I had a preacher recently tell me to keep the law and Jesus was adultery.
I told him to keep the law and Jesus was being an adult.
The thought was prompted by autocorrect but it does embody what I believe.
If you believe in Jesus, and call upon him, Jesus will help you keep the law. And in keeping the law you will be saved.
James 1:22 KJV But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Most churches I’ve attended expect you to place membership with them.
There is absolutely no biblical requirement for this.
If you believe and are baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost you have become a member of the family. You are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.
What you do with that membership is now up to you. Will you learn, follow, and grow in Christ or will you let your membership lapse?
Satan’s plans are nefarious and can at times be very subtle. One of his projects is changing the meaning of various words. If you hear his definitions often enough you might just believe them.
Changing the meaning of words leads to confusion and confusion leads to sin.
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 5:20 KJV Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
But what if you’ve been misled and don’t know the difference?
Many preachers and teachers of the gospel claim God’s love is unconditional.
Why would you want a God who claims to love you, but doesn’t care what you do?
These teachers simply don’t understand love. Love says do better. It says stop doing things that harm both me and you. The gospel says that if you don’t keep his Commandments there will be consequences. His Commandments are established to make our lives better and as guidelines for a stronger, healthier relationship with God.
When you hear a preacher say, Christianity isn’t about reading the Bible, it isn’t about keeping rules and regulations, it isn’t even about attending Church, it’s about relationship. Run. Find a new congregation.
Relationship is reading the Holy Bible, it is keeping his Commandments, it’s about worship in his house and at home. Love is made of truth and honor. There is no such thing as unconditional love.
If you’re new to Christianity read John 3:16. It’s the first condition. Believe.
I just heard on Three Cosmic Messages Earth’s Final Conflict, “We do not follow God’s Commandments in order to be saved, but because we are saved.” I have heard a similar message before: “We are not saved by our best efforts”, “Jesus finished the work on the cross.”
To be frank, these statements are misleading. In fact they aren’t far from the false doctrine “once saved, always saved”. They imply there is nothing we have to do on our part.
I’m not convinced Jesus is finished working. If he were finished, why do we yet pray?
Jesus dying on the cross is an offer of salvation. What must we do? Accept by believing in accordance with John 3:16, be baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Mark 16:16.
What else must we do to be saved? What does the Bible say?
Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Romans 2:13 KJV (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
And let’s not forget 1 John 1:9 and Proverbs 28:13. If we err and sin these verses instruct us on how to be free.
Finally, with belief, we are saved by our best efforts in Christ who gives us both strength and guidance that we may walk in the Light. And when we need help with our efforts, we call upon the Lord. Roman’s 10:13.
God’s love is not unconditional. If you believe it is, I suggest you read John 3:16 KJV:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Read it again. Did you catch the first condition to everlasting life?
Belief. One must believe Jesus is the Son of God.
The Lord is our healer. He has given specific power to local churches to heal.
James 5:14-16 KJV
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: [15] And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. [16] Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
The church has largely abdicated the power to heal to modern medicine. Sadly, I think most read the above passages and simply don’t believe.
In this time of Covid-19 many churches have also abdicated the duty (I say duty and not right) to meet.
May the Church believe! Lord help us with our unbelief.
This is my 3rd and final piece of my series “Healing School”.
James 5:15 says, And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
What is the prayer of faith and is it required for healing? I’ll answer the latter first. Yes, this scripture makes the prayer of faith a requirement for healing.
Faith is belief. It is belief in Jesus our Messiah. It is belief that God has both the power and willingness to do miracles. The prayer of faith then is a prayer by someone who believes.
There are entire denominations such as the Church of Christ which believe miracles are ended. I won’t get into the verse they misinterpret to achieve this unbelief. Their unbelief, however, would exclude the entire denomination from the healing power of God as described in James, which promises New Testament miracles.
Is it required that all the praying elders have faith (or enough faith) to believe for the person to be healed? The quick answer is I don’t know for sure.
I don’t think God intentionally placed an insurmountable burden on people to receive healing. I believe if the seeker has faith of being healed and those praying believe God can that they will find healing.
Seek and ye shall find.
Ask and you will receive.
To be clear: If you need healing, seek it according to James 5:14-15. Ask the elders to perform James 5:14-15 as written for you. You may have to go to multiple churches or denominations. Ask the elders if they believe in the power of God. Ask the elders if they believe God can perform a miracle and heal you of your sickness.
From subtle to nonsensical, certain teachers take a knock at our faith.
One preacher stated, God looked away from Jesus on the cross, because he cannot look upon sin. I call nonsense. How will God judge if he cannot look upon sin, even the world’s placed upon his son? How is God all knowing if he cannot see sin? My interpretation of Jesus saying in Matthew 27:46, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me, is this: Jesus was in great pain and distress and he felt very much alone. My suspicion is God never looked away, not for a second, and when his time of wrath and judgment is come, he will recall every moment of Jesus’ suffering.
Another preacher said that Jesus prepared and orchestrated ahead of time his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. He went so far as to say Jesus set up the placement of the donkey and the availability of the upper room to be discovered by his uninformed disciples. If you cannot believe Jesus knew these thing because God knew them, I think you’re struggling to look for unbelief. Recognizing miracles requires belief that God has power to do them. You can try to limit God the Father or Jesus, but you’re only hurting yourself and gullible listeners. Doubt begets unbelief.
Words that should perk up your ears and actually inspire doubt:
God cannot …
God is not able to …
God must … .
Hebrews 7:19 KJV
For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
I believe we can be perfect on Earth. I believe this because of a better hope, hope of Christ’s strength and God living inside us. I have heard preacher’s say we can never be perfect on Earth. Yet the same say we should strive for it. I agree that we should strive for perfection. Where we differ is that I believe it can be attained.
Don’t sin for 10 seconds or 60, 2 hours, or a day. That time is perfection. Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
If then we perform our whole duty perfectly for a day, strive for another day, and another, one day at a time. Matthew 6:34 KJV Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Not only is Jesus our example, so are Abraham and Job and many others.
James 2:21-22 KJV
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? [22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Job 1:1 KJV
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Jesus was perfect and with faith in God, so can we men also be found perfect. Luke 6:40 KJV The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
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