What a Mess?
Pastor Jerry Wilhite,
author
There are so many ideas, theories, doctrines and religions out there that it makes it hard for a person to find the truth and meet the Lord.
It is even hard for those who believe in Jesus to follow the right path. It appears that there as many different doctrines and beliefs for those who believe in Jesus for each and every one of us. But we know there is only one that matters and only one that is true, what a mess man has made of it all.
Matthew 7
13. 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.
Strait gate is a narrow entrance due to obstacles standing close about, this could mean objects or people. That many people are obstacles to any and all finding their way on the strait but narrow path and entrance. Wide is as a flat area with little to obstruct it. Way is, by implication, a progress like growth, the route, act and distance to the gait a mode or means by which we progress.
In the early days of the church 'the way" was referred as those folowers who believed in the Lord.
Matthew 7
15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
False prophets were not the only ones Jesus spoke of to be aware of, in Matthew 24 He talks about false Christs, and false leaders and believers in Luke 21, Matthew 24 and Revelations.
16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
If you believe the fruit Jesus is referring to is that of our hands and ability and words of our mouth alone then you are only seeing in the physical.
Remember God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and the only way to worship Him is in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Since He is a Spirit and worship can only be done in spirit and truth do you really think that He wants us to remain rooted in the flesh over the Spirit?
What was the entire purpose of our salvation, if not to have life eternal with Him? And if it is to have life eternal with Him would it wait till the next life to start, or start here and now? If He is able to hear our prayers wouldn't He just as well be able to talk to us? Of course He would. If you look in John how often Jesus refers to God as Father vs. God. Jesus was trying to help us understand God is our Father. And as like with any good father our heavenly Father wants a relationship with us, one where we listen to Him and accept His guidance. And He is the Spirit and He wants us to have a relationship with Him and to worship Him in truth. Which fruit do you think Jesus is referring to: that which anyone could do in the flesh or that which can only done due to our growth in the Spirit?
Galatians 5
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Anyone can do good works, but only those of the Spirit can have the fruits of the Spirit.
17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." That is strong, because verses 21-23 say that there will be many who by all outward signs will appear as if they are of Christ and are not. So how do we know who to believe and who to listen to? The answer is found in verse 23 where Jesus says, "I never knew you." Of course, Jesus knew of them, He just never had the relationship with them where He would have known them. Many are being deceived and deceiving others and themselves into believing they are of Christ because of the outward appearance.
Matthew 4
4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
If you look up the verse above and read it in the Greek you will learn that the word for mouth, is the actual mouth and language that proceeds from it, not as a written word but as a spoken word.
Matthew 12
34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit do not have to judge us because we are judging ourselves every day that we speak. And if we do not ask for and get forgiveness of our words we will have to answer for them in the next life.
You have heard the saying, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me." That is a lie straight out of Hell itself. Ask a child or a woman who has been abused physically, sexually and mentally which is the hardest to heal, and which last the longest and causes the most damage over time.
Matthew 15
8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
This is so sad because it is so today as it was 4,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago and almost since the beginning. People do great lip service but the words they speak have no weight to them no truth, no love, no real worth.
10. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13. But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17. Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
I have known many who are more concerned about what goes in their mouth than what comes out. They will be concerned about, and spend time in avoiding, certain foods, but when it comes to the words they speak they are not as concerned or spend the time being sure what they say is the truth and what they mean.
If you read Genesis 1 you will understand that God created by speaking not shaping with His hands. But by the words of His mouth joined with His faith and all of creation was created.
Words are power and they create or destroy. We should be more careful about what we say than we are about our food, clothes, what we will watch on television, etc.
The point is the only way we will make it to eternal life with the Lord is by avoiding the obstacles in our life that are there to take us off the strait path. To continue to grow in the Lord and be guided of Him.
Mark 4
9. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The above is not physical ears but spiritual ears.
Mark 4
10. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
"Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables"
That which cannot be perceived in the physical is that which is spiritual.
Most cannot perceive the spiritual and unto the day we are in spirit we can only understand what is of the physical not that which is not.
John 3
12. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
.
Mark 4
15. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
(4. And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.)
The first group that got 0 percent, nothing, from the word is not due to the word, the word always works, so it must be the person.
What is different is that the first group had no roo,t no depth, nothing to protect that which they received from being taken from them. And that Satan could just stroll up to them and take it from them. These were those who have heard nothing before and just heard the Gospel (Good News). They are not prepared how to protect what they have and they have no real knowledge.
Hosea 4
6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
(Revelation 1
6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.)
Mostly those above are those who due to doubt lose what little they got due to something in the world or of the world that got them to doubt more than they believed. Their doubt consumed their belief.
Mark 4
16. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17. And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
(5. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6. But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.)
This group without the root would last only a short time and when certain things came along they lost what they had. It could have been anything from doubt to a problem where they heard something that conflicted with what they had just heard.
Mark 4
18. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19. And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
(7. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.)
This group is more of the world, they would prefer riches and lusts of this world over anything else. They, instead of holding on tight to what they had, allowed it to leave over things, riches and lusts.
Mark 4
20. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
(8. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.)
The good ground is the group who had root, they were in fertile ground, were watered and had plenty of sun shine to grow.
First of all, in verses 8 and 20 above, the word fold is percent in the Greek. The difference is that fold would mean many times that of the original and percent would mean just a percentage of the original.
The difference is apparent, but what is not apparent is that if you got 30 fold or 30 times the word then you had more than someone who only had the 100 percemt or 30 percent of the word, whereas 30 percent would be only part of the word. So what is not apparent in this is that those who got 0 percent, the first group, the second group got 30 percent, the third got 60 percent and the fourth group got 100 percent. So why would 3 out of 4 not get 100 percent, and what was it that the fourth one that got 100 percent?
What Jesus was saying was that there are many obstacles in our way to prevent us from growing. These obstacles kept us out of the 100 percent and these obstacles only come from the world. The deeper we are in the world vs. the word or spirit the less likely we are to be of the word or spirit. And the reverse is true as well: the deeper we are of the word and in the Spirit the less likely we are of the world or the flesh.
Imagine 40 people listening and out of this 40, 10 are excited and fired up (but actually received 0 percent understanding of what they heard) about what they heard. They were fired up and excited based on those around them and hearing that there is hope for them but no real understanding of the hope. Then they leave the place where they heard the word and got back into the world. And as soon as they saw or read or even heard something that went against what they had heard they would doubt what they learned and were excited about. They could have seen a show on television or heard a report or read a book that contradicted what they had been told in the meeting. And since they were alone now, wiht no others there to offset what they were seeing, hearing or reading, their doubt grew.
I imagine it as someone with a drug problem who attends a meeting to help those with drug problems. He or she gets fired up and excited about being free of the drugs at the meeting. But when the meeting is over goes home which is in the middle of drug dealers and others using drugs. Everywhere they turn there is their drug of choice and others urging them on to do just a little. After a while the determination to remain drug free is broken down and they fall back into doing the drugs.
The second group were those who had 30 percent understanding of what they heard, and so lasted longer than those in the first group but not as long as those who got 60 percent. These, I imagine, are like one who has done drugs and is trying to stay drug free. For a time they remain drug free until, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. So,although they have been walking around this drug-infested area free of drugs, but as soon as they have a problem of the body or mind, such as withdrawal from the drug or some authority arrests them due to their previous use (Satan using what he can to keep the person dependent), they then wonder where is all that great news they heard about how they would be free of the drug and all its effects and are offended? Not offended due to the drug or the world but at the word, and if they had gotten 100 percent they would have been able to weather the problems.
The third group got 60 percent understanding of the word, and they are also fine for a time. As time passes cares of the things of this world, and the love of money and what it buys as well as lusts for things they do not have enter in and begins to choke the word that was heard from the meeting until there is nothing left of the word in them and they are left to the cares, deceitfulness and lusts.
But the fourth group got 100 percent understanding of the word and from that the seed that was planted was planted in good ground and it grew in them. This person represents those who do not depend on the world, man, or religion for understanding but depend on God for understanding. This is true understanding as opposed to interpretation comes only one way and that is from the source of all understanding.
Doubt will kill understanding, growth, faith and the ability to hear. Affliction or persecution, whether or not it is due to the world, will be perceived by most to be due to the word. That their affliction and or persecution was not there before they received the word but is there afterwards so it must be due to the word and they are offended at the word. All that is of this world, money, things, fame, power, etc., are a stumbling block to any who are trying to grow in the Lord. Doubt flat out replaces faith and belief and stops the word in its tracks. Offense, no matter if it is due to affliction, persecution or any other way one is offended, chokes what little a person has in understanding. Finally, riches, things, and power are a few that will stop the understanding of the word and cause it to be lost.
So if a person can lie and sound as good as the one who tells the truth how are we to know who is of God and who is not?
This is why we should not judge. We can be fooled by an unbeliever, and maybe to the point where we would follow examples such as Jim Jones and those who followed him to their death in South America or David Koresh to name two.
If we can not tell who is of Christ and who is not because we cannot see into them to know who is true and who is not, then we cannot see into the hearts of anyone to know who they are and what type of person they are.
When we judge we do not forgive and when we do not forgive we are not forgiven. But what about something we know is wrong? Recently, I said if I had the chance to talk to someone who was homosexual I would not judge him/her, but what I said I would say, later I realized was judgmental. So here is what I would say, "What is of your life, lifestyle, etc., is not for me to say but is between you and God, and if you cannot hear yet from God then read the word. Stay on top of trying to hear from Him, and when you do be obedient." I would say this because it is the truth. It is not for me to judge, condemn or even guide. But it is for me to teach any and all that they are to hear from God and how to do so. Then it is up to the person to take it to God or ask God if there is anything that needs to be changed".
How can anyone stop judging? No one can just stop but what we can do is strive each day to be less judgmental until we get to where we do not judge. I say that I believe we can stop judging just because of how much has already stopped in me. In the beginning I did not believe anyone could stop judging. But now I do, not because I was told I could but because I have experienced that I can.
Jesus said go and sin no more, He would not tell anyone to do anything they could not do. And He told this before grace while they were still of the law. So, if one still of the law could go and sin no more how much should we be able to under grace. And if you do not believe judging is a sin read Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus said to judge not and since He said it, if we do it then it is a sin.
The only true way we can be sure of anything from the word to the world is if we are hearing from the author of the Bible and the architect of the universe.
John 14
26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
I know there are some who believe that the verse above was meant for the apostles and not us, but it was meant for us.
Romans 8
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Just as you can hear from God, you can have your salvation etched into stone when you hear Him call you His child. Without the connection to and with God in the Spirit where we can hear from Him we are only saved not of the church or Christ. How it works is we are called to God for our salvation, but most people never realize that it was God calling them. They just realize something is missing in their life and that something is of God and they seek it out.
One of the biggest blessings we have early on is to realize just how ignorant we are about God and the Spirit. And how Satan has used everything he can from people to things of this world to keep us from the truth and God. Those who have little or no religious upbringing are those who will grow the fastest and reach the highest in God. Those of religious upbringing have the most problems because they have not just the walls of the world as those I mentioned previously but they also have walls of religion.
For every year that we live in this world without God that means that many more walls are built to keep Him out. These walls deal with ideas, doctrines, teachings, beliefs of others we get from television, movies, music, games, and the world itself. But when you add religion that usually doubles the amount of walls a year a person gets. Each wall represents something we read, saw, heard that went against the knowledge of God.
Paul warned us about imaginations and thoughts, Paul said cast down all imaginations (this includes thoughts) that go against the knowledge of God. And take the rest into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And since Christ is the Spirit of God in us, on us and all the way through us then it is obedience in the Spirit. And since God is the Spirit that would mean of God.
2 Corinthians 10
5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
The longer we live without God, or I should say from not hearing, listening to and being obedient in God the more walls we have that He has to get through to get to us. But I hear Him in the word as I read it and listen to it from others. The problem is, if we read it only we get only two dimensions of it we are missing the depth. When we read without His understanding and depth we interpret the word and that means there are as many meanings to the word as there are people. And that is not how God operates, there is only one true meaning and it can only be obtained from Him.
Here is the crutch of the problem as one interprets one way another does another and in time as we have today there are so many different truths as stated by each that no one knows the real truth and God gets a bad rap due to our interpretation. For a matter of fact, many judge God based on what they see of those who claim to be of God. From knowledge, which means we have the facts and understand them, comes wisdom. And wisdom is how to act on the knowledge. So if we have a lack of knowledge because it is mixed in with all the interpretation than we are destroyed.
Hosea 4
6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
(Revelation 1
6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.)
You can on your own search in the New Testament many times and read each one that Paul or someone else writes about being of the Spirit, in the spirit, led of the Spirit, walk in the spirit and live in the spirit. You will also come across many verses that deal with hearing and understanding via the Spirit.
No matter if you believe or not, there is an enemy who is called Satan. He has been here for thousands of years before your parents were ever here. He is not stupid or without knowledge. He is a liar, one who will deceive you and manipulate us all. He does this by using the ones that can reach the most and he plants an idea or thought that will grow into a lie that goes against the truth of God. He has had the time to refine his lies and deceptions to the point that only those actually hearing from God in a lot of areas can even see the truth. Oh yes it would be much easier if the teaching of we are saved by water baptism and once saved always saved was true. Because then all we have to do is be baptized by some man or woman of God in water and then it is all done and over.
Matthew 3
11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Even John knew he needed to be baptized of Jesus not the other way around, but Jesus followed all of the law, and part of it at the time was John's baptism.
John 1
15. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Where a lot of people get confused in and about baptism iare in verses such as Matthew 28:19 when Jesus said; "baptizing them in the name of..." The word "baptizing" in this verse is immersing, the word baptize is to immerse. And for some reason every time the word baptize or baptism is read it is automatically taken as meaning water. But what Jesus said was baptizing them in the name, not in water, but the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And that name is Jesus, which means salvation, so immerse them into salvation, the knowledge of and the understanding.
Satan knew from the beginning that there was power in words, so he had a three-point plan to attack us. He started with separating us from the truth by causing our words to be over used to the point they lost their meaning or importance. Then Satan got some to believe and and then teach that certain beliefs were meant for the first century church not for us such as spirit, hearing, faith. For example, what does the word "good" mean to you, and does it have any weight when you think of it or use it?
Matthew 19
17. And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
So if words have no meaning and we believe lies like "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me" then he has a huge part of the battle won. Satan, though, is not lazy. He went the extra steps needed to divide us, by getting just the right people to believe that faith is not of today but was of the first century church.
Ephesians 2
8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
But then if faith is not for or of today how are we saved? And the above does not say a thing about baptism.
Mark 16
16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Many use the above verse to prove baptism as salvation, but they neglect to use the last half that says " but he that believeth not shall be damned.". In the last half there is no mention of if we are not baptized we are damned, it just refers to believeth. Why? Because all who truly believe and grow will be baptized in the Spirit the one true baptism.
You see, where Satan got so many is not in teaching, since there is no baptism that would be caught as a lie, but that baptism is required for salvation and it has to be baptism of water.
So three areas that the lie Satan spread to keep us from God is Baptism of water vs. Spirit and that Baptism saved not that Baptism is a result of salvation. That faith is not for us today but for the first century church only.
And the same for the spirit, and all who believe any or all three of these lies are not saved.
We are not saved of baptism, it is a result of salvation, but we are saved by grace through faith, and of what Jesus did for us not of what we can do.
Also by keeping us out of the Spirit he has cut us off from the truth, and then he can manipulate us all he wants.
Without faith we can not please God:
Hebrews 11
6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Without Faith we can not be saved:
Ephesians 2
8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
By believing we are saved by baptism of water then we believe we are saved of something we can do and since we can not then we are not saved.
Ephesians 2
9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Without the Spirit we can not worship God:
John 4
24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Without the Spirit we can not hear from God or know the truth which is in the Spirit:
John 15
26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
We are called unto salvation all of us, not all of realize we are hearing God call us we think it is something else. But when we go and are saved we have life for our spirit man in us. The Spirit is alive in us as well and we can start hearing from God better than before. Now some confuse this call as a call to the ministry.
For a matter of fact this is another area Satan has us twisted up in the ministry. He has us believing it is all based on our works, not works of our faith. But of course for it to be works of faith you have to believe in faith.
I have heard from people in ministries (more than I can count) who say that they are to busy doing His work to spend a few hours a day listening.
Remember Satan's entire purpose (not of God but of himself (Satan)), is to keep us from God and the truth.
Remember also early on in this study you read how many will not be of the Lord, that He said many will say, "Lord, Lord," and He will say, "depart for I never knew you." And the path to destruction is wide and flat for the many who are on it. He never said that all on the path to destruction would go to destruction just that many are on it.
Satan is not worried about those saved, if one of his lies did not keep you from being saved. He has plan "B" to keep you from growing beyond salvation and he knows those who are just saved and do not listen to God can be his again in time. He also knows if any listen, or try to, they may succeed and if they do the chances of them falling away decrease big time the more they hear and learn from God.
Here is the entire picture, Hia plan, over all:
God created man and then from man He took a part to make woman. So, at this point neither are what man was before. Both are missing a vital part that the other has.
God has created two groups that are similar in ways and as different as dogs and cats. One is His angels which have three groups: warriors; messengers; and praise and worshipers. One group fell away from God under the leadership of that group.
God planted a tree in the garden for mankind to eat in time when mankind was mature enough. God created the entire universe as He did mankind, mature in the physical sense. So the earth and the universe appear older than they are. He created Adam mature physically but not mature in his mind, emotions and will. God planned to let mankind eat of all the fruit except one and when they were mature in all areas even that one. Yes, God knew what was to come. He had three choices. One was not do it and create a bunch of robots. Second was to intervene and keep Adam from sinning. Or third, let it happen.
Where we have problems in understanding God, His plan and the entire ball of wax is time. We all have time to mark the beginning and the end, God does not. So, to Him what seems as many thousands of years to us is next to nothing to Him.
He did not want robots, just as most fathers of the earth want their children to be robots, either. As much as they want their children to listen to them they also want them to develop their own ways, life, etc. If God had intervened He would have changed everything and caused us to be dependent on Him in a wrong and unhealthy way.
He would put up with all the heartache we would cause Him and tears that would flow over us so in the end He would have His true children; those who do love, honor and respect Him, not those He created to be that way or changed but those who would be true and real. And if it meant He lost some (that would hurt Him) He would have to tolerate it for the rest who made it. Just like any father who knows that having children means heartaches and problems. We can either choose not to have children or resign ourselves to the fact they may all not make it as we want and that there will be problems to deal with. The parent who pops in every time one of their children has a problem and tries to resolve it for them is doing them a disservice. Because they are making them weak and not able to deal and handle the problems of life for themselves. That does not mean we cannot help from time to time or offer help and hope they listen to our advice.
God is the same with us as our Father, but I can say if I knew what I know now about my four children and knew that only one would make it I still would have had all four for that one.
God had to sow His word into mankind so that in time one could agree with Him by faith and He could have His Son enter the earth born of a woman. So, for thousands of years He reached one here and there and used them to sow the word into mankind. Then, His Son came, lived, died for us, rose, and then went to be with the Father, leaving behind all we would ever need through what was done at the cross.
By what Jesus did for us we can have the relationship with God that He wants. And this scares many They feel that if they have the one-on-one relationship with God He will then chastise them for their lifestyle or how they do this or that. But what is sad is that all that fear is not even based in truth. Understand that fear is Satan's twisted faith, so when we fear we are leaving God's faith for Satan's faith, which is fear.
What is even sadder is if you look at mankind you can see how most, if not all, have tried to fill the void in themselves due to the sin Adam committed. When Adam sinned he died in the spiritual connection he had with God. He no longer had a spirit nor was connected to God's Spirit and he was alone.
But Satan did not stop at getting us divided from God just in the Spirit, he started on the soul and the flesh. He planted thoughts in them that were not of God. Read Genesis 4 after Cain was born, and you will see how their thoughts were not of God all the way through the entire Bible. But in the flesh Satan did it by getting his fallen angels to mate with the daughters of men.
Romans 1
4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
In the Old Testament in only two books is the phrase sons of God used: in Job 1:8 the sons of God presented themselves to God: and in Genesis 6:1-2 where the sons of God took the daughters of men. How we know this is a problem is because in Genesis 1:28 God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth, no restrictions, no limits. Then, all of a sudden, we read how when the sons of God not the sons of men because until now for there to be daughters of men sons of men had to be involved. After this God repents of mankind, man is found to be wicked and only one is found to be perfect in his generation (Noah). Now, since Noah was born before Genesis 6:1-2 we know he was not perfect in spirit because Adam had lost that for him. We cannot be perfect in soul for without the spirit we just have the flesh.
So, Satan got perversion, sin, into the flesh. Until this happened even one who murdered his own brother could be in the presence of God (Cain Genesis 4) but afterwards one who was a servant could not: Moses. And it was not until long after this (long enough to dilute the bloodline and flesh) that sickness and illness came about, and that incest became a problem.
Now, think long and hard on this: if the flesh is perverted as it is; and the lies of the world and Satan have become part of everyday life; and that Satan has had thousands of years to develop his ways and means of deceiving us, as well as our own self doubt, can we ever be sure of anything again? Unless we have a way to verify it and have that doubt removed by knowledge and understanding, Who else other than God could do that for us? What I really want you to think about is how can you be sure about anything? You cannot, but with God you can. How much of what we believe is a lie or deception on the part of Satan? We cannot even be sure that our spouse does love us and will not cheat on us, and that is the closest person there is to us. I know some of you, as I myself know, that your spouse loves you and will not cheat on you. The point is, how can we be sure when we do not even really know the one who we are closest to? For that matter, how many of us really know our own selves? There is only one way to know and that is from God. Only God can tell you what is true and not, and the reason if you do not believe you can hear from God is due to the enemy. The last thing Satan wants is for us to know the truth. And he knows if we know God and hear from Him we will know the truth and it will set us free.
If you do not believe you have an enemy, or that Satan exists, then why are you reading this? If you have no enemy you do not need this. Satan will tell us he does not exist to keep us from knowing he does. He will tell us that Jesus does save and we need to be saved but not today because there is time later for that, let's have fun today.
When you have a relationship as I am talking about with God, He does not take the fun away; actually, you will have more joy, peace, love and patience than ever before. When He does correct or chasten you it is for your own good to protect you to keep you from being hurt.
God is not down on sex or our enjoying it, He is just down on us doing it outside of marriage. And if people did not have sex outside of marriage, or in some way that is not of God, how many sexual diseasees do you think there would be?
1 Corinthians 7
1. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6. But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
Paul never said that sex in marriage is for procreation only, if anything, he said if you have to have sex then marry.
There is a certain saint of the Catholic church that wrote that sex was a sin and only meant for procreation. But that is not what the Bible states and the priest, pope, etc., of the Catholic church for long time did marry. And since those times they have not, and what scandals have befallen the Catholics, child abusers, pedaphiles, perverts of all kinds. So were these wicked people who because leaders in the Catholic Church, that the Catholic Church missed. Or is that by making a law that leaders in the Catholic church can not marry or have sex has turned people into these predators?
Jesus drank wine, not to get drunk, but He drank, He ate, and He enjoyed what He ate. The problem is Satan has gotten people to believe that to be of God in a relationship with Him is to give up life and live as one not in this world. But the problem is like I was talking about with the Catholic church; you cannot make people to go against their own instincts and needs.
If we are of the Spirit and we are not of the flesh does not mean that to be of the spirit we leave the flesh behind or totally become free of the flesh. What it means is we crucify our desires, lusts, envy's and all that would cause us to be cut off from God. We can fish, swim, travel, eat, etc., and enjoy them and still be of God and the Spirit and not of the flesh. Most of the flesh is dealing with the carnal mind, the mind of the flesh overtaking the mind of the spirit.
Being one with God does not mean losing choices but actually means gaining choices, having freedom and choice for the first time. Because of the flesh means, being driven of the flesh and world with no choice at all. Think about it. Isn't that what most homosexuals want us to believe, that they have no choice, that they were born that way?
While in and of the world stress, offense, judging, unforgiveness, violence, hate, jealousy, envy, lust, are just a few of the weights on our shoulders. No wonder we feel so weighed down or under a load! The world has us at a pace that is so fast we go through life without ever really experiencing and/or enjoying it.
God gave Adam and Eve all dominion over the earth and all in it, other than other humans, to enjoy and live in with Him.
That is God's will; for us to live in and with Him as He meant it to be with Adam and Eve; walking in the cool of the day and enjoying His beauty and the beauty of nature, not needing or even wanting for a thing because they are all met before we think of them, not spending 30 or 40 or more years working so we can have a few years at the end when we can no longer enjoy them. But to have life and live it fully on the earth, remember there is going to be a new earth.
He knows if you are not of Him then you are going to spend eternity in torment and that is not why He created us. His will and desire is stated in the Lord's prayer: "His will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
So, think of what it is, and must be like, in heaven with no sickness, no debt, no work, all love, joy, peace. That is how He wants it for us here. But there is an enemy who is set on keeping us from that, and he is forcing his thoughts on us, and keeping us from the truth.
It is your choice, life eternal with and in love, joy, peace, or torment and destruction?
Before we end this we need to understand where we are and who we are and how to get to where we need to be.
What would you think if I said most of those who call themselves Christian are not? How can you be something if you do not even know or understand what it is and means to be a Christian?
Christian means Christ-like and in I Cor 1:24 if we are of Christ we are of the power and wisdom of God, in Gal 5:22-24 we are told the fruit of the Spirit and if we are of Christ we are of the fruit.
Most are saved, even less are of the community (church), but I have found none of Christ. By listening to God you are on your first step to be one of the first true Christians in almost 2000 years.
There are three steps to being Christ like:
Step 1 is when the spirit in us is connected with the Spirit on us (Baptism) by the spirit that is through us (anointing (Christ)). As we listen to and grow in God we learn what is needed in our life for our growth. We realize as things change what they are and why they are changing. As we change in areas of judging, forgiveness, and love we realize we are in the beginning steps of being of Christ.
Step 2 as we change and I mean real change not just that of our will wanting it but as it is changed in a way that it cannot revert to what it had been then we realize we are becoming of Christ. And the fruits of the Spirit are more and more evident in and on us.
Step 3 as the power and wisdom of God comes forth in and through us we realize we are of Christ.
1 Corinthians 1
24. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
When you read where Jesus said let each of us bear our own cross and follow Him, remember what the cross was for was sin, our cross is our sin the one and only thing He cannot take away for us because we have to stop on our own doing. But for the rest there is:
1 Peter 5
7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Hebrews 11
6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Do not allow the lies of the world keep you from what will truly bless you and relieve you of more than He will ever put on you.
Matthew 6
33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
BELOW IS DEFINTIONS FROM THE STRONG'S FOR SOME OF THE WORDS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS STUDY, THEN BELOW THAT ARE FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES ABOUT HOW SATAN HAS CUT US OFF FROM GOD
Below are the Strong's Ref numbers Greek Word for the word in English and it's definition for those in bold above in Matthew 7:13-14.
Strong's Ref. # 4728
Romanized stenos
Pronounced sten-os'
probably from the base of GSN2476; narrow (from obstacles standing close about):
KJV--strait.
Strong's Ref. # 4439
Romanized pule
Pronounced poo'-lay
a primary word; a gate, i.e. the leaf or wing of a folding entrance (literally or figuratively):
KJV--gate.
Strong's Ref. # 4116
Romanized platus
Pronounced plat-oos'
from GSN4111; spread out "flat" ("plot"), i.e. broad:
KJV--wide.
Strong's Ref. # 3598
Romanized hodos
Pronounced hod-os'
a primary word; a road; by implication a progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, a mode or means:
KJV--journey, (high-)way.
Strong's Ref. # 684
Romanized apoleia
Pronounced ap-o'-li-a
from a presumed derivative of GSN0622; ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal):
KJV--damnable(-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste.
Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the LORD {is} upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the good news (gospel) to {the} poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to {the} captives ".I Cor. 1:24
"but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, The Anointed One and His Anointing (Christ) the power of God and the wisdom of GodIn Is. 10:27 (KJV) we are told that the anointing removes burdens and destroys yokes. A yoke is anything that weighs you down, like sin, sickness, debt, etc.
All through the Old Testament times the Jews were told of a coming of the Anointed, and how the coming of the Anointing would bring yoke destroying, burden removing power. Remember what I Cor. 1:24 says, "Christ (The Anointed) the power and wisdom of God." Who else could destroy yokes? God, of course! So the Jews were looking for the Messiah which is Hebrew for the Anointed One. The Jews admit Jesus was a prophet and a teacher and that He did great works; they just don't admit He was the Christ (the Anointed One).
So, to be of Christ is to be soaked in, on, and through with the Spirit of God. To be of the church is to have revealed knowledge of who Jesus is and to receive revelations from the Father.
So, to be of Christ, Christ like, or Christian is to be of the anointing (Holy Spirit) of God.
That which makes the church the church is not a building.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:38 (KJV)
For Mary to be able to have faith enough to agree with the angel, she had to have had the word shared with her. It took God 2000 years of looking for a man/woman of God here and there to use to get His word into the earth.
Most of the Old Testament is setting things up for the New. It is setting up the coming of Jesus and the return of mankind to God. In order to do this, first sin had to be pointed out in mankind. So the law was given to spell out sin, the problems resulting from sin, the punishment for sin, and why Jesus was needed. Then for 2,000 years God used whom ever He could, whenever He could to sow His word into the earth.
Disconnection of the Flesh
As we continue watch how this changes.
We were born physically into this world. Then in this world we’re born again spiritually (John 3). The attacks on us from Satan were similar but in reverse. Satan first cut us off from God spiritually by sin and then physically by another means.
1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Genesis 6:1-2 (KJV)
Who were the sons of God? We were not called that yet, not until after Jesus.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:6-8 (KJV)
The reference "sons of God" in Genesis is to angels. The angels in Job are the two thirds which are still of God; the ones in Genesis are those which follow Satan.
What would happen if you crossed a dog with a wolf? It would not be pure dog or pure wolf any more. Actually it would be a perversion of what God created.
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Gen 6:4 (KJV)
"Giants and men of renown" does not necessarily refer to physical stature here. It should be translated as men of great wisdom and ingenuity (technologically advanced).
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:5 (KJV)
As with Babel, the more men build big cities and develop technology and become dependent on each other, the less they are dependent on God, and the more doubt that He "is" enters. Remember this is all His.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Gen 6:6-7 (KJV)
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Gen 6:3 (KJV)
Here is the only time God refers to striving with man or a time limit in this fashion. We know the year of jubilee, or God's year, is every fifty years.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
Lev 25:8-10 (KJV)
So 120 of God's years equals 50 times 120 or 6,000 years. This is the lease on the earth He was giving man.
Noah finds grace.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Gen 6:8-9 (KJV)
We know that perfect in his generation can not mean spiritually, because due to sin the spiritual connection was gone. So his physical generations were perfect. Now look at the age of Noah; he was born right at the beginning of the time when angels and women mated. So to be perfect, none of his ancestors were products of these perverted unions. By the fallen angels mating with the daughters of men sin entered the flesh. Since he was born before this perversion Noah was still perfect in the flesh, but his wife was not. Subsequently their sons were an impure mix. They were not as pure as Noah but not as contaminated as was their mother. So in time due to this new perversion of the flesh incest became a problem. When the flesh was pure it was no problem, but after the flesh was perverted the impurities and problems just got passed along from one generation to the next. The perverted attributes of the flesh became more and more dominant.
Moses, just as everyone who has been born since the flood, was descended from one of the three sons and he had the seed of sin in his flesh. Sin can not exist in the presence of God. After sin entered the flesh, the flesh no longer could be in the presence of God. Thus Cain, even though he was the murderer of one fourth of the human population, having purity in the flesh could still survive in the presence of God, but Moses, having impure (imperfect) flesh could not face God.
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth.
Gen 6:10-12 (KJV)
Now Satan had divided us from God first in the spirit and then in the flesh. All that was left was the soul (mind, will, and emotions).
Satan started corrupting the soul in the beginning and never has let up. How is this done?
Disconnection of the Soul
2 Corinthians 10
3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Satan plants seeds (imaginations, thoughts) here and there and then let's them grow on their own. In time they do the rest and all Satan has to do is sit back and accuse us before God.
Satan has had thousands of years to plant enough seed so now he has very little to do but watch the weeds grow. What we need to do is recognize those weeds and pull them out before the roots can get any deeper. We need to nip them in the bud so they do not go to seed and spread to others around us. In other words, 2 Corinthians 10:5.