Pastor’s Blog 8.11.20

John 8:42-47
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” NKJV

The normal conversations I am having with so many believers today usually ends up with a phrase something like this; “why can’t people see that this is wrong”? “How can people be so deceived”? Well, Jesus answered that for us, even though I hate hearing this truth about so many, as I am sure you do as well.

I was watching a clip of a message from Joel Osteen the other day and he said “I believe that 99.9% of people are really good people with good hearts who have just made some wrong choices in life”. Thousands of his followers nodded in agreement instead of refuting the lie he just propagated which continues to keep people in darkness.

What does the light of the world, Jesus, the way the truth and the life say about the majority of humanity? He says “they do not hear, because they are not of God”. He doesn’t ever, in any way, shape, or form, even come close to saying 99.9% of people are good with good hearts. That is living at such a state of spiritual denial it isn’t even close to the truth!

Talk about falsely securing someone in their self-righteousness!

What does the word say?

Gal 3:24
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. KJV

And what exactly does the law do? It condemns us all as depraved sinners! It teaches us that we cannot save ourselves by our own goodness and that we will likewise perish under its condemnation, if we do not embrace the grace of God through a new birth in Jesus Christ!

Jer 17:9
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? NKJV

Rom 3:9-20
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous , no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 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. NKJV

A biblical worldview does not ever see 99.9% of people as good with good hearts. It sees 100% of people wicked, lost, and forever doomed without Christ! When I hear about believers voting democrat, knowing full well its main platform is immoral, including the abominations of, abortion, same sex marriage, and now Marxism, and then justifying it by saying well republicans are racists, I am stunned! It is not about the color of skin but it is about the practice of sin!

I challenge you to ask people who you know are not sold out blood bought followers of Christ this question. “If you died right now why should God admit you to heaven? Most will respond, I believe I am a good person, or something along that line. That is the epitomy of self-righteousness. There is no other answer than the blood of Jesus and then there is the qualifier of works that are the fruit of true faith.

All through this time of epidemic I have heard over and over in my heart:

Jer 12:5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? NKJV

Faith is being tested right now in the land of covid, but the anti-christ is coming and woe to the ones who must face him! Normal, healthy, young believers have given up their service in corporate worship, with little to no risk to their physical lives. I fully relate and understand those who have a real legitimate threat being extra cautious, but it seems many have just taken this opportunity to forsake the body of Christ, to become self-centered, self-serving lovers of the world.

We have watched two more international stars put on church discipline these last two weeks. Jerry Falwell Jr., and Perry Stone. If they could get far enough away from Jesus while in full time service; to become enticed by the lust of the flesh, so can any of us! Stay in prayer, the word and FELLOWSHIP! Fellowship keeps us accountable to one another and helps reveal our self-deceptions!

Let’s keep fighting the good fight of faith! – TOGETHER!