WHO IS TEACHING YOU?

I am constantly appalled by the utter ignorance of professing 

"Christians" of the very Scriptures that are the 

source of their salvation. 

If you discuss Scripture with them it becomes apparent 

they are only parroting some preacher they have heard.

They would rightly turn up their nose at regurgitated food.

But willingly accept regurgitated teaching.

Jesus told us,

"Human beings cannot live on bread alone,

but need every word that God speaks."

-Matthew 4:4 (GNB)

You do not get any nourishment if someone

else is eating your sandwich for you.

Yes, God gave the church teachers and even pastors.

But they are not to predigest your spiritual food for you.

God gave YOU and me a personal teacher, the HOLY SPIRIT.

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"The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the father
will send in my name, will teach you everything 
and make you remember all that I have told you."
-John 14:26 (GNB)


"So then, we do not speak in words taught by human
wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we 
explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit."
-1 Corinthians 2:13 (GNB)


"But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you.
As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need
anyone to teach you.  For his Spirit teaches you about
everything, and what he teaches is true, not false.  obey
the spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ."
-1 John 2:27 (GNB)

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God instructs us to test the teachers.
Even the most honest, wise, serious and holy
person can make a mistake.  Or, may have been mislead
by some other teacher.


"The people there were more open minded than the people 
 in Thessalonica.  They listened to the message with great 
eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to 
see if what Paul said was really true."
-Acts 17:11 (GNB)


"You study the Scriptures, because you think that in them
you will find eternal life.  And these very Scriptures speak 
about me!"
-John 5:39 (GNB)


"Put yourselves to the test and judge yourselves,
to find out whether you are living in faith.
Surely you know that Christ Jesus is in you?
- unless you have completely failed."
2 Corinthians 13:5 (GNB)


"Put all things to the test:
keep what is good and avoid
every kind of evil."
-1 Thessalonians 5:21 (GNB)


"My dear friends, do not believe all who 
claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find
out if the spirit they have comes from God.
For many false prophets have gone out everywhere."
-1 John 4:1 (GNB)


The only book in the world that really matters.
Let's get serious with it for ourselves.

LONGING FOR SOMETHING?

If you are a parent, you will understand what I am trying

to say.  You want your child to have everything they want -

IF IT IS GOOD FOR THEM.

I'm old enough now that it's grandkids and great grandkids.

In fact they know how to "butter up" [manipulate] grandpa to get about

anything he can afford - if it is good for them.

Do you want to know how to move the heart of God -

to get what you want - if it is good for you?

"Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart."

-Psalms 37:4 (RSV)

How do I delight in the Lord?

Webster says delight as a verb means;

"l : to take great pleasure

2 : to give keen enjoyment ... 

to give joy or satisfaction to"

So,

take great pleasure in the Lord.

Find your enjoyment in the Lord.

Find your satisfaction in the Lord.

Or, 

"Seek your happiness in the Lord,

and he will give you your heart's desire."

-Psalm 37:4 (GNV)

WARNING: Your desires might change.

ARE YOU TIRED AND WEARY?

"Come unto me,

all you that labour and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and all of you shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

-Matthew 11:28-30 I LOVE JESUS (UKJV)

ARE YOUR GOALS SET AND PLANS MADE?

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YOU DID SET YOUR GOALS AND MAKE YOUR PLANS

DIDN'T YOU?

That is the in thing to do you know!

Even if you are a Christian.

Remember those great things you are going to do for God.

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The "Church" has absorbed the ways of the world

to such a degree I have had to wonder about our ways.

God said,

"'My thoughts,' says the LORD,'

are not like yours,

and my ways are different from yours."

-Isaiah 55:8 (GNB)

"What you think is the right road my lead to death."

"You may make your plans,

but God directs  your actions."

People may plan all kinds of things,

but the LORD'S will is going to be done."

-Proverbs 14;12, 16:19, 19;21 (GNB)

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As a result I have wondered.

"If I did God's leading each day.  Would I 

not end up where He wants me?

(No.  I do not profess to have practiced what I preach on the matter.)

I have been reading a book,

Brother Bakht Singh of India.

by T. E. Koshy

This man comes closer to being a man of God, like the apostle Paul, 

than anyone I have ever read or heard about.   He was used to 

start hundreds of assemblies (church's) and won multiplied

thousands to Christ.   This brother would not even go get

a hair cut with out seeking God's will.  I simply want to share

with you some of his thoughts on the subject.  The following are 

quotes from the above book.

"In many ways his life and ministry were unique,

for he waited upon God to know His plan before he did anything."

-p. 23

"... he prayed and sought His will before he did anything,

whether small or big."

-p. 49

"From that day on, Bakht Singh was to take infinite pains

to know the Lord's mind about every small detail of life."

-p. 112

"Before he did anything, he spent sufficient time in prayer."

-p. 131

"He then asked Bakht Singh, 'Tell me what is your strategy or method?'
He then replied that he had no strategy or method.  He and his co-workers
had no extra qualifications but were simple people without much education.
They simply decided to do all things by prayer and in oneness and total
obedience to the Word of God, without any compromise.  'The Lord
works if we honour God's Word'"
-p. 275,276

"During his morning meditation, Bakht Singh prayed and asked the
Lord whether he should go and see the zoo or should he do something else."
-p. 394

"He communed with God and waited on Him to hear His voice
for his guidance and direction for the day.  He read and meditated 
on the Word of God."
-p. 421

"Bakht Singh did not believe in 'pre-arranged' ministry,
meaning that he did not plan or arrange before hand who 
should be the speaker or preacher at any particular meeting."
-p. 439

"Once this writer asked him why he was seeking God's
will for the obvious things, and his answer was to 
never take anything for granted."
-p. 473

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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Never rely on what you think you know.
Remember the LORD in everything you do,
and he will show you the right way."
-Proverbs 3:56 (GNB)

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A LIFE OF NEW BEGINNINGS

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Many years ago, before your folks even knew you were

coming, I was reading the works of an outstanding saint

of a past era.  He said,

"The Christian life is a life of new beginnings."

That offended me.  I had been a Christian for years

but then God did a new work in my life.  So it was

watch out world.  Here I come.  The rocket has blasted 
off.   I'm going into orbit and will be communicating 
with you earthlings from my Holy cloud the rest of my life.

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Boy did I have a lot to learn.

The Scriptures say,

"I plead to you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God that all of you present your

bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service."

-Romans 12:1 I LOVE JESUS (UKJV)

And I had.

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But, "living" sacrifices can crawl off the alter.

Not intentionally.  But life hurts.  And when you hurt,

you move, adjust, etc. to lessen the pain.  And eventually

you squirm clear off the alter.

Then you wonder, "What happened?"

Last night I was reading about a great saint of

an earlier generation.

This brother had made a written covenant with God

at a young age.  (I don't have that much courage.) 

And a very few years latter he had to renew that covenant.

In fact, he did at least twice.  But the first time he wrote on it,

"Backslidden.  Restored.  Yet too cold, Lord,

I still wish to continue this.  Pardon the past and strengthen

me for the future, for Jesus' sake. Amen."

This turned me on.  Because he had failed, NO.

But because after his failure he went on to be a great

man of God.  Greatly used and respected.

A life with a new beginning, and another new beginning.

Jesus said,

"If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

-Luke 9:23 I LOVE JESUS (UKJV)

 A cross is an instrument of death,

-like a noose,

-the gas chamber,

-a firing squad,

-the guillotine.

In other words,

each new day we are to die to self.

As Paul said,
"I die daily."

"Our God is a God of new beginnings."
-Statement made in Brother Bakht Singh of India
page 205

Lord, you know I did not make it through
this day well.  But if you will grant me another
day, when I wake up I'll pick up my cross.
I'll die to myself, grab you by the hand and
make a new begging again tomorrow.

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GOD'S BLESSINGS

"Bless the LORD, O my soul:

and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgives all of your iniquities, who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from destruction;

who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfies your mouth with good things;

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

-Psalms 103:1-5 I LOVE JESUS (UKJV)  

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DISCIPLES VS. BELIEVERS

DISCIPLES VS. BELIEVERS

Are not all believers in Christ, disciples of Christ?

It seems most "Christians" think so.

But consider a few definitions.

Let's start with dear old brother James Strong.

You know, who compiled 

Strong's

Exhaustive

Concordance 

Of The Bible.

Now this is all Greek to me, but he says:

"believers" is from the Greek word "pisteuo".

His number 4100 and it means,

"to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to,

a person or thing)"

Then he has the nerve to say that,

"disciple" his number 3101, is from the Greek word "mathetes".

which means,

"a learner, i.e. pupil; - disciple."

To put it in good old Ozark,

"believer" is one who believes in or has faith in Christ.

And,

a "disciple" is one who learns from and emulates

Christ.

The Bible says,

"So Jesus said to those who believed in him,

'If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples;

you will know the truth, 

and the truth will set you free.'"

-John 8:31 (GNB)

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Now consider the call of the disciples.

Peter, James and John.

"They pulled the boats up on the beach,

left everything, and followed Jesus."

-Luke 5:11 (GNB)

And Levi.

"Levi got up, left everything,

and followed him."

-Luke 5:28 (GNB)

And consider Jesus' example.

"Jesus answered him,

'Foxes have holes, and birds have nests,

but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.'"

Matthew 8:20 (GNB)

OUCH!

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Consider the teaching of Jesus.

"Those who love their father or mother

more than me are not fit to be my disciples;

those who love their son or daughter more than me

are not fit to be my disciples.

Those who do not take up their cross and follow

in my steps are not fit to be my disciples."

Matthew 10:37,38 (GNB)

"Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect,

go and sell all you have and give the money

to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven;

then come and follow me.'"

-Matthew 19:21 (GNB) 

"Do not be afraid, little flock,

for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.

Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor.

Provide for yourselves purses that don't wear out,

and save your riches in heaven, where they

will never decrease, because no thief can get to them,

and no moth can destroy them.  

For your heart will always be where your riches are."

Luke 12:32-34 (GNB)

And.

"In the same way,' concluded Jesus,

"none of you can be my disciple unless you give up

everything you have."

Luke 14:33 

NOTE: This was before the era of

the prosperity preachers.

Who or what changed?

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Do You know any "disciples"?

I don't, but have read of a few.

As for me,

I'm just a believer who learns very slowly.