Education…Exercises Our Pride….

I can’t help but think about education when I read today’s scripture passage. Higher education to be exact. I don’t know the percentage but I know it’s really high when it comes to church-raised freshman who enter college, leaving college not believing in God anymore. You’d think that education would enlighten people to the truth, but unfortunately, it does the exact opposite. Instead of opening up our eyes to truth, it exercises our pride and makes it our largest muscle. Then demands the use of that muscle to further us down the road to prosperity. Be careful if you’re in college. Be careful if you’re going to college. And repent if you’ve bought into the college agenda you’ve experienced. God is the only source of wisdom and truth. If He’s not part of your life, you’re being fed with inedible food. It may satisfy your craving, but it won’t sustain you throughout life. God is the only One worthy our attention.

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Colossians 2:8-10

Jesus Really Isn’t Our Lord….

Why do we speak about Jesus? Why do we tell others the truth? So if they listen, they will no longer be deceived. That’s the first step in salvation. And the first step in the sanctification process. The world will always distort truth, to drive us away from God, it’s Satan’s revenge plan, his hatred of God for his rebellion. And when we buy into it, it accomplishes exactly that, revenge by our enemy. If people are willing to listen or not, we must continue to be the light in the world by speaking and living out the truth. If we don’t, who will? If we don’t, we are still accountable. If we don’t, Jesus really isn’t our Lord, is He?

1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ Himself. 3 In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. Colossians 2:1-5

When We Are Confronted With Truth…

I’ve always believed the best character quality we can ever possess is the ability to be honest with ourselves (humility). It’s seeing ourselves in the same way God sees us. And it’s a God-given quality. Whenever you hear “let those that have eyes to see and ears to hear” in the Bible, it’s exactly what I’m talking about. When we are confronted with truth, what do we do? Run from it? Ignore it? Not take it seriously? Think it’s more applicable to someone else? Or process it, apply it, and make every effort to live it out? With so many liars, swindlers, deceivers, and all other forms of evil living in our world, what’s the point of staying on the wrong path? It’s not going to get you where you want to go, right? Once we realize we are in the wrong path, turn around. It’ll save you from so much frustration and wasted time. Politicians, proud people, and _________ (fill in the blank) do not turn around when they realize they are on the wrong path. Do you do this? Do I? We live in a fallen world, things aren’t as they should be, but that doesn’t give us excuses not to turn around (repent) when we find ourselves on the wrong road. If we don’t, we bring whatever consequences exists for continuing down the wrong path. And have no one to blame but ourselves.

  4 “Jeremiah, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again?When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back?5 Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path?Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back?They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around.6 I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth.Is anyone sorry for doing wrong?Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”?No! All are running down the path of sinas swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!7 Even the stork that flies across the skyknows the time of her migration,as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane.They all return at the proper time each year.But not My people!They do not know the Lord’s laws. 8 “ ‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,”when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?9 These wise teachers will fallinto the trap of their own foolishness,for they have rejected the word of the Lord.Are they so wise after all?10 I will give their wives to othersand their farms to strangers.From the least to the greatest,their lives are ruled by greed.Yes, even My prophets and priests are like that.They are all frauds.11 They offer superficial treatmentsfor My people’s mortal wound.They give assurances of peacewhen there is no peace.12 Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions?Not at all–they don’t even know how to blush!Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.They will be brought down when I punish them,says the Lord. Jeremiah 8:4-12

We Are Not Naturally Good…

Regardless of what you hear or see on the news. Regardless of what you read on the Internet. Regardless of what you hear from the world, man’s nature is sinful. He is not good. We are not naturally good. Our nature is to rebel, to do things “our way”. Think about it, did anyone teach you how to throw a temper tantrum when you were a kid? Or did you have someone teach you how to lie? Cheat? Steal? Hate? Of course not. Our nature is a rebellious one, a selfish, self-centered, “me focused” agenda that either puts God on the back burner or abandons Him all together. We are born with this nature; we are not good. This “critical theory” message being spread right now is a deceptive lie. Man is not good, left on his own he will not be good, and a utopian society isn’t even possible. This is the very reason Jesus died on the cross, because we can’t rescue ourselves. Man cannot forgive his own sin. He needs a Savior. Stop listening to the “world”, it will only dig you a deeper pit that’s inescapable. The Christian worldview clearly explains man’s true nature. Look around, is man good? It’s only a Christian world view that gives us the solution to the problem. Need I say more. Don’t be deceived. God loves us more than you’ll ever know. Don’t turn your back on the only real God in the universe. We were made for something more, and eternity has been placed in our hearts to prove it.

22 When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. 23 This is what I told them: ‘Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’24 “But My people would not listen to Me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. 25 From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send My servants, the prophets–day in and day out. 26 But My people have not listened to Me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful–even worse than their ancestors. Jeremiah 7:22-26

A Little Yeast Goes A Long Way….

It always baffles mind mind when I hear people talk about their church welcoming all kinds of perpetual sinning people. I get that God loves all of us. But there is no way that He’s happy or pleased if a church allows the acceptance of evil behaviors, and then thinks they are doing His will. The only goodwill they are doing is in their own head. Yes, we are to allow all walks of people into our church, but if they are not repentant, if they don’t see their behavior as offensive to God, or if they speak like a Christian and yet still support their contradictory behavior and continue to live that lifestyle, then they need to find another place to worship their “pseudo god”. Think about it, if the church actually adhered to this concept, maybe we wouldn’t have so many churches even consider using the name “Christian” in their titles. A little yeast goes a long way, it infiltrates they entire batch of dough. Jesus continually talked about this. And so did Paul (Corinthian church). It starts by taking an inventory of our own life, getting right with God ourselves. Then we will be able to clearly see to help remove the speck from our neighbor’s eye. The church needs to clean house, and start being the church, the Bride of Christ. We do it with gentleness and respect, but still do it. Not setting ourselves apart to be “religious” or “holy-er than thou”, but righteous, representing our Savior and Lord Jesus. If an unrepentant sinner comes to church, welcome him, if he remains unrepentant, we must not be preaching the right message, and a change is necessary. And he must not be allowed to join. Sounds harsh, I know, but look where it’s gotten us because we’ve become too soft on this issue. One drop of poison diluted in a solution kills everything that drinks from it.

8 “ ‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! 9 Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, 10 and then come here and stand before Me in My Temple and chant, “We are safe!”–only to go right back to all those evils again? 11 Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears My name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken! Jeremiah 7:8-11

What More Could A Man Ask For….

What more can a man ask for than to be holy and blameless when he stands before God? Nothing we could ever do could bring this to us. The Good News brings assurance. Never forget this. Praise Jesus.

22 Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. Colossians 1:22-23

The More We Pursue His Will….

Think of the sanctification process like an education. The more we study the smarter we get. In first grade we know a little. But by college age, we know a whole lot more. The same holds true for God: the more we pursue His will, the more we will come to know Him. Time is the factor, the more time we put in, the deeper our relationship with Him becomes. If our goal is to pursue God, to know Him better and better, we will produce every kind of good fruit there is, and enjoy the journey at every turn. God equals our significance. We fulfill our purpose by serving Him. And we find peace only in Him. Make it your goal to pursue God and watch your discontent with life fade away like the most beautiful sunset you’ve ever seen.

9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:9-10