Christian hypocrites yield to temptation. Someday King Jesus shall crush his head.  Revelation 20:10 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. If you understand the difference in right and wrong, you too have been bit in the heel.  For you have yielded to temptation and sinned. Isaiah 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  The “him” in this verse is Jesus.  God the Father laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.  That means Jesus paid the wages of sin. Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins.  He died in our place. Then He arose!  If we will repent and turn to Him, we pass from death to life.  Eternally.  Jesus offers you the gift of salvation.  To receive it you must repent and ask Him to save you. Romans 10:9 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. Will you receive Him today? 

 Bobby.  Stop that!  My brother was six years older than I.  When I was a brat.  Scratch that.  When I was a child, he loved to pick on me.  I would get upset and run to mother and tell on him.  He would be reproved but the joy he received in picking on me outweighed the scolding of our mother.  Mother told me to ignore him, and he would stop. Finally, I quit letting him upset me and he eventually stopped.  Now fast forward to today.  Bobby has gone on to his rewards, but I am still picked on by someone bigger than me.  Satan.  And his demons.  I am surprised at how much they hate me.  I am not that much of thorn in their side, but I guess the little I do in serving Jesus is enough to make them want to destroy me.  Satan is relentless.  He is persistent.  Of course, I probably give him credit for much more than he controls.  A dead battery on the car.  Satan? Or normal wear and tear? How impatient I am.  But to be sure Satan and his demons are alive and still kicking.  He has convinced many people he does not exist and what fun he has deceiving them.  As a believer in Christ, I am protected by Jesus and His angels. “Psalm 91:11-12  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”  I believe the Lord has put a hedge of protection around those who love him.  “Job 1:10  Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”  I have this supernatural protection from angels, and I have a hedge around me to protect me.  But sometimes I fear I take a chain saw to my spiritual hedge.  When I sin, I open the door for demonic influence.  Neglecting daily Bible study.  Eating too much.  Driving too fast.  Impatience.  Lust.  Dishonesty.  What a hypocrite I am.  I am not boasting of my sins.  I am praising God for His patience and faithfulness.  I deserve to be surrounded by the forces of evil and abandoned to die like Uriah was.  But God is faithful.  Do you blame the devil when things go wrong?  Could it be your own rebellion or ignorance that is behind your misery? I try to laugh when the devil upsets me.  I try to praise the Lord when I allow Satan to elevate my blood pressure.  Thank God Jesus understands just how frail I am, and He still loves me.  May you and I cast our every care on Him and try to roll with the punches.  Thank God for His faithfulness. 

 
“But I hate him.”  Is it wrong to hate?  Hate in the Hebrew of the Old Testament means enemy, odious or set against.  Leviticus 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart:…    Your brother may treat you wrong.  He may be a stinker.  He may treat you as an enemy but if you hate him, you are breaking God’s law.  Those who hate God will face God someday and be destroyed.  Deuteronomy 7:10  And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. If we hate God’s people we are asking to be cursed by God.  Deuteronomy 30:7  And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.  What are we as children of God permitted to hate?  Psalm 97:10   Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. We are to hate evil.  Psalm 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.  We are to hate false ways.  Proverbs 8:13   The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.  Ungodly people hate those who tell them about God. Amos 5:10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. “But I hate him.”  Who in the Bible said that?  Ahab, the King of Israel.   2 Chronicles 18:7  And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah went to Samaria to visit King Ahab.  Ahab asked Jehoshaphat if he would join forces and help him defeat his enemy.  Ahab had four hundred false prophets tell him to go to battle and win.  But Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a man of God, not the false prophets of Baal.  Ahab admitted there was a prophet of God in Samaria, however he hated him because he never said anything good to him.  God’s prophet Micaiah was summoned and told Ahab he would die in battle.  Micaiah was put in jail. Ahab was killed in battle.  Perhaps you hate Bible teaching preachers and Spirit filled Christians who warn you to turn from your wicked ways.  You may hate us.  You may kill us.  But someday you will stand before God.  You cannot say you were not warned.  Please repent while you can. 

 Did Jesus cause him to sin?  A man who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years waited by the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem hoping to be healed.  The word was that whenever an angel troubled the water the first person into the pool would be healed. John 5:6  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?  This lame man answered that whenever the water was troubled, he needed help getting into the pool and someone else always beat him into the water.  Dog eat dog.  Watch out for number one.  Sound familiar?  John 5:8  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.  By faith this man did as Jesus instructed.  Jesus healed this man.  He could walk.  He took up his mat and I suspect he was shouting and jumping and praising God as Jesus left.  However, some of the religious leaders of the Jewish people became enraged that this recently healed lame man was working on the Sabbath day.  (He was carrying his bed mat.)  Jesus got in trouble more than once for performing miracles on the Sabbath day.  Now this man was “sinning” because carrying a bed mat on the Sabbath was “work” to these “holy” men.  However, he was obeying his new Master.  Did Jesus cause him to sin?  No.  Well yes. Maybe?  No!  You see it was not a sin to obey Jesus.  However, it was a sin to break God’s law.  These self-righteous holier than thou blind leading the blind leaders were convinced he was sinning.  Just because man made rules are broken do not always mean a person is transgressing.  Some things are written in stone. Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.  Ever looked at someone with lust in your eye?  Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Some commandments are given by God.  Others are given by man.  That is why you and I need to read our Bible daily so we can learn the difference in man’s laws and God’s laws.  It is against the nature of God to lead someone to sin. Jesus did not tell him to sin.  But many man made laws are ungodly and there may come a time when we must decide do I obey God or do I obey man?  I hope we chose to obey God even if we end up in a firey furnace or in prison or our head chopped off on the chopping block.  Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Be obedient to Jesus even if others criticize you for it.  Especially if others criticize you. Obey Him no matter what the cost. 

 
Don’t make a promise until you have all the facts.  King Solomon went back on his word to his mother.  King David died.  His son Solomon ended up being king after the dust settled.  Then his mother, Bathsheba, came to him with one small petition.  Solomon promised to grant whatever she wanted.  Then he changed his mind.  1 Kings 2:19-21 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. 20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. 21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.  Adonijah was Solomons older brother.  He lost out on being made king.  Now Adonijah persuaded Bathsheba to ask King Solomon to let him marry Abishag who was one of King David’s wives in his harem.  If Adonijah was married to Abishag he could make a plan to remove his brother and become king.  God is the one who made Solomon king.  Satan wanted his brother to be king.  King Solomon saw through this seemingly innocent request and had his brother killed.  So instead of keeping his promise Solomon not only said no after saying yes but he had the conniving competition eliminated.  How shocked Bathsheba must have been.  She had been played.  Our song leader commented on a tie I wore and asked if I would leave it to him in my will.  I offered to give it to him on the spot.  But he declined but asked he inherit it.  That night at church I asked him “Will you say yes to my request?”  He said he would consider it.  What was my request?  I insisted he had to commit to say yes before I would tell him.  He reluctantly said, “Yes.”  Then I said my request was for him to take my tie as a gift then and there.  He took it.  He had trusted me.  Many times we trust others.  Solomon trusted his mother.  She had no idea sin was at the door and that she was being played.  Satan is sly. Luke 16:8 ... for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. Another example of not getting all the facts and regretting it is King Herrod.  He promised Salome his niece up to half his kingdom because her dance pleased him so.  She asked for the head of John the Baptist. Matthew 14:9  And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. Please don’t make a promise until you get all the facts. 

 
He was executed in church.  General Joab served David well.  Most of the time.  However, he was a wicked man and pay day caught up with him.  His mother Zeruiah was Davids’s sister.  Uncle David was kind to Joab, but Joab was wicked and slowly earned his execution. Since the wages of sin are not always paid immediately people think they are getting away with their wickedness.  What you sow,  you will reap.  Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” When King Saul died his General Abner elevated one of Saul’s sons to be king.  The Kingdom split.  David became king of the south.  The enemies, General Abner, and General Joab,  decided to have a contest.  Twelve men from each army face off and fight.  All twenty-four men grabbed their opponent’s beard and slashed him.  All twenty-four dropped dead.  Then the two armies began fighting.  Abner ran.  Joab’s brother Asahel chased him. Despite being warned he refused to stop.  Abner was able to swing his spear backward as Asahel ran into it and the spear went all the way through him.   2 Samuel 2:23  “Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place:” At a later date Abner and David made peace. Joab was not present.  He went after Abner and pretended to greet him with a kiss but instead killed him with his sword. Joab also killed David’s rebellious son Absolom against David’s orders.  Command was taken away from Joab and given to Amasa but Joab killed him. 2 Samuel 20:10  “But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died.” As David was dying Joab wanted another son beside Solomon to be king. David told Solomon in 1 Kings 2:5 and 6 to remember the sins of Joab. 1 Kings 2:6 “Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.” Joab turned against Solomon.  His rebellion cost him his life. He ran to the tabernacle and held on to the horns on the altar thinking he was safe.  1 Kings 2:30  “And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here.” King Solomon told Benaiah to kill him in the church. (tabernacle)  Joab died there.  Some people live for the devil and think their pretend belief in God will protect them.  The only protection from God’s wrath is to be washed in the blood of Jesus.  God sees your acting.  Repent while Jesus is calling you to Him. 

 He was mad at God.  When a friend repented of his sins and asked Jesus to save him, He was born again.  John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.   How happy he was to know his sins were forgiven and that Jesus was preparing a place for him in Heaven. John 14:2-3  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. One day it dawned on him his mother had already died.  She was not a believer.  Her soul was in hell.  Why would God let his mother die and go to hell?  He was mad at God.  Over time he realized that his mother had been given the opportunity to be saved.  She rejected God’s free gift.  Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. To be saved or to remain lost was her choice.  Why was God to blame for her rejection?  Could God have saved her without her personal repentance and faith?  Yes.  No.  Yes, God can do whatever He pleases.  But no because God has set down some guidelines that He will not violate.  If a person decides to continue to live in sin and ignore God, they decide their own eternity.  Matthew 7:13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. We are commanded to chose which road we want to travel.  It takes a deliberate decision to enter into the strait gate.  God is calling us to Him.  We have walked in rebellion intentionally.  If we intentionally continue down the broad way that leads to destruction that is our decision.  God does not want you to die and go to hell.  2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. If you decide to continue in spiritual darkness, you break God’s heart, but He will let you make the decision for yourself.  Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins.  For my sins.  Many of us have believed, repented, and asked Jesus to save us. Romans 10:9 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. Will you turn to the Lord while you can? 

 
His name in vain.  Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.   Just how intimate is your relationship with Jesus? First name basis? After all we refer to Jesus as  Proverbs 18:24  a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Is He your friend? Many times people carelessly speak His name. A church member who has gone to be with the Lord told me that one day as she was scooting across her living room floor, she stubbed her toe on the couch. She said out loud...”Jesus...why did you do that?” Was it Jesus' fault she stubbed her toe?  No.  Could He have stopped her from getting hurt?  Well, yes.  He could have allowed her to have a heart attack or drop dead.  But He let her stub her toe. And He got blamed for it. How often do we blame Jesus when things don't go as we think they should?  Perhaps we are too familiar with our Lord. I wouldn't blame my wife if my car wouldn't start.  But I may think...”Oh Jesus, here we go again”  Of course I am sure you never take the Lord's name in vain.  I am so familiar with Jesus perhaps I expect too much from Him. As His child I may subconsciously think I should have privileges.  After all the “Great I Am” lives within me.  So, disappointment, sickness, pain, bad news, computer crashes...and the like show me how impatient I am. I tend to blame Jesus.  At least I think it.  As a Christian I can expect the normal share of things going south...such as a flat tire. I should also realize that because I am an enemy of Satan, I will experience more than a normal share of problems. 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: If you are not facing fiery trials because of your faith something is wrong.  It is strange if everything is smooth sailing for you.  Jesus and Paul certainly had their problems.  We must learn to live with disappointments.  Perhaps a terrifying experience like the Israelites had in the wilderness would remind us of the reverence and majesty of our God.  Exodus 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. Perhaps we need our “friend” to speak to us sternly and put us in our proper place.