Praise the LORD!!!
***Due to Tropical storm(at this time) Alex I had a lot of work to take care of, so this will be a re post of an earlier devotional. With working two jobs plus the ministry it is hard to concentrate on writing a devotional. LORD willing something will change, allowing me the time to properly write a devotional that will bring glory to HIS name. as they should!***
With the events of the last twenty four hours, the LORD has led me to an interesting verse. Much can be garnered from this single verse.
Luke 22:40
"On reaching the place, HE said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation."
This takes place in the garden, just prior to JESUS' arrest and HE is speaking to those that have walked with HIM for nearly three and a half years. These, you may expect to be seasoned warriors by now, yet our LORD has to warn them of the troubles ahead. This warning should be well heeded even today, by the newest of CHRISTIANS, right down to the most seasoned. To many times we allow our years of following JESUS to kind of veil our eyes from the truth. For no matter how experienced one is, they can still fall prey to the schemes of the adversary. For he has had a much longer time to practice up on the ways of man and how to snare them in their weakness'. This warning should be heeded especially by the babes in CHRIST, because for some reason our newest converts aren't receiving the proper "food" for this task and way too many are falling by the wayside.
With the events of the last twenty four hours, I can see this well. For there are many out there today, preaching false doctrines and making them sound scriptural. If a Christian isn't well versed in the Bible and the foundational doctrines of the faith, they can easily fall victim to these teachers. There are some of these that are even running main stream mega churches! Yes, you heard me right, there are some that are being accepted by seasoned Christian as if every word that comes from their mouths is the truth. When in fact only a part of what they're preaching is truly scripture and the rest has been twisted to maintain a veil over the eyes of the followers. It is amazing how they can do this and get away with it. They've people in the congregation with more years of following CHRIST then they(the preacher) are old. Yet they still manage to preach things that are totally outside of any form close to biblical.
A good amount of this is that which is known as a "feel good gospel." The true GOSPEL message isn't that which will make you feel good about your life, unless you're following it perfectly. It will rend your heart if there is even the slightest discrepancy within one's walk. This is exactly what it was intended to do, to convict us of our true need of a SAVIOR and HIS power through us to make the needed changes within our life. Any truly good GOSPEL sermon will have people crying out in repentance asking the LORD for forgiveness and the strength to overcome the lack within their walks. To many times we have services that only tickle the ears of the congregation, making them feel good about all that they've done during the week. When in all rights, they've committed sins all week long and just kind of brushed them off as minor. How can we be seeking after GOD's holiness and righteousness if we're knowingly sinning and just brushing it off as minor? A plain and simple truth, we can't!
This is where the adversary has gained great strength within the very churches that we attend. Our sermon's no longer cut to the quick, dividing the soul and the spirit. Thus this allows those that can manipulate scripture to step in and take advantage of the sheep, turning them into the goats, that will not be known by their SHEPHERD. How is this happening in a day and age of computers, where there is so much information available to everyone and almost instantly? A very simple question to answer! It is because to many times we don't use that which we have available to us. We're lax and allow our selves to fall into temptation. Temptation doesn't just come in the form of sinning, but can, and does take the form of not using all that GOD has made available for you to use. Many times we'll say "we just don't have the time" or "we don't have the programs," to search out this information. This my friends is a cop out. There is twenty four hours in a day and the time it takes a search engine to come up with too many answers to count is remarkable. Plus there are so many sites out there, that have some awesome Bible study programs, on site to use for free. It is just the matter of our taking the time to put these wonders of technology to work for us. We have to make the choice to get up from out of in front of the TV or video game(or whatever your poison) and put it into that which can make a major difference within our lives. How will you feel, if after many years of walking as a Christian, that when you stand in front of the LORD and answer for your life, that HE says "I do not know you."?
Now I'm sure I've probably got some of you a bit hot. GOOD! Because it is just maybe what it will take to stir you to action, to get you up from in front of the tube and open your Bibles or fire up the computer to seek out the truth for yourself!!! Each and everyone of us is responsible for our own walk with the LORD. If anyone of us takes the word of someone else for being the absolute truth, without out checking it out according to the Bible, the outcome is only in our hands. It won't do anyone any good to tell the LORD on judgment day, " well that's what pastor Jones taught us," or "that is what they preached on TV." For there is no excuse for being lax when it comes to your personal relationship with the LORD and remember those goats, they were casting out demons, healing the sick and all this, done in HIS name. Not as if they'd never known HIM, but they weren't known by HIM, because of something they'd overlooked within their personal walks.
Now I know this goes beyond what a lot of people have been taught, I know the doctrine and I know the Bible. Personally, I'm not taking the chance that something I've been taught may be just a bit off of the truth. I'm going to seek out every moment that I can, the truths about scripture, by the guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT and the WORD of GOD from HIS Bible. Yes, I'll read other works by GODly writers and I always read from many versions of the Bible. I know that men have made mistakes in the translation of almost ever one of them. I also know that anything that a man has written can be off from that which GOD truly meant to convey. I will fill as much time everyday with the WORD of GOD and prayers for HIS wisdom and knowledge. Then and only then will I truly know that I've done all that I can to make my salvation a sure thing. Now don't get me wrong, these works won't be totally by my hands, for I'll be putting all this into the MASTER's hands, trusting HIM to lead me in the paths of righteousness for HIS names sake!!!
Other verses: There will be none! Why? So you can personally take the time to open your Bible or fire up the computer and do a little Bible study on your own!
Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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