GOD IS OUR FATHER NOT OUR PUPPET

GOD IS OUR FATHER NOT OUR PUPPET

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the OBEDIENCE of Christ;

If you have a want or need, YOU WILL NOT get all that you want by, clicking 'Amen' to a post. You will not even necessarily get it by simply claiming it in "Jesus name." You will not get it by thinking positive and sending out (so-called) positive thoughts. Angels of God are not going to get busy to fulfill your desires because you emailed a message to 12 people. As a matter of fact, it is when you surrender to God and want what He wants, what He says, as He directs and you are in obedience to Him that your every need will be met.

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him;
Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that OBEY him.
Romans 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not OBEY the truth, but OBEY unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Those who will not obey the truth do not get what they want either because they do particular gestures nor because they demand, try to get angels to help them acquire it, or throw temper tantrums to get it. This only brings on them God's indignation, wrath and chastisement.

GOD IS NOT A FAIRY GOD-MOTHER!

You are the servant of who you obey. If you obey the leadings of Satan and seek your own way rather than God's, you will be self-serving and Satan serving. Such does not bring you the blessings of God.

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to OBEY, his servants ye are to whom ye OBEY; whether of sin unto death, or of OBEDIENCE unto righteousness?
Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not OBEY the truth?
2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Thessalonians 3:14 And if any man OBEY NOT our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

God loves to give good gifts to His children, to those who love and obey Him.

Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

But it is the 'GOOD GIFTS' He wants to give. Not what we think is good for us, but what He 'knows' is good for us. HE IS OUR FATHER NOT OUR PUPPET! He knows what is best for us. Spoiling us by granting our wishes while we walk in irresponsibility and disobedience is not what a truly loving father does. But a loving father will correct and give consequences to the child he loves and who he wants to learn what is important and necessary in life.

Hebrews 12:6-7 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Yield first to God as the head and authority in your life. Respect and obey His Words. Love the Lord. He wants you to increase in love more than in material things.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the PATIENT WAITING for Christ.
1 Thessalonians 3:12[ And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

WAIT ON THE LORD WITH PATIENCE

Lamentations 3:26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with PATIENCE wait for it.
Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and PATIENCE inherit the promises.
Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of PATIENCE, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
James 1:3-4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh PATIENCE.
4 But let PATIENCE have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

God knows what you have need of even before you ask. Sometimes He may need for you to learn obedience, faith, and patience before giving you the thing you are focused on getting. He hears your cries. Let Him guide you and meet your needs as He sees them and knows what is best for you. Let Him truly be your Father and trust in His love.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:7-8 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Let us purify our souls and see what our loving Father God will do in our lives!

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in OBEYING the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
2 Corinthians 2:9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

Go and Sin No More

GO AND SIN NO MORE

1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

There has been a great misunderstanding and misuse of these verses of scripture. And the error has caused many to live in bondage that Jesus came to free them from.

God had the plan of salvation made, even before we were made, as He knew that man would sin and already had determined the way to save them.

This He did of His own free will. He sent His only son to die for our sins and He did so, not based on our having earned this most precious gift.

But what was it Jesus was really doing when He died for us? He was dying to save us 'from' our sins, not leave us in them and simply forgive us while we were still bound in those sins. How would that have been better than the way things were under the Law of Moses?

But Jesus came to bring us a new and better way.

Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How could He save us 'from' our sin and cleanse us?

By taking our sins into His own body and letting that body, full of our sins, be killed. As the blood flowed from His body our sins were washed away. This work is applied to each of us, if we believe and accept Jesus as our Savior. At that point we are considered to be a part of His body, because the Word of God, (His seed) is in us. So then, as His body was cleansed from sin, we now being a part of His body, are also cleansed.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

If then, we have been cleansed from sin, why would we believe that we still had to live in sin?

Romans 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

It is a lie of the enemy that tells men that they cannot help but to sin, when the truth is that we have been cleansed 'from' sin. We do not have to let sin rule us and tell our bodies what to do!

Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

We are told - NOT TO - let sin rule our mortal bodies. This fact does not mean we are being saved by works. To the contrary it means that we were (past tense) saved 'from' sin and given the power to become God's sons. We have been given the power to do all things that are holy and righteous. This power was given freely to those who would be born again and surrendered to God. We did not earn either the cleansing 'from' sin, nor the power God has given us that enables us to resist the enemy and live without sinning.

1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

When we hear the Word of God that tells us of the work of Jesus Christ, when we believe that Word and receive it into our hearts and surrender our lives to Him, we become the children of God. We have received the seed of God, which is His Word and have been born again.

Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

The seed which is the Word of God is given out to all men, but it is those whose hearts are, as it were, good ground, who will receive that Word and allow it to take root in their hearts. When he does so, the Bible tells us that that person is made new. He is new, because not only is he forgiven of the sins he has committed, but those sins are washed away, removed from him and he is given the power to become a son of God. Because his sins have been removed from him, he now is good soil, in which the Word of God can grow. So then he will begin to produce good fruit.

Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

God sanctifies us, or sets us apart from the life of sin, by cleansing us from all sin. He does this when we receive and submit to His Word. Then we are new creatures in Christ and we are given the power to live without sinning.

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We are not the same only forgiven.

WE ARE CHANGED! ALL THINGS ARE MADE NEW BY THE CLEANSING OF JESUS CHRIST!

We have been 'freely' given the power of God – unto – salvation. But it is up to us whether we are going to access that power and allow God to continue to work in our lives or whether we are going to yield ourselves to sin once again.

Romans 6:13-14 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Notice that it is because you are under 'grace' that sin shall not have dominion over you. It is not that because you are under grace, you are now free to sin but rather you are free from it! Now you have been given the power to resist the devil and see him flee!

Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The apostles were given power over the enemy. They did not remain subject to sin and Satan, while only being forgiven. God gave us His Holy Spirit, not just to make us feel good, but to give us power to live for God, live above sin, and to do the works – yes the works – He has called us to do. The salvation was a free gift. The infilling of the Spirit of God is a free gift. Yet these enable us to DO something.

Luke 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases

Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Acts 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

To say that because we were saved by grace rather thant because of our works, means that we are forgiven even while we continue to sin and be controlled by it, is to give Satan place in our lives that he should not be given.

Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

The idea that since we received salvation by grace we have nothing whatsoever to do, that we have no work to do is ludicrous.

It is like saying that if I give you a brand new car, with a tank full of gas, that I also have to drive it for you! I may have given the car out of love and grace. I may not have given it because you did anything to earn the gift of a new car. But I would expect you to not only drive it, but to take care of it, if you appreciated and valued the gift. Because I gave it to you does not mean I am required to drive it, keep it clean and tend to all of the maintenance.

God cleansed us by His love and grace when we did not deserve it. He gave us the power to become His sons and daughter and to live free of sin. Now He requires that we take this free gift of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit and live in obedience to Him. We still have access to Him for forgiveness and cleansing should we make a mistake, but it is up to us to come to Him for this care. The maintenance of our spiritual lives are up to us.

We can choose to seek His guidance and care and He will give it, but He will not force it. Nor will He answer all our prayers based on our demanding of Him, while we yet walk in disobedience to Him.

It is when we remain in Him and keep His Word living in us that we can ask of Him, those things that are according to His will, and He will do them for us.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

1 Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

You are yet in your sins – only if – Christ did not raise from the dead.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

We can live a life of victory and power. We can see God do mighty, even supernatural things in our lives if and when we are surrendered to Him and walk in obedience to Him.

Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Do not be deceived, there is something we must do. We have been given the grace and the power to do it, but do it we must. We must obey God and do His will.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

As a matter of fact, if the Spirit of the living God lives in you, He will give you the power to do what the Word of God tells you to do.

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Children of God are able to do whatever is required of them because of the free gift of salvation they have received and the power of the holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Do not blame God, if after coming to Christ you did not continue to live in obedience and have suffered at the hand of the enemy. There is power. There is help. There are answers to be had. These are available to those who live by faith and obedience. All who submit themselves to Christ can do so by the strength and power of the Holy Spirit that is freely given.

Let us then, obey the Word that has been given us.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Remember that a father not only gives gifts to his children that they desire, but he also disciplines them, which is a great gift in itself.. So it is with Father God.

Hebrew 12:6-7 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

It is time to begin to understand the great gift that God has given us and to realize that this gift includes a freedom 'from' sin, a right relationship to God, the opportunity for continued fellowship with God and the strength and power to work the works God calls us to do.

Jesus did not require more of the woman, who was caught in the act of adultery, than he requires of us all. He told her - John 8:11 … go, and sin no more.

It is time to not be spoiled brats, trying to claim the promises of God while we give place to God's enemy, letting him motivate us to sin, which is to work against the God we claim to serve.

It is time to put on the whole armor of God and live as soldiers of the cross.

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

DOCTRINE

    What Has Jesus to do With Doctrine?

Isn't Love all the world needs, because God is love?

True love will motivate a person to action. It will inspire us to show our love, through words, tender expressions, physical affection, patience, self-denial, long-suffering, and acts of kindness. It will also cause a person, when necessary, to do the uncomfortable thing that he knows is best for the one he loves.

It will motivate a parent to say 'no' to a child he loves when he would rather say 'yes.' It will cause him to give unpleasant consequences to a child who needs to learn the danger of his wrong actions when the parent wishes he could just ignore those actions.

It will cause a parent to make a child rest when he wants to play, eat healthy food when he wants sweets and do chores to learn responsibility and selflessness when he wants to play.

And love will give a parent the resolve to teach his child what he needs though he has no desire to learn it.

It will motivate a person to tell a friend the hard truth, rather than telling a lie to avoid discomfort and conflict, while the truth will do more good.

It will compel him to urge the one he loves to move out of his comfort zone and press toward a goal.

Today some want us to think we should never make another uncomfortable. We should never mention the sins that are separating them from God and sending them to eternal punishment. They would have us believe the only way to help another find salvation is to speak words of acceptance, wearing a warm smile and winking, so-to-speak, at their sin.

In reality, what we should do, is love those Christ died for with the love that motivated Christ to action.

The love that forgave the thief on the cross next to him, and told him he would be with Jesus in Paradise on the same day Jesus died. The love that caused Him to take on the sins of the world. The love that loved us while we were yet sinners.

The love that caused Jesus to preach repentance, to upbraid some who would not believe, to rebuke and reprove.

The Jesus we picture as gentle and tender of heart is the Jesus who called Pharisees vipers, told some they were hypocrites and took a whip to the money changers in the temple.

God is love and His love motivated Him to do that which was comfortable to the ones He created, even when at times, it may have shamed and embarrassed them.

If we are going to speak of the love of Jesus, let us honestly speak of Him as He was and as He is.

I recently read these statements about Jesus - “The only thing we can offer that will truly satisfy the heart's cry is Jesus. He isn't doctrine. He isn't theology. He is a person.”

The fact that the only thing that will satisfy the heart's cry is Jesus, is true. But the following statements is deceptive. Doctrines invented by men, are not Jesus. But Jesus' doctrine, are the words He spoke and these are expressions of Himself. As a matter of fact, the Word of God tells us that Jesus is the Word of God.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Not only so but speaking of Him we read in Revelations -

Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Jesus is the Word. His doctrine cannot be separated from Him.

Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Doctrine - (Greek) – idached, (id-akh-ay') - ... instruction (the act or the matter):--doctrine, hath been taught.

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Hebrews 1:1-3 1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

THE WORD OF HIS POWER

Word (Greek) – rhemah, (ray'-mah) - ... an utterance (individually, collectively or specially),....

How often do we think of God's power separately from His Word or the other way around? But look at the amazing thing that is said here. Jesus, the Son of God, who is the brightness of God's glory, the express image of God's person, is UPHOLDING ALL THINGS by the Word of His Power!

It does not say the power of His words, as if to say - “those are powerful words,” though His words are, indeed, powerful! But it says – the Word of His Power!

Consider the meanings given for the word 'of' in http://www.dictionary.com/browse/of.

1 (used to indicate distance or direction from, separation, deprivation, etc.): 2. (used to indicate derivation, origin, or source): 3. (used to indicate cause, motive, occasion, or reason): 4. (used to indicate material, component parts, substance, or contents): 5. (used to indicate apposition or identity): 6. (used to indicate specific identity or a particular item within a category): 7.(used to indicate possession, connection, or association):

Think for a minute. This word 'of' is used to indicate the source or origin of a thing. What is the source of God's Word? It is His power! Not only are His words powerful, but they usher out of or are created by - His Power! Think of a beautiful bowl taking form out of a piece of clay, or a piece of art coming out of or taking shape from a piece of wax.

This word 'of,' is to indicate the substance or the material of a thing. What is the substance of God's Word? It is His power!

This word 'of,' is used to indicate the specific identity of a particular item. Applying this definition, we might say that God's Word and His power are synonymous!

This word 'of,' is used to indicate possession, connection, and association. God's Word is connected to, associated with and possessed by His power!

This word 'of,' is used to indicate identity. Thus God's Word is the identity or is identified by, His power!

God's Word and His power cannot be separated!

If we truly want to love Jesus, we must love all that He is. This includes His Word, for He is the living Word and His Word is His doctrine.

Be not deceived. You cannot truly have Jesus and bypass His doctrine.

If you have been inundated with doctrines of men and conflicting opinions, you can go to God and ask Him to cleanse from you all that is not truly of Him. You can go back to the first words of scriptures and begin to take in the words of Jesus slowly. You can take time to digest a bit at a time, listening carefully to the voice of God found in His word with the influence of the Holy Spirit.

But do not be deceived into thinking the world does not need the true doctrine of Jesus. His doctrine is His Word and He is the Word.

If the enemy can get you to believe that the love of God is found only in what is easy to receive and makes you feel happy or gives you the warm fuzzies, then he will keep you from knowing what the true love of God is.

Jesus' Words are His doctrine and His Words are life.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

It is His words that are spirit and life. His Word draws us to salvation. It is His words that we believe to salvation. He is the Word and to have Him is to have His word. His words are His doctrine. The flesh is in a dying condition. It cannot give itself life. But the Spirit of the living God can give our flesh spiritual life and health now and eternal life after death. But do you hear what is said here? The Spirit does give life - but – it is the words that He speaks that are spirit and life! They are Spirit and life!

Some people may want to 'feel' the Spirit and/or have spiritual encounters and spiritual experiences without knowing God's Word. Others may want to try to determine what is or is not the correct interpretation of the Bible, without having the Spirit of God in their lives, not having submitted their lives to God.

Seeking the 'Spirit' without the Word of God can get you into all sorts of troubles. There are unclean spirits that will be glad to give you 'spiritual' highs and all sorts of spiritual experiences, none of which are of God.

Trying to understand the scriptures without the Spirit of God can produce all sorts of confusion and heresies.

The Words that Jesus speaks are spirit and life. If you want Jesus, you must have Him as He is. He is the Word, which is Spirit and life.

Psalms 107:17-20 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Even those who find themselves, afflicted, whether in soul or body or both, so that they find themselves near death, are healed - how? He sent his Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Some try to say that healing is not for today. If that is so, then God's Word is not for today! For He has sent His Word and it is what heals! Hallelujah to God!

If you have received enough of His Word to believe unto salvation, then you are blessed and have passed from death unto life. But you will need to go on and learn more of Him through His Word in order to stand against the wiles of the enemy.

.John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life

It is by hearing Jesus' words and believing on the God who sent Him that you will pass from death to life and not receive condemnation.

Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Yes! IF you have obeyed what? That form of doctrine which was delivered to you. You have everlasting life when you hear His WORD and believe on Jesus the Son and the father who sent Him (who are one God). You are no longer servants of sin - if - you have obeyed what? That form of doctrine that was delivered to you. And what was that? The Word of the living God!

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Give attendance to -

1 Reading

2 Exhortation

3 Doctrine

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Take heed unto -

1 Yourself

2 the Doctrine

And – Continue in them. What will be the result? Thou shalt save thyself and them that hear you!

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine

Do all of these things with all -

1 Longsuffering

2 Doctrine

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

All scripture is profitable for what?

1 Doctrine

2 Reproof

3 Correction

4 Instructions

All of these things IN righteousness.

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

This faithful word that we are to hold fast, is able to both exhort and convince the gainsayers how? - BY SOUND DOCTRINE.

John 7:1 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

How will we be able to know whether the doctrine is of God? If we do the will of God.

Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Those who are ashamed of Jesus and His Words, He will be ashamed of when He comes.

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

We are His disciples – IF – we continue in His Word. His Words are His doctrine.

Indeed let us love one another. Let us love the lost who Jesus died for.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

But let us live and love as Jesus did. He was in all ways obedient to His Father and spoke the things the Father wanted Him to speak'

John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Let us learn to listen to the Father's voice and speak as He leads us to do. Whether it is words that are pleasing to the hearer or words of reproof, let us speak in love and as directed by the Spirit of God.

John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Oracles are –(Greek [Strong's]) - logionlog'-ee-on - logios; an utterance (of God):--oracle.

Let us speak the words of God, in agreement with God and from a heart of love.

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Let us purify our own hearts and then let us speak as the Holy Spirit directs, always speaking the truth in love.

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

How do you purify your soul? By obeying the truth through the Spirit! And where will that lead you? To unfeigned love of the brethren!

Never think you can love as you ought to do, without the Word of God. His Word cannot be left out of the equation. Go to the Word of God, ask Him to reveal the truth that is there, by His Spirit. Obey the truth you find there and let God teach you to love

If the way we are showing love, is only in words that we speak, words that we think others will want to hear and will make them feel good, words that originate from our thinking separate from the Word of God's Power, we are not only wasting time but may be doing more harm than good.

Our own words may be far removed from God's.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Do not just speak words of so-called love, but love in 'truth' and in action. Remember that Jesus said -

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If you think you are loving someone by presenting a Jesus to them that is not really who or what He is, while withholding from them the truth, do not think you are really doing them any good.

Let us not only speak the words that make the hearer comfortable in their condition but let us through hearts of true love, speak that which is needed, that which is right, that which is true and that which is the Word and heart of God.

CHOKING ON MEAT

     CHOKING ON MEAT

(Spiritually)

When a baby is born the best thing for its' sensitive digestive system is a substance designed by God, called colostrum. This is a protective substance that lines the intestines, helping to ward off germs etc. and prepare the digestive tract to receive the most perfect food, its mother's milk.

Mother's milk is far easier to digest than any other substance. It is so gentle that a baby who is drinking mother's milk, with no added substances, will not become constipated.

Since the milk is so easily digested, it may go through the baby's system faster than other formulas would and he may want to eat more often.

The more the baby nurses, the more intimate connection it has with its' mother, the more skin to skin stimulation it receives and the more of a bond can be made to its' mother.

At the breast, the baby learns to trust the mother above all others, to listen to her voice above all others and learns to place its dependency on her. It learns to put its trust in her as its only source of provision. This is very important as she is to be the child's provider, protector, nurturer, and authority. It is important that the baby begins on day one to look to its' mother as its' source. In time, she can teach the child of its father's provision for them both.

If a baby were to be given solid food right after its birth, it would choke and die. The milk is the perfect food for the baby. It has no teeth with which to chew solid food and its stomach could not handle it.

Even when a few moths old the baby cannot handle meat. Although it could survive being given cereal in its milk. Even that, however, if given too soon, can begin to effect the baby in negative ways that, at first, the eye cannot see, since it is now receiving less of the nutrition only available from mother's milk. Among other possible problems, not being as easy to digest, the baby may feel uncomfortable or become constipated. There is more of a chance for the baby to develop allergies on any other food than mother's milk. It is said that it is best for the baby not to receive anything other than mother's milk for about a year after its birth.

However, the child's health will decrease if it is never fed solid foods. The baby will often be the best indicator as to when to begin feeding him a little solid food. The baby will either begin to demand the foods everyone else is eating or begin to lack energy. These are signs that it is time to receive something more.

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Sincere in the Greek is (Strong's) – adolosad'-ol-os; undeceitful, i.e. (figuratively) unadulterated:--sincere.

Unadulterated is (The Free Dictionary) 1. Not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter; pure:

Peter's instructions to new born Christians was to desire the sincere milk of the Word. He did not say to shame them for drinking the milk, but rather wanted them to desire it.

This word 'desire' in the Greek is – epipotheoep-ee-poth-eh'-o; to dote upon, i.e. intensely crave possession (lawfully or wrongfully):--(earnestly) desire (greatly), (greatly) long (after), lust.

As a baby when it nurses must be up close, making direct contact with its mother, so does the new babe in Christ need to be eating straight from the Word of God. He needs to be consuming the Word of God directly from the source, not listening to doctrines of men. Like the colostrum, the Word will line his spiritual intestines, so that when anything that is not of God tries to enter, the baby will be resistant. Oh, he may not yet understand every word that he reads, in the beginning, but he is learning the sound of his Savior's voice.

As a baby up against his mother's skin, may feel his mother's heartbeat, so the new child of God needs to begin to get a sense of the rhythm of his Father's heartbeat.

There will come a time for him to dig a little deeper into his Father's thoughts and begin, so to speak, to eat the meat, that in this case is still His Word. But let him first get a feel for His heartbeat and the sound of His voice. Let him read the Word, look and listen. Let Him consume it and digest it. Teach him in simplicity. God will only give him enough at one time that he can digest well before He gives him more.

Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Spiritually speaking, Paul the apostle spoke of those who were of an age to be eating solid meat but had a need to go back and receive the milk. Why might this be? It seems they had jumped ahead and were eating solid food before they were able to digest it properly. This may have already done damage to their spiritual digestive tract.

Notice that even as babes they received teaching. But what were they taught? The first principles of the oracles of God.

What are the oracles of God? Oracles (Greek [Strong's]) logionlog'-ee-on; an utterance (of God):--oracle.

So what did they need when first born again? They needed to learn the first principles of the words uttered by God.

As they soaked in these first principles of God's Word, they were learning how to apply them to their own life, what their God was like, how to hear and follow His voice. This was a learning time, not a time to be trying to teach others anything more than to witness what they had received. They were not yet skillful in the word of righteousness. They were being taught the skills they needed. The armor of the Lord was for them, but they had to learn it's purpose, how to put it on and how to wear it and use it.

If you are a person who was overstuffed with 'meat' before you had a chance to be comfortable with the milk of the Word, before you had enough time to sit at Jesus' feet and learn how to trust Him as the provider of all things and the sole authority in your life; if you did not have enough time to soak in His Words (His voice), His love and affection, so that you could become accustomed to His voice and become fully secure in Him and surrendered to Him, you may be one who has choked on the meat. Or you may have become sick and confused from receiving more than you could digest.

When this happens to new Christians, they may reach a point of great dissatisfaction and either leave the faith altogether or become burned out and dissatisfied.

Sadly, some may decide that the solid food is not good, that it is a problem and should be avoided by any and all, or they may decide not to eat at all. They may think they can have Jesus, without eating His Word. We know what it is to feel so nauseated that we do not want to eat at all. That is a very vulnerable condition to be in.

This is dangerous. Certainly such people need to take a deep breath, relax and turn back, once again to the milk of the Word. They need to take their time and focus on the love and security of their Savior until they have become well accustomed to His touch, His voice and His leadership.

Then, in time, He will begin to offer them solid food.

However if these who have become sick and/or have choked on the meat, having not yet become accustomed to the voice of the Savior, should in their dissatisfaction, decide not to eat at all and to despise the meat, they may begin to listen to a voice that is not that of their Savior and begin receiving food that claims to be from God while it is actually from the enemy.

When Satan finds a person sick, discouraged and/or confused, he finds them far more vulnerable to his deceptions. He will begin to play on their discouragement, dissatisfaction, and even their anger. Not only will he assure them that they are justified in their attitudes but present them with lies as to what their next course of action should be.

How many who have choked on the meat or become sick from trying to digest what their system was not ready for, have acquired a dangerous distaste for that which would be sweet to their taste if eaten at the right time? How many times have they failed to go back to the beginning and start afresh on the milk they so greatly needed to prepare them for the meat?

Notice that Paul did not say, “Shame on you! You better start eating meat! You are old enough!” No! He did say that they should have been on meat by now, but he pointed out their need. That need was that they had - “... become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

No matter if they 'should' have been able to handle the meat, they could not. They were unskillful in the word of righteousness. To become skillful they would have to be - “have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

A baby in his mother's arms is having his senses exercised. His sense of touch, taste, smell, and sight are all being stimulated by his mother and the things around him. But he is experiencing all that is around him in the safety of mother's loving arms. He will begin to move out a distance from her as he learns that she will never leave nor forsake him. In time, he will walk out of her sight, knowing if he needs her she will always be there. Their dependency on their mother develops a trust in her care and a trust in their own abilities which she has encouraged and cheered on.

There are those who may have come to Christ in sincerity but quickly began to depend solely on the person who first told them the gospel and others who they esteemed as wiser in the church or older in their growth, to feed them. In so doing they may have received some of the milk of the Word, but mixed with personal opinion, a bit of meat and other substances until the new Christian, while having the appearance of growing, has no idea what the true, unadulterated voice of God really is.

Their image of God becomes distorted and His voice uncertain. They may begin to establish themselves upon a faulty foundation and hold to what they think are pillars of truth which are ready to topple at any moment.

In time, when they become weary of the insecurity in their lives, they may either turn away from God altogether, try to cover their insecurities with a show of pride, or for some - maybe just maybe - they will try to find their way back to the milk, only with such an unhealthy disdain for solid food that they are determined to never again eat it.

There are many voices going out into the world. There is a confusion of voices. There is competition even in the church world. There are youth who need to be having their senses exercised to discern good from evil through the milk of the Word, but who are trying to be leaders and teachers. These are so unskillful in the word of righteousness that they are like blind leaders leading the blind into the ditch where they both will fall. There are older Christians who did not spend enough time on the milk, in the beginning, who are doing the same thing and worse.

If you are one who has grown ill on polluted milk, or milk mixed with meat too soon. If you are one who has grown sick of doctrines and condemnations of men and debates between so-called Bible scholars; if the very thought of doctrine and theology causes your stomach to begin to churn, then consider Paul's instructions to Timothy. -

1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Grace, which is not only unmerited favor but also the divine influence (of the Holy Spirit) upon your heart, be with thee.

Grace – (Greek [Strong's]) - charis khar'-ece from [cairw] - chairo; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):--acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

May you go to the Lord and ask Him to clear from you all that is not of His heart. Ask Him to lead you into the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Ask Him to help you begin anew to desire the milk that will once again make you healthy and strong. Ask Him to guide you one step at a time down the path of life and to exercise your senses until you can properly discern good from evil and become skillful in the word of righteousness. Do not rush things. Do not get in a hurry and do not despise what is ahead. Enjoy the training He gives as you accept a position once again as a babe in Christ.

Remember that while you are desiring to turn away from wrong teachings and ideas, you may have already developed some erroneous ideas and beliefs. Let the Lord remove what is not good and fill you with what is. Do not resist Him, even if at times He must correct you and the correction be uncomfortable. You need the milk, but you are used to having more, even if it was not good for you. Do not be obstinate or stubborn. Remember that you are tired of the games, so let Him do His perfect work in you.

Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Hebrews 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

A baby does not have preconceived ideas about truth when he is born. He learns at his mother's breast. Go back to the beginning and give up preconceived ideas. Drink in the sincere Word of God as you look into your Father's face, with ears tuned to listen to the Holy Spirit.

For those who have become irritated or perhaps even angry at the outcry from some, against the study of God's Word, doctrine and theology, please realize that some of these cries could be coming from wounded children. Being vulnerable they may be manipulated by the enemy unaware. This does not make their actions right or even okay. It does not justify them. But if you are mature and more skillful in the Word of righteousness, if you are a teacher of the Word and have been uncomfortable at the words of others who not only underestimate the great truths of the scripture but even despise them, please hold strong in the Lord and be not shaken.
Pray against the enemy. Pray for the wounded and the blinded. Pray for wisdom. Be patient with the babes in Christ and let God do His perfect work in them. Encourage them to greatly desire the sincere Word of God to which nothing has been added but the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Instruct them in the first principles of the oracles (utterances) of God.

Continue to preach as the Lord your God leads and equips you to do.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Do all this with longsuffering and doctrine. Do not override what the Holy Spirit is doing in a person's life and try to force feed him meat before he is ready.

For those who have become complacent and lazy, speak the reproof God leads you to speak.

1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: