July 10th 2022
What Can Only One Person Do About This World?
Luke 1:37 (NIV)
For nothing is impossible with God.
God made some of the biggest decisions about this world by conversing about His plans with one man, not with a group of men. So, when we question, “What can only one person do about this world?” the answer is, “With God anything is possible!” God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, after He talked to Adam. God destroyed the earth with a worldwide Flood after talking to Noah. God named a group of people to be His chosen people, after He talked to Abraham. God included the Gentiles into becoming included in the salvation plan, after He talked rather sternly to Saul, who immediately became known as Paul! So, what can only one person do to greatly improve of destroy this earth? The answer is “if you listen to God when He speaks to you, you can start a chain reaction that could change or destroy the earth, or in fact destroy the universe that Jesus created.
When Jesus was foretold to be coming into this world, an angel came to Mary (only one person) and told her she would bear a son who was coming into this world to save everyone who would choose to follow Him! Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:36-38). God’s angel also told her John the Baptist was being carried in Elizabeth’s womb, and he would become the one man who would announce the coming of the Savior of the world.
Jesus once asked a question about professions of belief, "Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). We all might squirm a bit if He had asked us such a question, right after we had committed a sin of commission. Or professing Christians who are racially prejudice may have difficulty saying they do not like their brothers or sisters who look different than them. Jesus made keeping the law easy to understand when He told us to love everyone. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:14-15).
Remember all professions of faith are done individually and each person is baptized individually. Therefore, all the followers of Jesus Christ start their lifetime journey with Christ alone. Then you become one member of the Body of Christ, but this journey starts with your personal commitment to become a follower of Jesus Christ! We all live in a sin cursed world where Satan also resides as he was cast out of heaven and placed in this world with us. This situation makes it difficult for us to know who or what is influencing our decisions in this life.
Paul cautioned the early believers to be on their guard to understand that their desires could lead them astray if they do not allow the Holy Spirit to be their main guide. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. (Ephesians 4:17-19).
Most of the people in this world today are still being influenced more by Satan than by Jesus Christ in their daily activities! As a result of this knowledge Jesus warned His followers of possible loss of their salvation, if they were allowing Satan to direct their lives, as the Gentiles did before being included as possible recipients of the salvation plan that Jesus made possible. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:22-23). Many people still believe if they are good people then Jesus/God must allow them to go to heaven when they die! Please remember no one is good, no not even one.
Jesus came into this world to supply the necessary perfect sacrifice required for God to allow human beings to appear before Him after their sinful nature has been removed through being covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Then we will be allowed to live with God in heaven when we die and leave this cursed world. Anyone who dies before they accept salvation through Jesus Christ cannot go to heaven, as their sinful nature still resides within them! God cannot live with sinful creatures!
Some people take pride or boast about situations in this life where they are following Satan without even knowing it and doing what they believe to be right, when if fact they are doing things in their lifestyle that are opposed to the teaching of the Word of God as contained in the Bible. In such cases their sinful nature is communicating directly with Satan and becoming followers of him. Please remember we often become influenced by Satan too, when we see sin as the way for us to go. Please also remember, we are to hate the sin, but love the sinner. We are all sinners that is why we need a Savior, for without Jesus being allowed in our lives, we cannot gain heaven on our own volition. Without Jesus resurrection there is no forgiveness for our sins, and to cover over our sinful nature.
God gave the Promised Land to the Israelites and thus they should never consider the land to belong to them. Every fifty years God required them to give back the land that was given to their family by God. No one was to claim they earned the right to their real estate, as it all belonged to God. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. (Leviticus 25:10-11).
We just celebrated our independence from the rule of another country, and thus, we lay claim to this land, and sing about “This land is our land!” It is a shame, in my opinion, that we have lost the belief that this land is God’s Land, as Jesus created this earth for mankind over six thousand years ago, and God put us in charge of maintaining His earth. Yes, it was created as the place where God meant it to be a place where mankind could live with Him forever. However, that first or original sin caused God to no longer be willing to share it with Him. Unless we know that this earth belongs to God, because Jesus created for our use, we will never be the happy tenants of it!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Luke 1:37 (NIV)
For nothing is impossible with God.
God made some of the biggest decisions about this world by conversing about His plans with one man, not with a group of men. So, when we question, “What can only one person do about this world?” the answer is, “With God anything is possible!” God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, after He talked to Adam. God destroyed the earth with a worldwide Flood after talking to Noah. God named a group of people to be His chosen people, after He talked to Abraham. God included the Gentiles into becoming included in the salvation plan, after He talked rather sternly to Saul, who immediately became known as Paul! So, what can only one person do to greatly improve of destroy this earth? The answer is “if you listen to God when He speaks to you, you can start a chain reaction that could change or destroy the earth, or in fact destroy the universe that Jesus created.
When Jesus was foretold to be coming into this world, an angel came to Mary (only one person) and told her she would bear a son who was coming into this world to save everyone who would choose to follow Him! Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:36-38). God’s angel also told her John the Baptist was being carried in Elizabeth’s womb, and he would become the one man who would announce the coming of the Savior of the world.
Jesus once asked a question about professions of belief, "Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). We all might squirm a bit if He had asked us such a question, right after we had committed a sin of commission. Or professing Christians who are racially prejudice may have difficulty saying they do not like their brothers or sisters who look different than them. Jesus made keeping the law easy to understand when He told us to love everyone. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:14-15).
Remember all professions of faith are done individually and each person is baptized individually. Therefore, all the followers of Jesus Christ start their lifetime journey with Christ alone. Then you become one member of the Body of Christ, but this journey starts with your personal commitment to become a follower of Jesus Christ! We all live in a sin cursed world where Satan also resides as he was cast out of heaven and placed in this world with us. This situation makes it difficult for us to know who or what is influencing our decisions in this life.
Paul cautioned the early believers to be on their guard to understand that their desires could lead them astray if they do not allow the Holy Spirit to be their main guide. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. (Ephesians 4:17-19).
Most of the people in this world today are still being influenced more by Satan than by Jesus Christ in their daily activities! As a result of this knowledge Jesus warned His followers of possible loss of their salvation, if they were allowing Satan to direct their lives, as the Gentiles did before being included as possible recipients of the salvation plan that Jesus made possible. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:22-23). Many people still believe if they are good people then Jesus/God must allow them to go to heaven when they die! Please remember no one is good, no not even one.
Jesus came into this world to supply the necessary perfect sacrifice required for God to allow human beings to appear before Him after their sinful nature has been removed through being covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Then we will be allowed to live with God in heaven when we die and leave this cursed world. Anyone who dies before they accept salvation through Jesus Christ cannot go to heaven, as their sinful nature still resides within them! God cannot live with sinful creatures!
Some people take pride or boast about situations in this life where they are following Satan without even knowing it and doing what they believe to be right, when if fact they are doing things in their lifestyle that are opposed to the teaching of the Word of God as contained in the Bible. In such cases their sinful nature is communicating directly with Satan and becoming followers of him. Please remember we often become influenced by Satan too, when we see sin as the way for us to go. Please also remember, we are to hate the sin, but love the sinner. We are all sinners that is why we need a Savior, for without Jesus being allowed in our lives, we cannot gain heaven on our own volition. Without Jesus resurrection there is no forgiveness for our sins, and to cover over our sinful nature.
God gave the Promised Land to the Israelites and thus they should never consider the land to belong to them. Every fifty years God required them to give back the land that was given to their family by God. No one was to claim they earned the right to their real estate, as it all belonged to God. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. (Leviticus 25:10-11).
We just celebrated our independence from the rule of another country, and thus, we lay claim to this land, and sing about “This land is our land!” It is a shame, in my opinion, that we have lost the belief that this land is God’s Land, as Jesus created this earth for mankind over six thousand years ago, and God put us in charge of maintaining His earth. Yes, it was created as the place where God meant it to be a place where mankind could live with Him forever. However, that first or original sin caused God to no longer be willing to share it with Him. Unless we know that this earth belongs to God, because Jesus created for our use, we will never be the happy tenants of it!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak