May 8th 2016
Worship Jesus First, And Then Pray To Him To Alleviate Your Doubts!
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
The shortest distance to where you want to go will be found, if you can go in a straight line. In another translation we read about Jesus showing you which path(s) to take, as opposed that “he will make your paths straight.” Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT) Both translations tell us NOT to depend or lean on our own understanding! Your own understanding is influenced or even controlled by a worldly point of view. Do you let the world dictate what you will do, or do you actually depend upon Jesus for your understanding?
Paul wrote about the problem of some holding to the supposed wisdom of mankind instead of believing in the power of the cross of Christ. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17-18) Notice Paul points out the problem of following another member(s) of mankind, when we need to preach or teach “not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” All of us who are called to Christianity are expected, or commanded, to tell the Good News of the Gospels!
This wonderful account of God’s blessing on mankind starts with the indescribable gift of His Son to be the perfect sacrifice to allow salvation of those who are still sinners. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17) Most people misread this wonderful account and thus, they cannot accept this Good News, and therefore, their immortal soul will be separated from Jesus for eternity when they leave this worldly lifetime.
Many people believe this plan God devised immediately when Adam sinned is unfair, and they believe they have a better answer. Unfortunately for them, there is only one God, and God’s plan was to send His Son to live as a member of mankind, and conduct an earthly ministry to make His plan understandable for all of mankind, but they instead have not understood this plan and thus, they have ignored what our selected verses told us not to do. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Instead they do not trust the Word of God, and have leaned on the understanding of mankind not the wisdom available to those who do trust in the Lord. What about you, do you really believe God’s account of how you can obtain salvation?
Please try to believe there is only one God and that He devised only one plan for salvation. Remember Jesus did not come into this world to condemn it but to save all those who can accept this salvation plan. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:18) One God, One Son, one salvation plan, this is so simple that too many people believe it is too easy, there must be some plan that is more complex! This plan is run by grace, it is a gift, you cannot earn it, and none of us who are still sinners deserve it!
Yesterday some pleasant people knocked on our door, and I talked to them. They were attempting to earn their salvation by visiting in my neighborhood, and handing out tracts, in the hope of attracting me to come to the church of their choice. These people have rewritten the Bible to fit their choice of beliefs about how salvation is obtained. They are doing a good work, which if people follow it, they will all end up in hell. It is a shame that most Christians do not, will not ever take the true message out into this world. If they did, they could attract people to come to a Christian church, which could lead their immortal souls to live with Jesus for eternity! Of course, the church cannot save them only the sacrifice Jesus made can save them. A church can only help them better understand the salvation plan!
Christianity offers the only way of salvation, and it is a personal religion, in that, each person must accept the offer to follow Jesus. However, it is not meant to be personal, meaning that Christians are to keep this salvation account as a secret. Actually, we are commanded to tell all members of mankind about it. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20)
One thing that always catches my eye, and reminds me about our great need to believe first, and then to pray for those areas where we (you) have doubts. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Why did Matthew write, “They worshipped him; but some doubted.” Some of the Eleven doubted! But Matthew first wrote, “They worshipped him!” Worship Jesus first, and then pray to Him to alleviate your doubts!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
The shortest distance to where you want to go will be found, if you can go in a straight line. In another translation we read about Jesus showing you which path(s) to take, as opposed that “he will make your paths straight.” Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT) Both translations tell us NOT to depend or lean on our own understanding! Your own understanding is influenced or even controlled by a worldly point of view. Do you let the world dictate what you will do, or do you actually depend upon Jesus for your understanding?
Paul wrote about the problem of some holding to the supposed wisdom of mankind instead of believing in the power of the cross of Christ. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17-18) Notice Paul points out the problem of following another member(s) of mankind, when we need to preach or teach “not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” All of us who are called to Christianity are expected, or commanded, to tell the Good News of the Gospels!
This wonderful account of God’s blessing on mankind starts with the indescribable gift of His Son to be the perfect sacrifice to allow salvation of those who are still sinners. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17) Most people misread this wonderful account and thus, they cannot accept this Good News, and therefore, their immortal soul will be separated from Jesus for eternity when they leave this worldly lifetime.
Many people believe this plan God devised immediately when Adam sinned is unfair, and they believe they have a better answer. Unfortunately for them, there is only one God, and God’s plan was to send His Son to live as a member of mankind, and conduct an earthly ministry to make His plan understandable for all of mankind, but they instead have not understood this plan and thus, they have ignored what our selected verses told us not to do. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Instead they do not trust the Word of God, and have leaned on the understanding of mankind not the wisdom available to those who do trust in the Lord. What about you, do you really believe God’s account of how you can obtain salvation?
Please try to believe there is only one God and that He devised only one plan for salvation. Remember Jesus did not come into this world to condemn it but to save all those who can accept this salvation plan. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:18) One God, One Son, one salvation plan, this is so simple that too many people believe it is too easy, there must be some plan that is more complex! This plan is run by grace, it is a gift, you cannot earn it, and none of us who are still sinners deserve it!
Yesterday some pleasant people knocked on our door, and I talked to them. They were attempting to earn their salvation by visiting in my neighborhood, and handing out tracts, in the hope of attracting me to come to the church of their choice. These people have rewritten the Bible to fit their choice of beliefs about how salvation is obtained. They are doing a good work, which if people follow it, they will all end up in hell. It is a shame that most Christians do not, will not ever take the true message out into this world. If they did, they could attract people to come to a Christian church, which could lead their immortal souls to live with Jesus for eternity! Of course, the church cannot save them only the sacrifice Jesus made can save them. A church can only help them better understand the salvation plan!
Christianity offers the only way of salvation, and it is a personal religion, in that, each person must accept the offer to follow Jesus. However, it is not meant to be personal, meaning that Christians are to keep this salvation account as a secret. Actually, we are commanded to tell all members of mankind about it. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20)
One thing that always catches my eye, and reminds me about our great need to believe first, and then to pray for those areas where we (you) have doubts. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Why did Matthew write, “They worshipped him; but some doubted.” Some of the Eleven doubted! But Matthew first wrote, “They worshipped him!” Worship Jesus first, and then pray to Him to alleviate your doubts!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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