Seven Truths Every Child of God Must Know 4

The secret of your future, lies in your everyday routine.

Consider Olympic Champions. Little girls, age 3 to 5. They start going to the gym, learning to work out and do things that are seemingly near impossible. They grow. They go to the gym for hours before most people wake up, then again after school. They do the same routines over and over again. Then 10 years later, some become good enough to complete on a national level. Some, a very few, but some, become the best in the World. They go off to the Olympics and become Olympic Champions.

Consider them. They live their entire lives, doing what they do, through all the pain, injuries, and life challenges themselves, for that precious 2 minutes. Hours a day. 10 plus years. All for two minutes on the World stage.

Consider someone like Tiger Woods. Personal life aside. He starting playing Golf when he was like 4. He is now one of the best in the world. Consider any of the Greats, in any field. You will most likely find they have been doing these things for years. Every day. They have become their daily routine. It is just what they do.

Let me ask you a question. Take two girls. One, starts at age 3. The other sees it on TV, and says, that sounds fun. She decides to join a club. They meet two hours a week, and teach the basics. Now the two meet. They say, let's have a contest. Who do you think will win?

Being a Child of God is the same way. You see some who have great faith, and others that believe. All the famed Saints that walked the Earth, have something in common. It was their life. They did not go to a building, sing hymns, feel good, and go home. They LIVED their faith. They used it daily. Peter got so close, he actually walked on water WITH Jesus. Briefly. Could you?

Romans 8 tells us the extremely condensed version of Salvation and faith. The difference in walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit.

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Paul makes the very distinctive difference, and simple truth, easy to understand.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

What do you do? How are you living your life? Do you even look at this, {Holding up the Bible} The Word of God, when you leave Church? Do you Pray? If you are going to Church, an hour or two a Week, if you feel like going, then go home and never think on God, His Will, and His Way, until the following week? Chances are, you are walking in the flesh.

James puts it this way..

James 2:

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Now I have recently discovered that this is some sort of "contradiction" in the eyes of those who are not of God. They say, Paul teaches by Faith are you saved, and James teaches by Works. Not true. Paul teaches that you must have Faith in Jesus to be saved. That it is NOT of yourself or anything you can do. As James said here "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well:" You have to first believe, or have faith. James looks at those that HAVE believed and IS Saved, and asks, what have you done for God lately?

I love when I'm talking to someone and ask them, "does Christ know you?" and they say, I believe in God. I'm not sure who or what He is, and I do not think I need follow Religion, but I know God. Well? So does the devil. Lucifer, Satan, not only knows Him, but has seen Him face to face. The devil can quote the Bible cover to cover. He was there when it was written. Does this make him a good person or Saved?

You must have both. Faith and Works to be a complete Child of God. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." {Hebrews 11} First believe, then act on it. If you simply go to Church once a week and do nothing, then what does it benefit you?

I also grew up around Pro Wrestling. I know a lot of the old timers. I've met some of the new guys. Some of them are massive. How did they get that way? Well, in the case of the "Big Show," Paul White, he was born that big. But most, again, spend hours in the gym. Every day. Every Month. Every Year.

Now think about this. If you are working out your Spirit, and exercising your Faith, how much stronger would you get?

1 Timothy 4:

7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Here is something I have said, many times in the past. I catch myself still saying it to this day. "I would love to do this or that, but I simply just do not have the time. I gotta work. The Bills are not paying themselves." I know people that work their entire life away. In the end, is it that company they are thinking of? Is it how much money they have in the bank? Or is it regrets of all the time lost. Times lost with family and loved ones? Jesus tells us not to build barns.

Luke 12:

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

People spend their entire lives working at jobs, so they can secure their future. Problem is, the future is not guaranteed. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. The rest of this very day, is not guaranteed. Are you sure you want to invest all that time doing whatever you are doing in the secular worldly sense? Or would you rather be storing up treasures in Heaven?

If you do not spend time, investing in the Word. Praying. Spending time with God himself. On your own. You will never be able to understand people when the question you. You will not be able to withstand the snares of the devil. You may even lose your faith.

Say someone comes to you and says "OK. You believe in this Bible thing, then explain to me why there are all these contradictions. Like why does the Bible say that Mary Magdalene and another Mary discovered the empty tomb in one Gospel, while another Gospel says that only Mary did, and then yet in even another it says that Simon joined them? Explain these inaccuracies in the Bible to me." How would you respond? If you do not know what they are referring to, or the simple truth that they most likely read and never even saw, you may even be persuaded to believe them.

But if you have read it. You know it. God is with you. You can wave this off as ignorance and simply put that John mentions only Mary Magdalene explicitly at the tomb in his Gospel, because that was his focus. However, if you read the next verse "Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him." Now if Mary was alone, who then would be "WE." John did not write "Mary alone went" he simply highlighted that it was Mary who told Peter.

Get in a place where you spend time, daily, with God. It doesn't have to be a great deal of time. Say ten percent of you day. If we are to tithe ten percent, then why not ten percent of our time? There are 24 hours in a day. Can you spare 24 minutes? 24 minutes. Less than the time it takes to watch a sitcom. Less time then it takes to play a game on the computer. Less time than it takes for some people I know to shower. 24 minutes. Read the Word. Pray. Exercise your Faith. Learn what God has planned for your life. Do good Works, not for unto Salvation, but because you ARE Saved.

The simple truth is, if you are being a blessing to others, you open up the windows of Heaven for God to bless you. It is true that the secret of your future, lies in your everyday routine. What is it you would like your future to look like?

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!