The Definitive Evidence Of An Authentic Follower….

The reason true followers act and do as they go through life is not to gain acceptance from God, or to earn favor or salvation, rather it’s to prove they have repented and already received God’s grace. The definitive evidence of an authentic follower of Christ is how they live. The source of their strength and motivating factor is what they already possess, not by what they are trying to gain. You can’t give what you don’t possess.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Matthew 3:7-9

You Rob Yourself Of Life….

Money, it’s necessary to live, but our attitude towards it determines the quality of our lives, not the possession of it. The real issue is not how much you own, rather it’s how much of it owns your thoughts and desires. When your mind is consumed by gaining wealth, you lose out on living in the present. When you are consumed with getting rich, you literally rob yourself of life. God will provide for our needs, so there’s no real need to get rich. God gives us a present every day, so when we waste it being consumed with trying to gain wealth, we miss out on this gift. The day before today is called yesterday. The day after today is called tomorrow. Today is called the present. Get it? Live in the now by trusting God with your life, for He will provide. Don’t waste your life pursuing something that robs you of life. The true wealth of life is knowing and living out this principle.

19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life. Proverbs 1:19

It’s Trying To Be God….

The problem with humanity is not “being like” God, it’s trying to be God. There’s a huge difference, and knowing that makes all the difference in this world.

1 This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, He made them to be like Himself. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and called them “human.” Genesis 5:1-2

Too Great For Me To Bear…

Of all the people in the Bible it was Cain who experienced Hell on earth. When he killed his brother Abel, God banished him from the land and His presence. Cain’s reply, “my punishment is too great for me to bear”. Imagine, that’s exactly what people want who reject God. They live in a Nod-like life, out of God’s presence, wandering around trying to make sense of everything. And worse yet, when they die, the live eternally without God in Hell. All of this because of their refusal to repent of their sin. Their inability, due to purposeful rebellion/rejection of God, leads to a purposeless life, wanting what they can never achieve. Senseless if you ask me.

1 Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift–the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but He did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.9 Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”13 Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! 14 You have banished me from the land and from Your presence; You have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”15 The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16 So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Genesis 4:1-16

The Grass Isn’t Greener….

If you really want to know what our sinful nature really is, it’s this: we want to be like God without seeking His wisdom and knowledge. In a nutshell, we want to be God, instead of serving Him. Eve’s conversation with the serpent in the garden makes this crystal clear. She wanted the knowledge the fruit would give her knowing it was a disobedient act that violated God’s command. Isn’t that exactly what we do when we sin? We want something but we don’t ask God for it. Rather we pursue it without Him. In essence we leave Him out because we step into His role leaving no room for Him. When this happens our relationship with Him is severed, and our lives become less meaningful and more frustrating. Learn from this example, the grass isn’t greener without God. It’s greener when we know and abide in our designed place.

1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ”4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”10 He replied, “I heard You walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”12 The man replied, “It was the woman You gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursedmore than all animals, domestic and wild.You will crawl on your belly,groveling in the dust as long as you live.15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,and between your offspring and her Offspring.He will strike your head,and you will strike His heel.” 16 Then He said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,and in pain you will give birth.And you will desire to control your husband,but he will rule over you.” 17 And to the man He said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the treewhose fruit I commanded you not to eat,the ground is cursed because of you.All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,though you will eat of its grains.19 By the sweat of your browwill you have food to eatuntil you return to the groundfrom which you were made.For you were made from dust,and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:1-19

The Purpose Of Proverbs…

The purpose of the book of proverbs is stated in the first 7 verses of chapter one. The purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline; to do what is right, just, and fair. It’s aimed at the simple and the young. It’s foundation is based on this one thing: a strong reverence for God. Fearing God is the foundation of true knowledge. Every thought, evaluation, and emotion must be filtered through this world view. It’s the basis of understanding. Think about it, if you have a world view based on evolution, then your worth and significance come from what you can do, because there’s nothing to base your importance on. Your entire existence is based on your performance. When you fail, or are compared to someone better, you lose any confidence you thought you had. If you base your significance on a Biblical world view, then you know it’s because of what Jesus did on the cross that proves your worth to God. You don’t have to perform to earn that. And when others outshine you, there are no worries because your significance isn’t based on your performance (failure). Your worldview matters more than you know. The correct and healthiest view starts with a reverence (fear) of God. It shapes your attitude and outlook on life, and it’s spelled out right here in the first chapter of proverbs.

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. 2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,to help them understand the insights of the wise.3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,to help them do what is right, just, and fair.4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple,knowledge and discernment to the young. 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.Let those with understanding receive guidance6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:1-7

True Worship….

True worship, what God really desires from us, is praising Him with every fiber of our being. When we truly do this, we are rewarded with more of His presence. And what a reward it is.

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;praise Him in His mighty heaven!2 Praise Him for His mighty works;praise His unequaled greatness!3 Praise Him with a blast of the ram’s horn;praise Him with the lyre and harp!4 Praise Him with the tambourine and dancing;praise Him with strings and flutes!5 Praise Him with a clash of cymbals;praise Him with loud clanging cymbals.6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalms 150:1-6