Believe It or Not (it's still true)

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian." Author:A.W. Tozer "A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God." Author:Leonard Ravenhill Are we playing church? Are we living according to the flesh or the spirit? If we are living for the flesh we need to stop at this very moment. We do not need to continue for one more minute because if we do we might just do something unforgivable. I mean if we play church we might find ourselves committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I am tired of hearing how every church has the answer but they refuse to believe the entire bible. I say they refuse to believe because they are not living like they believe. It seems like people are ordering their Christianity like they are special ordering a car. “I would like this feature and that feature but I don’t need this one. I know it comes with it but I will probably never use it so you can just leave it off.” Does this sound like anybody you know? I believe we as Christians have a responsibility to our God to read and believe absolutely every word in our bible. If you do not believe every word in the bible then you might as well not believe any of it and you might as well throw it in the trash because it is useless to you as a tool of God. As I read the bible each day the Holy Spirit reveals new thing s to me. This is so exciting to me because I remember when I used to read books on how to study the bible, and they never worked because I was doing it with my flesh and not my spirit. Yes, it is possible to study God’s word with your flesh and not your spirit. Just look at all of the seminary schools. These people use man’s wisdom to break down God’s holy word. So, what is this study about? This study is about living for God by our spirit and not our flesh. Paul warned us about this and he told us what would happen if we lived by the flesh. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Gal 6:7-9 (KJV) What are you sowing to? Are you sowing to your spirit by studying the word of God with an open heart, wanting only his desire in your life? Do you fast and pray to help strengthen your spirit and weaken your flesh. Think of fasting as a boxing match. If you have two boxers and you feed one and starve the other, the one that is fed will overpower the one who was starved. This is how fasting and praying helps us by strengthening our spirit so it can overpower our flesh. Do you wake up each day wanting to stay on the strait and narrow path that God had prepared for you? Do you look at the things of this world as though they are not of God or do you try to find a way to fit the things that bring you pleasure into Christianity? 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8 (KJV) To be carnally minded is to be worldly minded. So what does it mean to be worldly minded? Loving the things of this world. To focus your desires towards the things of this world instead of focusing your love towards the creator of this world. How much do you love your house, car, truck, clothes, sports team, music, games, TV, movies, actors, actresses, athletes, animals, cell phone, pictures, food, etc. These are just a few things that take our love from God everyday. If you try and say these things don’t take my love away from God and there is nothing wrong with them then I want you to add the time spend with each of these and the time you spend dedicated to God and compare them. And don’t say but I am always talking to God and I talk to God while I watch TV and listen to the ball game and shop for new knickknacks. That is a bunch of lies and we all know it. The next time someone wants to spend time alone with you take someone else along and see how it turns out. This passage says that it is impossible to please God if we are in the flesh. God requires our undivided attention and he deserves it. In the parable of the sower Jesus told us what would happen if we cared for the things of this world. 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. Mark 4:18-19 (KJV) This is talking about Christians. These are people who believe but just cannot let go of the things of the world and in turn they make the word become unfruitful. Just because you know the word does not mean it is fruitful in your life. There are many preachers and evangelists that know the word but their cares of this world have made the word unfruitful. I know there is someone right now thinking I can handle it. Your cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things WILL choke out the word, no matter how strong of a Christian you think you are. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Col 3:1-4 (KJV) We are supposed to set our affections on the things above. Why can’t we read this and say yes that is what we are supposed to do. We are not supposed to seek the things of this world. People should not see us seeking the things of this world because then they think it is okay because we cannot control our own desires. We are leading people astray because we refuse to believe the whole bible. So some will say this is my life and I am supposed to enjoy it and have pleasures. 1 Tim. 5:6 says: 6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 1 Tim 5:6 (KJV) Are you dead or are you alive and living for our God daily in every aspect of your life? 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:4-10 (KJV) We have gone over this before in other studies but we need to really grasp this. The friendship of the world is enmity with God. If you are a friend of this world, that means the system, the things, the people and the watered down religions of this world you are an enemy of God. You are on the same team as Satan himself and you will burn for eternity in the lake of fire. If we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us. If we ignore God he will ignore us. If we put God second I am afraid he will put us on the other side. James is also talking about the double minded and the proud. We must humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. As long as we say I think God wants me to have this thing of the world or I think God would root for this team and drive this kind of car, we are not humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord. We are making excuses for our own selfish desires for the things of this world and we are also choosing which side we are on. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17 (KJV) This is also a scripture most of us are familiar with. As people who believe in living a separated life we have heard this scripture before but have we decided to believe it? We are told not to love the things that are in this world. How much clearer can this be? If we love the things of this world the love of God is NOT IN US. Here again we hear about pride, and lust or desires. I believe we must heed these warnings for what they are. God loves us and he is trying to tell us what not to do. He also tells us that people refuse to do these things because of their own selfishness and their double mindedness. 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matt 16:24-26 (KJV) Jesus tells us here that if you do not deny yourself and lose your life you will lose your soul. If you continue to make excuses of why you do the things you do and don’t come to the throne of grace with boldness and with a repentive heart immediately you might not have a chance to do so later. Let’s step back again and look at our lives. Is there something in our lives that we are not willing to get rid of. I am not talking about something we say “I know this might not be right but it really isn’t bad and it makes me feel good”. Do we go to festivals and participate in celebrations that are ungodly and try to find one good thing about them so we are able to go. Do we do this to stores and businesses that we know are not a place that supports Christianity but they have something that we just would love to have? Do we fill our minds with evil? Do we fill our mind with things of this world through books, newspapers, news, and gossip? We cannot insert the world into Christianity and expect Christianity to work. Our lives, our witness, and our faith will be unfruitful if we continue to live a worldly life as Christians. If we believe the bible then let’s live like we believe it. Remember that when you live a plain lifestyle the world is looking at you for an example on Christianity. If you allow yourself to follow your lusts you are telling the rest of the world God says it is okay, because that is how they see it. This message was put on my heart and I tried to do another but my spirit would not let me. I hope this is received and I know I need this message also. May God’s word be written into our hearts so we may not sin against him. He loves us and he wants us to love him and know him. We can only do this if we leave the things of this world behind and accept the word he has given us without question. Amen.