So many times throughout history, God’s chosen people, the Jews, and His chosen nation, Israel, have fallen into deception, disobedience, rebellion and played the “harlot” by going after and serving gods of this world. They clearly understood that they were to forsake the world and serve God only. In obedience, they would live and prosper, and in disobedience they would reap death and despair. They were told to destroy their enemies but often chose to live with them and even adopt and worship their gods — “they did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mingled with the nations, and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted, with the blood. Thus they became unclean in their practices and played the harlot in their deeds.” To mingle here means to join in with, share with, undertake; to be surety for someone, meaning to be contracted to be responsible for another. John also cautions all of God’s people not to mingle with the world and says, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” We, as God’s priests, must not mingle nor touch the things of this world but rather commune with God by entering the Holy of Holies through the blood of Jesus. We are not to be conformed to this world but rather “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Paul said, “'Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,’ says the Lord almighty.” References: Psalm 106:34-39; Isaiah Chapter 5; I John 2:15-17; Hebrews 3:12-14; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 12:2 (Hear the entire message below.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS.
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David was incited (provoked, urged, and stimulated) by Satan to number Israel. Satan appealed to David’s pride and David was curious to take an inventory of his army’s power and numbers. God was greatly displeased with David’s actions and even his general, Joab, was alarmed when he was ordered to carry out David’s command. David acknowledged and confessed his sin to God by saying, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” God wanted David to understand that it was not his strength, wisdom, or ability that brought him many victories, but it was God alone that enabled him to conquer his enemies. God further instructed the prophet Gad to give David the choice of three punishments for his disobedience. “…either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.” “…and David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.’” God struck Israel with judgment, and 70,000 men perished from a pandemic pestilence carried out by an angel of the Lord with a drawn sword. David knew there was hope in the midst of this calamity and held on to his God of mercy and grace! He obeyed God’s command to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. “Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.” Today, the altar of the Lord is in our hearts, and we must minister to God as His priests and bring Him an offering of praise and thanksgiving – for God inhabits the praise of His people. We have been granted access into the Holy of Holies through the sacrificial blood of Jesus where we meet with God and call down His presence to push back the darkness in the world today. Build Me an altar! References: I Chronicles 21; Psalm 22:3; Acts 27:15-18 (Audio of message not available.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. God called Abraham when he was 75 years old to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees and journey to the land of Canaan. This was the land He was promising to Abraham and his descendants forever. The Canaanites were a culture living in darkness serving Baal and other false gods. They practiced witchcraft, and spirits of darkness were in control of the land influencing the nature of the Canaanite people. However, God had a plan to use Abraham as a forerunner to “push back the powers of darkness” and prepare the way for Joshua to conquer the Promised Land for His people, Israel. In fact, after Abraham arrived at Shechem, God appeared to him and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord and called upon the Name of the Lord. Abraham, an obedient and faithful servant of God, knew that he was facing a spiritual warfare with the powers of darkness and Satan. He went directly to his Source of strength, wisdom, might and life and “He called upon the Name of the Lord,” to push back the dark forces of evil in the land. Abraham traveled on from there and pitched his tent between Bethel on the West and Ai on the East, and yes, once again, “He built an altar to the Lord and called upon the Name of the Lord.” As God’s children we, too, like Abraham, must establish prayer altars in our own personal lives, our families, our work places, our churches and throughout our nation. These prayer altars today are not to be stone monuments or physical structures, but the altar of God in our hearts. These altars are hearts devoted to God through Christ Jesus in worship, adoration and praise to Him. The voluminous reading of God’s word is imperative and a sincere urgency to minister to God through Jesus as His devoted priests are a must to call down His presence. We are to enter the Holy of Holies in God’s very presence through the atoning blood of Christ and offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving due to Him. God inhabits the praises of His people! God’s presence therefore will push back the darkness of evil forces seeking to destroy the communion He so desires between Himself and His beloved children. References: Genesis 12:1-7; Psalm 22:3 (Hear the entire message below.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. Have you ever found yourself in a situation when someone has said to you, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”? Perhaps on certain occasions they did know what they were doing and, unfortunately, sometimes it proved out that they didn’t know after all, and your trust in them was dashed to pieces. However, when the Living God says to trust Him and have faith in Him alone, you can be most certain that God knows what He is doing! Moses addressed God’s people and reminded them of their covenant with Him. He told them to listen and be attentive to God’s word and to perform and do His commands. They were further instructed not to add nor take away from His Word. They were to trust and obey God only. Moses continued to say, “For all the men who followed Baal-Peor (a pagan god), the Lord your God has destroyed them from among you. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.” What a marvelous promise to us today, to those who are obedient and hold fast to God (meaning to cleave), for we also are destined for the promise of life! It is one thing to say I trust and have faith in God, but we must remember these sober words from Jesus when He said, “And why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” He was emphasizing the importance of trust and faith and backing up confession with obedience. Samuel also spoke to his generation and said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” Yes, man will disappoint us and often fail to know everything, but Jesus, our risen Savior, will never deceive nor fail us nor ever give us a snake instead of a fish. We can trust Him for He alone is the way, the truth, and the life! References: I Samuel 15:22; Deuteronomy 4; Isaiah 30; John 14:6; Luke 11:11 (Hear the entire message below.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. © www.123rf.com There are so many songs and poems, movies and plays addressing the question, “What is Life All About?” Well, if you look closely at Chapters 1 through 5 in 1 John, you’ll finally have the answers…the guidelines of life. Make sure you “teach your children well”, as the old 60’s song bawled! We shall cover these areas over the next four teachings. In this first section, we will cover some simple instructions: walk in the light, confess your sins, obey His commands and love one another, not the world. We will explore to whom you confess your sins; where you find God’s commands; and how you can love and obey as God has directed. So come on board. Hang on; it may be a bumpy ride! If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. © Carolyn Marshall | www.livinglifephoto.com Multitudes of people are living lives that are devoted to causes and convictions that agree with their philosophy and world view. Even the agnostics and atheists who say they do not embrace anything are slaves and servants to their god or gods of “nothingness.” Many are entrenched in religious customs and habits but do not walk in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In Genesis 17:1-2, God appeared to Abram when he was ninety-nine years old and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless, and I will establish my covenant between Me and you.” To walk with God means to commit oneself to obedience to His voice as a lifestyle and pattern of conduct. It means to follow God’s flow and leading of His Holy Spirit with every heartbeat and breath we take. Jesus, our highest and most perfect example of walking in obedience to His heavenly Father while on earth said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Therefore, for true believers in Christ today, walking with God means to receive and obey the revelations of God spoken to us by His Holy Spirit who resides in all His children. LISTEN TO AUDIO: PERSONAL TESTIMONIES: |
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