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The World Will Hate You

7/11/2014

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                                                                                                                                                       by Betty

  Tim had a friend named Henry who had two sons. One was very wicked, and the other was
very good. The good brother did his very best to influence his wayward brother to come to
Christ and at last he did. The bad brother became exceedingly good, loving, holy, pure, and
clean. Jesus Christ had set him free from the bondage of sin, and now he gave himself wholly
to the Lord. The good brother rejoiced for a time; after all, he was the one who had brought his
brother to the Lord. After a while though, he found himself competing with his brother in
goodness, and he saw himself falling short. He felt envious and bitter about it; he was the good
one from the start. How dare his brother usurp this position. He despised his brother, and did
his best to be a thorn in his converted brother's side.
  My friend Emily was at a prayer meeting where everyone stood up to give their testimonies.
One man stood up and said that he was made perfect in Christ, and he was free from sin. Oh
boy, rage flushed into the dear saints' faces and the perfect man barely made it out of that
prayer meeting alive.
  Our friend Bob had the gift of prophesy. When Bob prophesied I took note and knew it was
from God. He always prayed about where he went and what he was to do. When he was
young in the Lord, he was nervous about going to church because when the Spirit of prophesy would
come upon him he spoke God's word because he always made a point to let the Lord have his way
whether his life was in danger or not. A few times after the word of the Lord came forth, he
was mobbed and dragged out of those fine churches. Jeremiah had the same problem (see
Jeremiah 20). Jesus didn't fare so well either when he prophesied in his own church.
  What is it about God's servants that the good people hate? They hate Jesus. Jesus showed
this clearly when he spoke with his own brothers when they demanded of him that he reveal
himself to the world. He said, “The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify
against it, that the works thereof are evil.”
  Jesus said to his disciples ( including us): “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,
and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain;
that what soever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I
command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before
it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of
the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember
the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted
me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
  Here is an understanding that most people miss:  Jesus chose to save us. Save us from
what?  Jesus saves us from sin and its punishment; He cleansed our sins away with his blood.
The Bible states that he purged us from sin. He has destroyed the work of the devil in our lives and
 freed us from the bondage of sins. He quickens us. He makes us clean and alive and aware of heaven. 
He gives all His children the gift of the Holy Ghost that we might have power from on high. He gives us
according to His divine power all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him 
that hath called us to glory and virtue: He has perfected us and made us His children, and this makes us 
not of the world. We are no longer the children of disobedience. Our testimonies should be that Jesus 
reigns in us, and we have the mind of Christ. We are His epistles written without hand showing that He is 
able to clean and make pure and perfect those who are His. Our lives should testify against the world for
 what it truly is. 
  The world loves a lie; God is truth. The world is full of pride; God dwells with the humble.
The Bible states that the things that are highly esteemed by men are abominable to God.
The world's picture of beauty and grace is what God calls evil and lustful. The world's most
highly acclaimed intellect God calls a fool. What the world calls love is far inferior to God's
definition of love.
  Need I say more? The world can't compare to God, and it hates God for it. It rejects His great love. 
We His children are testimonies of what God has wrought. God is able to make a sinner clean and pure, 
full of the righteousness of God, without spot, blameless, and holy, ready for heaven.  The world cries out, “No, He can't!”
The Lord proves it through us, “Yes, I can.” The world will condemn us because it believes not our testimony. 
God will be glorified and sanctified in his children. Praise be to God.
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Do Rats Go to Heaven?

7/4/2014

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                                                                                                              By Tim Carson
  A common confession among church-goers is, “I am a rat saved by grace.” When someone makes this confession it does not trouble me. I simply believe he is a rat, and I keep on guard around him. But when someone makes the confession, “We are all rats saved by grace,” I must respond with the truth of the gospel. This article is written to answer the question, “Do rats go to heaven?”
  The Bible tells us we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, but the Bible also tells us Jesus was manifested to take away our sins and that whosoever abides in him does not sin. In other words, when Christ comes into a person's life, the old man and the old ways of sin are crucified and the
new life of Christ within is manifested. The Bible says if any man is in Christ the old things are passed away and all things become new. The Bible also tells us they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh and the desires and lusts of the flesh.
  So how did the confession, “I am a rat saved by grace” become the banner of the church world?  The short answer is one error leads to another error. Most church-goers do not know what a Christian is. A real Christian is someone who has become the temple of God and Jesus lives the victorious life
within, but most church-goers say a Christian is someone who has said the sinner's prayer or done some other churchy deed. Reciting the sinner's prayer does not save a person anymore than saying the rosary imparts grace. Salvation is a gift that no man can take by any action on his own. Salvation is a gift that
no man can receive unless it is given by the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ.
  The Bible says to Christians, “And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.” Salvation is a work that God does in the believer's heart, and only God can do it. The truth is many people say the sinner's prayer, and Jesus does not answer the prayer. Come on people!  Jesus is God! He sees the heart and can discern true repentance.
  Sadly, most churches are full of people who have said the sinner's prayer and done the other outward churchy deeds, but Jesus has never accepted them and therefore they have never been quickened into newness of life. Most churches are full of unconverted sinners and most pastors are unconverted sinners. This is why “We are all rats saved by grace” is their confession.
   The real Christian has been quickened into newness of life. The real Christian is a new creature and is walking in newness of life. The real Christian lives a victorious life. The real Christian is given the victory over sin. Rats do not go to heaven. If you are still a rat forget about the churchy things you have done, and start calling out to Jesus in repentance until He accepts you. How will you know when he accepts you? When Jesus Christ accepts you, He will quicken you into newness of life. Jesus will change your taste buds so that you have no desire to be a rat any longer, but rather you will have a desire to be a blessing in life and your new confession will be, “I delight to do Your will, dear Jesus.”
  Hey Tim, what about the carnal nature? The carnal nature is always with us until the resurrection, and is in subjection to the cross of Christ in the life of the true Christian. However the carnal nature prevails at times of temptation in the life of the unconverted church-goer.
  Hey Tim, do Christians sin?  The first epistle of John speaks to Christians of different levels of maturity. The little children battle with sin and are forgiven for the namesake of Jesus. The young men are strong and the word of God abides within them, and they have overcome the devil and sin. The fathers know the final goal is to have fellowship with God. Many church-goers never get beyond the baby stage of battling sin and know nothing of the victorious life. So yes, baby Christians still sin, but those who are mature have overcome sin.
  Hey Tim, how can I become a mature Christian and live the victorious life? In your own strength you will fail. Think of Peter. Peter was determined to be faithful unto death, but he failed completely. 
  You need the Holy Ghost. Sadly, most church-goers are taught to reject and blaspheme the Holy Ghost. If you are willing to be a Bible-believer and seek God for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Bible promises God will give the Holy Ghost to those who obey Him.
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Stand Up to the Devil~

7/4/2014

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by Betty
  Tim was preaching to us about being strong in the Lord and resisting the devil. It was a power-packed sermon very similar to an old Irish song I recently found. The chorus of this song says, “Stand up to your devils, or they'll walk all over you. Remember son, the devils come in many shapes and hues...”
   In the book of Genesis, Joseph faced the devils in his brothers who wanted to murder him. If it had not been for the greed of Judah, he would have been left to die, but God meant their evil for good. Joseph also met the devil in his boss Potiphar's wife. Joseph refused her evil temptation, saying, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
  The book of Proverbs is full of instructions on how to stand up to the devil. “My son,
if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” “For the Lord giveth wisdom. Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”
   No one is exempt from having to face the devil. Even our dear Jesus met him and overcame him more than once. The temptation of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 4, Mark 11, and Luke 4. Jesus stood up to the devil at the temptation in the wilderness. The devil was pretty smart to tempt him with the desires of the flesh, “Make these rocks turn to bread.” Jesus answered, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”  In other words, there is more to life than what this flesh needs.  Satan took Jesus to a pinnacle of the temple, tempting Him to jump, stating that the angels of God would catch Him. Jesus replied, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Men everywhere have fallen for this temptation, pushing the limits of daredevilishness seeking to be the first to survive death-defying feats for fame and glory or just foolishness. The next temptation was power over the kingdoms of the world, the catch was to bow down. Jesus would have none of that, “Get thee hence, Satan! Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” The devils were continually saying, “If thou be the Son of God, prove thyself; show us a sign” during Jesus' ministry on earth. Jesus didn't need to prove himself to anyone.  He was depending on God to do the work in him.
   Jesus faced many devils throughout his ministry. He told the Pharisees and Sadducees that they were children of the devil because if they were of God they would have loved him. He even went so far as to call them serpents and a generation of vipers. Jesus faced the devil in Peter. He told him, “Get thee behind me Satan, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” The Bible states that Satan entered into Judas, and he went his way and communed with the chief priests and captains how he might betray Jesus unto them. Jesus called him friend.
   The Bible states that Jesus was manifested that he might destroy the works of the
devil. God knows that man has no strength in himself to resist the devil. It is true that
without Jesus we can do nothing.  Jesus told his disciples that he was destined to be crucified and die. He warned them and told them God is with Him so that they might have peace. Then he said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” He means you'll have troubles and you'll meet devils, but “Be of good cheer! I have overcome the world.” This world and the devil have nothing in Him and if we have Jesus reigning in our lives, we can be overcomers too.
   Ephesians tells us, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the whiles of the devil.” The Bible tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us.  We must walk on with Jesus and be faithful to him even unto death.
   Richard Wurmbrand told of when he was in the communist prison. The guards beat
him when he preached to his fellow prisoners. They were not able to stop him from
sharing the love of Christ. He would not bow though they beat him down. He triumphed over them though his flesh was in great suffering. He triumphed over them in spirit and in soul. God was sanctified in Richard Wurmbrand before the heathen and atheists.
   Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to
be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Remember we are made more
than conquerors. We are made victorious through the blood of Jesus Christ. Stand up to your devils, or they'll walk all over you. Remember friends, the devil comes in many
shapes and hues.

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