Do not pray for your surroundings to change.

 Do not pray for your surroundings to change.   

Welcome, today. Today we will continue our message about proper prayers. Should we pray about certain things that a lot of people pray for? Last time we talked about instead of praying for a change, praying for a way. Today is similar. It is normal for people to pray, for something in their life, that is unpleasant to be removed. However, let’s look at this passage in Numbers 21. Start at verse 4

“From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?”

Now remember, although they were obedient, they also both lacked faith in God and were angry that their comfort zone, for what it was, was taken away from them. They could not see that God called them to move to a better land that He was providing them, nor were they even thankful that God set them free of slavery and bondage to the Egyptians.

“For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."

Again, they were not even thankful that God was providing for them in miraculous ways. They did not see that without God, they would have surely died of starvation and thirst. Reminds me of a rich spoiled brat. Daddy makes and has billions in the bank. He gives them anything they need and or want. No other father has this much money or power. One day his child, the spoiled brat, receives a car for their birthday. However, to them, it is the wrong color or type and they become angry with their father and complain and or even speak out against their father to others.

“Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.”

Why did God do this? Was it because God hated them? Was it because He wanted them to die? No. Can you say “disciplining them?” He was angry with their lack of faith and their ungratefulness that He was disciplining them. Remember, like any good father, God disciplines those He loves.

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Hebrews 12:6

Why?

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11

Through this discipline, God’s loved, and chosen people repented. Back to Numbers 21.

“And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us."

Obviously, they did not like that God had “sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.” This was their new surroundings and their new circumstances. They were asking for God to change them. However, notice this. Not all were repentant. Since not all were repentant, God did NOT do as they asked. He did NOT remove all the snakes. What did He do? He created a way.

“So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten when he sees it, shall live."

Snakes were still there. The snakes were still biting people and people were still dying. God did not remove this. However, He made a way for those who were truly repentant to be saved from it. Sound familiar? Whoever repented of this sin, was saved if they followed God's plan of forgiveness.

“So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” Numbers 21:4-9

God may not change your surroundings or your circumstances. But He will ALWAYS create a way through. Look at the world we live in. More on praying for the world itself next time. But look at your surroundings. We live in a sinful, rebellious, ungrateful world. So what does He say to His children who live in such surroundings? He created a way to be in the world but not of it. Of course, Jesus coming and dying for us. Just like the Jews that God set free from the bondage of Egypt and the bonds of slavery, God set us free of the bondage of sin and death. Yet, we are still in the desert of sin. Our time is not yet to receive our promised land. For those who are faithful, God is faithful in creating a way for us. First, He gives us protection, against the fiery serpents and darts of the evil one.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:11-13

He endows us with power from on high.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Just like the Jews, He promised us a land far better than this one. Just like the Jews, their sin delayed their receiving this promised land. Including some sinners who never saw it. We are in a desert as well, because of sin, we are delayed and some will never see it. Why is it taking so long for all this to end and for the true children of God to see the new heavens and new earth?

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Let’s get a couple of things straight. There really is a heaven and there really is a hell, and God and the devil exist if you believe or not. Reality does not depend on your acceptance, rejection, or desire for it to be any other way. As my grandmother was fond of saying, simply put, “It is what it is.” The reality is God is watching and waiting. He will not wait forever. He sees what is going on. He knows who is faithful and who never will be. Look at this story that Jesus tells us.

“He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."'” Matthew 13:24-30

Evil is here. Evil people are here. People who openly and willfully serve the devil are here. The heart of man, the flesh, is here and continually evil. Those who do not repent and allow Jesus to be their sacrifice and their salvation will be cast into hell. A place never meant for man, but man chose to reject God and therefore suffers the same fate as the devil and his followers in the end time.

As a child of God, there is nothing that we could possibly do to these people that is even worthy to be compared to what awaits them. Those that today openly mock God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and yes, even you as a child of God. Some of them say they can’t wait to go to hell. We should not hate these people. We should pity them. We should pray for them but it is ultimately their choice to listen or not. To accept the truth and be saved or not. This is why Jesus tells us this.

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44-45

Another reason Jesus tells us not to envy those people. Yes. Sometimes it seems unfair. Some of these people have millions of dollars and great ease in their lives. They have everything they could ever want and you think it would be nice to trade places with them. To have what they have. To do some of the things they do. Be careful what you wish for. You may end up going where they go. Right now it seems unfair. That is only until the end. Remember the rich man and Lazarus?

"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'” Luke 16:19-26

I’m sure the rich man was not a nice man. He was still attempting to order the poor Lazarus to serve him. He did not care about the poor and those he felt were beneath him. He did not accept Jesus or the Gospels while he was alive. He had a good life. Rich. Perfect expensive clothes. Most likely he was feared and revered among men. He had whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. Lazarus? He was poor and had nothing. Probably despise by people and suffered most of his life. Would it make sense that Lazarus coveted what the rich man had? Of course. Desire to have and do the things the rich man had and did. Even the rich man’s respect from others? Sure. Look at them now. Would you really want to change with the rich man now?

Yes, your situation and surroundings may not be as you may like. It’s ok to pray about it. However, make no mistake, God may not change your surroundings. You may actually be there for a reason. Rather, pray to God about it. Ask God, what is your will for me in this situation? Ask Him to endow you with wisdom, and power. Comfort, and peace.

You may be surprised. You may see your surroundings differently. From confusion to clarity. From scary to at peace. From problems to possibilities. Obstacles to opportunities. God can do anything. All you have to do is trust in Him.

Do you know Jesus as your savior? If you are not in His family, how can He even try to bless you? Say this prayer. 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 believed He rose from the dead. 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 you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall 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

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Brand new Email if you wish to contact me, it's truthbygod1@gmail.com

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Genesis, chapter 25

 Chapter 25

Abraham's Death and His Descendants

1 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

7 These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

    and two peoples from within you[c] shall be divided;

the one shall be stronger than the other,

    the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Don't Pray For Change

 Pray for a way.

Hello. Welcome, today. Today’s message will be a bit different than perhaps what you have heard in the past. It may be a revelation to you. It may be something you don't understand fully. It may even be offensive to some who have been taught differently. Things I have been taught, things I have believed, vs. what I truly believe God has shown me in His Word. What is it? Do not pray for change.

Do not pray for your will, but for His will to be done.

Do not pray for your surroundings to change.

Do not pray for the world.

I know. I think the first one, the one we will discuss today is the easiest to accept and understand. You can say we are going to ease into it.

We are born. We grow up being taught what our parents believe and what our parents were taught, if they went to church, in their church. We see in movies and on TV, people crying out to God to change their lives.

“Please God, let me hit the lotto.” “Please God let me date this one or that one.” “Please God let me get a promotion, raise, become the boss, at work.” “Please God, take this sickness away.” “Please God, get me out of this situation.” “Please God, take all this stuff around me away. Improve my situation.” “Please God, bring revival to America, and the world.”

Have you prayed any of these? I have. Have you been taught any of these things are something every Christian should do? I have. Do you truly believe that if God does whatever you ask, it would be better? I did. But here is the thing. None of these are Biblical.

Now I’m not saying it is wrong to ask God for things. Especially like healing, improving your life situation, and even that an unlimited amount of people get saved. However, what I am saying is sometimes the answer will be no. Why? It may not be God’s Will.

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 4:3-10

Understand what James is saying here. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” In other words, you are asking God for your own will to be done. Not His Will. Look at what Jesus prayed as He was facing humiliation, torture, and horrible death.

“And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt and prayed, saying, "Father if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” Luke 22:41-43

Jesus was facing something much worse than you can or will EVER face in your life. He asked God because He did not have the strength and or the will to go through all He knew He had to, if it was possible for God to reconsider. However, He already knows the answer. His flesh was weak not His spirit. Look what He said to Peter in the garden when they came for Him.

“Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" Matthew 26:52-54

Jesus could have stopped it at any time. However, that was the whole purpose He came to begin with. It was God’s will to do this. “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." He had to go through with it. But look at this really important part of scripture.

"And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.”

God saw the flesh was weak but His spirit was right, so, God strengthened His flesh, so that He could accomplish what He came to do. What God sent Him to do. He will do the same for you.

Look at this passage here. James 4:13-15

“Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit", yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

We make plans all the time for ourselves, leaning on our understanding of so little amount of things. We know nothing compared to God. The only way we can know what God has planned for us is to ask Him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

And here.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” Psalm 37:5

Also here.

“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things, I delight, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

It is not about you. It never was. It is not now. Nor will it ever be, about you. Your plans may succeed. They may fail. They may be right. They may be wrong. If you are a child of God, it no longer matters what you think, believe, or desire. It is all about serving our Lord and God. When He calls us to go somewhere and do something, guess what, He goes before and paves the way. Create a way where there is no way.

Let me share a little story. I was working a job I loved, however, a new boss came in and was pretty wicked. No exaggeration here. He was wicked. He made all of our lives miserable. I was recently saved and young and naive, but I did what some other “Christians” did. I prayed for him to be removed. What happened? He fired me. He fired quite a few people. Was that what I prayed? Did I pray to get fired? Of course not. Was it how I envisioned the outcome would be? Of course not. I was jobless and the wicked manager was still there.

What Happened? I was not unemployed for more than 4 days. I ended up working for a man named Chief Rowley for three and a half years. It was a GREAT job and I had a blast working for him and learning so much about law enforcement that I would have never learned before.

I nearly forgot all about the wicked manager. What happened to him? He was very publicly fired. The place I was working? It no longer exists today. God not only got rid of the wicked manager, but he completely wiped out the whole place. What could I have possibly done to equal that? Nothing. I learned that the three most powerful words a child of God can say, as long as you mean it, to anyone is, “I forgive you.” Why? Because then you take them out of your hands and put them in God’s.

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary," if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21

You see, I was praying for a change, God created a way out. It was not the change I envisioned, but I was not where God wanted me to be either. I got that job before I was saved, and now that I was a new creature, His child, He had other plans for me. You must learn to always trust in God. Believe it or not, He really does know better than you. In this case, Father ALWAYS knows best.

Whatever your situation, of course, pray to your Father and ask Him to take over the situation. Stop pretending you know better than God. Just give it to Him and let Him make a way forward for you His way. He has a plan and a purpose for you and your life. If you find and live in that purpose, you will always have God with you and He will ALWAYS be in charge of all things in your life.

What about your surroundings in general? What about all the negative stuff, God could not possibly want that for you. Is it wrong to pray about change? More on that next time.

Of course, without being adopted into the family of God, God is not with you to begin with. Have you been adopted into the Family of God? Would you like to be? It really is simple. Say this prayer. 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 believed He rose from the dead. 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 you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall 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

Email if you wish to contact me, it's truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Genesis, Chapter 24

 Chapter 24

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." 5 

The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?"

 6 Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there."

 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 

And he said, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'--let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master." 

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar." 18 She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not. 

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" 24 She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." 25 She added, "We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night." 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD 27 and said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen."

28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things. 29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, "Come in, O blessed of the LORD. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I have to say." He said, "Speak on." 

34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.' 39 I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' 40 But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' 42 "I came today to the spring and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," 44 and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also," let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' 45 "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." 

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken." 52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." 55 Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go." 56 But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." 57 They said, "Let us call the young woman and ask her." 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!" 

61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way. 62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Serving the Lord, The Wrong Way

 Your way? 

Hey folks, welcome today. Today we are talking about serving God. Did you know that it is extremely common, especially for new believers, to attempt to follow God, but do it wrong? Did you know you can do WHAT God says to do but not HOW God says to do it? Most of the time? It does not end well.

You see, believe it or not, God is wiser than you. I know right? God, the Alpha, and Omega, the Creator of all that is, is smarter than our puny little decades-old brains. He knows what will work and what will fail. He knows and, here is another thing we need to understand, has the right tools, and ways, that will work, to get the job done.

If I hire you, and tell you I need you to paint the house next week, and A - do not give you the paint, brushes, or anything else, you cannot possibly do the job. B- If you decide, even though I have given you the tools, not to wait, but to do it this week? Well, what you do not know, I know, that there is a storm coming. You get the job half down and it storms. You fail. If you wait another week past what I said, the house is sold and now you cannot do the job. God is the same way. Turn to Numbers 14.

Moses sent out spies to spy on the land that God told them He was going to give them. They came back as people were, and I love this word, grumbling, against Mose and Aaron saying that they were going to die in the desert and wanted to elect new leaders to lead them back to Egypt. Understand this point. They did not lose faith in Mose and Aaron. They chose to not believe in what God told them.

Mose and Aaron fell down on their faces to pray and attempt to repent to God for the people when Joshua the son of Nun, who was with the spies did the same. He said this to the congregation. Verse 7

“The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”

Joshua was trying to restore their faith in God by reporting it was exactly how God said it would be, and that God had said He was going to give it to them. Then they tried to stone them when God appeared before them. 

“And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

God is saying, after all, they have been through, the plague, locus, frogs, death of newborns, the parting of waters, bread from heaven, God says, what more do they need to believe me? Mose intercedes for the people and God does not totally wipe them out, but He did promise judgment on those who grumbled and lost faith in Him and tried to turn others against those who are still faithful to Him. Now here is where it gets interesting. Read this carefully with me. Verse 38

“When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the Lord has promised, for we have sinned.” But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord when that will not succeed?”

Now remember, God said to do this. They doubted and got rebuked by God and as a punishment, God said those who grumbled will never set foot in the land He is still going to give to the faithful. They said, “We are okay, God said we will win so let's go.” They were doing what God said, but not how God said to do it. Do you see this?

“Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”

Again, they are doing what God said, not how God said to do it. Watch what happens.

“But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.”

Did God lie? No of course not. They rebelled against God because they did not follow HOW God said to do it. They were looking to achieve this for their own self-preservation following what God told Moses, and not for the glory of God.

Let me share a little true story with you. I got saved, I got excited, and I felt a calling to be a sower of the Word, teller of truth, sharer of the Gospel. I thought to myself, “Pastor.” Still to this day, this was way back when I was in my twenties, I heard a voice. I’m not kidding, I heard an audible voice say to me, “Go to Florida.” I was in NY at the time. What did I do? I went to Ohio. Not kidding.

You see, I saw this Pastor, Pastor Rod Parsley on TV and He has a Bible college in Columbus Ohio. I thought to myself, “I want to be a Pastor. Here is this world-famous Pastor with a Bible college, I will go there.” Well? I went and spent two weeks with Pastor Rod Parsley. Nice guy. The collage was beautiful. However, did you know, that nothing worked out? Nothing. I could not get a job, a place to live, or anything. I went back to NY defeated and a little depressed. I went on with life and in the years to follow, my mother moved to Florida. My whole family lived in Florida at this point. All I had in NY was a failing marriage and my Job in the Hotel Business.

I came to Florida in 2000 on Vacation and ended up meeting a landlord who basically handed me a key and everything just clicked in my favor. I had a place to live with a dock on the water, and fruit trees in the yard. It was amazing. I went back and gave a thirty-day notice in the Hotel and even trained my replacement. I walked into a Hotel in Stuart Florida and got the Job during the interview. Basically, I picked up where I left off in NY. The rest, as they say, is history.

Who am I? Hello, I'm Peter. Child of God, Sower of seed, Teller of Truth, sharer of the Gospel. Now in my, cough, 50s. What took so long? Me. Notice I am doing what God told me, now fruitful, because I did it how God told me. Ohio? Everything failed. Florida? Everything succeeded and I have little to nothing to do with it. The only difference is the how.

Remember the Word declares this.

“The heart of man plans his way,

but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

If you follow God, and you decide in your heart, I’m going to do what God calls me to do, do not ever forget this one thing. If God is not with you, nothing with work out. It is God who establishes your steps. It is He who paves the way.

“In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:6

If you feel God leading you to do something, I can almost bet you He is, for there is a plan and a purpose for every one of us, Pray to Him as to HOW He would like you to do it. For if He is with you? Who can be against you?

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

If you have not already done so, you need to ask Jesus into your life, then 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 believed He rose from the dead. 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 you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall 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

Brand new Email if you wish to contact me, it's truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Genesis, Chapter 23

 Chapter 23

1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 "I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." 

5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 "Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead." 

7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, "If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place." 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 

11 "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people, I give it to you. Bury your dead." 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, "But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there." 

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 "My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead." 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. 

17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 

19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.

Dealing with the Unsaved, Those that Hate You

 Oh, they do hate you.

Hello, we are talking directly to the children of God. If I were not talking directly to children of God, what I am about to say would be nearly impossible. No. I believe it would be completely impossible. We are talking about how to respond to the unsaved. Today we will wrap things up with dealing with those who hate you. These are people who are unsaved by choice.

I understand that this makes no sense. I understand that they truly do not understand the choice they have made. Simply put, they have heard the truth. They have heard about God and Jesus, and His Word, and they choose to reject it. Think about that. They choose to go to hell because they are offended to learn that they live in sin. Instead of repenting, they choose sin over God. Since you are “one of those” children of God, Christian, Bible thumper, racist, bigot, homophobe, transphobe, there are so many nowadays I’m sure I’m forgetting some. The point is, they hate you. A lot. With this truth of this matter, how are you to respond to these people?

First? We must respond to these people first and foremost, as Jesus did, with love.

Today we are going to talk about how to respond to those who chose to become our enemies. Oh, you have enemies. Jesus told us we would have.

"You will be hated by all for my name’s sake." Luke 21:17

 Why?

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they would also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name because they do not know him who sent me." John 15:18-21

They hated Jesus so much that they tortured and killed Him in a horrific way. How did He respond to them? He forgave them. He prayed for them. He opened a way to SAVE them. While hanging on that cross, Jesus prayed to the Father and He said this.

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

"Yeah, but he is God. Of course, He loved His enemies. I'm not Him. I do not believe that He would really expect me to do something like this. I just try to avoid those that seem to hate me. I just stay away from them. Isn't that good enough? Hey, at least I did not kill them"

Well? Jesus actually told us this.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48

This is familiar. Look at what God has been telling us in His word for thousands of years.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you." Proverbs 25:21-22

Paul repeated this in his letter to the Church in Rome

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:19-21

That was a valuable lesson for me to learn. It really was. It is something that is so powerful for you to get, it will change your life if you fully get it. There is NOTHING that you can do to anyone or anything, that is even worthy to be compared with what God can and will do, to your enemies.

Complete cities have been destroyed. I have personally seen entire businesses and companies go away after mistreating a couple of children of God. The ways that I have personally seen God deal out vengeance? I'm glad I was on the right side.

We are told, on the contrary, to LOVE our enemies.

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink;"

Jesus took it even further,

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." Matthew 5:38-42

Why? Why would Jesus tell us this? Because we were once enemies of God. We really were! We were enemies of God who deserved hellfire and damnation. Jesus loved us. We did everything we could possibly do to Jesus, and yet He saved us.

We may be the only Jesus that some people will meet on Earth. What do they see when they look at us? "I hate that guy. I have done all I can to get him fired. I have gotten him thrown out of where he was living. I did whatever I could to hurt him. He flipped me off. I win. Hahaha!"

Or?

"I hate that guy. I have done all I can to get him fired. I have gotten him thrown out of where he was living. I did whatever I could to hurt him. He never yelled back at me. He actually smiled. He said 'I forgive you.' He said 'Jesus loves you.' I just found out that I was about to lose my job but he went to the boss and saved my job. He left so I could stay working. WHY?! Why would he do that? What is this Jesus stuff all about anyway/"

Now, you are still unemployed. You are still out of the place you were living. You may not even know how you responded to your enemy has turned your enemy into a child of God. You do not have to know. It ain't about you. It is about God. We are to be the very image of the love of God. What is love?

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, they will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now, we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

Love your neighbor as yourself? Yes. Love each other as Jesus loved us? Yes. Love our enemies? Yes! This is what we are called to do. The only way you can do this? Is to have the love of God in you. To have Jesus in you. To be a child of God. 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 believed He rose from the dead. 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 tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall 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

Brand new Email if you wish to contact me, it's truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Genesis, Chapter 22

 Chapter 22

The Sacrifice of Isaac

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire, and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now, I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself, I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his[d] enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Dealing With The Unsaved, False Witness

 Are you greater than Jesus? 

Yes, I’m asking you this question. Are you Jesus? For the next two times we get together, today and next time, we will be talking about the unsaved people who just flat-out hate you. But even if they do not hate you totally, they will lie about you. They will say all sorts of things. They will accuse you of all sorts of things. How should you respond?

Well, as a child of God, we should take the way Jesus did as an example. How did He respond?

"Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent." Matthew 26:59-63

Now, why do you think He remained silent? Usually, people's first reaction is to defend themselves and even counterattack the person or people attacking them. I know I have. Especially if you are innocent. Someone accuses you of something and your first reaction is to go to war. Clear your name. ETC.

Jesus did not do this. He remained silent. Why? Because He was innocent. He did not need to prove it to those who were with Him and who witnessed Him and His life. They should have known better. He did not have to prove Himself to His Father. His Father knows Him.

It would be like someone coming to me and telling me that my son Joshua was harassing girls, stealing money, and eating spaghetti while high in the cafeteria. I would tell them to go pound sand and stop lying about my son. Why? I know him. I know his heart. I know nearly all his friends and female. It is not in his nature to steal. He doesn't do drugs. I saw him puke after taking a sip of alcohol once. And I know he is not eating spaghetti in the cafeteria because he HATES spaghetti. Yeah I know, I do not get that either. But he does.

God said this about Jesus.

"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

And again God said,

"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." Matthew 17:5

God knows His Son. He knows that the allegations are false. Jesus does not have to do or say anything. Here is some good news for you. God knows you. Jesus even warned us that people WILL make false accusations and allegations against us. He warned us that they would lie about us and even hate us. Why? Because we are now His.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11-12

Jesus warned us plainly.

"You will be hated by all for my name’s sake." Luke 21:17

As I said, we will talk about those who hate us and are our sworn enemies next time. Today we are just talking about responding to those false allegations. What should we do? How should we respond?

President George W. Bush was constantly under attack by those who hated him. He was constantly criticized by those on the right for not defending himself. He said something to the effect that he felt it was beneath the Office of the President to do so. He also said that it would not matter what he said, the haters were going to hate him no matter what and those that support him know better. Wise words.

Jesus said this.

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name because they do not know him who sent me." John 15:18-21

They hated Him first. We are not greater than Him. Why would you think they would not lie about us? Why would they not hate us? Of course, they will. Why? " Because they do not know him who sent me." They do not know God.

Remember when Jesus was talking to the religious folks and holier-than-thou folks of His time?

"Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:43-47

Notice this little difference that some may miss here. Jesus did not say, "Why do you spread lies about me?" He said, "Which one of you convicts me of sin?" He said, Who can prove all the things you claim about me? Because no one can.

We are told to live our lives for God. Be the light of the world.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

If people get to know you, they get to know your character, and your actions show them your heart, then they will understand. If they hear some people start spreading lies about you, you will not need to convince them. They already know better. Defend yourself against someone who hates you and is trying to hurt you? They will never hear you. Never accept you. Never apologize. Your Father in Heaven? He knows you and your heart. Jesus told us that when this happens, we should what?

"Rejoice and be glad"

Rejoice and be glad? Yes. Why?

"They persecuted the prophets who were before you."

We are in Good Company. And

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."

Think about this also, more on this next time, but, if you are not doing the will of God? If you are not doing the words of Jesus? If you are not trying to share the Word of God? They will not hate you. They would accept you as one of their own. But if they are attacking you. Lying about you and hating on you, for no other reason than Jesus? You are doing it right. You are producing fruit. You may not even know you are but you are.

Also, think about this. You are a child of God. Are YOU engaging in this type of behavior? This is why God made this the ninth Commandment.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

It is not harmless gossip. It can lead to people losing their jobs, marriages breaking up, and even people committing suicide from it. As a child of God, you have no place in doing this.

As for those that are doing it to you? Do not waste your time defending yourself against false allegations. It is a waste of time. Your silence may even become more powerful than anything you can say or do. In the end? The only one you need to be concerned with how they feel about you is GOD.

The only way you can truly find peace amid false allegations is the peace of the Holy Spirit in you. If you have not already done so, you need to ask Jesus into your life, then 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 believed He rose from the dead. 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 you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall 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

Brand new Email if you wish to contact me, it's truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!