No Looking Back

"Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father,
that thou wouldest send him to my father's
house:
For I have five brethren; that he may testify
unto them, lest they also come into this
place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses
and the prophets; let them hear them."
Luke 16:27-29

Jesus told about the rich man who was in
'torment' in Hell. From that horrible place,
he realized mistakes he'd made in life.

Even though it was too late for himself, he
was concerned about others that were still
alive. He realized there were consequences
to their actions.

He begged for something to be done to
warn them. But Abraham told him that his
loved one already had been given chances.
Still the rich man pleaded, "If someone
goes to them from the dead, they will
repent!"

Abraham replied, "If they do not listen to
Moses and the Prophets, they will not be
persuaded even if someone rises from the
dead." The truth was already available.
They just needed to listen and respond.

Many Christians today know about God.
They go to church, but what do they really
believe? How many do the Word?

Set Free

"Many people are destroyed for a lack of
knowledge."
Hosea 4:6

Christians get sick for many different reasons,
but mainly because of a lack of knowledge of
God's Word.

Isaiah 5:13 says, "Therefore my people are
gone into captivity, because they have no
knowledge."
The Amplified Bible says, "Therefore my
people go into captivity [to their enemies]
without knowing it and because they have
no knowledge [of God]."

But when we take hold of the Word in our
hearts, it transforms our lives. We are set
free from the notion that God wants us sick
for some reason and we can receive the
healing that rightfully belongs to us as His
children.

Refuse to Allow

Some will say that God allowed the devil to
put a sickness or injury on us. But it was
ourselves that allowed it.

God has no choice in the matter because
He will not override our wills.

We allow it because he don't use the auth-
ority that God has given us to refuse every
thing the devil has to bring on us. That's
because we have let the devil tell us it is
God doing it to us. What a perfect lie the
devil has used on mankind for thousands
of years. He takes the blame off himself
and puts it on God and we end up
believing him.

God has bound Himself to His Word. He has
told us to bind (forbid) and loose (allow) and
then He will back us up in heaven in Matthew
18:19.

God doesn't have any sickness to give. There
isn't sickness in heaven. It came on earth
when Adam and Eve believed and sided with
the devil in the garden.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Abundant Life

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly."
John 10:10

As we can see here, it's the devil [thief]
that steals, kills and destroys peoples
lives and blames it on God.

Here Jesus said that He has come to
give people life and life more abundant.

This is a clear dividing line as to what is
of the devil and what is of God, because
Jesus came to do the will of God.

Sickness, disease, loss, lack, poverty and
all other evil works come from the devil.

Health, wealth, abundance, prosperity,
love and all good works come from God.

The devil hasn't worked with God since
He cast him out of heaven; so God doesn't
use the enemy to teach or work against
anyone. He chastises and teaches by love.

The truth is, Satan tries to destroy us while
God tries to save us from all of his dirty works.

Being Backed-up By God

Some believers ask why did God allow
sicknesses and diseases to come into
their lives. The truth is, they allowed it.
God said that His people parish for a
lack of knowledge [His knowledge].

Ignorance of the word is no excuse. We
may not know that the devil is keeping
us from knowing God's word and His
spiritual laws.

Wrong teaching produces wrong thinking
which produces wrong believing that then
produces wrong results.

If we forbid the devil's works in our lives,
God will stand behind us. He will back up
whatever we do to destroy the devil's work.

We must make God's thoughts and ways
our thoughts and ways.

The Believer's Authority

" And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt bind [forbid] on earth shall be
bound [forbidden] in heaven: and what
soever thou shalt loose [allow] on earth
shall be loosed [allowed] in heaven"
Matthew 16:19

Many times wrong thinking opens the door
to the devil into Christian's lives.

They might assume God allows sickness to
come to them. But it isn't God who allows
it, it's the Christians themselves that allow
the devil to do it. It is a deception the devil
has been using from the beginning and it
has worked so he keeps on using it.

We, as believers, don't use the authority
that Jesus gave us in Matthew 16:19. Here
Jesus was talking to Peter just after he had
received the revelation that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Jesus has all authority. But as the Head of
the Church, He has given us that same
authority that He has.

God expects us to resist the devil and take
authority over him using the name of Jesus.
We are to stand steadfast in faith and not
give place to the devil. Christians!!!!!! Use
your God-given authority!

The Atonement

"And when he had given thanks, he
brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is
my body, which is broken for you: this
do in remembrance of me."
1 Corinthians 11:24

Sickness is the price we pay for not
understanding the Atonement.

We are as healed as we are saved.
Healing belongs to whosoever believes.

Salvation and healing belongs to us, so
we must walk in all the benefits.

Both Parts of Redemption Belong to Us

Don't take one part of Jesus' redemptive
work and not the other. If one part of
God's plan is for today, then all of it is.

Jesus' body was broken for us as surely
as His blood was shed for us.

When we receive Jesus as Savior, we
also receive Him as Healer. We are to
meditate on all His benefits. His blood
was shed for our sins and His body was
broken for our healings.

We have as much right to be healed as
we are to be saved and forgiven. They
both belongs to us!

Forgiveness and Healing

"Bless the LORD, O my soul:
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness
and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."
Psalm 103:1-5

From Genesis to Revelation we see that both
forgiveness and healing was provided on the
cross.

The Bible shows that when we are forgiven,
we can be healed as well. And when we are
healed, we are also forgiven.

Forgiveness and healing go together and are
not be separated.

We are made righteous through the shed blood
of Jesus and we are healed through the stripes
He received.

If sin opened the door to sickness, we can be
forgiven and healed at the same time because
of His love and mercy.

Don't Leave a Door Open

"As the bird by wandering,
as the swallow by flying,
so the curse causeless shall not come."
Proverbs 26:2

Spiritually, Christians sometimes leave a
'door' opened in their lives for the enemy
to come in.

Maybe we're having trouble with obstacles
that the devil keeps throwing our way and
we've done everything we know to do.

Then we must check to see if we've left a
door open. ARE we walking in love? ARE
we unforgiving towards others? ARE we
full of God's word concerning the matter?

Our faith works by love and forgiveness.
Both are acts of our will and not our feelings.

When we keep all the doors shut, nothing
can steal our blessings.

Discerning the Lord's Body

"For he that eateth and drinketh
[communion] unworthily, eateth and
drinketh damnation to himself, not
discerning the Lord's body.
For this cause many are weak and
sickly among you, and many sleep."
1 Corinthians 11:29-30

The main reason many sick people
stay sick is that they don't know if
God wants them healed. The don't
understand why Jesus' body was broken.
They are ". . .not discerning [not fully
understanding or appreciating] the Lord's
body."

Many people don't realize that Jesus'
body was broken for the physical health
as much as His blood was shed for the
forgiveness of their sins. So they don't
know it's God's will to heal them.

We need to discern the Lord's body rightly;
understanding that it was broken for us.
We must feed our spirits with the truth that
"by Jesus' stripes we were healed." 1 Peter
2:24.

By meditating on that truth we can know
that God wants us healed. Then we can ask
Him in faith for our healing and know that
we're in faith and will receive.

Overcoming the World

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
the world: and this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith"
1 John 5:4

In order to overcome the things of the
world; we must find out God's will
regarding our need and then trust Him
to bring it to pass.

We must believe that God said what He
meant and meant what He said.

And we must act like God's Word is true
and that we expect Him to do it.

Hope will give up, but trusting God will
cause us to overcome. We will know that
what belongs to us, we will not go without.

Real Faith

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have
faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever
shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea;
and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith
shall come to pass; he shall have what
soever he saith. Therefore I say unto you,
What things soever ye desire, when ye
pray, believe that ye receive them, and
ye shall have them.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if
ye have ought against any: that your
Father also which is in heaven
may forgive you your trespasses.But if
ye do not forgive, neither will your
Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses."
Mark 11:23-26

Sometimes people say that they have
tried that faith business, but it didn't
work. Yet these people couldn't have
been in faith to begin with. If they had,
they still would be in faith.

If they really believed that they received
their answer when they prayed they'd still
be believing. But if they were just hoping
and praying that 'that faith business'
works then it won't.

Real faith steps out and believes God and
His will.

Waver Not

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the
sea driven with the wind and tossed. For
let not that man think that he shall receive
any thing of the Lord." James 1:5-7

When we ask God for something we must
ask in faith, believing we receive our
answer and not waver in doubt.

James said the persons who doubt will not
receive any thing from the Lord. Healing
is included in "any thing". So if we doubt
we will not receive anything.

Many times ministers pray for people in
the healing line too quickly; before they
are ready to stand in faith.

The more they are prayed for without
results, the less they will expect to get
healed the next time someone prays for
them.

Spending time in the Word and finding
out His will, will bring faith that doesn't
waver and the answer will come to pass.

The Word Mixed with Faith

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as
well as unto them: but the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with
faith in them that heard it" Hebrews 4:2

When we act like God's Word is true, then
that is when we can receive our healing by
faith.

We know our Father wants us healthy. Jesus
bore our sicknesses and pains so we
wouldn't have to. We will receive the
healing Jesus paid or purchased for us.

Healing is God's Will

Unless we know the will of God, we will
not have faith for healing or any other
blessing of God.

God's will is that we "prosper and be in
health, even as our souls prosper."
3 John 2 So as our souls prosper (grows
in the word) then we will be in health
and live in prosperity and all His blessings!

Our faith can't operate beyond our
knowledge of His will. Faith is simply
taking God at His Word, which is His
will. That is why we have to establish in
our hearts the truth of healing and that
it is God's will.

Hold Fast to Healing

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown."
Revelation 3:11

Many times people go to large meetings and
get healed. Later, the same symptoms come
back on their bodies and some end up worse
than before.

We have to hold fast to our healing with our
faith. Stay full of the word on healing, then
the enemy will not be able to steal it away.

We are to rise up and take our stand and
refuse to be moved off the Word of God.

Free from condemnation

"Beloved, if our heart condemns us not,
then have we confidence toward God.
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of
him, because we keep his commandments,
and do those things that are pleasing in
his sight." 1 John 3:21,22

Condemnation and disease can go hand
in hand.

The devil puts condemnation on us to make
us feel bad and to destroy our confidence
in God so that we can't receive from Him.

God never shuts us off from receiving. But
if we allow condemnation to operate in our
lives, it will stop our faith from working.

The enemy likes to put us under condemn-
ation for past sins, failures and mistakes so
that we will lose our confidence in God.

STANDING

Ephesians 6:13 says, "having done
all, to stand."

We are to take hold of God's Word,
stand in faith. . . . . . .and then keep
standing.

"Wherefore take unto you the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand."

Believe you receive

*****
*****
"What things soever ye desire, when ye
pray, believe that ye receive them, and
ye shall have them." Mark 11:24

We are to feed on that Word of God until
faith rises in our hearts and we believe we
receive healing in our bodies. And then we
continue feeding on it to keep our healings.

We are to say, "Thank God, I'm healed by
the stripes of Jesus." We need to keep doing
it daily as if we were taking medicine daily;
we are. . . . we are taking God's medicine!

Medicine and Faith

If taking medicines [pills etc], every time
we swallow a dose, we say, "Thank you
God, I believe I'm healed by the stripes of
Jesus."

The medicine doesn't heal us, but it helps
keep our bodies working right until our
healing manifests.

If God says to throw the medicine away, we
are to be obedient. If that is the case, know
for sure it is God and don't ask anyone else.

So until then keep taking the medicine and
remember our faith is in God, not the medicine!

Medicine to our flesh

God's words may be medicine to all our
flesh, but like all medicine, we must take
it. If we just put it in the cabinet or just look
at it, it won't do us any good.

We take God's medicine by hearing it and
hearing it and hearing it. Romans 10:17
says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God."

When we continually hear God's Word our
faith releases God's power and we will rise
up healed!

Attend to God's Word

"My son, attend to my words;
incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes;
keep them in the midst of thine heart.
For they are life unto those that find
them, and health to all their flesh."
Proverbs 4:20-22

Literal Hebrew translation says, "God's
Word is medicine to our flesh".

If someone was to invent a medicine that
would cure everything wrong with the
human body, people would go for it and
would take it diligently.

If we would trust God's promises on healing
and take it as faithfully as we would any
kind of medicine, we would have much better
results without the side affects.

A Miracle

What if we needed a miracle. God doesn't
always move sovereignly through the gifts
of the Spirit.

God didn't create the gifts of the Spirit for
the Church. He intended them to be divine
signs and wonders to the unsaved.

He blesses the Christians with the manifest-
ation of spiritual gifts but they aren't to
expect them. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says "For
we walk by faith, not by sight."

So we are not to hope for supernatural gifts
to operate or just sit back hoping God will
move on our behalf. We are to move on the
word of God by faith, like the woman in
Matthew 15:28 when Jesus said "O woman,
great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as
thou wilt."

God expects us believers to believe and use
our faith to bring us miracles. We are to go
to His Word and find out His will, then by
faith we are to receive what already belongs
to us!

His Stripes Heals Us!

"Surely he hath borne our griefs [Hebrew
translation sicknesses], and carried our
sorrows [Hebrew translation pains]. . . .
and with his stripes we are healed"
Isaiah 53:4,5

When the devil tries to offer us symptoms,
we say "No, I'm not taking that, it isn't
mine. Jesus took my sicknesses 2000 years
ago!"

We choose to believe the Word which says
healing and heath belongs to us. We walk
in health because Jesus took our sicknesses
and carried our pains.

Abiding in the Word

"IF ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall
be done unto you." John 15:7

Many of us are not walking in health today.
We may want it and believe it in our heads
but don't have the revelation of it in our
spirits.

We need the truths of God's Word down in
side us in order for it to be effective if we
want to be walking in health.

By reading, studying and meditating on the
Word, the truths of healing will begin to
grow in our spirits. The stronger the Word
of God grows, the more health we will walk
in.

The devil will make sure that we will have
some opportunities to be sick, but they
will become fewer and farther between the
attacks because we will have the word in
us to stop them before they take a strong
hold.

God's Medicine

We need to take a daily dose of God's
medicine, making sure we take it as He
prescibes.

We can't just read our daily dose and then
forget about it as we go about our day. It
must be read over and over. We are to
meditate on its truth until it's absorbed into
our inner being.

Throughout the day, we release it into our
lives by saying it out loud. By doing that
we are acting on the Word and helping our
health to gradually and continually improve.

Daily and yearly we will see the effects of
God's medicine at work in us making us
whole, healed and strong!

A Great Physician

Just saying. . . . .what if. . . we were to
go to a doctor with a sickness, disease,or
bad injury looking for a remedy and this
doctor was to tell us that there is a new
wonder drug available and this doctor
is going to prescribe it for us.

There are no side affects and it's guar-
anteed to heal every condition and will
provide healing to every part of our
bodies.

The only condition is, that it has to be
taken all the time and exactly according
to the directions. I would imagine that
we would carefully listen as the doctor
explained how to take this medicine
and know how to get all the benefits
that comes from it.

GOOD NEWS! That is the medicine we
are provided by Jehovah-Rapha " The
Lord our healer".

God says that when "we attend to His
Word, it is life and health to all our flesh."
Proverbs 4:20-22

By taking God's medicine as He instructs
us, it goes to work in our bodies driving
out sickness, disease and pain. It needs
to be taken on a continual and steady basis.

The Son of Man Came

"For the Son of man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost."
Luke 19:10

Many people wondered why Jesus wanted
to stay at Zaccheus' home or eat with this
tax collector.

Zaccheus was rich. He was hated by most
people because he was a tax collector. It
was common that these men took personal
advantage of their position. They were agents
of Rome and enemies of the people.

Zaccheus showed an eagerness to see Jesus
when He came by Jericho. Being small in
size, he had climbed up into a sycamore tree
just to see Jesus.

When Jesus saw his interest, He called out,
"Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down;
for to day I must abide at thy house." [vs 5].

Some grumbled that Jesus had "gone to be
guest with a man that is a sinner." [vs 7].

But Jesus had come to bring salvation and
open the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven.

After being with Jesus, Zaccheus' life changed
forever. Instead of stealing, he gave to the
poor, even giving back four times as much
to anyone he had taken from.

At the end of His stay, Jesus could say, "This
day is salvation come to this house," [vs 9].

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost." [vs 10]. Jesus'
ministry continues today, with all who will
continue to seek and to save the lost.

LOVE

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and
said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go
thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and
give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come, take up
the cross, and follow me."
Mark 10:21

A man ran up to Jesus, kneeling before
Him, he asked what he needed to do "to
inherit eternal life" [vs 17].

When Jesus named five of the Command-
ments, the man claimed he had "kept all
these things from my youth up" [vs 20].

Hearing this, Jesus "beholding him loved
him". But at His answer the man "was
saddened" and "went away grieving, for
he was one who owned much riches"
[vs 22].

The man loved God, but he wasn't willing
to make a commitment. His love was
shallow. He had put more priority on his
riches than on loving God.

God may call us to new levels, greater
commitment or a desire to seek Him
more. Be ready to leave all to follow Him!

To the Least of These

". . . . . .Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and
gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took
thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison,
and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye have done it
unto me." Matthew 25:37-40

Jesus told a parable shortly before His
crucifixion. He said He would reward
people who showed compassion for
others, looking for opportunities to
reach out to the least.

When Jesus returns, He will say to
all faithful servants who have used
their possessions to help meet the
needs of others: When you "have
done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me"
[vs 40].

They will have shown their attitude
towards Him by helping the naked, the
hurting, the hungry, and the thirsty.

Others will not be rewarded but judged,
because they didn't think about anyone
other than themselves.

Instead of giving to those in need, they
used or kept their possessions.

God has blessed us so that we can be a
blessing to others, using what He has
given us to help those in need.

We are the hands of Jesus, and He looks
to us to care for the least of them among
us.

When we do, He promises to reward us:
we will reap a great harvest of blessings
[Proverbs 19:17].

We need to be faithful with what He has
given us!

Supernatural Signs

"Through mighty signs and wonders, by the
power of the Spirit of God; so that from
Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum,
I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."
Romans 15:19

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, was wise
in his understanding of their culture and he
expressed the importance of signs for
Christianity.

But these signs were produced from faith
in Jesus Christ. Following Jesus wasn't just
about sets of beliefs and conduct but was
a real relationship of faith. The signs proved
that this faith was real.

Being a Christian meant having complete
"power of the Holy Spirit". All things are
possible being filled with the Holy Spirit!

The New Testament stressed the importance
of these signs. Jesus wasn't only told about
being "by God with miracles and wonders
and signs which God performed through Him,"
"many wonders and signs" followed those who
believed in Him.

As a result, "everyone kept feeliing a sense
of awe" Acts 2:22,43

Miracles continued, and "at the hands of the
apostles many signs and wonders were taking
place among the people" Acts 5:12

Signs and wonders are key to the Chrisian
faith. They still happen today!

Jesus and Riches!

"And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto
his disciples, How hardly shall they that have
riches enter into the kingdom of God!
And the disciples were astonished at his words.
But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them,
Children, how hard is it for them that trust in
riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camels to go through the eye of
a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God.
And they were astonished out of measure,
saying among themselves, Who then can be
saved?
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men
it is impossible, but not with God: for with God
all things are possible." Mark 10:23-27

The man walked away sad. He had heard
Jesus tell him he needed to "go and sell all
you possess and give to the poor," this was
the key to having "treasure in heaven" (vs 21).

Then he must come and follow Jesus. By
walking away, he proved that he loved things
more than God.

Jesus told His disciples, "How hard it will be
for those who are wealthy to enter the
kingdom of God!" The disciples were
amazed and maybe realized the kind of
commitment Jesus required.

Jesus told them, "How hard it is to enter the
kingdom of God!. . . .It is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (vs
23,25).

His requirement seemed impossible, and they
said, "who can be said?" (vs 26). But Jesus
told them, "with people it is impossible, but
not with God; for all things are possible with
God."

Peter said, "We have left everything and
followed You" (vs 28). Jesus knew the sacri-
fices they had made and He promised great
rewards for those who made that kind of
sacrifice for Him, "a hundred times as much
now in the present age. . .and in the age to
come, eternal life" (vs 30).

Many people think they can 'save them
selves'. That all they need to do is try hard
and be good enough.

But as the disciples learned, the key is com-
plete dependence on God!

Sons of God

"Behold, what manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew
him not." 1 John 3:1

John was awed by the realization of how
much God loves us.

By His amazing love, He helped us become
His sons and daughters, and now we share
His nature.

God loves to hear from us all the time. He
doesn't get tired of our voices.

He has prepared a supply of power and
blessings for us. Through His Spirit, He
gives us gifts and fruit, power and victory.

As wonderful as it is to be His children, we
need to realize that "the world does not
know us."

Our connection to the family of God will
mean that many will react to us the same
way they did to Him.

We shouldn't be surprised when we are
question for our motives, or when we are
misunderstood and rejected, even criticized
and mocked. Some people will think we are
foolish and refuse the reality of our spiritual
lives. They will even refuse to believe that
God answers prayer and does miracles.

Don't be discouraged by the reactions of
others. Stay true to the Heavenly Father.
Call on Him anytime, day or night. Seek
to know Him more. We are His children
and He loves us!

Paul in the Temple

"And when the seven days were almost
ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when
they saw him in the temple, stirred up all
the people, and laid hands on him,
Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the
man, that teacheth all men every where
against the people, and the law, and this
place: and further brought Greeks also into
the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
(For they had seen before with him in the
city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they
supposed that Paul had brought into the
temple.)
And all the city was moved, and the people
ran together: and they took Paul, and drew
him out of the temple: and forthwith the
doors were shut." Acts 21:27-30

When Paul came into Jerusalem, some re-
ceived him "gladly" [vs 17], they were
joyful to hear what God had done "among
the Gentiles through his ministry" [vs 19].

But Paul was warned that "many thousands"
of Jewish believers had heard that he'd been
teaching Jews "to forsake Moses" and the
"customs" of their ancestors[vs 21].

James urged Paul to show that he still was
following the precepts of the Law and had
not left the teachings of their forefathers.

Paul was to go to the Temple and purify
himself along with four men who were "under
a vow" [vs 23]. James hoped this would sat-
isfy the critics, but instead, it lead to violence.

Some had seen Paul with a Gentile, and
they assumed Paul had brought him into the
Temple. Word had spread that Paul had
"defiled this holy place" [vs 28]. The crowd
become enraged and a riot took the city.
Paul was dragged out of the Temple. He
was falsely accused and a victim of rumors.

This shows how quickly rumors can spread.
And it shows why believers must be prepared
for conflict. They can be attacked for their
faith. They can be wrongly accused. Or they
can be made a victim of rumors.

Believers must be sure of their faith by having
a strong foundation and an intimate personal
relationship with God. They must read, study,
and live by the Word and be filled with the
Holy Spirit!

STUBBORN !

"And the rest of the men which were not killed
by these plagues yet repented not of the works
of their hands, that they should not worship
devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass,
and stone, and of wood: which neither can see,
nor hear, nor walk:
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of
their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of
their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21

John saw, in a vision, a time when awful
judgment would come on the earth and
a third of man would be killed. This judg-
ment would come on those who rebelled
against God. On those who worshipped
demons. And on those who loved in sin.

John was amazed at the results of these
terrible events. Most people still refuse
to change.

Why wouldn't these survivors be humbled
and overwhelmed by the devastation they
witnessed?

How could they not see that this judgment
was the result of their sin and unbelief? Or
their rejection of God? Or their acceptance
of idolatry? How could they not help but
believe in God and turn to Him?

Yet the Bible tells us that those who lived
"did not repent of the works of their hands."
They were stubborn and refused to change.

This is prophetic of the events to come. It
also gives a picture of the hearts of people
throughout history.

Before they entered the Promise Land,
God told the Israelites that they were
"a stubborn people" [Deuteronomy 9:6].

Later, God sent Ezekiel to "stubborn and
obstinate children? [Ezekiel 2:4]

He told Jeremiah how "this people has a
stubborn and rebellious heart" [Jeremiah
5:33].

And that the generations to come would
not be rebellious like their fathers [Psalm
78:8].

Today, many unbelievers are just as stub-
born. They need to experience a relation-
ship with God!

Living by Faith

"For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith: as it is written,
The just shall live by faith."
Romans 1:17



Faith meant nothing to most Romans.

Paul knew that faith was a necessary
part of a relationship with God. He
desired to teach it in his letter to the
Romans.

In the first chapter, Paul wrote about the
"obedience of faith" (vs. 5). And how the
faith of the Romans was being declared
throughout the world (vs.8). And how it
is key to the Christian life (vs.12). And
how "the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith to faith" (vs 17).

Paul describes how we are "justified by
faith apart from works of the Law" (3:28).
How "having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God" (5:1). And how
"faith comes from hearing and hearing
by the word of Christ" (10:17). And how
each one of us has been given "a measure
of faith" (12:3).

The world is full of people who think only
about material things. Faith is foolishness
to them. They encourage Christians to
seek them and wordly reward. Paul would
remind us that faith must be the rock of
our lives.

Be a person of faith!

"without faith it is impossible to please
Him" Hebrews 11:6