A SPIRITUAL VISION of the Message of the Cross for Sanctification

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

"...and let him who is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of Life freely." -(Rev. 22:13)

Imagine standing in a howling desert wasteland, with jackals, wolves, scorpions, predators of every sort. And it is hot and dry, so bone dry that you would give ANYTHING (even your whole life savings) for just one glass of ICE COLD WATER. You've lived in frustration for quite some time now, for you've done everything in your power to find any water to quench your thirst. And now you sense that the end is near; You have come to "the end of yourself". You need water NOW, or you will DIE! Your vision becomes very blurry as you fall to your knees in exhaustion on the hot sand and begin to lose consciousness. You cry out, "GOD, PLEASE HELP ME! THERE'S NOTHING MORE I CAN DO!"Suddenly, you feel a hand on your shoulder; Strength enters your body and you stand to turn and see who just touched you. And there stands a man dressed in white, but your vision is still blurry that you cannot see his face. He says to you, "Fear not, follow me." So he leads you on towards what appears to be a CROSS. Your vision begins to return, and as you look closely, you notice that the Cross is stained with blood. You ask the man in white, "What does this mean? Why have you brought me to this?" He answers, "Your only hope of the water you seek is for you to cease from all your own efforts to earn it or to find it. You must place your complete trust, not only now but ALWAYS, in the Man Who died on this Cross, and what He did for you here. You see, this is where he paid the penalty for your sins." "Where is He now?", you ask. The man replies, "He rose from the dead so you would have the water you seek: a NEVER-ENDING SUPPLY!" Tears fill your eyes, and you ask the man, "You mean, He did this for... me?" "Yes.", the man replied. "Do you trust, and will keep trusting in what He did for you here?" "Yes, with all my heart.", you reply. Then, suddenly and miraculously, everything surrounding you changes! The man and the Cross were still there, yet instead of being in a desert, you find yourself in a lush OASIS (like Hawaii)! And... the sound of an ABUNDANCE OF WATER! "Where are we?", I asked the man. "Congratulations; Through no merit of your own, but only by the merits of what the Man did for you on the Cross, you are... "IN CHRIST", he replied. You turn and look to see a waterfall cascading from a huge Rock above you, and forming a River of crystal-clear Water. "This is the 'River of Life', which has a supernatural heavenly Source, from God 'the Fountain of Living Waters'. Nowhere upon this earth and its desert wastelands can this Water be duplicated (for the waters thereof are from broken worldly cisterns polluted by the evil one). The 'Water of Life' is reserved only for those like you, the thirsty, who have willingly lost their 'self''-life, only to gain a new Life through faith in God's Way: Christ and what He did on the Cross."Almost before the man's words left his mouth, you run and dive into the water, immersed into it's cool and refreshing billows, and you drink, and drink, and drink! Slowly as you get out of the river, you begin to fully comprehend where you are at: A place of great beauty and delight; Peace and joy seemed to permeate the very atmosphere, causing you to feel light and free. "I never want to leave here!", I exclaimed to the man. "You never have to", replied the man. "Beware, though, of the seductions of the lord of the desert, and of his followers who dwell therein. As you know, there be many desert-dwellers, and although the way of the righteous is more excellent than his neighbor's, yet the way of the wicked seduces him! The main seduction is for one to take his eyes off of the Cross, and to try to EARN water once again. This is a great insult to God's Way: the Sacrifice that His Son paid to obtain these Living Waters for man. Here, look back out into the desert, and you shall see." So he takes you to a door-way, and you look out of the window, only to see thousands of people dressed in tattered rags, with picks and shovels in their hands, feverishly pounding and digging at the soil in an attempt to get the Living Waters out there, their own way! "Why are they dressed in tattered rags?, you ask. "...while I'm dressed in the white apparel which you gave me?" "This represents their own righteousness, which is as filthy rags", the man replied. "Yet they cannot see their apparel as such; They believe what they're wearing is just fine; And they believe, mistakenly, that they are rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; That they are a guide to the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes. All the while not knowing that they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Such is the state of those who by pride, rebellion, and self-will choose their way, rather than God's! Beware of these men, for they will perceive YOU to be evil, even as you do that which is good. "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! WOE unto them that are wise in their OWN eyes, and prudent in their OWN sight!" "But what shall I do concerning them?", I asked. "Leave them alone. They be the blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Look for those who are as you, who are ready to surrender ALL to the Lord of the Oasis, and lead them to the CROSS, as I have led you there." "You mean I have to leave this wonderful place?, I asked. "Yes, but only in a sense", the man replied. "...in order to rescue others also. But do not fear. The same one Who supplied your Water now is the Same Who will be with you always to supply you with Living Waters on your journeys. And... as you continue to look solely to the Cross as your object of faith, you will continue to be "in Christ", and have (as it were) a protective Covering, a "Shelter" from heat, wind, and hail; You shall be hid in the secret of His Presence from the pride of man; kept secretly in a Pavilion from the strife of tongues;" Yea, ALL those in The Hiding Place shall live THE ABUNDANT LIFE if they only believe that which is written in "the Book". I will now reveal to you the full blessings, that ABUNDANT LIFE found "in Christ". Behold, this is ...

a Place ....

- that is a REFUGE. (Psa. 9:9; 14:6; 46:1; 91:2; 142:5; Deut. 32:27; 2 Sam. 22:3)

- of identification with Christ in death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation. (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12-13; Mk. 16:19)

- without sin; The "righteousness of God without the law". (1 Jhn. 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 1:17; 3:21; Philip. 3:9; Dan. 9:24)

- of bold access to God the Father in prayer. (Eph. 2:13; 3:12; Heb. 4:15-16)

- of God's Presence: the Holy Ghost" (Psa. 31:20; 91:1; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 2:22; 1 Jhn. 4:133:24; John 14:16-17,23,26; 15:26; 16:7-11,13-14; 17:23) ... Who is Divine supernatural Life. (Rom. 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:6; Jhn. 6:63; 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:22; 1 Jhn. 5:11-12)

- of power, grace that makes one strong and vigorous, (Eph. 6:10; 2 Tim. 2:1; Psa. 68:35; Eph. 1:19; 3:16; 6:10; Col. 1:11; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Cor. 12:9; Zech. 4:6-7; 10:12) ... with no fear (Psa. 91:5; 1 Jhn. 4:18; Prov. 3:24; Isa. 43:1-2; Psa. 23:4).

- of completeness, where the LORD is your "Portion", and you are satisfied. (Col. 2:10; Lam. 3:24; Psa. 16:5; 73:26; 119:57; Jer. 10:16; Psa. 27:4; 107:9; 23:1; Philip. 4:11; 2 Pet. 1:3)

- of Light. (Eph. 5:8; John 8:12)

- of liberty. (Gal. 2:4; John 8:36)

- of simplicity. (2 Cor. 11:13)

- of peace and fulness of joy. (Ex. 33:14; John 14:27; Psa. 16:11)

- of love and faith. (1 Jhn. 4:16; 1 Tim. 1:14)

- free of evil, harm, and sickness. (Psa. 91:10; Prov. 1:33; 12:21; 2 Thes. 3:3; 2 Pet. 2:9; Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24)

- of deliverance and honor. (Psa. 91:15; 1 Sam. 2:30)

- of long life. (Psa. 91:16; Prov. 3:1-2)

- of salvation with eternal glory. (2 Tim. 2:10)

Hallelujah!!!!! Now some would say... "Well, most of those things are dependent upon our obedience to the Word". Well, yes but... when the object of our faith is upon "us and our obedience to the Word", we will not have the ABILITY to obey as we ought, for we are making a "law" out of our obedience; And "the strength of (the) sin (nature) is the law (or... legalism)"- 1 Cor. 15:56. But "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes" -Rom. 10:4; So as the object of our faith is Christ and His Work on the Cross ALONE, we will obey the Word naturally from our heart, and consequently live "the abundant Life", because that is "who we are"... "IN CHRIST"! When we fall short in any area of obedience, the Holy Spirit will convict us of that and set us properly in line; Then we do not need someone in our face telling us "Do this", or "Don't do that" !

To the Lord Jesus Christ be glory for ever and ever! Amen!

"Hearing The Voice of God" -(Isa. 30:21)

There are many "voices" out there, my friend. You want to make sure you are hearing and heeding the Voice of JESUS, via THE HOLY SPIRIT. Here is what the Holy Bible (KJV) says about Hearing the Voice of God:

* First, you must be Jesus' "sheep". (Jhn. 10:2-5,14,27)

* ... a child of God. (Rom. 8:14; Jhn. 3:3-8)

* ... and "of the TRUTH". (Jhn. 18:37; Jhn. 17:17; 16:13; 1 Pet. 1:23)

* "Hearing His Voice" comes through LOVING GOD SUPREMELY, KNOWING HIM, and BEING INTIMATE WITH HIM IN RELATIONSHIP. (Deut. 4:29; 10:12; Matt. 22:36-37; Jhn. 10:14; Phil. 3:10; Jer. 24:7; 31:34; Heb. 8:10-12; Ex. 33:10-11; Jas. 2:23; Isa. 41:8)

* The third Person of the tri-une God: THE HOLY SPIRIT is to be your ultimate Guide in life, and Teacher of Truth [the Holy Bible-( King James or New American Standard versions come closest to the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts)]. (Jhn. 14:16-17,26; 16:13-14; 1 Jhn. 2:27; 1 Cor. 2:11-16)

* The Holy Bible Itself was written by human authors who wrote as the Holy Spirit's Voice spoke through/ inspired them.(2 Pet. 1:20-21; 1 Pet. 1:10-11; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Sam. 23:2; Lk. 1:68-70; Acts 1:16; 3:18)

* The Voice of God ("SPIRIT of Truth") will never contradict the Holy Bible (the "WORD of Truth"). (Jhn. 16:13; 17:17; Jas. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2:15; Eph. 1:13; 2 Cor. 6:7; Psa. 119:105,130; Deut. 4:2)

* You must have "ears to hear", being attentive and desirous of TRUTH and of God's leading. (Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13:22; Jhn. 7:17; Matt. 7:7-8; 25:29; Jer. 29:13)

* ... This requires PRAYER. (Lk. 18:1; 1 Th. 5:17)

* You must learn to distinguish "the Voice of GOD" clearly from all other voices. (1 Sam. 3:1-10)

* It will usually be "a still small Voice", a "knowing" in your spirit. (1 Ki. 19:9-13; Isa. 30:21; Jhn. 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:9-11)

* Examples from the book of Acts. (Acts 8:29; 10:19; 11:12-13,28; 13:2,4; 16:6-7; 18:5; 20:22-23; 21:4)

* The Holy Spirit can (and DOES) speak (at His choosing) through certain PEOPLE (including His chosen vessels, ministers, etc) to us as well. (Acts 21:4,11; 9:15; Eph. 4:11-12)

* The Holy Spirit functions (includes His SPEAKING to us) on the basis of our being "in Christ" (which entails that our faith for righteousness be exclusively in Him and His Blood Sacrifice- Ie: "The Cross"). (Rom. 8:2; Gal. 5:4; 6:14; Rev. 12:10-11).

"If Your Worst Enemy..."

IF YOUR WORST ENEMY, all of a sudden, at a random moment was standing right in front of you, could you say "hi" to him and be nice to him?

Don't have any enemies? Aww, c'mon now! If not, you better "examine yourself, whether you be in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Jesus Himself said this: "WOE unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. BUT I SAY UNTO YOU WHICH HEAR, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, DO GOOD TO THEM WHICH HATE YOU, BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THEM WHICH DESPITEFULLY USE YOU." -(Lk. 6:26-28).

And again, "BLESSED are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." -(Lk. 6:22-23)

So are we settled here, that it is GOD'S WILL that you have at least a few ENEMIES? I mean, right there it is, in the Word. Let's narrow it down a little futher, SHALL we?

"BLESSED are they which are persecuted for RIGHTEOUSNESS sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. BLESSED are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost it's savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be trodden under foot of men." -(Matt. 5:10-13).

So we see from this that the main cause of true persecution and of having enemies, is because we DO THAT WHICH IS RIGHTEOUS IN THE EYES OF ALMIGHTY GOD. WE ASCERTAIN WHAT IS "TRUTH", AND WE WALK IN THAT, NO-MATTER-WHAT! And of course, this is not even possible in the first place unless the "object of our faith" be exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross, wherein we walk in GRACE, "the sin nature' not having dominion over us (Rom. 6:14)! And then, once we ascertain "Truth", have it in our heart, and walk in that, we walk in spiritual "Light"; And then here is what begins to happen:

"For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed." -(Jhn. 3:20)

(Jesus speaking): "The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." -(Jhn. 7:7)

Friend, the closer you resemble JESUS, and walk in "TRUTH", the more your life and words will testify to evil folks around you that their deeds are evil, and THEY WILL HATE YOU. Bottom line. Makes perfect sense, right? AND... if the person is religious, and thinks that he is pretty darn good.... oooo buddy! There is no kind of hatred like RELIGIOUS hatred. It was these type of folks (the Scribes and Pharisees) who absolutely seethed against Him, and in the end, He allowed them to instigate His murder - SO THAT SCRIPTURE COULD BE FULFILLED, AND HE WOULD BECOME THE SIN OFFERING FOR REPENTANT SINNERS!

Okay, I believe I have established the fact that it is "normal Christianity" for you to have some enemies. Now I shall get to my title, "IF YOUR WORST ENEMY...all of a sudden, at a random moment was standing right in front of you, could you say "hi" to him and be nice to him? I aim to prove right now from the scriptures that, YES, YOU SHOULD, AND YOU... MUST!

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." -(Mat. 22:37-38)

In Luke 10:27, Jesus said basically the same thing, and then a lawyer tempted him by saying "and who IS my neighbor?"

Jesus then, in Luke 10:30-37, gives the story of "the good Samaritan". A "certain man" was robbed and beaten, and lay hurting by the side of the road, half dead. A PRIEST, and then A LEVITE passed by (these representing RELIGIOUS FOLKS), turned up their noses to the man, and walked by. But "A CERTAIN SAMARITAN" had the utter gaul to stop and take care of the poor fellow! Now you must realize, "Samaritans" in that day and time were despised by the Jews. Sort of looked at as the scum of the earth. And yet only HE had the good sense and compassion to help that poor guy. Guess what? Jesus COMMENDED.... the SAMARITAN! Speaking of Samaritans.... Jesus said "Hi" to one: the "woman at the well", in Jhn. 4:1-42. Not only did He say "Hi", but He actually had a long discourse with her, led her to salvation, and led many Samaritans in her TOWN to salvation! SAMARITANS WERE CONSIDERED "ENEMIES" TO THE JEWS (A "TYPE" OF GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE.... CHRISTIANS!). Do you see the point?

Take another person here: JUDAS. He was the enemy of Jesus, and Jesus KNEW it. In the garden of Gethsemane, Judas came right up to Jesus to give him a BETRAYAL KISS, which would lead to the Romans beating, torturing, and ultimately crucifying Jesus. Now keep in mind, Jesus knew ahead of time that Judas was coming to do this. Did Jesus turn his back to Judas, turn up His nose, and not acknowledge him? No. What did he SAY to Judas? Here it is, right from the Holy Bible: "FRIEND, wherefore art thou come?..." -(Matt. 26:50). HE CALLED HIS ENEMY "FRIEND"!!!

And we all know the story of how, as Jesus hung on the Cross, His ENEMIES were mocking Him and railing upon Him. And how He prayed to the Father, and said "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." -(Lk. 23:34).

Likewise STEPHEN, as the religious zealots (Saul holding their coats for them- HIS ENEMIES), were stoning him, he looked up toward heaven and said to God, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. -(Acts 7:60)

JESUS had the Scribes and Pharisees on His back, persecuting Him relentlessly, and even with THEM, although He rebuked them strongly, and denounced them (Matt. chpt. 23), .... STILL.... would acknowledge them, and talked with them, and tried to reason with them, multiple times.

In closing, am I advocating moseying up real close to your enemies, and having intimate fellowship with them? No, we can love a rattlesnake, but not be so foolish as to get all close to it, for it to BITE ITS VENOM into us! That would be verrry unwise.

At one time, we were ALL the "enemies of God" (Rom. 5:6-8; 3:23). What would have happened if GOD would have just turned His nose up at US, and said... "Ahhh, let's just FORGET about them scum-balls! I am gonna IGNORE them!" ?

Instead, He hung and died for us "enemies". And those who repent of their sins and accept His Sacrifice completely for all righteousness ARE JUSTIFIED FROM ALL SIN. O HALLELUJAH!!!! (And those who ... don't? We are still to love them, do good to them, and pray for them. There is still hope until they breathe their last!.)

So the next time...... "IF YOUR WORST ENEMY all of a sudden, at a random moment was standing right in front of you, could you say "hi" to him and be nice to him? YES, IT IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU TO DO SO!! The best course of action is just to love EVERYBODY. It's up to them what they choose to do!

To the Lord Jesus Christ be all glory, honor, and praise. HALLELUJAH!!!!!

"Spiritual Revelations on LIGHT"

The subject of "Light" (along with its antithesis of "darkness") is prominent throughout scriptures, making this a very important subject with God. Is knowing it essential to salvation? No, but your faith will be deeply enriched by ANY subject of which the Word speaks a great length about! "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" -(Rom. 10:17). God created nature, including the physics OF nature, such as this subject of which I write about. Being a landscaper, AND a follower of Christ, I have been privileged to have been taught first-hand by the Holy Spirit how that the Kingdom of God and nature itself are interwoven together in deep and mysterious ways. The physics of light and darkness are no exception.

Oh Father, anoint the spiritual "eyes" of the readers of this which You have given to me, that it would sink down into their inner man, causing them to see the deep Truths of Your Holy Word, in Jesus' Name!

Properties of physical LIGHT:

"LIGHT"...

- needs a POWER SOURCE, whether it be the sun, wind, electricity, a battery, a generator, a power plant; Some GREATER SOURCE, full of moving electrons to produce power for "illumination". GOD IS THE ULTIMATE POWER SOURCE, FOR HE HAS "ALL POWER" (Psa. 62:11; 147:5-7; Rev. 19:1; Matt. 28:18)!!

- is a greater force (of greater power) than "darkness"; Must by nature ultimately prevail. Example: the SUN RISE. The darkness is powerless to prevail against the power of light from the rising Sun! Even though the night, in its own right, held a degree of power, a "GREATER POWER" prevails when the Sun rises! "BUT UNTO YOU THAT FEAR MY NAME SHALL THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ARISE WITH HEALING IN HIS WINGS..." -(Mal. 4:2)

- is needed for the growth of all living things. (GROWTH IN GRACE AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST) -(2 Pet. 3:18)

- provides "warmth". ("GOD IS 'LOVE'") -(1 Jhn. 4:8,16)

- "illuminates", enabling one to "see"/ "discern". "WHEN HIS LAMP SHINED UPON MY HEAD. AND WHEN BY HIS LIGHT I WALKED THROUGH DARKNESS." -(Job 29:3). "HOWBEIT WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH..." -(JHN. 16:13)

- exposes what is hidden by darkness. "HE REVEALETH THE DEEP AND SECRET THINGS: HE KNOWETH WHAT IS IN THE DARKNESS, AND THE LIGHT DWELLETH WITH HIM." -(DAN. 2:22). "FOR EVERY ONE THAT DOETH EVIL HATETH THE LIGHT, NEITHER COMETH TO THE LIGHT, LEST HIS DEEDS SHOULD BE EXPOSED." -(Jhn. 3:20)

- attracts "bugs". If the light is of sufficient strength, the "bug" is destroyed. It is extremely rare that a bug can destroy the object which emanates the light. "BUGS" REPRESENT "OPPOSITION FROM SATAN AND HIS CHILDREN. BECAUSE THEY ARE OF THE REALM OF "DARKNESS", THEY DESPISE THE LIGHT AND WILL ATTEMPT TO SNUFF IT OUT!

SPIRITUAL LIGHT

- "GOD is Light, and 'in Him' is no darkness at all." [1 Jhn. 1:5 (Compare to 1 Jhn. 3:5)]. God, being "PURE Light", has no taint of darkness/ sin/ corruption whatsoever. We are "in Him" through faith in the Blood of the Lamb ALONE, with the only "Light"/ goodness that we possess being that which belongs to HIM, given TO us as we are "in Him".

- Spiritual Light is associated WITH that perfect holiness, purity, and righteousness of God.

- Jesus Christ, being God (the 2nd Person of the Trinity) is Light; He is called "the Light of the World". (Jhn. 8:12; 1:4-9; Isa. 9:2; Lk. 9:29-31; 2 Sam. 23:3-4)

- Spiritual Light is GIVEN by Jesus Christ. (Jhn. 1:9; 8:12; 11:9-10; Eph. 5:14)

- It is DISPENSED by THE HOLY SPIRIT, the 3rd Person of the Trinity. He is symbolized by "Oil in a lamp" [The "lamp" being "our spirit" (or "heart" (Prov. 20:27)]. As He is enjoined in fulness with our spirit, "spiritual Light" reveals (REVELATION) God's Word / Truth/ the Holy Bible to us. (See Matt. 25:1-12; Ex. 25:30-37; 39:37; Jhn. 14:16-17; 16:13; 1 Jhn. 2:27). The "anointing" refers to "the anointing OIL", symbolic of, again, THE HOLY SPIRIT. *** THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS ONLY ON THE BASIS OF OUR FAITH EXCLUSIVELY IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS.***

- "If we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON cleanses us from all unrighteousness." -(1 Jhn. 1:7). We walk IN the Light as we are "in Christ", since He IS Light; In such a state, through faith, His perfect Righteousness is imputed to us, and we are partakers of this Light by (the Divine) Nature, with no striving involved.

- "He that does Truth comes to the Light, that his deeds are made manifest, that they are wrought in God." -(Jhn. 3:21). Jesus said, in John 7:17, that if any man wills to do the will of the Father, he shall know correct Doctrine (teaching), whether it is of God or not. It is THIS LIGHT which reveals correct Doctrine of the Word to sincere, pure-hearted individuals- no matter their age, gender, or station in life: rich or poor, great or small.

- The true children of God (Who is Light) are called "the CHILDREN of Light". (1 Thes. 5:5; Eph. 5:8; Jhn. 12:36; Lk. 16:8).

- IN the children of Light, GOD'S WORD [THE HOLY BIBLE (KJ or NAS versions)] is enjoined with the Spirit of God to produce the Light of "spiritual understanding" to their spirit/ "heart"/ "inner man" (see Psa. 119:130,105; Jhn. 17:17; Eph. 1:17-18; 3:16-18; 1 Cor. 2:11-15), giving them "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16), to "see"/ discern between right and wrong, and to make correct choices in life.

- The mission of saving souls involves turning people from "spiritual darkness and the power of Satan" to "forgiveness of sins, spiritual Light and the Power of God". (Acts 26:18)

- There are many individuals who actually "REBEL AGAINST"/ REJECT the Light (Job 24:13,16-17; Jhn. 3:19-20; Eph. 5:11-13).

- It is possible for the Light that is in a man (which he THINKS he has) to actually be DARKNESS. (See Matt. 6:22-23; Lk. 11:34-36). These people are known by their "fruits" (See Matt.7:15-19; Gal. 5:19-21).

Mini "SERMONETTETES"- #18

1. "BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT": WHAT IS IT? It is calling unclean (or "vile) the Holy Spirit within another man. The Scribes and Pharisees did this against Jesus, and he addressed that (see Mark 3:28-29; Jn. 8:48-49,52; 10:19-20; 7:19-20). One needs to be very careful he does not do this, or his eternal soul is in jeopardy!

2. God saves us FROM sin, not IN sin; But His Holy Spirit can only do that for us as our faith is exclusively in Christ & His Blood Sacrifice (ie: "THE CROSS") (Rom. 6:1-2;,14; 8:2; 1 Cor. 1:18,23-24; 2:2; Gal. 2:20-22; 5:1-4; 1 Jhn. 1:7-9).

3. Being a Christian, but refusing to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit... is like a man being pulled out of a slime pit and desperately needing a bath, but then only sticking his BIG TOE in a tub of hot water! (Gotta get in the whole way!). Then, faith exclusively in Christ Crucified allows the Holy Spirit to "take a wash cloth and scrub that dirt off".
‎"FAITH and YIELDEDNESS" are the keys that unlock the blessings of God in one's life. "UNBELIEF and STUBBORNNESS" keep them locked. One can either be "FREE AND CLEAN", or "BOUND AND DIRTY". First it takes faith and yieldedness to reach out and grab the outstretched Hand of the Master to pull you out of the slime-pit. Then it takes faith and yieldedness to jump in that tub. THEN it takes faith and yieldedness to allow the HOLY SPIRIT to scrub you while you are IN the tub! But what do most want to do?? Do all of the above.... THEMSELVES!!! (Law and works!). ... IT DON'T WORK!!!! God the Holy Ghost has a BLOW-TORCH. He is measuring HOW MUCH HEAT is necessary to melt a person's p-r-i-d-e. I know it took quite a lot for me (Took some near-death experiences); How 'bout for... you?

4. God the Father is "the Fountain of Living Waters". The Way to Him is JESUS; The way to Jesus is THE CROSS: The way to the Cross is a DENIAL OF SELF (See Jer. 2:13; Jn. 14:6: 3:16; Lk. 9:23-24). Friend, there is no other way to have "abundant Life", an on-going DAILY flow of God's "Spirit-Waters" to your soul! Nothing of this world can satisfy. You need a HEAVENLY Source, an eternal, never-ending SUPPLY!!! GLO-RY TO THE LAMB !!!!

5. Friend, it matters what God loves... and what He hates. He LOVES "faith, whole-heartedness, and humility"; He HATES "unbelief, lukewarmness, and pride". (Heb. 11:6; Jer. 29:13; Mt. 22:37; Lk. 14:25-35; Rev. 3:15-17; Jas. 4:6; Num. 14:11; Mk. 16:14; Heb. 3:12,19; Pr. 8:13; 11:2; 13:10; 21:4). Sad to say, the majority of "the church" now falls in the latter category, putting God AGAINST them, and not FOR them! He is now calling all men back to THE CROSS, which will place them in that first part right there!! All who refuse, will remain at enmity with God (And that is not good, when He Who has ALL POWER is against you!!).

6. "The Cross" greatly demonstrates the wisdom of God, in that... it keeps OUT of His Kingdom all of the proud, faithless, and rebellious... while allowing IN the humble, believing, and obedient (See 1 Cor. 1:18,23-31; Jas. 4:6). You see, to the proud, faithless, and rebellious, the Cross will either be a "stumblingblock" or "foolishness", so they will not embrace that! And since it is God's prerequisite for both salvation and sanctification, they will be left out. In essence, the Cross is like "the flaming sword" which barred entrance to the garden of eden and "the tree of Life" (see Gen. 3:24) for folks like this. But PRAISE GOD... ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE OPENS THE DOOR W-I-D-E FOR ENTRANCE. HALLELUJAH !!!!!!

7. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." -(Jn.3:4). Notice, there is no "middle" zone there! ‎
"He that is not WITH Me is AGAINST Me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth."
-(Lk.11:23)
‎"Suppose ye that I am come to bring PEACE on the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather DIVISION." -(Lk. 12:51).... THAT "DIVISION"... IS "FLESH" (JUSTIFICATION FROM SIN BY "LAW", OR "A MIXTURE OF GRACE AND LAW") vs. "SPIRIT" (JUSTIFICATION FROM SIN BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST CRUCIFIED A-L-O-N-E!!). ‎"LAW" and "GRACE" can mix no more that "FLESH" and "SPIRIT" can.... or than OIL and WATER can! JUDGMENT... has begun in the house of God, and GOD is doing the judging! He has had enough of those trying to have it both ways, who have been living in "spiritual adultery" on the side!! He sees and knows, and is now doing a swift work, whether it is among the BAPTISTS, the METHODISTS, the PENTECOSTAL, the... whoever! God has ONE "Spirit of Life", and it is "IN CHRIST JESUS" (Rom. 8:2), not in our efforts of law-keeping. ""Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE." -(Gal. 5:4). This "separation"/"division" will continue, until it has run its course. WHICH camp are you in" The "house of DAVID"? or The "house of SAUL"??? You must now CHOOSE. The days of "sitting on the fence" have passed; God is PUSHING YOU OFF of that fence!!!!

8. Who does the BIBLE classify as a true "child of God" ?

First of all, "...strait is the gate, and narrow is the Way, which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it." -(...Matt. 7:14). So that right there tells us that FEW in relation to the whole of the population of people are true Chri...stians in GOD'S Eyes. In John 3:3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that "... Except a man be 'born again' (from above, of the Holy SPirit and of the Word of God), he cannot see the kingdom of God." (Also see 1 Pet. 1:23). In Rev. 20:15, we read that "...whosoever was not found written in the book of Life is cast into the lake of fire.".
Let us look also at what the Holy Spirit through JOHN says, in John 1:12-13:
"But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
And again, in 2 Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be 'in Christ', he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." And....
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." -(Rom. 8:14). Plus...
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin (practice sin as a lifestyle); for his seed remainteth in him: and he cannot (practice) sin (as a lifestyle), because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." -(1 Jhn. 3:9-10).
Finally, Jesus gives a parable of "the tares and the wheat" (Matt. 13:24-30,37-43), which lays out beautifully the answer to this question. In explaining to his disciples what the parable meant, this is what He had to say:
"... He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM; but the tares are THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares (weeds) are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all ones who offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall 'THE RIGHTEOUS' shine forth as the sun in the kingodm of their Father..." -(Matt. 13:37
Notice, if you will, that last sentence right there: Where it says 'THE RIGHTEOUS' shall shine forth as the sun. THESE are the true children of God, and no one else. And what MAKES a person "righteous"? Faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross!
So, to summarize... not everyone is a child of God. Only those who embrace God's Way (Jesus) and Means (the Cross) for their lives, which of course includes REPENTANCE OF SINS as a daily lifestyle. All others are UNrighteous, and "children of satan". Those who are the children of God, because of faith exclusively IN THE BLOOD for righteousness/ morality, will have 'their old man' 'crucified with Christ' (Rom. 6:4-7; Gal. 2:20), be led by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14), have "the Divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4), and manifest "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23). They will love God supremely, and love their neighbor as themself (Mark 12:30-31), even loving their ENEMIES (Mt. 5:44). They will not hold any grudges or unforgiveness toward any man (Mt. 6:14-15). These are called "the righteous", "the just", "the godly", "the good seed", "the children of light", "the Saints", "in Christ", "dwelling in the secret Place", "under the shadow of the Almighty", in "the Hiding Place", "the Refuge". O HALLELUJAH, BEHOLD THE TRUE CHILDREN OF GOD. There are many within the organized church who POSE as children of God, but they really are NOT.

9. What is "ABUNDANT LIFE"? It is none other than... THE PRESENCE OF GOD! (SEE Psa. 16:11; 107:9), which is His HOLY SPIRIT (Jn.6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6), given to us "in Christ Jesus (Rom.8:2) through our faith in "the smitten Rock" (Ex. 17:5-6; Jn.7:37-36), CHRIST CRUCIFIED (1 Cor. 1:17-18,22-24; 2:2; Gal. 6:14).

10. Anyone can gather together a group of people who agree with him, but our main concern is that we agree with JESUS. What does His WORD (the Holy Bible) say, as revealed by His Spirit of TRUTH? I would rather have the latter. (Jhn. 16:13; Mt. 7:14). HITLER had a huge following, but did he speak Truth? From the early 30's until the mid 40's, he had 9 million Germans hanging on his every word! Certain men in the Bible, GREAT in the Eyes of God, spoke pure Truth, and had FEW followers. NOAH preached his guts out for years, and only his small family ended up heeding him; Likewise, JEREMIAH spoke exactly what God told him to, and his hearers hated him and threw him into a pit! A famous preacher from the 1700's, in Northampton, Mass- JONATHAN EDWARDS- was kicked out of his own church by his congregation, and relegated to preaching to the Indians. Goes to show... the most popular with man, are usually.... wrong. People tend to gravitate AWAY from Truth, because most cannot handle It. It would rock their world too much, and insist that they CHANGE. ...and some DO want to change, but in their OWN way, not GOD'S!

11. One can love God and be sincere, yet be sincerely.... wrong. For example, if a person sets out to travel by car to DALLAS, he can love God & be sincere about reaching Dallas, but if he TAKES THE WRONG ROAD, he just may end up in ATLANTA!
Friend, it matters what Pastor you are listening to, and what you are believin'. This is your ETERNAL SOUL that's at stake here; Don't worry about offending him. What about your SOUL! I mean, yeah,... is your eternal soul (and even your quality of life here while you are living) WORTH making sure certain people are not offended? Think about it! I believe the answer is obvious. The farther one travels down the wrong road, the farther away he will get from his DESIRED destination. Ever notice that? With time the distance ever increases! If you see you ARE going down the wrong road... STOP. Get out the map, and TAKE THE RIGHT ONE. Or at least HEAD for the right one!

One way to know you are on the wrong road is this: Any preaching or teaching you have received that is not found in the Bible, but which is emphasized. This is called "EXTRA-Biblical" material which is held up on the same plane or higher t...han the scriptures themselves. In Jesus' time of ministry in Israel, the Scribes and Pharisees (the religious leaders of that day) had TONS of this sort of thing, to where God's Truth was diluted, cast aside, MADE OF NONE EFFECT! It had gotten to the point where they thought the sinless Son of God had a DEMON! This is what doing this damnable practice results in. Same in that generation, and the same today! If Jesus would be here now, and walk in the average church, He would in most cases be thought of as "in error"/ off-base/ off-track/ in heresy... and be REJECTED, just as He was by many in that time!!! ... Just think of that: JESUS, THE VERY GOD WHOM THEY CLAIM TO LOVE AND SERVE !!!!

12. Just as in the days when Jesus walked this earth, today... religious man has the terrible habit of taking "extra-Biblical" knowledge (that OTHER THAN SCRIPTURE, and giving it the same importance, if not MORE, than scripture itself! ‎... creating "laws" that Satan uses to bring men into bondage! (see Mark 7:6-9; Mat. 23:15,25; Col. 2:8; Deut. 4:2).

Mini "SERMONETTES" -#17

1. "...without Me (Jesus) ye can do NOTHING".... "It is the Spirit that gives Life; The flesh profits NOTHING." -(Jn. 15:5; 6:63). Without DEPENDENCE UPON CHRIST AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT, a man can accomplish nothing of eternal value.

‎"I AM the true Vine, and MY Father is the husbandman....
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.
I AM the Vine, ye are the branches: He that a...bideth in Me, and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING." -(Jn. 15:1,4-5). "ABIDING IN CHRIST" entails placing our faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice. That is the START, and we must continue in that... daily. But aside from that, in EVERY AREA of our life, we need to yield ultimate control of tha...t area to the Lord, or that area (or areas) will suffer defeat. Some areas will be "strongholds" that we absolutely CANNOT overcome through will-power. We need to come to the point where we basically say to the Lord... "Lord, I CANNOT DO THIS; WITHOUT YOU IN THIS AREA, I CANNOT MAKE IT. I N-E-E-D YOU LORD!!!" Friend, the moment you do that, you have just tapped into SUPERNATURAL POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST. "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying,
NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, saith the Lord of Hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain (your "problem area")? before Zerubbab...el thou shat become a plain: and he shall bring forth 'the Headstone' (JESUS)thereof with shoutings, crying GRACE, GRACE unto it." -(Zech. 4:6-7). Right there is our Answer in that scripture passage" THE HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS, AND HIS GRACE. But what is the path of most people?.... "THE FLESH" (PERFORMANCE/ STRIVING), SELF, AND "LAW" (WORKS). While the "abide in Me" refers to us placing our faith in Christ and Him Crucified, the "I in you" refers to HIS SPIRIT FLOWING IN AND THROUGH US, LIKE SAP FLOWING THROUGH THE BRANCH OF A VINE. (We are likened in Jhn. 15 to a "branch"). O HALLELUJAH!!! Friend, do you have His Life-giving Spirit flowing through you, giving "HIS LIFE" to every aspect of your living? It can be yours today!

2. "... GOD is the Judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another." "... God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." -(Psa. 75:7; James 4:6).
‎"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith."
-(Habakkuk 2:4.). I think I see a pattern here; Do you? Pride... not good; Humility... good. The proud soul will trust in self, and his way and means; The humble will trust in Christ, and His Way and Means. God's Way is Christ, and His Means is the Cross- both for SALVATION, and for LIVING FOR GOD/SANCTIFICATION. God, the Judge (not man) sets up those humble ones who rely upon HIM, not upon THEMSELVES... giving them grace, favor, strength, wisdom, guidance, peace, and "all things that pertain unto life and godliness". PRAISE GOD!!!! HE ROOTS FOR THE UNDERDOG !! He lowers the "mountains" and raises the "valleys". GLO-RY to God ! HE MAKES ALL THINGS RIGHT!!!!

3. God hates "UNBELIEF" (Num 14:11; Mk.16:14) in His Son's Sacrifice (Jn.3:14-19; Num.21:8-9) for sanctification/ living for Him (Gal.5:4;3:10-11)!
He emphatically declares "IT IS SUFFICIENT !" (See Heb.10:12-14). .. and if you don't think so too, then He is not obligated to bless you then either. You will be as the majority of Israel who wandered in the wilderness 40 years and never DID enter "the promised land of Canaan". They heard about the "giants and "ites" over there, and were afraid. THEY DID NOT TRUST GOD THAT HE WOULD PROTECT THEM! ...choosing instead to perish in a dry wilderness. Well all I gotta say is....."Not me. I wanna go with Joshua and Caleb!"

4. The church's three main problems in "how to live for God" are "ANTINOMIANISM", "LEGALISM", and "GALATIANISM".
‎1. "ANTINOMIANISM": The word means "anti-law". This describes those who claim that inasmuch as Grace is greater than sin, then it doesn't really matter how much they sin. Paul answered that by saying, "God forbid, How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:2).
‎2. "LEGALISM": This refers to Salvation (or justification in general) from sin by "works", which actually is impossible (Rom. Chpts. 4-5).
‎3. "GALATIANISM": This pertains to Believers who are saved by God's Grace through Faith exclusively in Christ and His Sacrifice ("the Cross"), but try to bring about Sanctification by "self". This was the problem with the Galatians and is still the problem with most presently. This is, in fact, the most severe problem in the Church and always has been.
4. GOD'S CORRECT METHOD: Complete surrender of one's HEART to the "Lord" Jesus Christ, with a life DAILY of.....
1) HATRED OF SIN/(plus "repentance" when one DOES sin), and
2) faith exclusively in Christ and His "finished Work"/ Blood Sac...rifice on the Cross for righteousness.
One might look at this and exclaim "That's too simple!". Well it IS simple; However, most people reject either of these components (or both) because of one little 5-letter word: "pride". God demands humility, surrender, and dependence upon Him. If He sees this in one's heart, He will give that person all he/she needs, regardless of who that person is, or his station in life: small or great, rich or poor.
poured out, and the person- even though Christian in name- will resort to any of those first three methods. Deception will be his lot in life (though of course he will not think so), and he will look at disdain upon the person who follows GOD's prescribed Method. Those of the flesh have always be at enmity (in varying degrees) with those of the Spirit.

The following are some OTHER problem areas that I have seen:
1) Having merely a "HEAD"-knowledge of God's method, without it residing in the HEART. These type of people invariably will resort to any (or a mixture) of the first three methods ...WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT. Great deception and evil can result from such a stance.
2) A denial that a Christian still possesses a "sin nature", and sort of a mind-set that one has "arrived", with no problems of sin any longer in the life. This is in direct contradiction to the following scripture: 1 John 1:8. The Bible teaches that a Christian still DOES have a sin nature, but that it can be (and remain) "unplugged", so that it no longer has dominion over the believer (Rom. 6:14). The Bible does NOT teach "sinless perfection". If one truly believes this, he is in for a great fall INDEED!

5. "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.". "..the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." -(Psa. 97:11; 84:11).
Notice the phrases in each of these scriptures: "upright in heart" (in the first one), and "them that walk uprightly" (in the second). A person who IS "upright in heart" is one whose heart trusts fully in CHRIST AND HIS SACRIFICE, for that is the only thing that "purifies our heart" and MAKES it "upright". Then, as a result of THAT... we have the power of the Holy SPirit working in our life to ENABLE us to "walk uprightly"!
There are various phrases throughout the Bible that describe that person whose heart is trusting fully in Christ's Blood Sacrifice for righteousness. In the old testament, every time you see the phrases "the righteous", "the upright", "the... upright in heart", "the just", "them that trust in Him", etc... THESE ALL REFER TO THAT. So, ... every time you see these phrases, that refers to YOU, if indeed that is YOU. Many precious promises and characteristics are attached to these phrases. Take for example, Prov. 28:1, which says that "'the righteous' are bold as a lion." I have all of these phrases hi-lighted in my Bible. So when I look at that verse, for example, it reminds me that I... am as bold as a lion... and I can have boldness in any situation, and with any person. No one intimidates me. In the NEW testament, every time you see "in Christ", "in Him", "in Whom", :in the beloved", "the children of light", etc.... again... these phrases ALL refer to that one whose heart trusts exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross. (I got all those hi-lighted too!) :))). Look also at Psalm 91. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High" IS that same type of person, and ALL OF THOSE PROMISES IN THAT CHAPTER APPLY TO THAT PERSON!!!! I CLAIM THEM ALL, EVERY LAST ONE!!!!! Christians do not realize what they are missing. They listen to, and believe THE DEVIL instead of GOD AND HIS WORD!!!! ‎"Unbelief" keeps one in a dry wilderness. And thats exactly where the devil wants them to be. But they don't HAVE to be! So here's what I suggest. Get yourself a Bible, and a hi-liter, and go through the Bible and hi-lite all those scriptures with those phrases. Start by underlining those phrases, and then hi-lighting the whole verses, and you will SEE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING, WHAT THE DEVIL HAS BEEN ROBBING FROM YOU.

6. In Luke 10:38-42, we see a "type" of the two kinds of people within the organized church MARTHA and MARY. What (or WHO) was the focus of each of them?
Hint: Cain vs. Abel... House of Saul vs. House of David.... Saul vs. Paul (same man).... Esau vs. Jacob.... Ishmael vs. Isaac.... Lot vs. Abraham.... Korah vs. Moses. The Scribes & Pharisees vs. Jesus ..... The Judaisers vs. the Apostle Paul. Martha was pretty darn indignant and upset with Mary... wasn't' she? But what was JESUS' reaction about Mary?

‎(38) "Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His Word. (40) ...But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. (41) And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." -Our text: (Lk. 10:38-42).

MARTHA: Verse 40 states that "Martha was cumbered about with much serving". In verse 41, Jesus says that she was "careful and troubled about many things". This is characteristic of 'THOSE WALKING AFTER THE FLESH". These are professing Chr...istians who are focused upon THEIR PERFORMANCE OF DO'S AND DON'TS (ie: "LAW). They offer up to God something OTHER THAN God's prescribed Sacrifice, or offer a MIXTURE which always includes something which THEY earn, out of p-r-i-d-e in the h-e-a-r-t. The fruit of their lives and character WILL BE "the works of the flesh" (Gal. 5:19-21). Hatred and persecution of others many times follows. There will invariably be a critical, fault-finding spirit towards others. Because they are not close to the Lord, and shown His grace (because of mis-placed faith), they will not show any grace towards others either, but will "crack the whip" like a Hitler.

MARY: Verse 39 states that "Mary sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His Word." There was work that needed done, yet her FOCUS was upon JESUS, and what HE had to say, plain and simple. In verse 41, Jesus states that she "hath chosen that good part". This is characteristic of "THOSE WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT". These are true Christians who are focused upon CHRIST and HIS Sacrifice : that Blood Sacrifice on THE CROSS. (ie: "GRACE through faith"). They rely totally by faith UPON that ONE AND ONLY SACRIFICE, not theirs, or even a MIXTURE of theirs, out of h-u-m-i-l-i-t-y of heart. The fruit of their lives and character WILL BE "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23). Love for all men, including enemies, will ALWAYS follow this type of person. Grace will be extended towards others, because this person KNOWS that if not for the grace of God, he is a most miserable sinner INDEED! BEHOLD, THE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE ORGANIZED CHURCH. IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR CENTURIES !!!! BELIEVING MUST ALWAYS PRECEDE DOING. BELIEVING (FAITH) RESIDES... IN THE H-E-A-R-T (Rom. 1...0:10). If the HEART is right, the PERSON will be right! ... and if the heart is not right, LEGALISM/ LAW will always be the order of the day. Nit-picking about certain activities, and transferring "personal convictions" upon others.

7. "... If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of Living Water. But this spake He of the Spirit..." -(Jhn. 7:37-38).

‎"THIRST"...
Friend, are you thirsty for J-E-S-U-S, more than for the poisoned waters from the broken cisterns of this evil world?
"For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS, and hewed them o...ut cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Is Israel (representing God's people, past and present) a servant? Is he a 'homeborn slave'? Why is he spoiled?" -(Jer. 2:13-14)
"As the deer panteth after the Water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God? -(Psa. 42:1-2)
"O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thisteth for Thee: My flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." -(Psa. 63:1)
"Ho, EVERY ONE THAT THIRSTETH, come ye to the Waters, and he that hath no money..." -(Isa. 55:1)
"And He (Jesus) showed me a pure River of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of "THE LAMB" (This title of Jesus indicative of His redemptive Work on THE CROSS)." -(Rev. 22:1)
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. ... And let HIM THAT IS THIRSTY come. And whomsoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely." -(Rev. 22:17).

IT BEGINS WITH THAT THIRST FOR J-E-S-U-S ALONE, from the HEART. A whole-heartedness for Him above aNY one else or anyTHING else.
Then (AND ONLY THEN), will He allow you to enter into the Process whereby you can DRINK FROM HIM, through the po...uring out of His SPIRIT to you.
And THIS can only come about by one Means: (your faith being exclusively in "the Cross". Ie: His Blood Sacrifice). A beautiful "type of this is found in Ex. 17:6:
"Behold I (the Lord) will stand before thee (Moses) there upon the rock in Horeb: and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel."
The "smiting of the Rock", in this instance, represents JESUS (THE "ROCK") being smitten on our behalf upon the Cross, to pay our sins. The "water coming out of the rock" represents THE HOLY SPIRIT BEING POURED FORTH TO "THE THIRSTY".

One can then also have a DAILY supply of this "Water of Life" only as he CONTINUES to place his faith in "the smitten Rock" (Jesus Christ and Him CRUCIFIED), indicating that our faith must not only be in JESUS, but also on SACRIFICE as well.... This keeps us "IN CHRIST", and partakers of "the law of the Spirit of Life"
"For the law of the Spirit of Live IN CHRIST Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (the sin nature through the flesh)." -(Rom. 8:2)
Our faith must ever (DAILY) be in JESUS and WHAT HE HAS DONE. Not just "Jesus", but "JESUS: WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE". Those two elements MUST be the Object of our faith. God DEMANDS this. OUR sacrifices are not sufficient to keep us justified in His sight. Our faith must be in HIS Sacrifice: HIS SON AT CALVARY! HALLELUJAH!!! Ahhhh do you SEE this, friend? Once you are able to grasp this, your life will never be the same!!! You can then walk DAILY in "ABUNDANT LIFE" !!!! And it will not just be "an emotional high"; It will be SPIRITUAL REALITY", which will influence every facet of your life!!! ... Those "Living Waters" of God's Spirit will then be able to flow in every "dry area", healing and cleansing them of all impurity! Ahhh do you BELIEVE ?!!!! He desires you to prosper and be in health: SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY (3 John 2; 1 Thes. 5:23; Psa. 91)! Are you convinced??

8. We each need to "guard our heart with all diligence" (Pr. 4:23; Mt. 15:18-20; Mk. 7:20-23), or we can have a mind like ....MARY, wanting to show love and grace, but have a heart like.... MARTHA , manifesting bitterness and legalism (see Lk. 10:38-42; Rom. 10:1-2; Jude 21; 1 Jn. 3:11-12). BEWARE, MY BRETHREN. SATAN WIL...L ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT SO, AND IS SUCCEEDING IN MANY CASES!!
Martha was "careful and troubled about many things". Is that you? Or do you delight in "sitting at Jesus's feet, hearing His Word? (like Mary). Friend... you are either ONE... or the OTHER. Notice in that story of Martha and Mary, there was not little Jolene in the middle. ...(Luke 10:38-42). Can't play it "half-way"; Jesus says.... "BLAH!" (Rev. 3:15-16).

9. "Abundant Life, and Persecution": The lot of "the Righteous" (those "in Christ" through repentance of sins and faith exclusively in Christ's Blood Sacrifice... daily). -John 10:10; 15:19-20. f you don't got those, you should be scratching your head and wondering why, 'cuz its right there in the Bible, friend. There are MANY more scriptures on this than those I have listed, all throughout the Bible. The "abundant Life" comes from the Holy SPirit, poured out from the Father, through Jesus and THE CROSS, to US. The "persecution" comes mainly from the "religious".

10. What exactly are the characteristics, both the inward and outward signs of having Abundant Life in Christ?
Those characteristics are found right in the Bible for everyone, plain as day. Most people would feel like hitting themselves in the head once they are truly aware of what I am... about to say..... They are ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD FOUND IN THE BIBLE TO THAT ONE WHO IS "IN CHRIST" THROUGH FAITH EXCLUSIVELY IN CHRIST & HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS. Of course, this includes the vital aspect of having A PURE HEART REPENTANT OF SIN (Rom.6:1-2). Glory to God, EVERY promise you find in there is yours! Galatians 5:22-23 detail the INWARD characteristics of this "abundant Life". .. These "fruit of the Spirit" come all together in a "bundle" , and should be evident in a person's life to all. The "abundant Life" itSelf is none other than a PERSON: the HOLY SPIRIT! GLORY TO GOD!!!!!!!, Who works exclusively through our fait in "the finished Work" of Christ on the Cross: that Blood Sacrifice". To be quite honest, most do not avail themselves of this abundant Life. They are "disqualified" because they refuse to humble themselves to GOD'S Way and means for righteous, and choose their OWN, as Cain did in Genesis chpt.4. Self- P-R-I-D-E, the bane of all civilization, and the root of all sin. And RELIGIOUS pride is the worst!

11. Things that desire darkness (like BATS) hate the light, while things that desire light (like PLANTS) will turn AWAY from darkness, TOWARD the light.
However, certain plants, being yet plants of DARKNESS, bear thorns and bad fruit (see Heb.6:7-8; Mat.3:10; 7:15-23). These APPEAR to like the Light, but are DECEPTIVE plants. Yet the light EXPOSES them to those who are OF the light! ‎"FOR EVERYONE THAT DOTH (PREFERS) EVIL HATETH THE LIGHT, NEITHER COMETH TO THE LIGHT, LEST HIS DEEDS SHOULD BE EXPOSED" -(John 3:20). ‎"BUT HE THAT DOTH (PREFERS) TRUTH COMETH TO THE LIGHT, THAT HIS DEEDS MAY BE MADE MANIFEST, THAT THEY ARE WROUGHT IN GOD." -(John 3:21). To many within the church, the Lord declares "... I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of A STRANGE VINE unto Me?" -(Jer.2:21).

12. The HOLY SPIRIT, symbolized by "Oil in a lamp", is necessary to "give Light"/reveal God's Word/ Truth/ "the Holy Bible" (see Mt. 25:1-12; Ex. 25:30-37; 39:37; Jn. 14:16-17; 16:13); He can only DO that as we are "in Christ Jesus" through faith in Him and His finished Work on the Cross, DAILY. (Rom. 8:2; Jn. 3:14-16,21; ...Col. 2:6; Lk. 9:23).
There are many folks right now who ... do not have Oil in their lamps. When the Bridegroom comes, these will not be ready (Mt. 25:1-12). Gotta keep those lamps filled to the TIPPY TOP with the OIL ! BURNING BRIGHTLY!!! A bright light attracts "bugs". lol. If one's faith is not anchored in the Cross, his understanding of God's Word will be faulty, because the "Light" by which he is reading It will be "dim". And it don't matter if he has diligently studied it for YEARS by intellect. It is REVELATION UNDERSTANDING TO HE HEART that matters, for this is where FAITH resides (Rom. 10:10). .. and "without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)." If intellect, and smarts, and study were virtuous to God to give victory, why would He have had to send His Son to be crucified? This is kind of funny: I was thinking about the "light attracts bugs" comment, and a picture of a BUG ZAPPER, ZAPPING BUGS came to my mind. :D "High Voltage", ya know!

Mini "SERMONETTES"- #16

1. "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth..." -(Jn. 16:13). Ultimately, the HOLY SPIRIT is your Teacher (1 Jn. 2:27). He illuminates that Holy Bible, and sends the Word from your HEAD... to your HEART (where FAITH resides- Rom. 10:10).
They say the longest two feet is from from your head to your heart. The HOLY SPIRIT supernaturally will do that for you, but only if you are entirely surrendered to Him, and GOD KNOWS if you are or not! It comes ALIVE. Actually becomes a part of WHO WE ARE. "Illumination" indeed... is by the Holy Spirit. I remember the week after I got saved and filled with the Holy Spirit... "the Bible" , having formerly been a dry, boring, dead book to me ALL OF A SUDDEN came ALIVE to me. And I distinctly remember, as it seemed as though a giant spotlight shined down upon its Pages to me, saying out loud to myself... "WHERE HAVE I .. BEEN... ALL OF THESE YEARS?!!" Truly, I can say without a doubt, that true Christianity is a SUPERNATURAL THING!

2. God will only accept our faith in HIS Sacrifice (Christ/ the Cross), not faith in OUR'S (whatever that might be, even GOOD things). CAIN found this out, with his vegetable offering. (Gen. 4:3-8). ... and then he grew hateful and killed the one (Abel) who DID have faith in God's Sacrifice; Was Abel better than him? No, but in God's Eyes he was accepted because... of THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB ALONE !!!
Same holds true today among professing Christians, regardless of the ministry or pastor they follow.... whatever. So what was the difference then, between Cain and Abel? A... humble, contrite, repentant HEART.... submitted to God! And we each DECIDE that, with our free will. And unfortunately, if the offerING is not accepted by God, neither will be the offerER. God has His reasons for that, the main one being "the motives of the heart. He does not want proud, self-willed people in His Kingdom to continuously stir up trouble. Can you blame Him? Isn't that what has happened with this present earth? God knows this, and will put an end to it. His plan WILL be carried out, despite all of the puny power and might of Satan, his demons, and rebellious people! Pride and self-will is always manifested by LEGALISM ("LAW") every time. Sometimes that can even get downright silly! ... manifesting in numerous man-man silly rules and regulations, many of them not even in the Bible! Jesus during His ministry mentioned about the Scribes and Pharisees, and the "washing of pots and cups".


3. Jesus, after showing GRACE to the healed lame man, and the woman caught in adultery, told each of them to SIN NO MORE". (Jn. 5:14; 8:10-11). So grace does NOTmean "license to sin" (Also see Rom. 6:1-2).

4. The "heart", where faith resides (Rom. 10:10), can only be changed by THE HOLY SPIRIT & GOD'S WORD; Not by seminars, psychological studies, & facts (which only change the MIND).
The mind (WILL-power) has absolutely nothing to due with keeping "the sin nature", with its bent toward worldliness.... subdued. ... Only a constant faith EXCLUSIVELY in Christ and His Blood. This is the foundational Doctrine of the Bible, and the Way & Means whereby the Holy Spirit functions, in both SAVING and SANCTIFYING the believer.

lThe HOLY SPIRIT then illuminates the mind to KNOW that this or that song, tv show, activity, etc. is wrong.
It is not necessarily "sin" or wrong for a preacher to address these subjects, but, again, it will have no effect on the HEART of l...isteners; And most likely will be DETRIMENTAL because of man's propensity to make "laws" out of nonessentials, and then to feel condemned (or condemn others) for not doing those convictions.

5. GRACE and LAW cannot mix in a professing Christian's life; Justification and sanctification from sin must be purely by "grace through faith" in Christ & the Cross, or there will be DEFEAT. (Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 2:6; Rom. 11:5-6; 1 Cor. 15:56b; Gal. 2:21; 5:4; Rom. 10:3-4; Hab. 2:4; Jn. 3:36; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).
The Bible is VERY CLEAR on this. The Holy Bible is what Christians are to go by, period. Grace operates through faith in the Message of the Cross ("Jesus Christ and Him Crucified"). If law/legalism gets mixed in, that grace is "frustrated" (Gal. 2:21), and the sin nature can STILL COME ALIVE in ...those who purport to HAVE the ...Message of the Cross, because "the strength of (the) sin (nature) is the law" -(1 Cor. 15:56b). If one has this mixture, he is in a "lukewarm" state of deep deception, and the "light" in him is "darkness" (Matt. 6:22-23). Beware, my brethren! We must have faith in a PURE "Message of the Cross"!

6. According to the Bible, it should be normal for a Christian to BE SEPARATED FROM WORLDLINESS & ENJOYMENT OF EVIL (1 Jn. 2:15-16; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Pr. 8:13), and to have PERSECUTION (Jn. 15:19-20), DIVISIONS (Lk. 12:51-53), TRIALS (Jn. 16:13; Acts 14:22), and.... "ABUNDANT LIFE" (Jn. 10:10b; Gal. 3:13-14; Psa. 91).
Plus.... the LOVE OF GOD for one another (Jn. 13:34-35). This is a supernatural Divine Love from God given to the believer in Christ. It cannot be faked, or produced by will-power, but it can be derailed by choice. It is either there, or it isn't. This is a Love which is able to love those who disagree and even those who hate and persecute. According to the Bible, no hatred, unforgiveness, or grudges are allowed by the Lord, or a believer is disqualified from His grace.

7. A Christian life void of daily faith exclusively in Christ & His Blood Sacrifice... is like being on a diet of stale bread & a drop or two of water. The thing is though... you don't REALIZE that until you got STEAK and UNLIMITED Water! That might just barely keep one alive, but.... no thanks when I can enjoy full nourishment and enjoy a great meal! (And oh, btw... much more besides the steak. There's anything ya might like, including dessert, if you can handle it!).

8. Isaac could not be born until all hope of the flesh had died. YOU cannot truly have the "abundant Life" which Jesus promises to us (Jn.10:10b) until you "come to the end of yourself" and trust EXCLUSIVELY in Christ and HIS Sacrifice. Until then... FRUSTRATION will be your lot, as it is for anyone. ... and you will get mad at those who do.

9. One must completely come OUT of a system of legalism/ law (both institutional, and in our life) in order to grow in "the grace of God". The two will not mix. (Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 11:6). This also applies to our "living for God" (Col. 2:6; 1:20-23; Heb. 3:14).
And again, no, this is not a "license to sin" (Rom. 6:1-2), or a "trying to get away with sin". That is ridiculous. If one has a pure, sincere heart, the grace of God in Christ will actually KEEP him from bondages of sin (Rom. 6:14; Rev. 12:11) ! Because the HOLY SPIRIT will then give him the POWER against it (Rom. 8:2). Am I telling you to leave your church? No. However... if GOD is telling you to, you better listen. YOU are the one who will suffer. Sometimes He tells us some hard things to do, in the flesh. It gives us an "ouchy". You know the old saying though... "No PAIN, no GAIN".

10. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear". SIXTEEN TIMES in scripture is this phrase spoken (Mt. 11:15; 13:9,43; Mk. 4:9,3; 7:16; Lk. 8:8; 14:35; Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22; 13:9). Meaning we can be DULL OF HEARING (ie: "wanting to understand") GOD'S TRUTH!
‎"This people draweth close unto Me with their MOUTH, and honours Me with their LIPS; but THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.
But in vain they do worship Me, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN." -(Matt. 15:8-9). The result? DECEPTION!
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them (allows) STRONG DELUSION (from Satan...), THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE:
That they all might be damned who BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH, but HAD PLEASURE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. -( Thes. 2: 10-12). WAKE UP, CHURCH! THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH! WILL THERE BE OIL IN YOUR LAMPS, THAT YOU MAY "SEE" IN THIS HOUR OF WORLDWIDE DARKNESS (DECEPTION)?.... ONLY YOUR EMBRACING OF "THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS" FOR... EVERYTHING (SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION) WILL PLACE THAT OIL IN YOUR LAMP AND K-E-E-P IT FILLED !!!!!

‎"Give glory to the Lord your God (by walking in His grace through faith exclusively in CHRIST'S Blood Sacrifice), before He cause DARKNESS, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into... the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
But if ye will not hear it, My soul shall weep in secret places for YOUR PRIDE; and Mine Eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive." -(Jer. 1:16-17). ‎"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty Hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." -(1 Pet. 5:6). ‎"REPENT YE therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord. -(Acts 3:19).

‎"And He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand NOT; and see ye indeed, but perceive NOT.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and HEAR WITH... THEIR EARS; lest they see with their eyes, and HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, and understand WITH THEIR HEART, and convert, and be healed.
Then said I, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate.
And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land (THE GREAT TRIBULATION).
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so THE HOLY SEED shall be the substance thereof (TRUE CHRISTIANS WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!!!)." -(Isaiah 6:6-13).

Do YOU have "ears to hear"? , like MARY, who "sat at Jesus' Feet, and HEARD HIS WORD."? Or are you like MARTHA, who was "cumbered about with 'much serving'"? (See Lk. 10:38-42)
Having "ears to hear" results from our faith being EXCLUSIVELY... in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross! Martha was not paying attention. Her focus was on the "WORK", not the MASTER !!!!! If YOUR focus is on your "work", your focus will not be on the MASTER of the work (Who says "focus on MY SON AND THE CROSS!!!").

11. What is "SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS"?

It is righteousness (that which is morally "right") based upon
"self", and its PERFORMANCE of any sort of "laws". These can be laws of any kind, including GOOD laws, like "the ten commandments"or instructions from God's Word, all the way to... silly laws like not playing cards or board games, keeping pots and cups washed, wearing no jewelry, etc. In Philippians 3:9, Paul compares both THAT kind of righteousness, and the kind of Righteousness that GOD approves. Which kind of righteousness do YOU trust in?. Truly, this will determine your future!

SELF-righteousness is the default condition of man, and the vast majority of people never do make it out of this morass, with folks having various degrees of it (although ANY of it is deadly!). RELIGIOUS folks have the greatest degree of th...is. They do many good things, couch it in religion, tack some scriptures to it, and sincerely believe that this merits them favor with God; In a sense "blinding themselves" to reality as GOD sees them! Self-righteousness places man under a "curse" (Gal. 3:10), making him a slave to "the sin nature" (1 Jhn. 1:8) and "the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). Being self-righteous and religious is the most miserable state a person can find himself it. On the one hand, he cannot enjoy "the pleasures of sin", being condemned for his actions; And on the other... he cannot enjoy "the Presence of God", being out of His Grace. He finds himself in a sort of "no-man's land", a "twi-light zone" of sorts, barely "hanging on".

Friend, this is NOT what God has intended for us. This is what SATAN wants, to keep us in BONDAGE! Jesus said that He came to give us LIFE, and to have it M-O-R-E A-B-U-N-D-A-N-T-L-Y (Jhn. 10:10b). He came to BREAK the power of the sin na...ture in our life (Jhn. 8:34-36; Rom. 6:14), and to give us an ABUNDANCE of His LIFE-GIVING S-P-I-R-I-T (Jhn. 7:37-39). O HALLELUJAH !!!!!! He BROKE the curse of the broken law for us when He became "the ultimate Sacrifice" for our sins, shedding His spotless, pure BLOOD to redeem us from ALL POWER OF THE ENEMY!!! Right before He breathed His last, He said thise to monumental words: "IT IS FINISHED!". And now, for all of those who humble themselves, are truly repentant of their sins, and place their faith FOR H-I-S RIGHTEOUSNESS exclusively IN His Sacrifice, He declares in the sight of all.... "I find you N-O-T G--U-I-L-T-Y!" ....

‎"But now THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WITHOUT THE LAW is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets the old testament);
Even THE RIGHTOUSNESS OF GOD which is BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST unto all and upon all them that believe; for the...re is no differen
ce:
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely BY HIS GRACE through the redemption that is 'in Christ Jesus':
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, to declare HIS Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time HIS Righteousness; that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which BELIEVETH IN JESUS.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the LAW OF FAITH." -(Rom. 3:21-27). Self righteousness makes one mean and ornery. Christ's Righteousness fills one with God's Divine Love.

12. "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." -(Rev. 19:8). There is only one type of "Righteousness" that God will honor: HIS- symbolized by "white garments", "White" representing purity and holiness IMPUTED through faith in 'th...e Blood of the Lamb'- JESUS.
"IMPUTED" is not an attractive word to the one favoring "pride and self-importance"; Only when one truly sees his real state of lack in the face of the hoardes of hell arrayed against him, can he see the infinite value of GOD'S GRACE AND POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST that comes ALONG with that imputation of God's Righteousness! Lord may you open the blinded eyes of self-sufficient Christians !!!!! Paul said "for when I am WEAK am I STRONG".... (in GOD'S Strength!).