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Matt 23:13 - "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. NIV
What a severe warning we have been given in this text. We are to live are lives in such a way that we would not cause anyone to stumble. We are not to be hypocrites. In other words, we are not to speak one way and live another. All one has to do is look at the priests and pastors of certain churches who been found to be hypocrites and we have our answer. Is it any wonder people have no faith in Christianity? The teachers of the law (aka - scribes) and Pharisees were called hypocrites by Jesus. A hypocrite was simply a person who played a part. They acted a certain way but the real person was being hidden. Jesus called them out for their double standard way of living. We need to make sure that we live in such a way that if someone calls us a hypocrite they would be lying. Do we ever think we have been a hypocrite? The answer is probably yes. What we need to do is repent and be the real deal. Be the Christian God wants us to be and not the hypocrite the devil wants us to be.
I always wanted to say I know and there are plenty of others that attend that are hypocrites also. I never did say it. I only thought it. I would always say don't let a hypocrite keep you from making it to heaven. There are hypocrites where we shop but that doesn't stop us from buying our groceries there. Jesus' reprimand is a very harsh one. Look at what He says, "… You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter,…" The hypocrite is not going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, it is up to us to live the Christian life the best way we can. We have to try not to be the hypocrite and the reason why is simple "Hypocrites" are not going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Galatians 2:11-13 - When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. NIV As Christians, we are to live in such a way that we don't hinder any one from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. We don't want to be an obstacle or a stumbling block. We are to help people enter the Kingdom not flee from it. Romans 14:13 - Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. NASB
I can't even count all the times I have been in a counseling session with a "Christian" not an unbeliever but one who is supposed to know the Bible. One who is supposed to know that our God is a God of "Forgiveness". I have found myself trying to convince them that God has forgiven them. So I would ask them to listen to some questions and answer me the best they could from what they know about God. First, why do you believe God sent Jesus to earth? They would in so many words express to me they believed God sent Jesus to save us. I would heartily agree with them and share with them two scriptures to prove to them they were correct. Matt.1:21 - "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (You may want to read John 12:47, I Timothy 1:15, and Hebrews 7:25.) Second, why do you believe God would do that? Again they would convey to me because He loves us and again I would share with them a few scriptures to support their belief. Matt. 18:14 - "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish." John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." 2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is… patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." Please know that God wants you to be forgiven. He has given us a path to travel on in order that we can be forgiven. If you are not a Christian then you should believe that Jesus is the Son of God, make a confession of your belief that He is the Son of God to someone, repent which means to change your mind about Jesus and this will bring about a change in your behavior. You should be baptized (immersed) according to Acts 2:38 for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the Holy Spirit.
I John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. First, we are to CONFESS our sins to God or to yourself. It doesn't say you have to confess to a priest, pastor or preacher. Confess them to the one you have sinned against and in most cases that is God. (If you have sinned against someone personally by all means go to them and confess to them Luke 17:4). Second, we are to BELIEVE that God is "Faithful and Righteous". God says, if we confess He will forgive us and cleanse us. Now my question for you to think about is this: Do you believe God's Word? Do you believe that God who is faithful, righteous and CAN NOT Lie has said if we confess He will forgive and cleanse us? God has said it. Confess it and He will forgive it. Do you believe God?
Well, I wouldn't forgive someone that easily was a thought that crossed their minds. Therefore, God can't forgive me that easily. There in is the problem. We are not like God in a lot of ways and this is one of them. Do yourself a favor and learn how to forgive yourself and others. You will enjoy your Christian life a whole lot better. Think About These: Our Lord is in the cleansing business not the whitewashing business. We are like beasts when we kill. We are like men when we judge. We are like God when we forgive. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Exo. 3:13-14 - Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM "; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" NASU
Ex. 3:7-8 - The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings."So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians…" Has God sent you to deliver some of His people from their sufferings? There are a lot of people in this world and they are suffering from all types of cruel taskmasters. Paul gives us a list sins that have captured people and are tormenting them in Gal 5:19-22: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do you know anyone who is constantly causing strife in someone's life? Do you know anyone who is jealous of someone? How about one who is always angry? Do you know an envious person? If you answered yes to any of these questions then God wants to send you like He did Moses to help free that person from that sin which is causing them to suffer. If you help the person who is entangled in the sin you will also help the person being targeted from suffering. Notice what the apostle John said: 1 John 3:11-12 - For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. John says Cain killed Abel his brother because Abel's deeds were righteous. In other words, Abel was living the more honorable life. Cain was living the life that was all about him and controlled by his sinful desires. He was envious and jealous of his brother so he killed him. Today character assassination is probably more rampant than actual physical murder but the person is still afflicted from the attack.
God has a mission for us and that is to help the afflicted or the ones suffering. You don't have to travel half way around the world to do mission work. You can do it in your neighborhood or at your work. You can even do at the church assembly where you attend. I AM wants us to help those who are hurting? Who has some medical issue that is in need of a friend to comfort them and assure them that God is hearing their prayers? Who is being bullied at work or at school that needs some one to share how they are being hurt in their life? Who is going through a divorce because their partner was sexually immoral that needs a friend? Well then go. I AM is sending you to help them. God wants you to be His instrument of Grace. You will remember it was not easy for Moses to lead the children out of Egypt. It may not be easy for you either, but God is with you because you are one of HIS children. Go and help one of God's children be free from what is causing them to suffer. Think About These: When we let God guide He will provide. God still speaks to those who will take time to listen. God will never allow anything to come to you that you and He can't handle. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word I wrote this Pump Up 10 yrs ago. I have a friend who is having a major surgery tomorrow. I am resending this Pump Up to hopefully give him some spiritual strength before his surgery. Please pray for my friend, his name is Gary.
Josh. 2:11 - “When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained…” In the text above, Rahab is confessing to the two spies sent into Jericho by Joshua exactly how they felt upon hearing the news that the Israelites were coming. She informs them that their "hearts melted and no courage remained" in any of them.
Maybe you walked into a doctor’s office and while sitting there he informed you that you had a disease or a loved one you had accompanied into his office had a disease and upon hearing the news your heart melted within you. Maybe you received a visit from a police officer and informed you, a loved one died in an accident and your heart melted within and all your courage departed. Or maybe it was the time one of your children was lost at the amusement park and for over an hour you know your heart stopped.
We were talking after the ceremony and he asked if he could come into my office and talk to me. I agreed and he came in the next week and shared with me what was going on in his life. David told me that his doctor informed him he had a very aggressive type of cancer and that he didn’t have long to live. Then he went on with his story. He came home and told his wife what the doctor said. Within days he came home and found a note from his wife that she was leaving him. He said he checked their bedroom closet and all her clothes were gone. He said, “My heart sank.” In Rahab’s day they said, “Hearts melted.” The meaning is the same and that is: what you are about to experience is going to be extremely painful. WOW! What a punch in the gut and a knee to the face. You talk about your heart melting and all courage departing from within you.
The same thing Rahab did and that is he put his faith in the God of Heaven and Earth. Here is what Rahab said, “for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” She confessed that the Israelites' God was the true God. David confessed Jesus to be his Lord and Savior and I baptized him into Christ. When you get knocked off your feet, and you are laying flat on your back, you are in the perfect position to look up and see where your help will come. Your help will come from the One who created the ‘heavens and earth." David’s wife never came back and he lost his battle with cancer but I never met a more courageous man. I truly met one of God’s Special Warriors.
What we have to do is follow in the footsteps of Rahab and David and that is put your faith in God. Here is what the Hebrew writer says about Rahab, “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” By Faith in Jesus Christ you and I will not perish along with those who are disobedient.
The trouble with some people is that during trying times, they stop trying. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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