Well as usual I missed a bunch of days, but that’s life.  So much else to do and so much else to worry about.  It’s so hard.

We always talk about making sure we follow the Word of God and how important it is to make sure what is preached and taught is the Word of God and nothing else.  Let me give you an example of how we can get into trouble when we add to the Word of God.  Compare these two scriptures:  “The Lord God placed man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.  But the Lord God warned him, you may freely eat the fruit from every tree in the garden – except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If you eat this fruit, you are sure to die.”  Genesis 2:15-18   “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, the woman replied.  It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat.  God said, you must not eat it or even touch it; if you do you will die.”  Genesis 3:2-3.  Now I’m not sure if Adam told Eve wrong or Eve added the to the commandment herself, that really doesn’t matter, what matters is they added to the Word of God.  They changed what He said.  This may not seem very significant but it really is and shows us how easily we can get into trouble.  God told them if you eat it you will die, nothing about touching, looking or anything else.  Don’t eat it.  The Bible teaches us that Satan is the shrewdest of God’s creatures.  He knows a good thing when he sees it.  As soon as we start to add or subtract from the Word of God, he knows he has us.  He starts to make us doubt God’s Word.  Did he really say that, you won’t die, you will be like God?  He then uses our own weakness and ignorance to tempt us into sin.  He got Eve to touch the forbidden fruit; she had not sinned yet for there was no commandment about touching the fruit only eating.  She didn’t die!  Satan must have been right, God just didn’t want them to have the wisdom and Eve wanted the wisdom, so she ate, but she broke God’s commandment.  She didn’t die.  But see God did not say you will drop dead immediately, He said, “If you eat this fruit, you are sure to die.”  God’s Word is true, we all die now and sin is rampant in our world.  Just like Adam and Eve when we add or take away from God’s Word we rationalize that that’s not what God meant or I can do this and there will be no harm.  This is not the case we must follow God’s Word as He intended.  We have been blessed to know God through His Word, we need to keep His Word pure and not add nor subtract from it.  We need to know and trust that what God says is true, not all of the consequences may be immediate but they will come to pass, just as all of the rewards may not be immediate but they also will come to pass.  God has given us book of life and a way to know Him through the Bible.  Study and know God’s word, do not add or take away from it.  God made sure what was and is needed is there for us.

When we add or subtract from the Word of God, it becomes a lie.

“Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.”  Proverbs 12:19

God Bless!

Well I hope anyone that read my last post got something out of it.  Re-reading it, I don’t think I did very well.  My heart was there but I was trying to not make it too long.  Those that truly have Jesus in their heart will probably get the message I was trying to give.  Well today no words of wisdom, just not feeling it.  My life is catching up to me.  I need to find a job so I can occupy some of my time, when all you have is time on your hands, your mind can put your heart through so many emotions.  Being totally alone really sucks.  Eating by yourself sucks, going to the movie by yourself sucks, doing most things by yourself suck, we all need alone time, but too much puts you on the edge of sanity and the wrong or right thing can push you one way or the other.  I think today I’m on the insane side, just not thinking rational.  I just don’t think I was meant to be alone; I miss my family so much.  This is just taking too long to resolve, I feel like everyday I’m on a road to nowhere but I know that as long as I continue to trust in the Lord, all will resolve itself for His glory.

“Then I pray to you O Lord.  I say, you are my refuge.  You are all I really want in life.  Hear my cry, for I am very low.  Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.”  Psalm 142:5-6

“When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.”  Proverbs 11:25

OK, this next one requires some deep thought and some self introspection.  I hope I can pull it off.  It revolves around this scripture:  “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.  And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”  John 17:20-21.  Now you might not think much about this, Jesus was just praying for future believers until you examine some plain biblical truths.   Jesus was 100% man and 100% God.  As God He knew things as God, He is the Alpha and Omega, He knows past, present, and future.  Jesus knew us before we were born, He knows the very hairs on our head.  Thinking along this line, Jesus was praying for each of us by name, even though He also knew we were going to sin and at times betray Him.  Think about that for a minute, how many people would you help if you knew everything about them.  Would you pray and help someone that was going to kill 20 people?  Would you pray and help someone that was going to rob you and maybe kill someone in your family?  I think that most of us would say no.   Yet Jesus knew every little sin we would commit and still he prayed for us to be one with the Father, for us to have both He and the Father in our hearts.  Take it one step farther, Jesus died on the cross for us.  He took on the sins of the whole world.  Would you be able to die for a one sinful person, 10, 100, 1000, everyone?  The very act of Jesus dying for us also takes on some added prospective.   The wages of sin is death, we all know this, but sin cause pain, anguish, and death.  As 100% man Jesus felt all this pain, everything that you and I deserve He took upon himself.  As 100% God He knew each and every sin and who.  He knew mine and your sins by name.  When you are tempted to sin think, not only does Jesus know my sin but I am causing Him pain and death because of my sin.  Jesus gives us ways out, to not sin and I feel he still suffers when we sin, he is the Alpha and the Omega.  Think about that the next time you are tempted to sin, to choose to give in to your weak flesh instead of relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit.  Remember Jesus is all powerful and He always gives us a way out, to not sin, through His strength we can avoid sin.  And remember this, the devil nor anyone else can make us sin, we choose to sin.

Well I don’t know that I have done this justice, but maybe if you take the time to read some more and pray it will be enough.  For me drawing closer to Jesus and understanding the man (for I have little hope of understanding Jesus the God) has made a big difference in my life.  It makes it easier to put my life in Jesus’ hands.

“There is a perfect path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”  Proverbs 16:25

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!  Trust in the Lord always, for Lord God is the eternal Rock.”  Isaiah 26:3-4

When Jesus returns do you think he will tell you, “I’m glad you were a Baptist, good job”, I’m glad you were a Catholic, good job”, I’m glad you were a Lutheran, good job”.   Or do you think His question would be, “Why did your stubborn hearts keep you separated, together you could have done so much more for my Kingdom?”  Now I do not profess to know what Jesus will say when he returns but I have thought about this a lot.  Mostly because I was a denominational bigot and I thought that if you were a certain religion then you could not possibly have the right answers and could not advise or help me in my search to be more Christ like.  I have come to find that I was so wrong.  I was comforted and brought closer to the light by some one that was a Catholic.  Most of you that know me know that before I would never have sought out a Catholic.  But what I found was not a Catholic, but a follower of Jesus Christ that was filled with the Holy Spirit and the true love of Jesus.  The thing is, is that there are true people of God and pretenders in every denomination.  The important thing is that we should seek each other out and support each other in the unity and love of Christ Jesus.  We live in an evil, sin filled world, and you cannot avoid sin.  It’s in everything we take for granted, music, TV, movies, advertising, it’s everywhere even in our Churches.  We are fighting a war that without the power of Jesus, you have no hope to win.  Strength comes from the Spirit of Christ and the fellowship of true believers.  We need to unite in the love of Jesus Christ.  But while we are seeking unity we still need to be on guard for those that are false teachers.  False teachers are not new.  We have many examples in the Old Testament, Jesus himself warned of false teachers, and we have many false teachers today as well.  How do you know false teachers?  You need to ask several questions and if any don’t match then maybe their teaching is false.  At the core of their belief should be Jesus and do their words match the bible?  Who do they say Jesus is?  Do they believe He was fully man and fully God?  Do they believe He was the Messiah?  God, Son of God?  Born of a virgin?  Died on a cross for your sins?  Resurrected?  The only way to the Father, and the only way for your sins to be forgiven?  Do these questions sound familiar?  I believe we call that message, the Gospel, The Good News.

Look around you, seek out those that are grounded in the love of Jesus.  Fellowship, help each other.  There are so many that need the love of Jesus in their life or just need some council.  But as always don’t take my word or anyone else’s for this.  Listen and trust in the Holy Spirit.  Gain your own knowledge of scriptures.  Verify for yourself.

“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.”  Ephesians 4:3-4

Yesterday was a pretty good day, went to Church twice (two different Churches) and seeking the Lord through fellowship and worship helped to get me out of my depression.  I went to the Christ Baptist Church.  It was so nice; I met so many people filled with the love of Christ.  I don’t think I have ever been made to feel more welcome anywhere.  It was a little weird as I was only one of 2 white guys in the whole place.  But none of that seemed to matter; I was welcomed as a brother in Christ and nothing more.  I will definitely go again next Sunday.  The message was powerful, in accordance with God’s word, the music was inspired (the piano player that played was awesome), and most of all, I felt Jesus’ love in every person that I met.  The Spirit’s presence was very strong.  It never ceases to amaze me, when you turn to the Lord in true worship and love, how everything else seems so insignificant.  My troubles seem so small in comparison to the awesomeness that is God.  For a brief moment I did not feel quite so alone.  Fellowship with God’s people is communing with Jesus, which is why He instructed us to worship and fellowship together.  God is so awesome!  

"Seek the Lord while you can find Him.  Call on Him while He is near.  Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong.  Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them.  Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously."  Isaiah 55:6-7