The Law is for Wimps III

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The Law is for Wimps, Conclusion 

You might still be asking how is Grace tougher than the Law as no one can keep the Law!  I will show you a few examples of what I mean when I say there is no such thing as Cheap Grace, and living under Grace is not a so called cake walk.  I believe living under grace is tougher than the Law ever can be.

There is one note I want to add.  By no means am I trying to make “grace” legalistic or burdensome, as did the religious teachers of Jesus’ time with the law.  Jesus said in  Matthew 11:28-30  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

What I am trying to do is get people to see that the law is obsolete.  Do not try to mix Grace and the law.  There is nothing there to substantiate that line of reasoning because living in the Spirit of God and submitting to His Lordship is freedom not burdensome.  The Holy Spirit gave me this illustration to show the difference between law and grace.

Let’s say you live in Denver and you want to take a trip to Paris.  You decide you want to drive to Paris!  So off you go from Denver to Paris.  You get on I70 East and head toward the East coast for the next 2200 miles.  The trip is going great, you drive and drive and then something horrible happens:  THE ATLANTIC OCEAN!  Let me point out that as soon as you hit the sands of Atlantic beach, your driving trip to Paris is over!  You can have the best and newest BMW or Mercedes Benz but that car is not crossing the ocean.  That car took you as far as it could go.  It is useless at this time. You are going to need a plane or a boat to finish your trip.  You cannot mix the car and the ocean – they are mutually exclusive at the moment.  Again, that car is useless to cross the ocean.  That is the law.  It can only take you so far and if you want to go to heaven, you are going to have to ditch the Law and grab hold of Jesus and His grace.  He is the only one that can get you there.  So my advice to you is get rid of the car in Denver and instead go to the airport and get a first class ticket with Air Grace Jesus and enjoy the journey. PS: the ticket is FREE

Here are some examples of law vs Grace

How many laws and traditions are there under the Law?  According to one source there are 613 laws and traditions.

Now, how many commands are there living under Grace? I believe most will say two: Love thy God with all your heart, soul and mind and Love your neighbor as yourself.  Those two laws fulfill the Law.  If you love someone you will not steal, lie, commit sexual sin or covet their possessions from them.  Love does not do these things against another.

Again, how many commands are there living under Grace?  The answer is infinity.  Let me explain.  Under Grace we live by the Spirit of God.  The Holy Spirit directs and guides every believer with the Will of God and the plans He has for our lives.  So let’s break this down.  The Holy Spirit should be telling you, who you should marry, where you should work, if you should buy that house or just rent.  He wants to be in on every decision you make.

Remember,  Jesus is not only Savior of our life but also our King.  I would also like to add that He is not too busy or overworked to help you.  In addition you are not bothering him.  So when the Holy Spirit is at work and is allowed to work, He has full decision making power in our lives.  Think of how many times the Holy Spirit is guiding all of us believers in the world with all of our decisions that need to be made on a daily basis.  That number boggles the mind.  Also remember, He is not just sending out suggestions, He is a KING in charge of His Kingdom.  Jesus is commanding His kingdom.

How different our world would look if we all would live and walk in the Spirit.  Can you imagine, if we all lived in the Spirit and followed Gods Word in the Bible?  Think of how many less divorces there would be in the church?  How many more missionaries and Pastors would be in service if we all obeyed His call on our lives?  How many fewer bankruptcies and financial problems there would be if we were lead by the spirit on the issues of money?  We can ask this question in every area of our lives!   And then on a more personal level, we can wonder how much are we listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit?

Marriage

Within the New Testament God has placed many guardrails and has given us many directives to guide us regarding marriage and sexual relations.  Under the Old Covenant, Moses gave us a right of divorce for any reason.  Men treated women like property.  I believe they treated women a lot like we do cars.  They would buy a new one, love it for a few years and then get tired of it and trade it in for a new one.  Jesus had to deal with this issue with the Jews and the hardness of their hearts.  Under the New Covenant, the only reason given to get a divorce is for infidelity.  In the church today there are many questions regarding getting a divorce.

This leads me to the first point.  If we allowed the Holy Spirit to direct us and guide us in picking our spouse, just think of how few marriages would end by divorce due to alcoholism, drug and violence?  Do you think the Holy Spirit would allow you to marry a man who He knew would beat his wife?   The fact is, we rely more on cultural traditions then we do on God for finding a partner.  Too many times we do what we want and go out with whom we want, and then TELL GOD to bless our choice.  We then try to make it the Will of God while in a state of emotional bliss or lust.  Then after all of that we ask God to Bless our Mess!  Wow!

But on the positive note on living in the Spirit, I want to tell a story I heard in college.

I heard this man was sitting in his office one day.  The Holy Spirit spoke to him and said, “On your way home, buy your wife, one white rose.”  He shrugged it off.  As he was driving home, the Holy Spirit commanded him to stop and buy his wife a white rose!  Once again, he did not want to stop but the Holy Spirit began moving more strongly until he finally stopped.  When he got home and gave his wife the rose, she broke down into heavy sobbing.  Her husband was so confused.  After she composed herself, she explained that she was having a battle in her faith walk.  She was believing God did not love her anymore.  But in her morning prayers, she struggled heavily with this and the Holy Spirit told her how much God loved her and that He would never stop loving her.  As a token to show His love, He wanted to get her a “White Rose.”  She thought to herself, how could God buy her a white rose?  You can see why her reaction was so powerful when her husband, not knowing of her prayer time, came in with a white rose.  This is what I call living in the Spirit.  Can you image what our marriages would look like if we all did this?

Finances (Money)

There has been a great debate in churches for many years now.  This is the debate; should tithing, an Old Testament commandment from God, exist in the New Testament.  Many have argued on both sides of the (coin).  Even the best grace teachers still hold on to tithing in the New Testament.  I believe this is because tithing deals with their money and how they receive offerings.  What I am going to share with you is what I believe I received from the Lord in my quite times with Him.

What I learned from the Lord is this.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents.  This is found in Matthew 25:14-30.  Jesus tells of a master who left for a journey and left three of his servants with money.  One with 10 thousand dollars, one with 5 thousand and the last with 1 thousand.  The first two went and invested and doubled their masters money.  The last one dug a hole and buried the masters money – which gave no return.

There are many applications to this parable, but the Lord showed me this.  Who is the master?  Jesus is the Master and He went away to command his kingdom.  The servants are His Christians.  So Jesus left us behind to serve in his stead with his money.  Most, I believe even in the best Christian circles, believe that they work for their money and it is theirs to do with as they please.  Then on Sunday they believe it is their responsibility to give a little bit back to God, a tenth (tithe)

God showed me why we do not see the tithe in the New Testament.  Because He is Lord over all.  God owns everything!

Let me explain.  In the New Testament there are 18 references to  “Bondservants”, a nice way of saying a SLAVE, who loves his master and then signs their life over to them permanently.  We in the typical Christian Church do not preach this very often….we are slaves to Jesus, He owns us and He is our Lord and Master.  We must remember that at salvation, we exchanged our lives for Jesus.  He gave His life for us and we Gave our life to Him.  He is Lord.

So back to my point.  A slave owns nothing unless the master grants it.  The master owns all!  He owns you, your wife, and your children.  They are his to do with as he pleases.  So in this parable in Matthew, I believe Jesus is showing us that he gives us our jobs, our health and our talents.  The money we make belongs to HIM!  He is not a asking for a percentage as listed in the Law but all of it.  So in the New Covenant, I believe as Spirit filled believers, we should be seeking the Lord on how we are to use His money.  How to spend it on our needs, how to give and who we should be blessing.  This is tougher then the tithe because the Lord may say to give only 10 percent away and keep the remaining 90 percent.  But the Lord may tell you to give 50 or 70 percent away and live on the 30 percent remaining.

How would you respond?  When I went on the mission field, I was giving away most of the money to feed the poor.  But the Lord was always faithful and we always had more then enough.  So ask yourself is the Law tougher then Grace? Remember, we are to live by the Spirit of God and allow Him to direct and command our finances.  But the truth is only 2 to 3 percent of all Christians really give the tithe, (10%) let alone more as God directs.

The Sabbath and Holy days.

Colossians 2: 16  So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.

Under the Law, the Sabbath was from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday.  I think I got that right?  How many New Testament denominations are still trying to hold to the Sabbath and meet on Saturdays.  On the other side of the coin, many believe God moved the Sabbath to Sunday under the New Covenant.  Neither one is correct!  Under grace, Jesus is now our eternal rest.  We rest on the finished work of the cross of Jesus.  Jesus is the Sabbath!

The Christian Church by “tradition” meets on Sunday, I believe this is because so many great things happen on Sunday, like the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.  But it is not a holy day, nor is it the traditional Sabbath day. Jesus is our Sabbath and everyday is a day of worship.

Everyday under the New Covenant, we Christians should get out of bed and enjoy the presence of the Lord and worship and give thanks to God.  Everyday we should be reading our Bibles and devotionals and spending quality time with God, while one day of the week or more, we should gather as a community of believers and give worship as a family before God.

The Gentile “Church” (body of believers) traditionally meets on Sunday, but a church as a body can meet anytime they decide.  On Tuesday night, Saturdays, it makes no difference.  We gather as a family weekly and give worship, but like I said, individually we should be worshipping God daily.  Everyday a believer should set aside time for God.

Conclusion

I know I do not write with much grace, I write more like James in the Bible. Do not believe me, read the Book of James.  James is straight to the point and very opinionated according to todays standards. In no way do I want to put you in any bondage to the Spirit of Grace in this article.  I only want to show those who feel or still hang tight to legalism or the law, that the Law is limited.  Read the Bible, how many times did men think they were keeping the Law only to have  Jesus show them their folly?  But under Grace, living under the Spirit of God and His guidance, God can show us and teach us so much better.  I like this example:

You go for a job and when you complete the interview, you get the job.  Then you ask for the “employee handbook.”  They give it to you but then say, read it over quickly but you will not be needing it.  You look puzzled and they say follow us and they take you to the Owner of the companies office.  You sit down and he explains; yes read over the employee handbook but for the greater part you will be working with me personally.  I will teach you all the ins and outs of my company.  I will show you personally how I like my company run.  I will teach you all that you need to know personally.  Everyday I will be you working side by side with you.

What do you think is the better way?  Sitting down reading a handwritten book or having the owner personally teaching you all that you need to know of His company and his heart.

That my friend is my conclusion to this!

Everyday we can wake up with the Spirit of Grace and be guided by His Spirit and the Word of God – the Bible.  This is where He teaches us the most.  Yes I do know that “do not steal” is written in the Law, but how many times have I done something like that and the Holy Spirit would ask me if this is how I should conduct myself?  For example, the Holy Spirit would convict me of taking extra pens from the bank lobby.  How many times has the Spirit of God showed me things in my marriage, or raising my children that is not written in the Law or the Bible?

 The Holy Spirit does not contradict the Word of God, rather, the Holy Spirit explains the Word and guides us in following the Word.  Living this way, through Grace is a far better way to live!  It is a much more intimate and personal way to relate and interact with God.  We have a loving God who lives and breathes in our hearts.

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

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The Law is For Wimps Part II

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Last week I started showing you, through scripture that we as New Testament Saints are not under the Law, neither should these two covenants (the Old covenant and the New covenant) be mixed together.  Many Christian organizations and denomination today do this.  I believe that the Apostle Paul references this concept in the following verse:

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15  (NKJV)

I believe we as mature ministers need to know how to divide the Word of God.  We should know the difference between the Old and New covenants and not try to mix the two together as Saint Paul explained in the Book of Galatians.

This week I will show you why I say the “The Law is for WIMPS.”  Why I say that the New Covenant is superior in every way to the Old Covenant of Law.  I will show you once again why those who try to mix the two are dealing with some serious spiritual issues.

Since I became a Christian, I have seen that the Message of Grace preached in even the most conservative denominations is a weaker and softer approach to the Law.  Somehow these churches believe that the Old Covenant Law is for the John Wayne spiritual types and the New Covenant Grace message is for the Robin Williams spiritual type person.  They believe that those who can keep the law are the spiritual army drill sergeants and hard core spirititual types.  For everyone else these churches believe that God gave them the “Grace message” because it a let many off the hook and is the wimpy approach to God for those who can not hack it.

Just the other day, I was talking to my wife about how some family members of ours. hates a preacher in Guatemala, who preaches the grace and faith message.  They say, “he is of the devil” and that their STRICT legalist denominational church is so superior and never would preach the grace message.  Well bad news for them.   Number one,  they are misguided and two, I will show you by the Word of God how the Gospel of Grace in the New Testament is way more demanding and tougher then any Law message.  This is the point to my Part ii message.

ROUND 1

JESUS VS RICH YOUNG RULER

Mark 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”[c]20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Here is a teaching about a rich young ruler that has been taken out of context a lot.  I want to point out in this article that the rich young man, was very secure in himself, his riches and his spirituality and probably his position in life.  He comes to Jesus I believe, in hopes of bolstering his already high opinion of himself.  This young man (the law keeper) tells Jesus (messenger of grace), that he has kept all the law from his youth.  He was so sure of himself and his righteousness.   Jesus out of compassion (grace) shows this man, what he was lacking.  Go sell all you have!  Jesus is not telling us that we must sell all we have and be poor to be in his kingdom.  He was showing this young man, to make a point to him!   This young man’s god was money and he was not keeping “the law” as he thought he was.  He went away sorrowful. Under the Law, you can get a false sense of security in your religion. This man was full of pride and so was the Pharisees that Jesus had to deal with.   Grace 1, Law 0

Round II

Jesus (the women caught in adultery) vs the Scribes, Pharisees 

John 8: But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 Now early[a] in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[b] in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded[c] us that such should be stoned.[d] But what do You say?”[e] 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.[f]7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up[g] and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience,[h] went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her,[i] “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[j] Has no one condemned you?”11 She said, “No one, Lord. ”And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[k] sin no more.”

The Pharisee thought once again that they had Jesus in a “catch 22.”  They figured that either way Jesus would answer they had him.  If Jesus condemned her, they would have pointed out that His grace went only so far and He was just like them.  On the other hand, if Jesus lets her go, He would be violating one of God’s own commandments of the Old Testament.  That would show He was not from God and was a false teacher.  So they finally had Him!  I believe at this point they began to realize something about their attacks against Jesus.  It seems Jesus always trampled on their traditions and their doctrines.  As we read the Bible, to us it looks like Jesus many times breaks the law and violates God’s Word.  In fact however, Jesus never violated God’s Word but instead destroyed man made laws. As you study the Bible, you will find that the Pharisees and religious leaders turned God’s 10 Commandments into 613 laws and traditions.  God gave only 1o, but they had made tradition after tradition.  What God meant for good, the religious leaders turned into a millstone around the neck of the people.  The law was burdensome!

I believe when Jesus wrote in the sand, He wrote down the sins of the people.  Then when He wrote the second time, I believe Jesus started writing names behind their sins, starting from the oldest to the youngest.  They then started running away because Jesus exposed their darkness.  They wanted Jesus to condemn the women for her sin, but I believe he was showing them they needed to deal with their own secret sins.  All left and fled from the light of God.  Jesus then looked around and asked the woman where are the people accusing you?  He then, did not condemn her by the law but showed her grace.

A question here.  Which is harder?  To condemn her to death and get rid of her within 5 minutes or show her grace and offer her a new life with discipleship that will take a life time?  That’s the difference between law and grace.  It is easy to condemn, but it would take a lifetime of work to harvest a beautiful repentant life as Jesus did here.  This story did not end here, but began with her as one of Jesus’ true followers.  Grace 2 Law 0

Round III

Tax collector (sinner) vs Pharisee (law keeper)

Luke 18 9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This round finds Jesus telling a parable of a tax collector, one of Israel’s most hated.  Tax collectors  were Jews but they worked for Rome.  They habitually collected and made people pay more than was owed to cover their greed.  So needless to say, they were hated.  On the other end we have Israel’s so called finest.  The highest in their religious order.  The Pharisees, Scribes (lawyers), and Sadducees.  In todays world we would consider them like the “Cardinals” who serve the Catholic Church in Rome.  These men esteem the highest religious positions.  But Jesus had a different opinion of these men.  You see, those who hold tightly to the Law build it on self-righteousness and pride.  They believe they are holding to the law but just as in the case of the young rich ruler in Chapter 18 in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus breaks through their deception and shows them the truth.  No man is justified by the Law. No matter how good you are, no one can keep the Law.  The bible makes this clear.  Roman 3:23  All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  The Pharisee thought he was keeping the law and was righteous, but it was the tax collector who knew his place before God.  Jesus makes it clear that the Tax Collector went home justified before the throne of God, while the Pharisee went home the same way he came to the temple, lost, full of pride and deceived in believing he was right before God.  Grace 3 Law 0

 Deceived and Full of Pride

I have ended with this story because it leads back to my original premise.  People who live a legalistic life based on the Law believe 100% that they are “Gods best,” just like the Pharisee in this parable.  He read out loud his own list of good deeds.  He had no need of a Savior to deliver him because he was his own deliverer.  But we read in Matthew 23: 1-18 that Jesus had finally had it with the Israel’s religious system and false teachers of His day by sharing the woes of the Scribes and Pharisees.  I believe Jesus had had it with them.  He showed them time and time again through Love and by the Word and by His deeds and His miracles that He was the Son of God.  But nothing, not even raising back to life a man that had been dead for three days could convince them.  This is how legalism works, it hardens the heart with deception and pride.

The Law is for Wimps II Conclusion

You might still be asking how is Grace tougher than the Law?  No one can keep the law!  I will show you a few example of what I mean, when I say there is no such thing as cheap grace and living under grace is a easy way out.  I believe living under grace is more way more tougher then the Law. Heres is my examples.

How many laws and traditions are there under the Law?  According to one source there are 613 laws and traditions.

Now how many commands are there living under Grace?  I believe most will say two.  Love thy God with all your heart, soul and mind and Love your neighbor as yourself.  Those two commandments fulfill the Law.  If you love someone you will not steal, lie, commit sexual sin or covet their possessions from them.

But under Grace the answer is an infinite number.  Let me explain. Under grace we live by the Spirit of God.  The Holy Spirit directs every believer and guides him with God’s will and plan for their life.  The Holy Spirit guides you in your life decisions, for example, who you should marry, where you should work, if you should buy that house or just rent etc. etc.

Remember Jesus is not only Savior of our life but our Lord and King.  So when the Holy Spirit is at work in us, He is directing us, that is all of us who believe.  So think of how many times the Holy Spirit is guiding all of us believers in the world with all of our decisions that need to be made on a daily basis. That number boggles the mind.  This is truly a KING in charge of His Kingdom. How different our world would look if we all would really live in the spirit and obey His Word.

Understand this, when you read the New Testament, especially the from the book of Acts to Revelation. You are reading a lot of principles set down by God for His New Testament Church and how we who live under the Kingdom and the Lordship of Jesus Christ should be conducting our lives.  For example marriage. God shows us that under grace a women is not a servant to her husband but should live in submission to her husband. On the other hand, men are not to be commanding submission and servitude but “loving his wife as Christ loves his church. This means God never forces anyone at any time to do anything. God never forces himself or His Lordship over anyone. We live under freewill. Give me one Law that can cover the depth of this subject? This is one example of living under grace. It takes the Spirit of God and a lifetime of walking with the Lord to begin to understand the love the Lord has for us. God gave us this principles to state who ever lives under my way shall prosperous in all their ways. God bless. Next week Part III

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

If this article has blessed you, let us know. It blesses me and ALSO please do the easiest thing possible for us! HIT THE SHARE BUTTON. WHAT A BLESSING THAT IS.

DSI Ministries is open to speak on any of our topic at your Church, home group or Bible study. Let us know I believe it would be a blessing to all.

 

 

 

 

The Law is for Wimps

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This is a bold title for a blog, would you not agree?

First I want to say that I mean no disrespect to the Law or the Word of God.  That is not the point here! God’s word, the Bible is sacred to me.  So when I start out by saying the ” The Law is for Wimps”, I am referring to people and religious organizations who use legalism (the Law) to control and manipulate people.  I find in my 30 years of being a Christian, that there seems to be a worse attitude towards the “grace message and the New Covenant” than there is the law.  This article is meant to show you that “the grace of God” is not a cake walk and in reality is more a challenge than “the Law.”  Let us begin with a life experience of mine dealing with the Law and Church.

When I was a “baby Christian,” just born-again a year or so, I used to go to our Sunday morning service and a big subject was “keeping the Law and living in grace”.   I was studying the Books of Galatians and Romans which together say a lot about Doctrine and the subjects of Law and Grace.  So you can imagine that their take on this subject did not sit well with me.  God gave me a revelation on Grace and how we as New Testament Saints are no longer under the law but grace.  I brought this up and we got into a heated debate.  I was not trying to be difficult, but I was very confused by what the Elders in my church said.  This brought a real conflict into my spirit.  Because of this I was called to the “Pastors Office” for much needed correction and when I got there, the Spirit of God fell on both me and the Pastor .  I shared, “I was not trying to be difficult but I was more confused then anything how people who claim to be so “Word” minded refused to see scripture for what it said.”  So the Pastor asked me to share what God has been showing me and he would straighten me out.  I welcomed the idea, I loved my brothers in Christ and I did not want conflict. So as we began to discuss this topics, I began to share what God was showing me in scripture. The Pastor tried to maintain his position but I seen a uncomfortable look on his face.  Something was wrong!  The Pastor at this point stopped me and said “lets pray together.”  We did and then the biggest surprise happen.  He closed his bible and then asked me two questions. Who was teaching me on this subject of Grace and what book was I reading.  I said, “no one was teaching me but the Spirit of God, and what book I was reading, I said the, “the Bible.”  Thank God, my Pastor was a spiritually sensitive man and heard God real well because he stopped in his tracks. He said, “What is discussed here can not leave this room, I can not be at odds with the elders.” I agreed. He continued ” I see God has been teaching you and what you are understanding is completely correct.  Your understanding is at a pastors level of learning and I can not grieve the Spirit of God. So what God is teaching you is completely correct and biblical, but you need to understand that there are traditions in churches and men’s pet doctrines and you are stamping on them all, right now!  Secondly, I need to maintain control, how can I maintain control and the offering if I do not use the Law to enforce on people of my congregation.”  We agreed after the meeting I would cease my interjection of grace in the bible study and let there be peace.  But after that I had a deeper relationship with the Pastor and he was the one who made me “youth pastor” after God told him to place me there after he spent a month in prayer for a youth pastor. I began my life in ministry.

Let me show you I mean no disrespect to the Law, God word in the New Testament has it own way of saying this!  The Bible makes it clear that the law was only temporary, it was never established to be forever or even kept. But I going to use a lot of scriptures to state this so you can see this is not opinion based blog. It from word of God.

Hebrews 8:13
In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete (the old covenant). Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
 
The Bible makes it clear that New Covenant (grace) has make the Old covenant (law) obsolete.  I did not say it the Bible does.
 
The word obsolete in the Webster Online dictionary says : no longer used because something newer exists : replaced by something newer: no longer used by anyone.
 
This is powerful in itself. I did not expect this definition when I looked it up: no longer used, something newer exist.  Exactly what Hebrews 8:13 says. That the New Covenant replaced the Old Covenant. I do not know about you. I have learned with the invention of cell phones it made the land line phone,  almost over night land line telephones became obsolete.  I have not had a home phone in almost 20 years now.  The same happen when cassette tapes replace the 8 track and now cassettes replaced by CDs and now the internet streaming is replacing everything.  It means to me that home phones still exist and I still can find a 8 tracks but why?  They are now obsolete and no value or use to me in comparison to owning a smart phone or having my music in mp3 form on my tablets and phones. The law still is there in print in the Old Testament of the Bible but it been replace by a better and more glorious Covenant.

 

2 Corinthians 3:4-17(NKJV)  And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;[a] for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

I can belabor this point indefinitely in the New Testament but when it come to people who in church they have one hobby horse they ride and it is this verse that Jesus said:

Matthew 5:17-18
[ Christ Fulfills the Law ] “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

I hear people quote this verse constantly in defending in keep on with the law because Jesus said it will not pass away until it was fulfilled meaning that the law is good until the “end of the world” not knowing or realizing at the cross when Jesus said  “it is finished” he was fulfilling this verse and the whole law. Jesus was the fulfillment and the end of the law. In verse 17 he said this before verse 18: I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. He did that at the cross he kept his word and the Law was fulfilled to the fullest extent to the requirements of God. I want to add some verses to finish this section of this blog.

  • Romans 6:14
    For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
  • Romans 7:6
    But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
  • Romans 8:2
    For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
  • Romans 7:4
    Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
  • Galatians 2:21
    I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
  • Galatians 3:21 
    Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
The purpose of the Law
So the logical question might be asked, If  we are saved by grace and by the blood of Jesus what was the purpose of the Law. I will explain it simply and then once again show you verses to help you out.  I find most do not realize that from Adam to Moses there was no law, no ten commandments. The law was first to show us want was wrong, if we have no law there nothing to say it is wrong!  It second purpose is to show us that we are sinners and need of a Savior.  God knew from the beginning that no human can keep the law and then it states in the Book of James that if you error in one point of the law your guilty of it all.  It was never meant to be kept but to show us our need for God.  If you do not believe me do the litmus test: Get honest with yourself, no rationalizations, no justifications and go through the ten commandments one by one and asked have I ever broke this to the small degree? I bet before you get to number 4 you will be full of guilt and shame, if you are honest.  Now image taking this test before a Holy, all knowing God and your eternal soul was on the line? Any takers? I do not think so.  Well this is why we need Jesus. He the only one who can go through the litmus test and pass and because he passed, you pass under the New Covenant. He paid for all those sins you committed.
  • Romans 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
  • Romans 7:7[ Sin’s Advantage in the Law ] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet
  • Galatians 3:19[ Purpose of the Law ] What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed (Jesus) should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
  • Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
  • Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
     
     
    The Answer to Law 
    Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the answer to the law.  He came to fulfill the Law. God did not sweep our sins under a rug or say “boy will be boys.” or even turn his head and pay no attention.  He first announced that all men our guilty of sin and rebellion.  The said the “wages of sin, the consciences of sin is death” Roman 6:23 then after he announced our guilt, he became man (Jesus) and came and experienced what is to be human. He lived on this planet for 33 years. Not as royalty and all its splendor, as a son of a carpenter in a small rural village called Nazareth. Then after that took our sins, all our failures and Gods holy judgement on us and placed it on Himself on the cross. He paid all your debt and because He paid it all, we owe nothing. This is the love and the grace of God.  So what happens with Christians who are misguided, they receive the grace of God and then go back and try to earn Gods love and favor by trying to keep the law. The book of Galatians deals with this whole subject of trying to mix the Old and New Covenant. Paul called this a accursed Gospel.  Why try to work for what is already paid for and brought?   If I went to your bank and paid off your mortgage, and then later you go in and try to pay on it, knowing I paid if off. The banker would tell you. It paid in full, no longer do you need to pay on it. The house belongs to you. That what is done in Christ. Your sins, your debts been paid. You are no longer trying to be forgiven, you are forgiven. You no longer trying to be righteous, you been declared righteous by the Holy Judge.
    Here is some verses from this very idea. 
     
  • Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
     
  • Galatians 2:16  knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
  •  Galatians 3:11  But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
     
  • Galatians 5:4  You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
  •  Galatians 3:10 [ The Law Brings a Curse ] For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”
  •  Galatians 2:21  I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
     
  • Romans 3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law
     
     
     We can conclude from these verses we are no longer under the Old Covenant (the Law) but under a better and more glorious covenant. Next week we will deal with those who think they are under the law and guilt.
 

 

If you enjoyed this first part tune in next week for Part 2. Also please bless us by sharing this with your friends and unreached by using Facebook and other social media. It helps us get out the word. Thank you and God bless.

DSI Ministries is available to speak at your bible studies or your church meetings and teach on any subject you enjoy on our blog series. Please feel free to contact us. 

 

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: The Danger of Living your Life at the Tree of Knowledge of What is Right and Wrong

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The Danger of Living your Life at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Right and Wrong)

Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

One day while I was on a mission outreach trip to the frontier region of the Guatemala/Mexico Border in a small village named El Cielo, I went with another missionary to help build a cement patio for a Pastor.  He was opening up a laundry business to help support his poor church.  I mixed cement the old-fashion way with a hoe and shovel all day on a 95 degree, scorching hot day.  We worked until 5 pm and then we ate and got ready for church that night.  I was exhausted, but on the way to the church, the Pastor, who I had worked side by side all day with said “you are preaching tonight!” I was shocked!  I had nothing to talk about, nor had I given it any thought.  I felt panicked and I immediately went to God.  Out of nowhere God gave me this verse.  I do not even know if I had ever read it before!  It was in my head, so with an hour to spare before church I sat outside and searched for this verse and where its location in the Bible.  As I began to meditate on “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death”,  I watched a bunch of young guys on the street playing soccer. I then received this revelation from God.

As I watched these guys playing soccer, I figured out what God was showing me.  There is nothing wrong with playing soccer, it is fun and it is a great way to spend a afternoon.  Then I saw it, though there is nothing what-so-ever wrong with playing soccer, the Lord showed me that while they thought nothing was wrong with playing soccer it would effectually lead some of these men to hell.  Why?  They had nothing to do with God and Jesus.  Even though the saving message of Salvation was being preached, that could save their souls, they were so busy playing soccer and never considering if they died that night what would happen to their souls. So that night I preach this message.

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Last week I shared a message on the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.”  You see most people understand the problems, the dangers and the horrible reality of “evil.” We all watch the evening news with all the murders, rapes, wars and terrible autracidy in the world. We understand people who live that way, only for themselves and hurting anyone who gets in their way, deserves a place in the Lake of Fire

But do people ever consider the exact same problem that exist with living at the tree of knowledge of good?  You see it is the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  One tree with one fruit!  So now let us focus on the dangers of living a “good, clean moral life.” I want to repeat this, we understand evil and it dangers and all its consequences, but do we understand that living a right life or a good life leads to the same place.  Let me explain this verse and the revelation God gave me. 

Remember the young men playing soccer, nothing was wrong with that except they were filling their lives with everything but God.  While the grace message was being preached just a block away, they were too busy playing soccer to hear the message of God. They had no idea if their life was to end that moment, where would they be?

I cannot count, how many people have I talked to since I became a Christian, I would hear them say that I am going to heaven because; “I am a good person,” or I help people,” or “I give to worthy causes, I keep the law and I go to church, I live by the Golden Rule.  How many funerals have I been to and heard people saying ” He is in a better place now, he was a good man, a good father and husband.”

But the Bible says something completely different about these people, and I will get to that in a bit.

The unreached people group in America for Jesus Christ
Many Christians in America today are focused on cultural wars, e.g., dealing with gay marriage in the United States.  I personally believe that one of the largest groups that need to receive Jesus Christ lives in suburbia America.
How many of our next-door neighbors are living good lives?  Going to work, raising their kids, putting them through college and not breaking any laws.  These wonderful people, who are living wonderful lives have no idea what danger awaits them in eternity.  So many have been mislead and do not understand the danger they are in day in and day out.  They are under the assumption that because they are basically good, that when they die they should of course go to heaven or at least have have a good shot at it.  These people are deceived into believing that living a “right life or a good life” wins them a seat in heaven.  They believe going to church, being baptized or being raised in a Christian home automatically makes them a Christian.
Sadly today, many denominational churches have stopped preaching the Gospel and have replaced it with some “feel good messages” on how to live right and be a good person.  Some may say join our church and be baptized, but then never offer a person the Gospel message.  Oh yes they mention Jesus, how we should follow his examples and teaching, but they never explain nor lead their congregation to “repentance and the way of the cross and eternal life.”  So these (poor lost sheep), they sit in church week after week believing that they are good and right Christians.  People believe that because of some works they have done are going to Heaven.
  The Bible shows us a different picture
Roman 3:23; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

Roman 3:10-12  As it is written:“There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10; A rich, religious young man came to Jesus for eternal life.  He believed his religious, good up bringing could win him a place in heaven.  But he was taught a hard lesson by Jesus:

Mark10:17-22:   Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”   So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”  And he answered and said to Him,  “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”   Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

So many have missed the point of this story.  They have believed that in order to go to heaven, you must sell all you have and be poor!  That was not the point Jesus was conveying to this young man.  The young man told Jesus that he had kept the law since his youth.  However, when Jesus told him to sell all, his inner heart’s desire was revealed, for he was in reality violating the Second commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

His money and possessions were a “god” to him.  His possessions owned him.  They meant more to him than his eternal life.  If he truly had followed the law to perfection, selling his goods would not have been a issue, but it was.  Jesus simply revealed this mans heart for him to see.  Jesus did not do this for sake of condemnation but to show this young man what he was lacking and how he needed God.

So the Bible explains that none of us are good and righteous people, none of us can live by the law and pass God’s judgement.  We all have messed up and fallen short.  But this is good news not bad news! 

I want you to understand this; You can live a good life, be a good spouse, good parent and a great worker and do all the right things like pay your bills, pay your taxes and be a model person and citizen: only to end up in HELL!

WHO CAN BE SAVED?

Matthew 19 25-26: When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus tell us, “with men this is impossible.”  Man can not save himself, he can not do right and be good enough.  He can not live under the law and make it.  The bible says: If you fail at one point of the law you are guilty of breaking them all!  One mess up, one little lie and your finished, but once again this is not bad news but great news.  It is great news because Jesus finishes this verse with: “but with God all things are possible”

All we have to do is stop trying on our own to “get it right” and acknowledge we have failed.  We have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.  Then, after acknowledging this we can allow God to pay our way.  God has already paid for our sins.  God paid it all.  So we do not have to strive to be righteous, because being righteous is a “Gift of God” not a work. God did this to saved His Children. To say you!
 The best “buts” in the bible?
The first great “but” in the bible was the verse we just read.  Matthew 19:26:
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, BUT with God all things are possible.”
The second “but” is found in Romans 6:23:
For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Remember earlier when I quoted Roman 3:23: for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 
We all have sinned and the bible makes it clear that the wage of that sin is death!  Your paycheck for sinning is death.  We do not have to debate this one.  We all know that one day we will have an appointment with “Death.”  No one escapes this reality.  And for most this is a fearful and horrible day.  We try to put it out of our mind and try hard not to think about it.
“BUT” THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN JESUS OUR LORD
Salvation, eternal life is a gift from God, it is not earned or worked for,  because if it was, none of us would have any hope. None us all can be good enough or even rich enough to buy it, it can not be earned or bought!   But God became man and His name was Jesus.  Jesus went to the tree (cross) and died for all our mistakes (sins).   All of the things we did not do and all of the things we should have done but failed to do (sins of omission).  The death of Jesus on the cross covered all man’s sins and errors.  That is why Jesus told his panicked Disciples, “what is impossible for man is possible for God.”  So today we can eat from the “Tree of Life” because for all who accept Jesus’s death on the cross as the total payment for their sins has eternal life.   It is all for the asking. No one who calls on His name is turned away. Just receive it by asking Jesus for it:
 
Jesus I realize I am a sinner and not a good or right person.  I have failed and have come short of the Glory of God.  I now confess with my mouth and my heart that “Jesus died and paid all my sins at the cross ” and through His resurrection I now have eternal life because of what Jesus has done.  I now repent from all my sins and dead religious works and accept what Jesus has done at the cross. Amen
If you said this prayer let me know.  Let me know if I can do anything to help you start this new life.

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

DENNIS STAUFFER INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES IS  AVAILABLE TO TEACH OR PREACH AT YOUR CHURCH OR BIBLE STUDY FROM ANY TEACHING FROM OUR BLOGS.  EMAIL ME OR FEEL FREE TO CALL @719-373-2427  or  dinostauffer@yahoo.com

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Part I

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The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Genesis 2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 

I have a feeling most people do not understand that the tree of knowledge was not just the “knowledge of evil.”  It was the “tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.

I believe most people think that Adam and Eve only knew “good.”  I Believe they did not even know what “good” was.  So the question is,(humanly speaking), if they did not know what good and evil or another way to say it: right or wrong was, what did they know?  The answer is “they only knew what proceeded from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4;4.  They only knew the Word of God.  God does not operate on the idea of what is right and wrong. That is how humans think.  These are human terms that came from the fall at the Garden of Eden.”  God ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts.  God only knows and speaks what has eternal wisdom.  His ways are the only ways to prosper and to succeed in life.  Our ways are based on what we think is right and wrong or good and evil, and they are tainted and designed to fail.  Our ways and thoughts are always tainted with self-will and the sin nature.

The tree of eternal life 

Genesis 3:22:  The Lord God said, “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”

Why did God have to remove Adam and Eve from the Garden?  It was not because he was punishing them.  He was saving them.  Saving them from what?  If they ate from the Tree of Life,  they would have lived forever in this sinful state.  Can you imagine living in this dying bodies for all eternity?  Having cancer or being crippled and never have any hope of escaping this fate.  Image getting old and then even older and never able to end the aging process.  It would be a fate worse than death.

But God did not end the story there.  There was another plan and another tree, the” Tree of Life.”  It was the cross of Jesus.  A place were we can go and have all theses sins from the tree of knowledge of good and evil removed.  A place where God will never remember your sins any more.

Hebrews 8:12; For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their sins will I remember no more.

Hebrews 10:17; then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

When we come to the cross of Jesus, Jesus adopts us into His family.  Not on the basis of how good we are.  He will offer life to us and that life is eternal.  Never having to die, as the world knows it, but to live forever with Jesus Christ, That life starts here and now and is forever. 
After most people have receive Jesus, they return to the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.”  Instead of staying with Jesus at the “Tree of Life,”  They return to living their lives not based on what the Word of God says about them.  Instead they return to living life by trying to be good and not do evil.  They attempt to live by man-made laws and traditions.  People believe that if they only live well enough, God will love them more and they will be accepted even more.  They do not realize that it was ALL done at the cross.  At the Cross is where we have the Love of God.  We find His acceptance on what Jesus did, not on what we do or don’t do.  All we will ever need is at the Tree of Life, that is, the Cross of Eternal life with Jesus Christ.  We need to operate and direct our life based on the Word of God and quit trying to live on our understanding of the right and wrong standards. Next week I will conclude with the “Dangers of Living your life at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

DENNIS STAUFFER INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES IS  AVAILABLE TO TEACH OR PREACH AT YOUR CHURCH OR BIBLE STUDY FROM ANY TEACHING FROM OUR BLOGS.  EMAIL ME OR FEEL FREE TO CALL @719-373-2427    dinostauffer@yahoo.com

Cain and Abel: The Results and Destruction of Living a Religious Life. Part II

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The Results and Harm of Cain’s Decision

As we follow the history of the Bible throughout the world, we can see Cain’s reaction played over and over again.  How did Cain respond to Abel and to God?  In anger, rejection and with murder.  Cain got so angry with GOD, he killed Abel.

We can see this pattern played out through the entire Old Testament, New Testament and in the history of man.  Philistine went to war with Israel over their gods.  Israel killed the prophets of God and persecuted them.  When Jesus had to deal with the religious order of his day, how did they react?  In the same way as Cain.  With anger, rejection and finally putting Jesus to death on the cross.  It has never changed, religion hates the truth! That is why so many people get so angry over this message when I preach it. Religion rises up within them.

The Pharisees who killed Jesus thought they were doing the work of God, they thought they were the children of Moses and Abraham.  Even when we get to the book of Acts, we find that the first Christian ever martyred, Steven was killed by the religious orders for the same reasons.  Also in the book of Acts, you can study Paul, a religious leader who killed and imprisoned every Christian he could find.  But when he had an encounter with Jesus, he changed from a religious person to a person who had a relationship with Jesus Christ. (A personal study of  Paul’s life in the book of Acts, is a perfect example of this study.)  Every apostle was martyred by religious people who hated Jesus.  And today it is no different.  Christians are being persecuted all over the world, by other religious groups.

In the name of religion, we have seen war after war.  We have had the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisitions and even today, we see Muslims and Hindus killing Christians all over this world.  Even in Ireland, we had so called “Christian groups” killing each other in the name of God and the name of Jesus Christ.  Get this straight, Jesus had nothing to do with these wars.  Jesus would never have Christians killing Christians, or even worse, trying to force Christianity down peoples throat or imposing it as a law of the land.  Salvation is a free gift and it can only be accepted freely, God did not make or force Cain to do what was right.  It was his choice and so it is yours.

In the world we live in today we can see people in the name of Allah blowing themselves up with bombs, beheading people and flying planes into buildings, all in the name of religion.  Here in America, we have Christian leaders trying to legislate Christian values in Washington.

Why is it so important to have the 10 commandments written on the wall of some court house, our momuments, and on our money, when we as Christians have failed to write these same 10 commandments on the hearts of our lost countrymen.  Jesus can never be legislated, He can only be received in our hearts with love.

The Real Damage of Religion in Christianity

Let’s bring this closer to home.  Today there are true Christians and religious Christians.  Both groups believe in Jesus, go to church, and even say the same creeds and believe basically in the same things, that is, except for the very subtle injection of religion.  Remember religion is based on works and what you do.  But here is the real damage, Sunday after Sunday,  religious Christians go to church and then live moral lives.  I know this for a fact, I grew up in a religious home, I was an altar boy and I never missed church.  I did all the sacraments, my mother was the same way, she raised us this way.  So what’s the problem?  We were trying to earn our way to heaven.  Our lives were based on doing the best we could, so that God would accept us, but the harder we tried the more we recognized and felt our failures.  (Religion does this, it only brings guilt and condemnation, followed by a stronger resolve to work even harder.  It’s an endless cycle that leads you into the pit of hell, while you believe all along that you are doing the will of God.)

So many good people are going to church, living this type of life and going straight to hell.  They may know and have the head knowledge and the theology of what Jesus did at Calvary, but that is all it is: theology and history.  They never take it from their head and put it in their heart in order to put their full trust in Christ.  In this religiosity,  Jesus is in the churches, in statues, in creeds, in vain prayers and in traditions, and only in print form in the BIBLE.  Again, Christianity as a religion has Jesus as not being real, not in their hearts, nor in their minds, he is far off  in some distant heaven.  But in truth, in true Christianity, Jesus desires to be closer than a brother and more intimate as a wife or husband.

Today, Jesus is as real to me as any other member of my family.  He speaks to me, He guides me, He jokes with me, and He fellowships with me as much any physical human being can.  People have asked, why do I believe in the Bible?  I always tell them, I personally know the author, he is a personal friend of mine.  He has been my Savior, my king and my friend who has been guiding me for over 25 years.  Like I said before, even though I can’t see Jesus with my eyes, He is as real and personal to me as my wife Maria.  My question to you?  Is your Jesus only in your church, somewhere off in a distant heaven, only on the pages of your Bible, or is Jesus a real active person and family member in your life?

I’m not sure, is there a way I can know if I’m a real Christian?

There are many ways to find out through the Word of God.  But for this message, I want to make it very simple.

I want you to shut your eyes and imagine you are standing in front of the throne of God.  God now asks you this question;  Why should I allow you into the kingdom of heaven?  What is your answer and be honest, after all you were standing before God.  What is your first answer, your first reaction?  Is your answer, I was raised as a Christian, I was baptized, and my whole family is Christian, or would you  say, I was a good person, I help the poor and I did good deeds and works.  Maybe you would answer like the Rich ruler in the Bible and say I have kept the whole law since I was a child and I have never wandered from it.  Perhaps you might say, I’m a Catholic, I’m a Baptist, or Mormon etc.  Unfortunately, these answers no matter how good they sound, will earn you a one way ticket to hell.

The only good answer is just like Abel’s.  God will accept and in fact can only accept that I put my whole trust on what Jesus did at Calvary.  Jesus died, shed his blood and paid for all my sins on the cross at Calvary.

Remember it is no different today.  Just as in the story of Cain and Abel, God will not and cannot accept any other offering than the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  God will not negotiate on this.  There is only one way to the kingdom of heaven, it’s not my works but faith in Jesus Christ.

So like the words that God gave to Cain, if you do what is right you will be accepted.

How can I have a real relationship with Jesus?

Personally I know I’m a sinner, I know I can never keep the law, I know I’ve never lived a perfect day.  So knowing this, I never put my trust in myself or in anything that I do.  Why?  Because I know Jesus came and paid my entire debt that I owe to God.  He paid it in full. There’s nothing I can do to add to it or make it better.  Jesus did it perfectly.  I am accepted by God with all my sins paid for.  My past sins, my present sins, and my future sins – all that I will ever fail at is covered under the blood of Jesus Christ.  So instead of focusing on performance like I was working on a job and trying to get promotions, my focus has been on what Jesus came for, a personal relationship between Jesus and myself.  Christianity is based on intimacy, fellowship and family.  Being a Christian is having a personal relationship with God. So if you want this relationship with Jesus say a prayer and asked him.   Say something like this:

Jesus, I realize I am a sinner, I can not make it right and no matter how hard I try, I have failed. So, I now stop all my works, all my religious activities and except your finished work on the cross. I believed you suffered, died and rose again to pay for all my sins and failures. I now believe all my sin debt has been paid by your blood and will not every be used against me. I now truly put all my faith and trust in you. I now asked and believe you hear me when I asked to be a part of your family and adopted in to the kingdom of God. IN JESUS NAME  Amen.

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

DENNIS STAUFFER INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES IS  AVAILABLE TO TEACH OR PREACH AT YOUR CHURCH OR BIBLE STUDY FROM ANY TEACHING FROM OUR BLOGS.  EMAIL ME OR FEEL FREE TO CALL @719-373-2427    dinostauffer@yahoo.com

Cain and Abel: The Birth of Religion. Part I

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Genesis 4:1-16 (NLT)

4 Now Adam[a] had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced[b] a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”[c] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

9 Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”

“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment[d] is too great for me to bear! 14 You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”

15 The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16 So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod,[e] east of Eden.

The Background

Let’s begin our study with a little background of Cain and Abel.  Cain and Abel are the sons of Adam and Eve, Cain being the oldest, was a farmer.  Abel was the second son, he was a sheep herder.  The Bible tells us in this passage that Cain and Abel, have now grown up.  It was now time for them to offer sacrifices for their own sins.  Like most of us who have grown up in some sort of religious training, we know there will come a time when it will no longer be our parents who are to be responsible for our relationship with God.  The training that we have received in the Lord is now our own privilege and responsibility.  This was no different for Cain and Abel.  After the fall in the garden, Adam and Eve were shown by the Lord how to cover their own sins, but now it is time for Cain and Abel to make a sin offering to cover their own sins.  If you understand this, most of the confusion resulting from your previous teaching, wherever or whenever it may have occurred, will go away.  I hope through this teaching I can clear away a lot of the confusion that has resulted from past erroneous teaching regarding this passage of scripture.  Now let us get into the heart of this teaching.

The murder of righteous Abel

The story of Cain and Abel as written in the Bible, is the first ever recorded murder of another man.  It tells the story of two brothers who wanted to win approval from God.  One was Abel, who knew how to win favor with God.  The other was his brother Cain who wanted to win the approval of God by doing things his own way.  Cain became very angry when God rejected his offering by his own methods.  

This is where a lot of bad teaching comes in.  Some have speculated that Abel’s offering was accepted because it was of a better quality whereas Cane’s offering was simply left-overs from his crops and not of the first fruits.

Hebrews 9:18-22; Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (of sins)

So let’s clear this up from the beginning, the reason Cain’s offering was not accepted, was because it did not contain  blood, and what Scripture tells us is that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.  Where did Cain and Abel learn this?  They learned this from their parents and from God.  When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, God made them garments from animal skins.  This meant God had to kill an animal and shed the blood to get the garments to cover Adam and Eve.  This is a universal principle.  As you study the entire Bible, you will find the principle of shed blood covered sins from the beginning to the end of the Bible.  In the Old Testament, the blood of lambs, goats and heifers were offered as a symbolic offering until the time of Christ.  The Book of Hebrews says this could never take away the sins of man.  So in the New Testament, God became man and his name was Jesus.  Jesus became the lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world.  How did He do this?  By shedding his own blood on Calvary.  Not just as an atonement for man sins, but a permanent covering that would forgive man’s sins forever.   This means Jesus paid for our sins so we would never have to pay for our own.  This my friends, is why God rejected Cain’s offerings.

The second reason is found in Hebrews 11: 4;

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

Like I said earlier, There is only one way to obtain righteous with God in the bible. It though the blood!  Do not get this confused with the different offerings establish with Isreal in the Old testament books of Leviticus.  Those offering were not established yet!  But like I said earlier, the “blood offering is a principle established from the beginning to the end of the Bible. The same principle of  “seed, time and harvest,” established in the book of Genesis. It is though the bible and is in action today.  Everything created today comes through a seed, then there is incubation period and then delivery or harvest.  I hope this clears up the confusion so many preached about this in the past.  If not the next point is clear without debate.  Cain knew how to fix his error…..

God told Cain what to do!

7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

Cain knew what to do, he knew how to make it right! he was aware of the correct offering, but he refused, he wanted to do things his own way, but when God rejected his offering this made him angry, angry enough to kill his only brother.

Do you remember, when I said that God did not abandon Adam and Eve?  Here’s my point on this, in verse six the Lord asked Cain, why are you so angry? 

Did you take notice that God asked a question?  Cain was very familiar with God, familiar enough that Cain was not taken back by God speaking to him.  He was not even surprised.  Did you take notice of that?  In a later verse, God will speak again to Cain, this time Cain will not only respond, but he will respond with a lie in a very sarcastic way.  Cain responds with one of the most famous verses in the Bible;   V9:  “I do not know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

What is my point?  Cain was very familiar with God.  Can you imagine God showing up today in your house, can you imagine your reaction if you had never spoken to God before in person?  Especially if you are about to do something very wrong?  For most of us, we would need a roll of toilet paper! (a little humor here).  But not Cain, he was not even caught off guard, he was not shocked, in fact, he was quite disrespectful to a Holy God, who was there to help him.  My point is that Cain was very comfortable around God, so comfortable in fact that he showed no respect toward God.

The birth of religion

At this point, I want to take a break from the Bible passage and get to the point of this message. “the birth of religion.“

Here I want to give you, the definition of religion according to Dennis Stauffer.

Religion is a set of rules, regulations, creeds, and sacraments for one to get to heaven and have acceptance from their god.

Right now,  you might be saying what’s wrong with this?  Is this not what God wants and expects from us?  The answer is NO!  In this world there are so many religions.  There is Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholics, Mormons and the list is inexhaustible.  Some are even sects within Christianity.

But pure Christianity, true Christianity is not a religion, let me repeat this, Christianity is not a religion!   What Christianity is, is a one on one, personal, intimate relationship with Jehovah God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.  This is not achieved by what you do or by following rules, regulations, sacraments and creeds.  Rather the complete opposite is true.  It was achieved by God becoming man (Jesus Christ) and paying for all our sins on the cross.

God knew that we could never, ever be good enough, or be able to obey the law, His commandments, or any other form of traditions to become holy enough for us to make it to heaven, let alone begin to have a relationship with Him.  All we have to do is admit and accept that we are sinners and are helpless to save ourselves.  Then we need to put our faith and our trust in what Jesus did on Calvary.  It is a completely free gift from God, to his rebellious kids here on planet Earth.

Ephesians 2;8-9 says;  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  We are saved not by our good works or anything we can do but by the free gift from God.

Can you see the difference?  Religion is completely different, it is based on you and what you can do and how you live your life.  It is performance driven, and based on you, your holiness and your righteousness.  Where did we get all this?  It is all written in the Word of God, the Bible.  The Bible is God’s Word, written to mankind.  God makes it clear we can never be saved by the law or anything we do.  Our eternal life and our salvation was completely on the shoulders of God.  All we have to do is respond.  We have a choice; we can respond like Abel and accept G0d’s salvation for us or we can respond like Cain by offering our own sacrifice, and doing it our own way, even though God has told us our own efforts will not be accepted.

In verse seven, God told Cain “if you do what is right you will be accepted.”  But Cain refused.  Now remember Cain is living in the Old Testament, and during these Old Testament times, Jesus had not yet come and paid for the sins of mankind.  So people living in the Old Testament offered sacrifices in faith, that one day God will offer a perfect sacrifice for their sins.  The Old Testament saints had only a promise that God would deliver them, but in the New Testament, Jesus already paid for our sins and our debt.  Therefore we can put our faith in the completed work done at Calvary….

continue Part II, NEXT MONDAY

How can I have a real relationship with Jesus Christ?

Personally I know I’m a sinner, I know I can never keep the law, I know I’ve never lived a perfect day.  So knowing this, I never put my trust in myself or in anything that I do.  Why?  Because I know Jesus came and paid my entire debt that I owe to God.  He paid it in full. There’s nothing I can do to add to it or make it better.  Jesus did it perfectly.  I am accepted by God with all my sins paid for.  My past sins, my present sins, and my future sins – all that I will ever fail at is covered under the blood of Jesus Christ.  So instead of focusing on performance like I was working on a job and trying to get promotions, my focus has been on what Jesus came for, a personal relationship between Jesus and myself.  Christianity is based on intimacy, fellowship and family.  Being a Christian is having a personal relationship with God.

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

DENNIS STAUFFER INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES IS  AVAILABLE TO TEACH OR PREACH AT YOUR CHURCH OR BIBLE STUDY FROM ANY TEACHING FROM OUR BLOGS.  EMAIL ME OR FEEL FREE TO CALL @719-373-2427    dinostauffer@yahoo.com

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROSPER IN EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE?

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Psalm 1:1-3:Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in tˆˆˆhe seat of the scornful;  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper

Do you want to prosper or just survive?

So many times when a pastor or teacher talks about prosperity in the church, they get the label as a false teacher or prophet?

As long as I been a Christian, I am starting to believe, we as Christians have some serious screwed up ideas about God. Why do we believe God wants us to be sick, broke and broken.? Why do we have the tendencies to believe the worse of God than the best. Even though we never admit it, but we seem to view God as a harsh abusive task-master then a tender loving Father?

Today I want to talk about prosperity? Yes that bad word we use in the church. Prosperity!

A True Story

I almost got invited to talk to a well established group one day. But after talking to one of the leaders who happen to be a very prosperous man, We got into a conversation about prosperity. He remarked, “your one of those who believes in prosperity”? I said, “yes”. It turned him off and I was never invited to talk to the group.  It stuck me strange that a man who was extremely prosperous would be so turned off that we talk about prosperity in the church. But unfortunately so many of us are!

I think before I get into my text, we as a bible people do not understand the meaning of the word prosperity. Many have the idea when you talk about this. They jump straight to this conclusion: “So you believe God wants everyone rich?” 

Let me give you the Dennis Stauffer version of prosperity: Whatever God calls you to do, you will be successful and fruitful in that task. 

Did you notice I said nothing about being rich or famous? So many times we get prosperity mixed up with money. Do not get me wrong, money is sometime the biggest by-product for being prosperous but not always. Most of us hold those two words synonymous (rich and prosperous)  And in the church this misunderstanding has caused divisions and anger. Like I mentioned earlier the most popular come-back to the word prosperity is: So you are one of those who believes God wants everyone rich. How about those persecuted churches in China? They are not rich!

My answer is: Yes! I believe God wants us all to prosper and for the church in China, everything I hear about the persecuted churches, they are very prosperous.

How do I come to that conclusion? Let us go back to my definition of prosperity. Whatever God call us to do, we will have great success. The persecuted church are very prosperous, because they are leading so many in a hard atmosphere to Christ. Everything I hear from them, in spite of all the problems they encounter. They are growing by leaps and bounds. They are being prosperous at what God called them to do. They are growing a powerful underground church.

Joseph

Genesis 39:3  And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.

Now let us look at this text. (Please read all of Chapter 39), Joseph was sold in slavery. On the auction block, you usually stood up there naked and humiliated. But Potiphar looked at this slave teenager and seen that he was prosperous. He was a slave! He was naked! He had no money or possession with him! But there was something about Joseph that set him apart from all other slaves. He knew that God was with him! He knew what God told him was more true than what was happening in his life at this minute. (circumstances) He knew some how He was destine to be great and be a ruler. He was remembering his dreams that God gave him. So was it was through out Joseph life, no matter how bad it got, he became prosperous. In his father’s home, he was the favorite son. When his brothers wanted to kill him, it did not happen. when he was standing naked on the auction block as a slave, he was noted as being prosperous. He was in the owner home and was the most trusted of all the slaves. When he ended up in prison, he was made the most trusted trustee of the prison. When he got to Pharaohs house, in twenty minutes he became the 2nd most powerful person in the Egyptian government. Only answering to Pharaoh.

Every situation, except the last, Joseph found his circumstances not desirable. He was not rich and living on top of the world. But He knew what God told him to do and he was always succeeding in every place he found himself.

Ask yourself, If I was Joseph, could I be successful in every position I found myself in?

  • My family hates me and wants an opportunity to kill me. Do I still be a great son and help my brothers?
  • I am sold as a slave on the block. How can I look good? So I can to get the best job and master?
  • I am a slave in a foreigner home. Do I serve him with all my might or just get by?
  • My master wife wants to fool around. Do I be an obedient slave or do I show integrity to my God and refuse her advances to me?
  • I am obedient to God and it now ends me in this nasty prison! Now do I become full of self pity and anger or do I now become the best prisoner that I can be?
  • I am still in this nasty prison, do I take care of me or do I begin to encourage other and help them in there situation?

In every situation Joseph is a man full of integrity and shows himself, to be a prospers man.

How many “at home moms”, who never earn a dime but raise wonderful children, who helps her husband in every way. Are they not prosperous.

How many Sunday school workers, who never earn a salary. Who are helping  to change countless number of children and sharing the love of Jesus. Are they not being prosperous.

The examples are many. God want his people to prosper. So much that he says it over 100 times in the bible how He wants our ways to prosper.

Do you believe God wants you defeated, broke and sick? What good Father would want that for his children? I never woke up once as a father and looked at my daughters and sons and said. I hope at school you fail all your test, you get sick and to top it off!  I hope the neighborhood bully kicks your brains in, on the way home. What kind of father would I be if I desired this for my children. I justify it by saying; “They need to learn some good lessons in life”.

But how many times from the pulpits do we hear, you got sick because God want to talk to you and teach you lesson. You are not getting that job because God wants you to learn some humility in life and build your faith. Your son died because God needs him more in heaven then with you. This is religious nonsense. No wonder some many want nothing to do with God and the bible. This is the message some are putting out there.

But when you say God wants you prosper in all your ways. Church folks get mad and ready to fight. They call pastors false teachers when they magnify God and tell you God want you to overcome this and go do greater things. We think these preachers are blasphemers. Why do we think God want us to fail and not succeed at ministry, work and in our families. Why do we think it honors God when we are broke and can not pay our bills and feed our children. Its time to change our thinking. Next week I show you how to prosper by the word of God.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROSPER IN EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE? (Part II)

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HOW CAN I PROSPER?

Joshua 1:7-8; Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

HOW CAN I PROSPER USING GOD’S WORD?

Anyone can live a prosperous life if we only used God word as it was intended to be used.  Many people do not know that the word of God is alive.  It contains everything we need to live a Godly life.  But the question is how?  In this week post I give you some insights.

Be Strong and Courageous

In the first chapter of Joshua, God told the new commander of Israel to be strong and courageous, not once but 4 times.  Why is that?  For someone to do what God calls them to do, it requires you to be strong and courageous.  What God tells us to do, is never something we can do on our own.  It is always bigger than ourselves.  Joshua was called to take over a territory with sons of former slaves from Egypt.  They were not an army.  But God told Joshua what to do and how to carry it out.  He promised that if they listened to Him they would be victorious, but that it would also take courage.

I think most people miss it right here. Right from the starting gate.  I believe most people only attempt what they know they can do.  They attempt things that will not require them to go to far beyond themselves.  Most people think they know their limits and they attempt to live their lives in that so called “comfort zone”.  Too many settle for the “American Dream” and do not go for “God’s Vision.”

When God called me to Guatemala to start a project to help people in poverty, it was and still is more then I can accomplish on my own.  It still amazes me.  Week after week the money on our small budget comes in and we feed over 25 families a month. We hand out lunches to 110 children three times a week.  God called me to do it and we are doing it.  It takes GUTS.  There is a saying I heard in bible college. “If you can do it on your own. It is not God.”

If you talk to most people they will tell you they only live in their so called “comfort zone.” This is not God’s best and if you stay there, you may prosper, but you will never achieve what God has intended for you.

Observe!

What God tells Joshua next is to “observe” God’s law or the Word of God. God made humans.  God gave us an instruction manual.  It does not sound romantic but it is true.  We do come with an instruction manual on how to operate our lives.  God in His Word covers every important area of our lives.  It does not cover every situation but that is where wisdom and the Spirit of God comes in.  We need to look to God’s Word and observe what it says on every aspect of our life.  We need to observe how God says things are to run.  God made us and he knows how we operate and how we can succeed in life.

Do not turn to the left or the right!

Let me put it this way. “DO NOT DO IT YOUR WAY!”  When God told Joshua not to turn to the left or right, He was basically telling him, I want you to do exactly what Moses showed you.  Do not attempt to “out think Me.”  Walk on the path I showed you.  Do not make any turns and most of all, do not attempt any shortcuts! But we humans love to live life on our own terms.  Frank Sinatra sang a song called “I’ll do it my way.”

This is where we all get into trouble.  We know it all. No one can tell us how to live our life including God.  We figured, it is our life and we can do what we want to.  That is a true statement!  You can do what you want, but there are consequences to your actions and your decisions.  That is the part we hate.  Especially when our decisions do not work out the way we thought.

Prospering wherever you go.

Lets sum up Part II.  Do you want to prosper?  Succeed in this gift of life that God gave you? Just read the statement made by God to Joshua.  That you my “prosper wherever you go.”  This should not be a theological debate.  God wants you to succeed in His plans for your life, no matter what you are called to do.  It doesn’t matter if you are a doctor, pastor or a stay at home mom, God wants you to succeed.

Simply put, if you are not succeeding in some areas of your life you have:

  • not studied the Word of God in this area 
  • decided by ignorance,  or are just living on experience doing it your own way. 

I believe we should all own a good bible, a concordance, additional reference material, and a notebook.  Find the area where you are not doing as well as you would like.  Open your resource material and locate the topic you need help with in the Bible.  Then STUDY THE WORD.

(A personal opinion; Stay away from theological material.  Many of them will give you their take on the bible through their religious up-bringing.  You might get a denominational slant on many topics that are altered from what the bible states.)

Open up the Bible and let the Lord speak to you.  Let His word guide you.  Write out those scriptures and study them.  Learn what it is that God is telling you.  Then after that listen to your favorite preachers, and read your favorite bible study materials. Then you can filter what they are saying though the Word of God.

If you are married or if you want to be; find out your role, study and learn how God tells you to act as a wife or husband.

In sexual areas take God’s Word and learn how God defines sexual relations.

In business, or even being an employee, God gives us direction.  The bible might use the word slave or master.  But the principles still apply to both you as either an employee or as an employer.

Money, this is a huge topic.  After Bible college and the proper teaching in this area, I learned that for many years I did not understand the proper use of money nor how God tells us to plant it like a seed.  I learned that I do not give God money.  As his servant, I do what he tells me about handling HIS money.  I did not understand sowing and reaping.  The same applies to opening up your bible and doing a bible study.  Just follow God’s lead.  Learn and apply the principles of money and New Testament giving.

Emotions, anxieties, worries, and un-forgiveness.  How many people today are stressed out, worried and suffer from ulcers, hyper-tension, heart and stomach problems, etc., etc.  Learn how God tells us to deal with these.

I learned how to beat anxiety attacks, even though I grew up with anxiety attacks and night terrors.  I did not use pills or mood altering drugs but only the Word of God.  I have not had an attack in 20 years.  Every time one started coming on I would quote to myself Isaiah 41:10 over and over.   This battle lasted for a month and I have never had an attack since.

I could go and on, however, the fact is that God’s Word covers every aspect of our lives.

Follow God’s advice to Joshua.  March ahead fearlessly, observe, study and listen to His Word.  Do not turn onto the other paths that come your way.  The devil loves to give us alternate paths and short cuts.  The world and TV shows will give you alternative views but if you stay the course and do what God says, you will succeed and be prosperous.

Next week Part III of this series

written by Dennis Stauffer Jr

Edited by Gary Green

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