Willingness Breeds Understanding….

It’s only when you choose to want to do the will of God, that you begin to understand it. God doesn’t force His will on you. It’s your choice to choose. The second you show Him you are willing to accept His authority, understanding will follow. It’s all about a sincere heart (attitude) and willingness to obey. When we choose to give up our freewill in order to do His will, our spiritual insight begins to grow exponentially. It opens the door to the kind of relationship He intended us to have with Him.

16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not My own; it comes from God who sent Me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether My teaching is from God or is merely My own.18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill Me.” John 7:16-19

Only Part Of The Battle….

Believing in God is only part of the battle. It’s what you do about it that makes all the difference in the world. You either fear God or fear man. You can’t do both. You must choose and take a side. Who you fear most shows the world where your true allegiance is. And more importantly, it drives your behavior. I would rather stand with God and be condemned by the world, than stand with the world and be condemned by God. It’s our choice, not anyone else’s to make. Weigh the cost before you chose W(w)ho to follow, and choose wisely.

10 But after His brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. 11 The Jewish leaders tried to find Him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen Him. 12 There was a lot of grumbling about Him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about Him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders. John 7:10-13

All Peace And No Condemnation….

For those who continue to paint Jesus into a “all peace and no condemnation” type of leader, what is your response to the statement He makes here in John chapter 7 verse 7? “Jesus never judged” is the biggest lie you’ll ever hear about the Christian faith. Read it for yourself. The only way you won’t accept this label Satan has created as being false is if you don’t want to accept it. If you’d rather continue to follow a made up Jesus to suit your own desires, then touché. Just remember, only Jesus of Nazareth, the One Who was crucified on the cross, and three days later was resurrected, is the only One Who can save you, making you right with God. And you can’t place labels on what you pretend to know.

6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for Me to go, but you can go anytime. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate Me because I accuse it of doing evil.8 You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because My time has not yet come.”9 After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee. John 7:6-9

24 Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” John 7:24

Ever Been Ridiculed?

Have you ever been ridiculed? Maybe even by your own family? How did you feel? Did you like it? Did you just want to escape from the world? Jesus knows exactly what that is like. Why not go to the One Who can sympathize with you? To the One Who knows you better than you know yourself? He is the only One Who can bring real peace, healing, and significance to life.

1 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting His death. 2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus’ brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where Your followers can see Your miracles! 4 You can’t become famous if You hide like this! If You can do such wonderful things, show Yourself to the world!” 5 For even His brothers didn’t believe in Him. John 7:1-5

Only Nice Gestures….

Human effort without God accomplishes nothing eternally. It may accomplish earthly awards and accolades, but as far as eternity is concerned, these worldly accomplishments are charred carbon and smoke (for they all will burn up in the end). If Jesus isn’t the focus of your life, and you are not seeking Him daily, all your efforts are only nice gestures. Flattery gets us no where. If your goal is to reach lost souls by pointing them to Jesus, then you must be “plugged into the Source”. Anything less will be a “temporary high” lasting only as long as your attention span will allow. The Spirit alone gives eternal life, nothing else can.

60 Many of His disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”61 Jesus was aware that His disciples were complaining, so He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.64 But some of you do not believe Me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and He knew who would betray Him.) 65 Then He said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to Me unless the Father gives them to Me.”66 At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God.”70 Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” 71 He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray Him. John 6:60-71

One Seat, Not Tailored For Your…..

No matter what people think about God or try to tell me about Him, I know His ways are best. He is my Creator and Lord. Without Him life is a long journey down a doomed eternal path. When we think we have it all “figured out”, be careful, a fall is in your future. It’s just a matter of time until you see the error in your ways. Adversity is good for us; it motivates and pushes us on. Going without, may seem rough to you, but the truth is, an empty stomach drives us on to work, earn money, so we can fill it later on. Never forget God is in control, and we are not. His throne has only one seat, and it’s not tailored to fit your derrière.

25 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. 26 It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on. Proverbs 16:25-26

Easy To Forget What’s Important…..

If you’re not pursuing God daily, in His Word, it’s easy to forget what’s important. And it’s even easier to be deceived. What you “think” might be good advice just might be the opposite of what God wants from you, and spell your doom. Seek God out today. Ask Him for discernment in all you do.

20 Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, “What should I do next?”21 Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.” 22 So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines.23 Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God. 2 Samuel 16:20-23