Why Strain out a Gnat and Swallow a Camel?

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were constantly being rebuked by Jesus because of their traditions and man made doctrines.  When we use doctrine to excuse our self from obeying the Word of God we are doing what the Pharisees and Sadducees did in the days of Jesus.  The LORD rebuked them for this more than any other thing.  Are there any traditions and doctrines  that you place above the Word of God?   God's command is that we walk in love.  Will you crucify anyone that crosses your traditions or your man made doctrines?   If so you have strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel. 

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.  The Word is Jesus, and Jesus is the Word.  You cannot separate the Word of God from Jesus, you cannot separate Jesus from the Word of God.  Whatever Jesus is, the Word is to us.  Whatever the Word of God is to us, Jesus is to us.  When you read the Word of God you are listening to God.  You cannot accept Jesus, and yet reject the Word.  Why?  Because Jesus is the Word of God.  If you reject the Word of God you have rejected Jesus.  You cannot reject Jesus without rejecting the Word of God.

Are there parts of the Word of God that you are uncomfortable with? Are there parts of the Word of God that you don't believe?  I was talking to a young man once.  I quoted to him a direct passage from the Word of God written in red.  He responded by saying, "We don't believe that way."  I said to him, do you see these Words in the Bible that they are written in red.  He said, "Yes, they are in red."  I said, "Do you know what red print means?"  He said, "Does that mean Jesus said it?"  I said "Yes, Jesus said these words.  Are you saying that your group does not believe these words that Jesus spoke, you do not accept them as truth?"  He said the same thing he did from the beginning, "We don't believe that way."  Then he  misquoted the Apostle Paul, and stretched what was written by Paul out of context and said, "We believe what the Apostles taught."  I just stood there shaking my head. 

When we reject the Word of God we are rejecting Jesus.  Jesus is the Word of God.  What I showed the young man gave him something to think about.  He had believed what his group had taught, and had not studied any further in the bible.  This was the FIRST time that he realized that what he believed did not line up with what Jesus taught.  We have people today in America and around the world that are just blindly following a set of rules and traditions and doctrines that are the opinions of men instead of the Word of God.  If your group teaches things contrary to what Jesus taught, guess who is wrong.  Here's a hint, it ain't Jesus that is wrong. 

Mark 7:7 But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

A lady came into our food pantry to get food.   As we were getting her food bagged up she looked at Pastor Bob and said, "Where does it say in the Bible that once  you are saved, you are always saved."  Pastor Bob looked at her and said, "You won't find that passage in the Bible, you won't find anything remotely like it either."   She was just shocked.  She said, "Oh, I know it is in there, I just can't find it."   In fact it is NOT in the Bible, but it has been taught from pulpits around America as if it is a passage in the Bible.  There are however  passages that state just the CONTRARY as a direct quote. 

Romans 11: 17-22 

17And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18Boast not against the branches. But if you boast, you bear not the root, but the root you.

19You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not arrogant, but fear:

21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also not spare you.

22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off

We must continue in his goodness because we were grafted in when Israel was cut off, and if we do not continue in his goodness, we also shall be cut off.  This is not talking about someone that never got saved in the first place.  This is talking about people who have been grafted in.   Does your group tell you that you have eternal security?  Are  you grafted into the vine?   Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off   This is not man's interpretation of the Word of God,   that was a direct QUOTE from the Word of God.  The words eternal security, once saved always saved, the promise that we will never lose our salvation...none of those words are in the Bible as a direct quote.  All of those DOCTRINES are men's interpretation of Scriptures.  Are you going to believe an interpretation of what man thinks about the Scripture, or are you going to believe a direct quote by the Apostle Paul from the book of Romans? 

The lady in the pantry told us all that she had searched all morning to find the scripture that said  once you were saved that you could never lose it.  She said, "I can't find it but I know it is in there, I have heard that preached all my life."  She heard this all her life and she WAITS until she is elderly before she starts looking to see if this  is a scripture from the Bible?  This doctrine is widely believed in America, yet, it is not a direct quote from the Bible but a doctrine that men came up with by placing various verses side by side and reasoning amongst themselves what these verses truly mean.  In other words, a man made doctrine!    

Here are more scriptures that are direct quotes from the Bible, not men's interpretation, quotes from the Bible that let us know that it is possible to fall away from grace when we do not obey the Will of God. 

Galatians 5: 1-4 

1Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace.

 

This is talking to those who were in the liberty of Christ, made free.  He said be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.   Then he says if they trust in circumcision which is of the law they are fallen from grace.  This is not talking about someone that never received grace.  This is talking about someone that had received it, been made free by Christ, and returned to the law, and then FELL from GRACE.  This Scripture says that we can fall from grace.  How can you fall from something that you never received? 

 

Colossians 1: 21-23  21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

 

Once again this is talking to the believer.  He is saying that the we would be presented HOLY, BLAMELESS, UNREPROVEABLE in his sight.  But there is a condition on being presented that way.  The Scripture goes on to say IF YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH...GROUNDED and SETTLED and be not MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel.  Why would he say  and BE NOT MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel if once we got saved, we were always saved.  Why say this if we are eternally secure and no matter what we do we can never lose it.  This was said in the Scripture because Paul did not believe in once saved always saved.  If he had believed that doctrine,  he would have never said here IF you CONTINUE in the FAITH...and again he says that we can be MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel.

 

Hebrews 3: 12-14  12Take heed, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end;

 

All of these scriptures are talking to the believer, they are not talking to the lost.  Just because a scripture in the Bible says that a believer shall have eternal life, does not mean that one cannot stop believing.  Also, there are many scriptures that say those who do not produce fruit will be cut off.  There are also Scriptures that say that those who do not do the will of the God will perish. I challenge everyone to study them for YOURSELF.   All of the above Scriptures indicate we must CONTINUE in the faith to receive eternal life.  Why would there be an emphasis on continuing in the faith if it were not possible to fail to continue in the faith?

 

 

People believe things that are contrary to direct quotes from the Scripture because they have been taught the doctrines of men.  Paul urged everyone to study the Scriptures for themselves.  Look at the doctrines you believe.   Do they line up with direct quotes from the Bible or do you have to explain away direct quotes from the Bible to stick with the doctrine that  you believe?  Food for thought!  

 

 

 

Live Worship at Praise Assembly posted Friday morning

Faith that finds God

If  you look across the internet today, you will find just about anything that  you want to find.  We have every opportunity in the world laid out right in front of us.  There is a great responsibility that comes with such an opportunity.  With every opportunity God is going to ask us to give an account for what we did with it.  Jesus told a parable of three men that were each given a talent.  Two of them invested their talent and made some profit from it.  One of the men did not use his talent, but buried it.  God commended the first two men that had invested their talent and told them to enter in.  The one that hid his talent was thrown were there was darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth.   His master called him an unprofitable servant.  Our generation has been given a lot in life.  We will give an account for how we used what God gave to us. 

In the Bible,  the first two children that were born on the earth were each given something in this life.  Their names were Cain and Able, and they were both farmers.  Cain grew crops, and Abel farmed livestock.   These were both really good boys and the time came when the sons of Adam were to present their offerings before God.  Cain grew crops so he took of his garden and offered the best of it up to God.   Able raised livestock and he offered up the best of his flock to God. 

Genesis 4: 3-7

 

3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why are you angry? and why is your countenance fallen?

7If you do well, shall you not be accepted? and if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And you shall be its desire, and you must rule over it.

 

We see in this story that Able brought a sacrifice that God required and was accepted by God.  Cain did what he wanted to do, and expected God to be OK with it. Cain's offering did not please the LORD.  But,  Cain wanted to please God didn't he?  He wouldn't have offered up a sacrifice if he didn't want to please God in some way?   He wanted to please God, but, he wanted to do things his way.  He got angry and sullen when God didn't accept his way. Cain could have dismissed God's disapproval.   Cain could have said, "I didn't do the right thing, but, God knows my heart."  We say this when we disobey God, yet, we want to act like God is OK with it.  God is NOT Ok with our disobedience.  If we are going to come to God, we are going to come God's way, or God is not going to accept our worship.  Able had the kind of faith that finds God, because he obeyed God, instead of coming to God on his OWN terms.

 

Jesus was frustrated with a few people and this is what he said to them:

 

Luke 6:46  And why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

 

When we come to God he expects us to come on his terms, not our own terms.  Some people disobey the Bible everyday, while living in sin, making provision for a sinful lifestyle, then throw up a daily prayer to God and then expect God to accept their offering.  Just because you offer something up to God, doesn't mean he is going to accept it.  Do you accept everything that people throw your way.  I don't think any of us accepts everything that people want to throw at us, but we treat God as if he is going to accept any type of service that we give to him.  If we want to please God we are going to do it God's  way.  Jesus summed it up in a new command that he gave.

Mark 12: 29-31 

29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.

31And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

 

Maybe  you came to God and asked him to help you with an issue in your life, and it just didn't work  out for you.  Maybe you feel like God let you down because things didn't get better after you prayed for help.  Try coming to God on his terms, and not on your terms.  You sought him for an answer to your problem, and didn't find him.  Now seek him as his terms require with your WHOLE heart.   When you come to God on God's terms, you will find him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAS EVERYONE GIVEN UP ON YOU? GOD HAS NOT GIVEN UP!

Faith comes by hearing!  How did Noah know what his life work was going to be?  He knew so because he had heard God.   Have  you ever been out of luck, out of options, and out of time?  What do you do when   you are trapped in a set of circumstances that leave you very few options on any side?  There are some people that if they cannot do things in the natural to fix their problem, they are at a complete loss as what direction to take, or where to make their first move.  That may work if you have plenty of money, plenty of time, and lots of options and favors.  Moses didn't have ANY of those things.  When the natural is certain to fail, the only option is the supernatural.  Should we even turn to the natural at all.  If we have a way out of our difficult circumstances, or a way to move forward in the natural and we don't take it, we need a crash course in wisdom for sure. 

God's church is not something that is of the world, or that is natural.  God's church is supernatural.  Why is it supernatural?  It is supernatural because every time someone is born again, God just did a miracle.  A regeneration, a new birth.  We are living in a time when the people of God have tried to take a supernatural thing, which is God's church, and tried to make it grow using natural means.    You can add a new member to the church roll without anything supernatural ever taken place, but you cannot add another name to the roll in heaven without a supernatural move of God's Holy Spirit.    People are trying to direct their lives and direct their ministries today without ever having heard from God.  We have unlimited access to all the supernatural and divine power in the universe, and we would chose to work merely by natural means. 


Zechariah 4: 6-10 

6Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

7Who are you, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain: and he shall bring forth its headstone with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

8Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me unto you.

10For who has despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plumbline in the hand of Zerubbabel; these seven are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

 

These verses of Scripture are your hope and your deliverance, because the same God that helped Zerubbabel will help you.  Zerubbabel was building the temple of the LORD.  You are also building the temple of the LORD, that temple is you!  As the scriptures declare:  Know you not you are the temple.   There are five things here that God promises you, be sure you HEAR what God is saying. 

 

(1)  Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of host. God will give you supernatural help.   You are not going to rely on purely natural means to build your temple.  Don't think you are alone, and on your own.  God is going to build you up by His Spirit.  It doesn't matter how broken down you are, no matter what the condition, when God gets ready to build the house, God is more than able to do  by the supernatural, what man says is 'impossible' in the natural.  Has everyone given up on you?  Maybe in the natural  you have always been lacking and falling short, or just a handful of trouble.  It's time to turn it over to God and allow him to do the supernatural in your life.

 

(2)  Every mountain and obstacle in front of you is going to disappear when God begins moving on your behalf.  Has the devil always found a way to throw a wrench in  your successes.  Have you been a victim of circumstances, and obstacles way out of your control?  God is going to level every obstacle out and clear out a path for you to rise up.

 

(3)  And he shall bring forth its headstone with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.God is going to give you the grace to endure every test.  When trials and opposition and temptations come your way.  God is going to give you the grace you need to make it through it.

 

(4)  The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it;  You have allowed God to start and good work in you, and God is going to finish it.  Whatever  you have committed to God won't be left half undone.  God that started a good work in you is going to see it through to completion.  Not by your might, or your power in the natural, but by HIS Spirit.

 

(5) For who has despised the day of small things?  When God does things by the supernatural, he usually starts out small, and tiny...and then springs that seed up into something big and mighty.  If you feel you are insignificant, you are just the seed God needs to do a mighty deed.  If you are just a little country church, you are just the seed God needs to plant into his work.  Hey, take whatever small thing you have, and yield it to God.  Don't get upset that it is such an insignificant thing...all throughout the bible God took that which was small and insignificant and did something mighty with it. 

 

Faith comes by hearing.  Did you hear all of the possibilities that God has laid out for you?  Maybe God sent you into a dead situation, to a place no one else wanted to go.  Praise God.  If your circumstances are dead in the natural, look up, it is time for God to do what he does best, a supernatural move of God. 

 

You were created for a purpose.

John 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.   

 What did Jesus say that we would do?  He said that we would do WORKS.  And not just any works.  If we believe on Jesus we will do the works that he did, and even greater works!   Some people stop believing right there.  They don't want to accept that the Bible says that our belief is connected to works.   The idea that our belief is connected to faith is comforting to most people.  The idea that works are connected to our belief,  causes many people to disagree with what the Bible is saying in this passage.   Do you believe on Jesus?  Than you will do  the works he did, and perhaps even greater works.    Do you realize that this is a direct quote from Jesus?    Can we take a direct quote from Jesus and decide that we don't believe that way.  Well, some people do, but that's not a good idea.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

God has already ordained us that we should walk in good works.  God had a work in mind for you to do before you were even born.  God saved our soul.  How?  He saved us by our faith in Christ.  And he gives us purpose and meaning to our lives because he ordained a work for us to do since before we were even born.  Until you find your God given work and purpose in life, you will feel like there is something more that you are missing in this life.  Why?  Because you were created for a purpose.  Your soul was given an assignment from heaven.  You have something to accomplish.  Your life has a purpose, it has a meaning, there is a reason! 

Acts 13:36  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption:

When you find the will of God for your life, you find God's purpose for your life.  God is the creator of this world.  He created every person for a distinct calling and place on this earth.  Just imagine if David had chosen not the serve the LORD, or fight Goliath, or fulfill the calling upon his life.  If he hadn't followed God's plan he would have never became the KING, nor would he be part of the lineage of Jesus.

Each of us must ask ourselves, "What am I missing out on in life because I have not found God's will and express purpose for my life." 

When you fulfill a different place in life other than what God has called you to, you will find a lack of fulfillment.  Do you notice how the word fulfill is the root word for the word fulfillment?  If  you want true fulfillment in life you must find God's purpose and calling and fulfill it.

LIVE WORSHIP AT PRAISE ASSEMBLY COLUMBIA

When encouragement is just not enough

Encouragement is a good thing.  So many are discouraged and lacking the joy and the peace that they need to make it through.   An encouraging word, and encouraging smile, a friendly gesture can make a big difference in your day.   But, sometimes speaking a word of encouragement is like putting a band aid on an open gapping wound.   We need more than that which will make us 'feel' better.  There are times when we can be so depressed that a word of encouragement is like putting a drop of water on a hot sand pile.  It just evaporates as it hits our soul.  There are times when we can be so full of panic, that we are paralyzed by our fears.  When these things attack us it can bring us into a place of despair that is so devastating.   It is going to make more than a good word of encouragement to make a lasting difference.  

The Bible tells the story of a guy that loved the night life, he liked to party.  He came from a good family, they were farmers.  He didn't want to be a country boy, he didn't want to farm.  He wanted to go to the big city where there was some action going on.    His older brother was satisfied to stay on the farm, and work with his dad, but he couldn't WAIT to get out of there. 

We see this same thing often today in our society.    Many times young people will hate living in the home where they were raised.  I have heard many young people say, "I can't wait until I'm 18, and I can get out of this place!"  It is understandable that when  a person is miserable that they would want to change their circumstances.  The only problem with this kind of attitude is that it springs up out of a heart of hatred and rebellion.  When you have this heart of rebellion it will destroy everything that you do.  You may leave your home, but you haven't left your problem.  Your problem will follow  you.  We think that our problem is the people around us, but the problem is our heart that was hateful and rebellious.  Do you know why your problem follows you?  Because you leave the home in a hateful attitude of unthankfulness and rebellion and then you get yourself a job.  The first thing you know your boss is up in your face telling you what you will do, or what you won't do.  Then what happens?  That hateful spirit of rebellion will rise up inside of you, and you will talk back to your boss, and you will get fired, or quit, because you won't let ANYONE tell you what to do.  And then you will get married and your rebellious attitude will come between  you and your family, and the problem goes on and on.  That rebellious attitude will be like a noose around your neck, until God breaks that chain!

In the story, the son left his father's house to go to the big city, where he wanted to have fun, but he didn't leave his problems behind him, he took his problems with him!   He went to his father and said, "Give me what is mine."  He was rebellious, he was selfish, he wanted his inheritance before his father passed away.  He wanted his cut in the family farm, so he could go to the big city and 'enjoy' his life.  His father understood that his  son's heart had went astray, and he let him follow his heart.  There was nothing he could do to hold his son there.

Today, many people will tell you that you can't go wrong following your heart.  This is simply not the truth.  Our hearts can lead us astray.  When our hearts go after the wrong things in life and we follow our hearts we get our self in a huge mess.  I know many people who set out early in life to follow their heart, and many of them ended up in a big mess.  Sometimes we have to live our life by living for responsibilities.  For the son in this story, that is not the kind of life he wanted.  Sometimes our wants and desires are the very thing that can mess us up.  When we come to God he wants more than just an effort from us to do what is right.  God wants us to surrender our life to him so that he can put his Spirit in us, and change our wants and desires to be what he desires. 

The young man in the story did receive his inheritance early from his father.  He did go to the big city.  And the Bible says that when he got there:   Luke 15:13  And not many days later the younger son gathered everything together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

He went to the big city, and he went wild.   The Bible says that sin is fun for a season.  Luke 15:14 And when he had spent everything, there arose a great famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

The party life promises you so much, but it delivers unexpected results, it always leaves you wanting MORE.  Never satisfied, never happy after the drugs wear off, always unfulfilled, and alone.

There is always an end to every party.  Sometimes the end is when you run out of money, like it was for this young man.  Sometimes the end is a jail cell.  Sometimes the end is losing all of your family.  Sometimes the end is a hospital bed.  Sometimes the end is an overdose.  There is always an end to the party.  Sometimes you can party for a few decades before you reach the end, but the end of the party hits you sooner or later.

The young man found himself penniless, hungry, and with no friends.  He got a job, and guess where...on a FARM...but not his father's farm. You can run away in rebellion, but you will come right back around to where you left!  I thought he didn't like the farm life, but now, this was the only job he could get.  Out of options and out of luck!   He was working for someone else, on a farm, feeding pigs, and he was so hungry he would eat the slop. 

In that moment there is no self help talk, no prosperity message, no word of encouragement, no motivational speech that could help this young man.  He had sunk as low as he could get!  There is no cliché, no positive thinking, no  wishful thinking that would pull him up out of this mess.  We have a whole nation full of prodigal sons that are living in the devastation of the pig pen, and we have preachers that are standing up giving a good motivational speeches full of wishful thinking and positive antidotes.  The prodigals are going out of the church just as messed up as they was when they came in, because there is no power in our words when we fail to preach Christ and him crucified!

He did what all of us eventually need to do.  He humbled himself, and he went to his father, and he said, "I AM SORRY."  He said he had done wrong, and he was coming home to live, and accept his place in life and his responsibilities.  It is called being humble, and repentant, and growing up.

Sometimes we don't need another word of encouragement, cause we have sunk so low, that a positive thought is going to do very little good.  Sometimes we need to go back to that place where we taught right from wrong, and decide to choose life instead of death.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

He was as low as he could get.  Money was not his answer.  Another job was not his answer.  Stealing from others was not his answer.  A woman that would take him in was not his answer.  The Father in the story is God.  Return to his house, with a repentant heart, and let God restore to you that which you have lost.