Calvary Chapel Battle Creek

We are saved when we simply believe (trust in and accept as true for me) that Jesus is God's Son, the Savior from my sins Salvation is absolutely free, and is apart from any condition to merit to earn it Salvation is a God miracle - God acts to save by sending His Only Begotten Son to die for our sins. The human part is to believe and receive the gift! "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23 "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9 Jesus' cry to all humanity: "Come, follow Me" Remember the heart of God: 1 Timothy 2:4 2 Peter 3:9 Matthew 23:37 1 Peter 3:18 There is no neutral ground with Jesus, you are either for Him or against Him - Matthew 12:30 You demonstrate you are for Him by following and obeying Him! "It is not safe to ignore Jesus" - C.S. Lewis Is this God thing real? Let's look at the evidence! Cosmos - screams a Creator Canon of Scripture - screams a Creator Fulfilled Prophecy - screams a Creator (only found in the Bible) Conscience - screams a Creator Conditions for Life - screams a Creator - the universe is fine-tuned for life on earth Cosmological Argument - Time space and matter came into existence at the same moment Whoever did this identifies Himself as GOD - He is spaceless, timeless, immaterial, powerful, and personal! The Cosmological Argument - Whatever begins to exist has a cause. - The universe began to exist. - Therefore, the universe has a cause. Christ's Resurrection - screams a Creator Continuation of the Jewish nation - screams a Creator Throughout time, mankind has attempted to prolong life, to search for the fountain of youth There is one constant of men pursuing eternal life, none of them have succeeded God determines the length of mankind's days God gives life and God takes life Everyone has an appointment with death Mankind's only solution to the death problem is Jesus - John 14:6 The final invitation given in Scripture is Revelation 22:17 "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." Jesus loud and clear . . . "COME, AND FOLLOW ME" The question is . . . WILL YOU?

During this talk there will be several slides that contain statistics on the subject. It is best to watch those, rather than list them here. However... Divorce is contagious! Once divorce is validated in one's mind, it becomes a viable option For those who are active in the Church, the divorce rate is 27-50% lower than non-churched The family is under attack by the world, the flesh, and the devil! We are being told that we should enthusiastically dismantle the traditional family World philosophy, embraced by our self-centered flesh nature, promoted by the devil, are destroying what God loves and created What has happened? "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." - 1 Timothy 4:1-2 The gods of this world are here, along with deceiving spirits, calling good evil and evil good! These gods demand that you cave to their philosophies DO NOT!! "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ." - Colossians 2:8 What is Philosophy? Philo (love) + Sophia (wisdom) = Love of Wisdom There is a systematic movement by the kingdom of darkness to dismantle the family Divorce is a part of that plan! Fight for your marriage, do whatever you can to make it work! Do not be quick to say, "NO MAS" - no more! Allow the world to see that Christ really does make a difference! I am not saying no divorce every; there are Biblical reasons I AM saying, FIGHT for your marriage, it is a witness to the world that you have been with Jesus! Proceed slowly and exhaust all options before proceeding with divorce CALLING ALL JESUS FOLLOWERS TO FOLLOW JESUS THE JESUS WAY!

What is forgiveness? "Aphiemi" = to send away, dismiss What if I don't forgive? "Unforgiveness imprisons, keeps pain alive, produces a bitter heart, opens the door to demonic oppression, hinders our fellowship with God. (Matthew 16:14-15) - John MacArthur Roadblocks to forgiveness: (Chuck Swindoll - "Counseling Insights") 1) To desire to take revenge, to pay back. A common flesh response - the deserve it!! - Romans 12:21 2) The fear that forgiveness somehow communicates approval - it does not! Forgiveness vs Reconciliaton: Forgiveness does not mean that the relationship is restored to normal Reconciliation only occurs when there has been genuine repentance, with proven, ongoing change in behavior This may take a considerable amount of time; this may or may not happen God's desire is restored, healthy relationships! Satan's desire is destroyed relationships Reconciliation is God's miracle!! "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV) No one ever said forgiveness is easy; it may be the most difficult thing you ever do! Corrie ten Boom had to learn to forgive to be used by God "To Forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover the prisoner was you." - Corrie ten Boom FORGIVENESS IS OF THE HEART FORGIVE AND BE SET FREE THIS IS THE JESUS WAY!

We are living in the Laodicean Church Age, the compromised, all-about-me church Many Christians are straying off to the Laodicean message, becoming "Laodiceanized"!! "But the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some in the church will turn away from Christ and become eager followers of teachers with devil-inspired ideas. These teachers will tell lies with straight faces and do it so often that their consciences won’t even bother them." - 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Strayers want you to join them in the "Laodiceanized" message - WE MUST NOT!! The false church is embracing evil today, calling good evil and evil good! This is phase 3 of God giving a people over to their sins - Romans 1:28b "God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (Laodiceanized) This is the point of no return for a nation or an individual! What are we to do with those who stray? Pursue them with the truth! "Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren’t pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners." - Jude 1:23 "One world of truth dispels a world of lies" - Oz Guiness YOU, man or woman of God, stand for truth, justice, and THE GOD WAY! Not just a fairy tale . . . . But a way of Life!! I WILL NOT BE "LAODICEANIZED"!!

For those who are truly humble, life in not about me, it is about GOD!! Living humbly will bring something into your life the world does not have - JOY! Jesus Others You (JOY) Truth: "HE must increase, and "I" must decrease! This is Kingdom thinking Are you looking forward to the Kingdom with all of God's creatures living in harmony? When we pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done", this is what we are talking about Live for the KING today and look forward to the KING coming soon!! THE KING, HE IS COMING!!

You are an ambassador of Christ Speak the Truth, live not by lies, do not be silenced, be bold for Christ! This is how we live in a nation running from God! THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN'S RESPONSE TO A DEVOLVING GOVERNMENT "Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your go is with you" - Joshua 1:9

Jesus has an expectation of those who are His: To trust Him through all the impossibilities of life In trusting, you will find the FAITH-REST LIFE The FAITH-REST LIFE is trusting God no matter what! Our faith in God pleases God - Hebrews 11:6 We are living in the closing hours of time, as we know it on our planet, we must walk by faith!! Jesus told us the days would be like the days of Noah - Genesis 6:5 This is the trajectory of our world today: at war with God, ignoring God, and despising God Let your faith be bigger than your fear (thoughts) no... yes... no... Yes... no... YES! In living the FAITH-REST LIFE, we experience the peace of God by resting in God One step at a time, I simply trust the One I am following . . . . step by step . . . . . Our nation is becoming darker; running from God; chaos, change and, and turmoil abound In the midst of chaos, faith steps are essential to not become "moonstruckl", loony! "I WILL TRUST IN THE LORD UNTIL I DIE" - Richard Farmer You can live a FAITH-REST LIFE in a world of turmoil MAKE A FAITH CHOICE AND NOT A FEAR CHOICE

Jesus was giving His inner circle information on who He is - GOD INCARNATE! The Transfiguration is a "God moment" Jesus is God - "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" - Hebrews 10:31 This speaks of those who sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth - Hebrews 10:26 What has happened to the fear of God? The Hebrew word for fear is: "yare" = awesome respect of tremulous fear Where is the awesome respect for God in America? Where is the fear of God? There are a few, a remnant, that fear Him and respect Him These few (remnant) have a promise that this world does not have . . . The promise of the presence of God, no matter what! The promise that God has his loving, everlasting, eye on you "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You." ~ Psalm 33:18-22 There is a Kingdom coming, we saw a preview this week THE KING IS COMING!! The "eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hoe in His mercy" His eye is on those who watch and wait! In our world today, we see may previews of coming attractions The real "Attraction" is knocking at the door Messiah's footsteps are getting louder and louder THE KING IS COMING!! HE REALLY IS!!!

There was no MOMENT more significant than our LORD dying on the cross and raising from the dead The cross was awful, the cross was brutal! Death is awful, because sin is awful! The Giving God gave His Only Begotten Son so believers could live forever with Him! Jesus had a "die for us" Moment. The greatest Moment of all! Fulfilled prophecy is amazing, a "God only" Moment What are the chances that one person fulfilling just 8 specific prophecies through their life are: 1 in 10 to the 17th power. To put this in perspective... Cover the state of Texas in two feet of silver dollars, with just one of them having a red X on it. Now blindfold a person, have them wander over the entire state and choose just one coin. That person's odds of finding the red X coin would be the same as just 8 accurately predicted Old Testament prophecies about Jesus hundreds of years before they happened - and there are dozens of these prophecies that have been 100% fulfilled and verified. For us, there are Moments; some good and some bad, but there will be Moments Moments when life doesn't make sense, and Moments that are spectacular We will all have Moments; call these Opportunities, good or bad Opportunities to shine for our Lord! Jesus had a Moment that changed the world Peter had a Moment, the disciples had a Moment, and you will have a Moment Make your Moments glorious. Moments for our Lord. Life is filled with Opportunities SEIZE THE MOMENT!!

The Gospel of the Kingdom has gone out; Peter fulfilled his mission The kingdom offer to Israel was rejected and put on hold We are living in the age termed the "Mystery Kingdom" This refers to Jew and Gentile in one body, the body of the Messiah "The present spiritual reign of the King, during the period He is physically absent from the earth, prior to His second coming” (John Wolvoord) Messiah's Kingdom of light is opposed to Satan's kingdom of darkness Different values, different worldview, different kings, different destinies (heaven vs hell) People are blinded God will use the Gospel of Grace to open blinded eyes - Romans 10:17 This is your life, your timeline (Birth - Death) You have this dash of time to determine your eternal destiny How will you use your dash? Jesus came that you may have an abundant dash - John 10:10 Don't waste your dash BTW - those who believe in Jesus never die - we graduate! Jesus is real! Heaven is real! Hell is real! GOD'S WORD IS TRUE!! "What will you do with Jesus who is called the Christ?" Acts 16:31 - "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you WILL be saved"

Trap Setters will give you a false Jesus The false "Jesus" the world loves! - He will allow everyone into heaven - He came to bring peace, not division - He doesn't require Obedience - He doesn't require Holiness - He doesn't require Repentance - He only preaches on Love - He never tells anyone they're wicked - He calls everyone His children - He will not send anyone to Hell - He wants you to do you own will - His commandments are suggestions If you are following this false Jesus, thought I'd let you know... his real name is ... Satan! What are the signs of the times? Trap setters tell us humanity will save the planet Trap setters ignore God Yuval Noah Harari is a trap setter and people are listening to him in droves Globalist, World Economic Forum (WEF), thinking: "The future is about developing more and more sophisticated technology, like artificial intelligence and bioengineering" Hariri: "Most people don’t contribute anything to that, except perhaps for their data, and whatever people are still doing which is useful. These technologies increasingly will make people redundant and will make it possible to replace people” What he is saying: We need to thin the human herd, eliminate masses of people Hariri, a WEF influencer, believes humans will evolve into a technological human-computer hybrid and become gods, become eternal... "Seventy thousand years ago, Homo Sapiens was still an insignificant animal minding its own business in a corner of Africa. In the following millennia it transformed itself into the mast of the entire planet and the terror of the ecosystem. Today it stands on the verge of becoming a god, poised to acquire not only eternal youth, but also the divine abilities of creation and destruction." Christians: Jesus expects us to know the signs! Globalism is full speed ahead! Prep for antichrist and a one-world government is here now! The new world order - open borders, climate change fear, fear to control the masses, crisis after crisis - all of it is the plan for the antichrist to enter the stage as the great world saver! KNOW THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES!! Satan has one huge problem: The Restrainer is still here = the Holy Spirit filled church Our job (the Restrainer's job) is: 1) STAND - speak truth to counter the lies 2) Don't buy into the lies being pumped into the culture 24/7 3) Have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off [a]were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." - Hebrews 11:13-16 BE READY!! IT'S GETTING INTERESTING!! A reluctant Gideon stood during his time - loyal to the God of Israel! Rahab hid the spies and stood during her time - loyal to the God of Israel! May this be our time to STAND - loyal to the God of Israel! Loyal to our Savior! Brothers and Sisters: Know the signs of the times and STAND ". . . and having done all, to STAND" - Ephesians 6:13 KNOW THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES!!

It is an adventure to follow Jesus In the journey come tests - tests of faith and tests of loyalty The disciples will soon go with Jesus to Caesarea Philippi where another test awaits Jesus will ask, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" I sense that, today, Jesus is asking the same question of His Church: Who do men say that I am? Who do you say that Jesus is? How you answer this question has eternal consequences How will I do with the persecution test? What will I say? KNOW THIS: GOD WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO SAY AT THE TIME! - Matthew 10:19-20 "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." Tests are coming . . . . Evil days are deceiving spirits are here NOW! May we stand in the evil day - Ephesians 6:13 The disciples are in "Jesus" school, learning to stand - so are you! If you feel you are all alone as you take a stand for God, JUST REMEMBER... 1) Only EIGHT PEOPLE got on the Ark 2) Only FOUR PEOPLE fled Sodom and Gomorrah 3) Only DAVID stood against Goliath 4) Only ELIJAH stood against the prophets of Baal 5) Only THREE HEBREW CHILDREN refused to bow to the king's idol 6) Only ONE WOMAN anointed Jesus' feet 7) Only ONE APOSTLE stood by the cross of Christ Being a TRUE CHRISTIAN can get lonely, but being a part of the HEAVENLY MINORITY is worth it all in the end! Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Am I a legalist? Here are some indicators: 1) Make rules outside the Bible 2) Push yourself to try and keep your rules 3) Castigate yourself when you don't keep your rules 4) Become proud when you do keep your rules 5) Appoint yourself as judge over other people 6) Get angry with people who break your rules or have different rules 7) "Beat" the losers Jesus exposed the traditions of the pharisees. He called them HYPOCRITES! Mask wearers, performers, theatre We are all guilty of being performers, mask wearers and hypocrites - uncomfortable? Make believers talk like believers, know Christian lingo, but do not live like believers! Remember Jesus' words in verse 8, quoting Isaiah 29:13 "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." "God talk" and "Jesus speak" does not make a believer Jesus is big into: "You will know them by their fruits" - Matthew 7:20 To the fruitless, Jesus says, "Depart from Me, I never knew you" - Matthew 7:23 What has happened to us? What has happened to America? "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron," - 1 Timothy 4:1-2 How do deceiving spirits look? - 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" What God finds astonishing - Jeremiah 5:30-31 "“An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?" God shows us how to live in these times: "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them." - 2 Timothy 3:13-14 We are the people of God! We are not snowflakes! We are victors, OVERCOMERS!! We are not victims! May we live like it! King David, prior to his death, charged his on, Solomon with "be strong" - 1 Kings 2:2-3 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn." THIS IS OUR TIME TO . . . "BE STRONG" "TO KEEP THE CHARGE OF THE LORD" BE STRONG, FOLKS! BE STRONG!!

How are we to treat Jesus/God? Glorify Him, honor Him, revere Him, bow to Him - Philippians 2:10-11 This world is in rebellion against God; one day they will realized Who they are dealing with As our nation runs from God and embraces the gods of this world, the nation changes! Three gods invaded Israel, three gods impacted the Jewish people: Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech For these gods to invade, the people had to turn their backs on the True God America has turned its back on God, and opened the door to false gods Zeitgeist spirits, the spirits of the age, are here! Baal leads the charge - prosperity, money, stuff; focus is on more and more - never satisfied! Ashtoreth follows with her focus on sex, drugs, new age, the occult, worship of the earth (gia) Ashtoreth is also know as the transformer - reversing male and female roles! Molech, known as the destroyer, child sacrifice - the deepest and darkest fall from God! Syncretism = blending differing religious beliefs, philosophies or practices into something new (COEXIST) . . . Are you guilty? Our rescue is in our God; Jesus is coming, the Kind is coming!! Meanwhile, our job is to stand immovable, not moved by the cultural change! As the tempest arose on the sea, the tempest is arising in our world The disciples were fearful, many today are fearful! Those in the boat with Jesus need not fear! We must not fear, our God is with us! We are SAFE! We are living in exciting times; many looked forward to our day! Today, many live with Rapture anxiety! We live in Rapture hope!! We are privileged to be the generation that could see Jesus' return "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." - Isaiah 9:6-7 LISTEN . . . YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MESSIAH! MAY "MARANATHA" BE OUR BATTLE CRY EVEN SO COME LORD JESUS!!

GOD IS THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE - BELIEVE IT!! We will need to remember this in the future We will face hardships, and we may be called to suffer for the Master! Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson He is GOD, I tell you, the GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE!! The book of John records seven signs that Jesus did that reveal His identity: 1) Jesus turns water into wine - John 2:1-11 2) Jesus heals the Officials' son - John 4:43-54 3) Jesus makes the lame walk - John 5:1-15 4) Jesus walks on water - John 6:16-24 5) Jesus feeds the multitudes - John 6:1-15 6) Jesus gives sight to the blind - John 9:1-38 7) Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead - John 11:1-44 Jesus has the power to change anything, or to get you through anything! "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;" - Isaiah 43:2-3a Until we get home, hold on to the God of the Impossible! Good news! He is holding on to you! The God of the Impossible has a word for all who fear and are distressed: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10 This is a good word for you when facing the IMPOSSIBLE! "For with God nothing will be impossible." - Luke 1:37 In the impossible, may we be found forever faithful! 1 Corinthians 4:2 - "It is required in stewards that one be found faithful" A steward is a caretaker of three things: 1) What I have 2) Who I am 3) What I do That the world may know, we have been with Jesus! WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! - BELIEVE IT!

Herod's are all over the place Herod's disdain Jesus, the truth, and being exposed for who they really are Herod's will try to eliminate any/all who oppose their will Herod's are running our world! Herod's cannot do all they want because the "Restrainer" is still here The Hold Spirit filled Church restrains evil in this world Herod's hat the "Restrainer" Now think about the "Herod's" in your life Herod's can be a person, a situation, or some miserable thing you are going through Jesus' words may help you deal with your "Herod" situation: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 "You may have peace" May = meaning it is up to you to appropriate peace How? Dwell in Christ and find your rest Your peace is in Him Take hold of the peace Jesus promised you!! Stand fast . . . Don't be moved . . . Allow the peace of God to guard your heart! Herod's hate it when you dwell in Christ!! SELAH!!

Lesson: The MISTAKEN Jesus - the vast majority either deny Him or mistake who He is All cults and world religions have MISTAKEN Jesus Most people have MISTAKEN Jesus MISTAKEN views of Jesus: (shown in graphics) For those who believe, the UNMISTAKEN Jesus is my Lord (Kurios), my Master, my Ruler, my Owner I go where He says to go, do what He says to do, and I live the way He says I should live Don't make the MISTAKE of thinking that someone cannot be changed God is always at work in your "household"; keep trusting and keep believing! Trusting and believing is our part God's part is the miracle - a changed life! Remember who Jesus is - our Savior, our all-powerful KING, our Sovereign whom we bow to C.S. Lewis puts it this way: "Aslon is a lion - the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion" . . . "Safe?" said Mr Beaver . . . "Who said anything about safe? ' Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." Remember who you are dealing with: "HE IS THE KING, I TELL YOU"! He is the UNMISTAKEN JESUS! Give Him the honor He deserves! With God all things are possible - BELIEVE IT! FOLLOW THE UNMISTAKEN JESUS!

Many tares do not realize they are tares (false Christians) Most tares look around and think others are tares and they are okay Many tares to to tare churches that teach tare teaching (world think) What is "tare teaching"? Tares cover what God calls an abomination with "love" Abomination = "To'evah" = morally disgusting What is the big deal with "To'evah"? God has deemed these practices destructive to the family and society How does one know there are genuine and not a tare? The single requirement for salvation is to believe and receive the gift of salvation - John 1:12 Did you ever wonder, am I a tare? Let's go to the Word "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified." 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine = to try, to prove whether evil or good Test = "dokimazo" = approved as genuine Disqualified = "adokimos" = not approved as genuine Please note, this is for your to examine yourself, not others - self-examination is in view here 2 Timothy 2:19 - Those who belong to God will turn away from wickedness "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being [a]abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work." - Titus 1:15-16 Jesus' parables are to be heeded! They promote introspection and examination of one's life I believe that persecution is coming, for real, to the true Church Good soil and wheat will stand firm and not cae Tares and leaven will cave ad blend with the persecutors and believe they are serving God Oh, how deception has taken hold of our land! HAVE EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING TO YOU TODAY!

Practical thoughts about your daily soil = the condition of your heart CHRISTIAN - This is for you!! What is the condition of my heart when I am receiving the Word? And unprepared heart is not ready to receive: the Word may land on pitiful soil Preparation to receive starts with ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE CHECK: If my attitude stinks, ask for forgiveness and refocus RATIONALIZATION: Turn this button off! "I deserve my feeling" - turn this off! This is a no-excuse-time, no blaming time, no projecting time Turn off rationalization and prepare your heart to hear from God! CRITICAL SPIRIT: Turn this button off! A critical spirit is the death nell for hearing from God SOUL FIX: Soul fix on God, not the problems of my life A distracted soul cannot hear Turn off your soul bantering! How can I hear from God? You enhance your chances of hearing by spending time with God What I term, "getting in the Spirit" There are no short cuts to this, no easy outs! Simply spend time with the One who can CHANGE YOUR HEART!! IT'S ALL ABOUT YOUR SOIL ~ YOUR HEART!!

God is into family God invites all of us to be part of His family The only way into this incredible family is through the "new birth" - John 3:3 THINK ABOUT GOD: One so great would want to spend forever with one like us - UNFATHOMABLE! Forever we will be in the divine presence of God No matter where we are assigned in God's creation, the farthest galaxy, whatever dimension, GOD IS THERE! "In the beginning, GOD" Genesis 1:1 - a statement of fact! Not matter, not mind, not laws governing the universe - but GOD!! God is the uncaused cause of matter, mind, and law! Hear King David on the vastness of GOD in Psalm 139:7-10: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in [a]hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. Jesus to each of us who believe in Him: We are FAMILY! You are My Brother, My Sister! You are My FAMILY! Before the world began, Jesus chose us to live with Him forever - AMAZING, INDESCRIBABLE GOD!! OUR AMAZING GOD WANTS YOU IN HIS FAMILY! THAT IS TRULY AMAZING!!!

The heart is our emotional center Many today say, "Follow your heart, do what your emotions dictate" Princess Diana said, "Only do what your heart tells you" CAUTION: You heart can mislead you; your emotions can mislead you - Jeremiah 17:9 What is the seat of our emotions? Our SOUL, our heart SOUL = thoughts, feelings and emotions Our soul is the area where spiritual warfare is fought, and strongholds fall Our soul is the area that is being conformed to the likeness of Christ (LORDSHIP) Our soul is the area where we are being transformed and strongholds are torn down (LORDSHIP) No longer ruled by your faulty, fleshly FEELINGS! Our culture says trust in your heart; God says it's time for a HEART CHECK! In your life, may God be above all powers and all kings May He be above all old ways of thinking, all strongholds and above everything! Psalm 19:14 - HEART CHECK Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer

The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord - Romand 6:23 No other world religion has a "Kinsman Redeemer" Kinsman Redeemer = a blood relative, able to pay the price, and a desire to pay the price There is no redeemer in Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, or any other "ism" Judicial Hardening - past the point of no return! Isaiah 6:9-10 states; And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” Your eternal destiny depends on getting salvation right! All humans have a choice to make... Choose Jesus' way or choose self-way Our encouragement to you is... CHOOSE WISELY!!

Why is the world so intimidated by Jesus and want to shut Him down? Satan is the god of this age, the ruler of all fallen humanity Satan will do anything to inhibit the King's message HE CANNOT!! God's Word will go forth; God will have a people for Himself! Satan’s world system cannot have its way while the RESTRAINER IS HERE! Christians are an obstacle to - "global progress" - progressivism!! Restrainer = the Holy Spirit filled Church - YOU! The Restrainer is unmoved by "world think" - 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 We will not be silenced! We will not live by lies! We will See - Judge - Act We will stand against evil, the lie, and Godless tyranny! We will stand for the TRUTH! The TRUNTH will dispel the lie! The world will hate you and the TRUTH This is expected - John 15:18 In your life, if you respond in faith, Jesus will say: "Stretch out your hand" Jesus will impart His power to deal with whatever Satan plays "gotcha", you're trapped, you are mine! Jesus says, "Stretch our your hand" You can be changed - you can be set free! Jesus came to set the captives free! Millions have been set from from whatever So can you . . . STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND!

The yoke is designed for the lead ox to carry the load; the assistant ox goes with the flow Those yoked to Jesus will discover some amazing things: Why am I here? Discover the meaning of life - it's about God! Where did all of this come from? Discover the origin of life - GOD What happens after I die? Discover the question of eternity - Eternal life with GOD What is real and true? Discover how to live in an insane world - a GOD worldview Jesus says, "Come to Me", yoke with Me, do life with Me, learn from Me COME - You will find rest for your sould COME - Remember who you are serving - "The King" No one is safe wihout being yoked to "The King" COME AND SERVE "THE KING"

Think about it - Jesus' warning is a grace warning. There is a last, last chance! God's free gift of salvation is offered to EVERYONE. THINK ABOUT IT - Pride is the root of all sin THINK ABOUT IT - A declining, dead nation extols pride THINK ABOUT IT - The Bible speaks of levels of punishment in hell THINK ABOUT IT - All humans have a conscience THINK ABOUT IT - God has written His Law on the hearts of every man. Mankind knows right from wrong - Romans 2:15 - NO EXCUSES!! THINK ABOUT IT - Judgement is sure! We will all be judged thoroughly and completely THINK ABOUT IT - The Holy Spirit to you and me - 2 Timothy 2:24-26 THINK ABOUT IT - What you have just heard is all true! This week . . . . THINK ABOUT IT!