1 John 4:7-8 NKJ
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:4-6 MSG
4-6 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world’s language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.
There are a lot of deceived individuals in the world. Looking for Love and acceptance
everywhere and anywhere they think they can find it.
Instead of finding the true love their looking for, what they find is only something that disguises itself as a version of the real thing.
What they really are finding is, a planned diversion to mimic the Love and acceptance they really need, by none other than the master of all lies...the devil himself!
Look at all the unrest in the world, look at all the protest. Let me tell you, Hell is on the march, the devil is mad at the good that is trying to raise itself up. The battle for the soul of society is real, we are witnessing an epic battle against the principalities of darkness.
1 John 4:1-3 NKJ
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
You kidding yourself and living in a bubble, if you think the devil doesn't have and has always had, his choice henchman in place just waiting for Jesus long awaited triumphant return for His bride!
This is not something that is new, this false hope of doom and gloom has been fiercely spread since the accusers fall from heaven.
The only thing new is still Gods endless mercies, that get up everyday looking to share His forgiveness and Love with the world! Day after day, offering a way of escape to whosoever, is willing to believe and accept a better way!
Jeremiah 29:11 NASB
11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord
The problem is that, to many are unaware or unwilling to listen too, or embrace Gods plans in their lives! And so the never ending circle of hopelessness and despair the devil offers, has them to continue to lap the same piece of familiar real estate over and over.
Illus. David Yarbrough
We often fail to consider the gradual, cumulative effect of sin in our lives. In Saint Louis in 1984, an unemployed cleaning woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees continued to fly in and out the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees. The whole attic became a hive, and the ceiling of the second- floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey and thousands of angry bees. While the woman escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect.
The accuser will lure and entice his prey down the road of sin, and his pursuit will be relentless....but I'm here to tell you "there's a better way!"
John 10:10 NKJ
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
There is a better way...and His Name Is JESUS!
Jesus is the answer for the world today, above him there is no other…
Jesus is the way! AND JESUS IS THE WAY!
Prescription drugs aren't the way!
Booze is not the way!
Your way is not the way!
Jesus is the way!
Amazing grace, is not just a song. Amazing grace is what Jesus offers to whosoever will accept the gift of forgiveness and redemption. Amazing grace, day after day is part of the continual mercies, God offers to society each and everyday!
Illus. Josh Hunt
The story is told of a prosperous, young investment banker who was driving a new BMW sedan on a mountain road during a snowstorm. As he veered around one sharp turn, he lost control and began sliding off the road toward a deep precipice. At the last moment he unbuckled his seat belt, flung open his door, and leaped from the car, which then tumbled down the ravine and burst into a ball of flames.
Though he had escaped with his life, the man suffered a ghastly injury. Somehow his arm had been caught near the hinge of the door as he jumped and had been torn off at the shoulder.
A trucker saw the accident in his rearview mirror. He pulled his rig to a halt and ran to see if he could help. He found the banker standing at the roadside, looking down at the BMW burning in the ravine below.
"My BMW! My new BMW!!" the banker moaned, oblivious to his injury.
The trucker pointed at the banker’s shoulder and said, "You’ve got bigger problems than that car. We’ve got to find your arm. Maybe the surgeons can sew it back on!"
The banker looked where his arm had been, paused a moment, and groaned, "Oh no! My Rolex! My new Rolex!!"
Society is concerned with all the bells and whistles of life like the story of the young banker. The only that maters in the end, is your life. The only thing that matters in the end, is what you did with your life for the kingdom.
Society and even Christians pick, choose and know scriptures that bring them comfort. Take one of the most well known scriptures, that has been read at countless bedsides and funerals, to bring comfort to hurting families.
Psalms 23... while it and does bring comfort in those situations. I think when David penned those words, he intended for the 23 psalm to be more of a "Declarational Guide" one that you could refer to when times got tough, when the mountain was large, when the only way out wasn't dependent on you!
Psalms 23 NKJ
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
(Everyone... especially those who call themselves A Christian should be willing to make the declaration of trust, that God is my shepherd. And as long as God is my shepherd I know everything with my life, is always going to be in his hands, and He will not let me want, He will always provide and I can trust when I call upon His name! Far too many say the words, but don't believe what they are saying! The Lord is my Shepard is a declaration for everyone to hear, especially the accuser!)
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
(The pastures this refers to recently I read, does not refer lush green valleys of vegetation. It refers to the hillsides of the Middle East, where Shepard's graze there flocks, where there seems to be no grass. But when you look closer, you notice that there are tiny clusters and sprigs of grass and are more than enough to sustain the entire flock of the Shepard. Very similar to our faith in God to provide and meet our needs, which He always does without fail!)
He leads me beside the still waters.
(I trust that no matter how things look, I know that God is going to lead me safely through, to where I can be refreshed and renewed!)
3 He restores my soul;
(Even if I get knocked down in the battle, I know that God will restore, replenish
and replace greater than which that was lost, or stolen from me!)
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
(even though I don't deserve it, God gives me better than I deserve, God gives me His best… Because God has promised and made a covenant with me...and He will always honor this covenant, because His Word will not return void!)
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
(I know that there is nothing that I do, that you will not be there protecting me and making a way, where there seems to be no way, by whatever means made necessary to make that way! You have to promised to always be there, so there is no reason to fear anything of this world, or not of this world!)
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
(even if it takes making my enemy Bow down before me in surrender, for you to bless me. I know that's how far you are willing to go, even when I don't deserve such a blessing, you are still willing to anoint my cup until it runs over with too much! Wether it's physical, spiritual, financial, no matter what way you choose to bless me, you pour out more than I deserve, more than I could ever hope to contain!)
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
(I know that because I have chosen and declared that you are Lord of my life that your goodness and mercy will follow me, and pursue me relentlessly with your goodness and extravagant love!)
The devil knows better than anyone, that all these things are available to those who are willing to declare and make Jesus the Lord in their life.
That's why he fights so relentlessly and battles for the soul of society, to keep them from reaching and experiencing, the peace that passes all understanding!
God wants you to step in to the new that he has for you, but before you can step in to the new, you must and you have to be willing to let go of the old.
Illus. Darren Etheir
In a time of great extremity the young man prayed to God for deliverance. In return for that deliverance the young man promised God a life-long commitment of service to others. Shortly thereafter, he was confronted with a man who embodied all that he disdained: a Texan with a loud brash manner who would lean close to confide a "great truth." And in drawing near he would bellow and his spittle would fly and cover the glasses of the quiet young man. That night, he whispered to God, "If you will but deliver me from this loud, obnoxious person, I promise to serve you the rest of my life." Instantly the response came in his heart: "Love one another." The relationship continued. The Texan, oblivious to all, seemed to be delighted to have this quiet young man as his friend and confidant. He would give lusty greetings from across a crowded room, and continued showering the young man whenever they were in close proximity. On his part, the young man would remove his glasses, and holding the gaze of the Texan, clean them very deliberately. He thought: "God -- you love him through me. I’m weak -- much too weak." The answer in his heart was swift and sobering: "My commandment is this -- that you love him, just as I have loved you." The young man began to try to put this into practice. He looked for ways to express a love that he did not feel. He listened to the Texan, and even began to be interested in what he was saying. He took him out for coffee and, during the telling of a story by the Texan, laughed loudly himself when the Texan spilled his coffee while gesturing wildly. After a short while, the quiet young man and the Texan became inseparable friends. Always together, they found time for many conversations. One day the quiet young man related to his friend from Texas that he had had a great deal of difficulty in the beginning of their relationship. There was a quiet moment. Then the Texan leaned close and said yah I know, there was a time I thought you'd never get past and let go of being yourself and be the person God called you to be!
God is called us to do great things, God has given us every opportunity to step out of the old way of life into a new and Glorious adventure, He has had waiting for us since the beginning!
Let our prayer be one, that askGod to help us be the Man, woman, boy and girl God has called us to be for the Kingdom.
