Praying For Others

Is Praying for Others Important?

If so, who? Are there people that we should Pray for, and others we should not? We do not know other's Hearts, so are we wasting time? Does it do anyone any good whatsoever, if you, someone they never heard of, say a Prayer for them? Is it not the "Christian Thing" to do, to Pray for Peace in the World and Pray for others?

We read things like this...

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." {Ephesians 3:14-19}

Then we read things like this...

"Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" {Colossians 1:8-14}

But then, God told Jeremiah

"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble." {Jeremiah 11:14}

When Jesus is Praying, He makes this statement...

"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." {John 17:9}

So wait, Should we Pray for others or not? The answer is Yes. However, the real question is WHO? Notice this.. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;" Also this.. "Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it," And this as well..."I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me" Who should we be Praying for? Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Our Family. Other Children of God.

Is it not the "Christian thing to do" to Pray for the World? To Pray for Peace? What about others to find Salvation? The Short answer is, it may be the "Christian thing to do," but it is not Biblical nor is it what God wants us to do.

First the obvious. There will NEVER be World Peace, as long as we are in charge. Why? Because WE are not in charge. There is coming a time..

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." {Matthew 24:6-8}

Jesus goes on in great detail to tell us what is coming. Then He says "Behold, I have told you before." When Predicting His Betrayal, He said this "Now I tell you before it come," Again when telling His Disciples of His death and the coming of the Holy Spirit, "And now I have told you before it come to pass."

The point is, it is coming.It will happen. The end of the World as we know it. Not all will be Saved. Not all will accept the Truth. Jesus told us to Fear Not. These things MUST come to pass. So? Who are we to Pray against God?

What about Praying for the Individual? Notice in the examples given to us in God's Word, those that are Prayed for, are Children of God already. Not the lost or the dead. As a matter of fact, remember what Jesus told someone who asked to have time to go bury his Father before he followed Him? Jesus said

"But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." {Matthew 8:22}

Jesus called the Religious folks, the Rulers of the Synagogues, the Priests and Rabbis, the Children of the Devil. Why? Because HE knows the Heart of Man. God knows the Hearts of men are Evil continuously. He knows who to call out of the World and who will never accept Him. We do not. Do not waste your time.

But is it not compassionate to Pray for another to find Salvation? Yes. You can Pray that someone you care about hears the Truth and allows the Truth to set them Free. You can share the Truth with them. And you SHOULD share the Truth with them. But here is the other Truth. You can Pray for Billy Bob, everyday, for ten years. Ten years later, Billy Bob goes to stand before God. What happens next has NOTHING to do with you. Either He accepted the Truth, or he did not. Either he is Saved, or he never believed. It is totally his choice.

I have three kids. Josh, accepted Jesus and has been Baptized. Eli? Maya? I hope so. I will Pray that they do, however, the choice is theirs to make. No matter how much I love them, no matter how much God loves them, THEY have freewill and THEY have to chose to accept the Truth or not..

Pray for the Family. Pray for your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. If you want, Pray for an unlimited number of Salvations a day, for the Praise and Glory be to God. But do not Pray for the World. Do not Pray for the Lost. Tell them the Truth, and allow them to decide. They are the only ones that can. Just like you, it is between them and God..

What is the Truth? Jesus came and died for our Sins. All we have to do is accept this. Allow His Sacrifice be a substitute for you. His Blood for your blood, His death for your death. His Resurrection for your eternal Soul. There is no other way...

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

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

Your Work Matters

I want to be a Healer.

Or I want to be one who tells of Prophecies. I want to BE the Preacher. Yet, here I am an Usher, or a Greeter. Why? I want so much more. Why do I have to take a back seat? All I do is assist in Parking cars. All I do is take out the Trash following Service.

What Spiritual Gifts do you have? Never took time to find out? Have you Prayed to God to see what HE wants you to be doing? ARE you doing what God wants you to do? You see, your work matters. The Word declares...

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

You see, it is up to God what Gifts you get. It is up to God, where you are best suited to Work for the Kingdom.. It goes on to say this.

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." {1 Corinthians 12: 4-31}

What Paul is telling us here is that we are ALL part of one body, this is the Body of Christ. We are the Church. Not this brick and mortar, stained glass windowed, Steeple toting, building made by the hands of Man. No, no, no. WE are the Church formed by God Himself.

Look at Jesus. He was the greatest man to ever walk the Earth. He did some amazing things. Look at the two times He raised the dead. The 12 years old little Girl, and Lazarus. These are Miracles that could only be done by one, Jesus. However, others had to play a crucial part.

First the Girl. The Father had to journey to find Jesus. Then when all seemed lost, the Father had to continue to believe. Then after, Jesus told them present to give her something to Eat..{Mark 5:21-43}

Lazarus? Jesus heard from others Lazarus died. This is where we find the shortest verse in the Bible. Jesus loved Lazarus so much that when He heard, the Word says "Jesus Wept." Jesus raised him from the dead. However, it was others that unwrapped and cleaned up what must have been a completely shocked Lazarus.

The facts are simple. If others did not seek out Jesus, He would not have come and raised these two from the dead. If others did not feed the Girl, how long do you think she would have stayed alive? If others did not unwrap and clean up Lazarus, he would have remained in in a dead, yet alive, state.

Cooking? Cleaning? Parking cars? Greeting others? Collecting the Offerings? Singing? Preaching? We all have roles to play. We are all chosen by God to play those roles. None is more important than the other. We as Humans decided that this or that was more important. That this or that was less important. But God see it all as crucial. If no one takes out the Trash, the Church will start to stink. If no one greets new guests, new guests will not feel welcomed. If no one collects or passes the Offerings, the Church will not be able to financially continue on. If no one sings? You get the point.

See, when someone goes to the Church for the first time, the first thing they see is the Parking area. How easy is it in and out? Is someone there to help them? The next thing is the Lobby. Did someone greet them? Make them feel welcomed? Someone hold the Door? How was the Music? The Worship time? You see, most make up their minds if they are in a good Church or one that suits them best, LONG before the Pastor gets up to Preach.

Now let's talk about your other Job.

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" {Colossians 3:23}

And this...

"With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men" {Ephesians 6:7}

So wait, are you saying if I am a Garbage Man, riding on the back of a Truck, or I am one who is out there in the Heat, digging a Ditch, I should be happy, and do it like I am serving God? Yup. But Garbage Men are not Doctors. Ditch Diggers are not Lawyers. Nope. But God is watching.

Look, as I use to always say, in my past Political Life, it is not the Millionaires and Billionaires that make the World go around. It really isn't. You know who it is? The Construction Worker. Without them, The Rich would not have them Mansions. The Firefighters. Without them, the Rich could lose their Mansions. The Police. Without them there would be chaos. The Soldier. Without them, there would be chaos. The Manufacturers, Truck Drivers, Store Owners. Without the Road Builders, Dig Diggers, and yes, Garbage Collectors, The Rich would have nothing but the money they hold so dear.

So build that Road. Haul that Trash. Fight the Fire, as if you are doing it for the Lord of All. Do it with Joy. Know what God is watching. Know that if you are Baking, Bake as if you are going to give it to Jesus Himself. If you are making a Gadget in a Factory, make it as if Jesus ordered it. Do the best Job you can. Do it with Joy. Become one of those people that seem to always be Positive and Cheerful. People are watching. They will see the difference. They will want to know what makes you the way you are. That is when you will have an opportunity to share the Gospel with them.

More times than not, people will respond better to what they see you do, and how you do it, then they ever will, what you say. However, if you are saying Jesus is the way to have no fear, and the Joy of being the Child of God, and all they see you do, is bitch and complain about your Job, dodge responsibility and do as little as possible, they will NEVER believe anything.

Being a Child of God, is not only for an hour a half on Sunday, if you feel like going. It is 24-7. When you go Home, doesn't mean that like the Pastor, God goes Home too. No. God is with you always in all things. You should be with Him always, and in all things. Work in your Kingdom Role, whatever that may be, as to the Lord, with Joy and Thanksgiving. Work your Worldly Role, as to the Lord, with Joy and Thanksgiving. It matters. Your Work, and how you Work, matters....

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

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

Psalm 23 Explained

In Depth Study of Psalm 23

Did you read Psalm 23 this past Wednesday? It's one of my favorite Psalms. I hope you read it. I hope you can understand what it actually means. This is what we are talking about today. Psalm 23, what does it mean? Why is it a song you should claim as your own? Why you should sing it with great joy and thanksgiving? Why it should comfort your very Soul?

Let us begin..

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

Stop. The Lord is my Shepard. What does this actually mean? Jesus said this.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."{John 10:7-11}

Now there is a wealth of information there. Jesus is our Shepard. He is the only way to get from here, to Heaven. He is the one that stands by and watches as we simply live. He is the one that stands guard to protect us from any harm that threatens us. Even to the point of laying down his own life for us.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He also says that whosoever is of His Flock, will never worry about Food or Water. Remember, He is the door, we shall go in and out, and find pasture. Sheep need Pastures for what reason? To eat. Right? Jesus said this about Himself

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." {John 6:51}

He also told us that as Him as our Shepard, we should have no fear of the lack of needs..

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." {Matthew 6:25-33}

Let's move on to the next..

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

Well? Just like the Bread from Heaven, Jesus made this statement about Himself.

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." {John 4:14}

This is what the whole Communion thing is all about. When we break the Bread, and we Drink the Wine, we do this in remembrance of what Jesus did for us. The Bread is His Body, the bread from Heaven. The Wine is His Blood, that He shed for us. The Bread from Heaven, The Water of Life. Jesus our Lord..

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

What does this mean?

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."{John 14: 16-17}

Who?

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."{John 14: 26}

That's right. The Holy Spirit. He will come and He will commune with our Spirit. He will restore your connection with God. Cleanse you of all unrighteousness. He will strengthen us. He will Teach us. He will guide us. He will make it possible for us to declare, Greater is He in me, than in all the World.. {1 John 4:4}

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Not only should we be comforted, not only should we fear not that our needs will be met, we should have NO fear of ANYTHING..

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." {1 John 4:4}

Paul goes into great detail to explain this in his letter to those in Rome.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

We are MORE THAN Conquerors. We have already won the Battle. We already have the Victory. There is NOTHING that can defeat us.

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." {Romans 8:35-39}

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Think about this. Your enemies are plotting your harm. They are scheming and planning. They are preparing to do bad things to you. Yet, in the middle of all this, The Lord will prepare a table for you. He will say, sit and eat. Relax and enjoy the meal. Why? God loves us.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."{1 John 4:4}

But these people will hurt you. They will misuse you. They will mistreat you. That is their main goal. But the Lord says, sit and eat. Do not worry about those trying to knock down the door. Do not worry about those who are encircling you. Those that are coming against you..

"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you." {Isaiah 35:4}

If they have attempted to harm you?

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." {Romans 12:19}

There is NOTHING you could ever do to anyone, that is even worthy to be compared to what God can and will do to them. So why worry about them. They are in God's hands. Let Him deal with them..

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Why? Again, we have the Holy Spirit, given to us by Jesus, because we have been CHOSEN by GOD. We are Children of God..

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." {Romans 8:16-18}

It doesn't matter what happens in the World. It doesn't mater what is happening all around you. Bad things will come. Bad things will happen. But we need not have ANY fear whatsoever, because HE is our Shepard. He is our Provider. God is our Daddy.

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. " {Matthew 24:9-13}

We can endure til the end, because we know, the Victory is assured. We know that we have already won. We know, that the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, The Lord of lords, and the King of kings, God almighty is our Father, Jesus is our Shepard, and The Holy Spirit is in us.

We already know where we are going. Jesus told us so..

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." {John 14:3}

Now you know. Now you understand. Now you get why Psalm 23 is one that you should sing from the Roof Tops. Why it is one you can claim as your own and take to heart what it means. Oh sing it with Praise and Thanksgiving..

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." {Psalm 23}

Sing it Child of God. Sing it loud. Sing it with Joy. For there is nothing that can stand against it. Do you want to be able to sing this Psalm with all confidence, that it applies to you. You can. It really is this simple. All you have to do is ask the Shepard to become YOUR Shepard. All you have to do is be adopted into the Family of God All you have to do is accept Jesus..

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

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

Psalm 23

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Not Hearing The Word, Salvation?

" Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Here is a question that comes up from time to time. I have dealt with it MANY times over the past 25 plus years I have been a Child of God. It comes in three forms;

1 - An honest question.
2 - An attack
3 - An excuse and ticket to Sin

We are going to attempt to answer this question, in all it's forms, today..

"What about those that never heard of Jesus? What about all those people that have been born and died, never hearing the Gospel of Christ? Are you saying that they are in Hell? Seriously. You say, that Jesus is the only Way. You say without Jesus there is nothing. You say that without accepting Jesus, you can in no way, enter into Heaven. There is no other way. SO? You must be saying that anyone, including those that have never heard of Jesus, must be burning in Hell. Right?

First, I will give you the cop out answer. Only God knows what is in the heart of man. Only God decides who enters into Heaven, and who does not. Now this is true. But it really does not answer the question.

Answer two. The Word declares...

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."{Romans 10:13-17}

Some argue that since The Word declares "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" It is not possible to believe in that of which you have not heard, so then, it would stand to reason that they who have not heard, are not lost, or Sinners, for they know not what they do, so they must be Saved by default. Well, if that is the case, then why tell anyone the Truth?

Seriously think about this. If it were true that those that never hear the Gospel, are saved out of their ignorance, then we should never tell them. By telling people the truth, there is only one way to be saved, then what we do is convict them and condemn them to Hell, if they do not believe after they have heard. It would be better to keep Jesus a secret so that they may live however they chose and simply go to Heaven unjudged by the Truth.

But that is not the correct answer either. The The Word declares...

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." { Romans 1:18–23}

What does this mean? The way they know God is by the way God has made the world and their own consciences. We have an inherent knowledge of God, Right, Wrong, Good , and Evil. We are the choices we make.The problem is that the Human Race is Sinful. We all reject this knowledge of God and rebel against Him if we live for the Flesh. If it were not for God's grace, we would be given over to the Sinful desires of our Hearts. He does this for those who continually reject Him.

Now, let's go back to that cop out answer. It is true that only God knows what is in our hearts. He is the only one that calls us out.

"God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." {1 Corinthians 1:9}

It is written..

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." {Romans 9:15-18}

Jesus Himself said this...

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."{John 15:16 }

And also this...

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."{John 6:44}

God chooses who He will. Does this mean some He chooses NOT to Save. Yes. Why? I'm not God. But think of this. As we just read, He said to Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up," and think about this. Jesus chose Judas, knowing that it would be him that betrays Him.

It was Jesus that chose Peter on the Fishing Boat. It was Jesus that chose Matthew at the Table of Customs. It was Jesus that chose Saul, yet rather Paul, on the road to Damascus. They were not looking for Him. They were going about their lives and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, here comes Jesus calling them out, and saying "Follow Me."

He is still doing this today. He is calling you out, saying "Follow Me." You didn't find Jesus. You would have no idea where to even look. You would not be able to find God. God chose you. You are a Child of God, because HE chose you to be.

Think about this also. If someone comes to you and asks you "What about those that have never heard of the name Jesus???" They have. See, THEY have heard the name Jesus so they are asking you "for someone else." but the truth is, they are really looking for an excuse to NOT follow that of which THEY have heard and want you to justify them and their lives.

You see, it is a nice picture. Little boy living on the top of a mountain somewhere, raised up never hearing the Word, or of Jesus, or whatever. Then he grows old and dies, and is swept into Heaven because of his ignorance and never loses his innocence. It's a nice concept. But it is not true.

If God wants to use this little boy, He will send a Church Camping trip to the top of the mountain. Or the little boy, when grows, will come off the mountain. Or God will speak to him through a Dream, or an Angel, or a burning bush, or whatever. God will call out whom He will. He will NOT, whom He will..

"Are you saying my sweet little old Grandma, who never believed in Jesus, is not in Heaven right now?" Well, that is a totally different question. See, Jesus said this...

"He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." {John 12:44-48}

Jesus also said this...

"If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause."{John 15:22-25}

Clearly YES. If someone hears of Jesus and the Works He did, and believe in Him not, they are NOT going to Heaven. There is no arguments, no question. No gray areas. This is an absolute.

"But that is a narrow minded and hateful view of God. You are saying that no one can get to Heaven unless they go through Jesus." Not me. God says this. Jesus says this. It is an absolute. There is no other way Once you hear of Jesus and see Jesus, the choice is yours..

"Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." {John 9:41}

The bottom line is simple. Everyone inherently knows that there is a GOD. They know Good and Evil. Right from Wrong. They chose which path they take. If God calls them out, HE will lead them to Jesus. Then it is up to them to accept or reject. It is up to them to receive the Blessing or the Curse.

Again, if it were true that those that never hear of Jesus are Saved by default, then there is no reason to share the Gospel. But God gave us the Great Commission.

"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." {Matthew 28:18-20}

Our part in the Great Commission isn’t just about getting people to say a Prayer. It’s also about “teaching them to observe all that [Jesus] commanded.” Baptism is a one-time event. Teaching takes a lifetime. We’re talking about lifelong dedication to obey the Lord and teach others to obey him, too.

If people that never heard of Jesus were Saved by default, this would not be needed. If this were not needed, then we would not have been commanded to do so. But ultimately, the decision of whom to call, is God's to make..

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

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

Psalm 26

1 Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.

2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.

5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.

6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord:

7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.

Mislead Through Starvation

True Faith Means Continued Growth

We have been talking about Spiritual Food. We have been talking about the fact that in order to have True Faith, you must continually feed your Spirit. Starting with Milk, and then leading to more substantial and meaningful nourishment. When you are born, you start out with the Milk in your Mothers Breast.Then as you grow, you start eating Pureed Foods, then Mechanical Foods {all chopped up}, then finally Solid Foods.

The same is for those who are Born again, in the Spirit. You are not going to start off by learning who Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are. It really doesn't matter to your Salvation. No, you will not need to understand how long a Sabbath Day Journey is. You do not yet have Eyes to see, Ears to hear, and your Spirit is an infant. Not yet capable of understanding such things..

But what happens if once you are Born, you stop eating all together? Yup. Not only with you fail to grow, but you will die all together. So you must continue to eat. However, WHAT you eat, is just as important as eating in of itself. Just like our Bodies, if we fill our Spirit with Junk Food, it will not be as healthy as it would with a Healthy Diet. Garbage in, garbage out. If you fill your Spirit on a daily bases with the things of this world, and even with things of Religion, you may find your Spirit sick, starving, and you make even Spiritually die.

Just like our Bodies, if you eat a pound of Bacon for Breakfast and Lunch, washing it down with a two litter of Soda, then for Dinner washing it down with a Six Pack of Beer, having say a pound or two of candy for desert, you will not be healthy..

This {Holding up the Bible} Is Fruit, Vegetables, Meat we need to grow our Spirits Strong, Healthy, and make us Wise. This is Holy Food. Or WHOLE Food. This {Holding up the Bible} is the perfect Food. Any time I even walk into a Church, if they hand me anything other than this {Holding up the Bible}, I know that there is an issue with that Church.

What is this? "This is our Book. This tells you what to eat, wear, what time to go to bed. The days you have to observe, the way you need to Pray. This is our Book. It tells you all about our Founder, and his Vision of this Church. We will talk about the Bible of course, But we will be discussing things in our Book as well.. "

Now I understand, that in some cases, that is like candy. Oh it is SWEET, tasty, and oh so good. You can get caught up in learning all about that particular Church. You may find it fascinating.You may even feel it makes sense. But if you do not have a Solid Foundation, or you fail to continue to eat WHOLE Foods that is this {Holding up the Bible}, you can become misled.

I had a friend. Very devoted Woman of God. She was not shy. Problem is, She became whatever Church she was going to at the time. In other words, she came in and told me "Never wear the color Red. It is the Color of the Devil." It is? "Yes, and women should NEVER wear Pants." OK. Then for whatever reason, she would leave that Church and go onto another. She then showed up wearing bright Red Lipstick. Wait, huh? She then told me "You are listening to Devil Music. Any Music that has drums in it is of the Devil because Drums are make of Snake Skins.." I thought they were made of Calfskin or synthetic materials, but OK. Then drums were OK, but I had to eat nothing but nuts and berries. You get the point..

Remember Jesus warned us against such things as well.

"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."

Think about that for a second. That IS Religion. We take the Word of God, and we pick and chose what we want to follow and what we want to ignore. Then we create Religions to teach these things. Remember, He is talking to religions folks here. Priests, and such.

"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Teaching for doctrines, the commandments of men. Just because you may be following the traditions of men, doesn't mean you are following God's Word. Or HIS Teachings. {Matthew 15:1-9}

Paul, in a rather fiery Letter to the Church in Galatia, writes this..

"Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." {Galatians 1:7-9}

Then a little bit latter Paul makes this statement..

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?"{ Galatians 3:1}

Basically, in a nutshell, the Galatians heard the Gospel, accepted it, Started a Church based on it, but then, for reasons unknown to Paul, started to teach things NOT in the Gospel. Instead of teaching Salvation by Faith, they were teaching that you not only could, but HAD to, WORK your way to Heaven. Their emphasis was on what they were doing, rather than on God's work in them. Their focus was on things dealing with the senses. The senses are that of the Physical and NOT Spiritual. They had more faith in themselves, in their own works, to save them than they had in Jesus's Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Intercession. They did not see or know God clearly enough, and the absence of Him in their lives created a void that was quickly and easily filled by these false ideas.

The word that Paul used, "foolish," means unintelligent or unwise. He was not trying to insult them, well, maybe, but he was telling them, they know no better. They should, but they do not, know what they are doing is wrong. Remember, in Paul's letter to Timothy, he warned him this...

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself."{1 Timothy 6:3-5}

Remember Jesus warned us that if we do not know the Truth, WE could be misled...

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." {Matthew 24:24}

What does this mean? YOU are the elect. You did not stumble upon this Blog, or just by happenstance, end up watching that TV Preacher, or come to this Church by accident. You were called out. You were chosen by God. He led you to this message. He led you to this or that Church. He called you out of the World. He fills you with His Spirit. He gives you to Jesus. You have little to do with it save saying "Yes." "I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me." Now if that is all you do, and you do not eat the Bread of Life. You do not feed your Spirit with Whole Food {Holding up the Bible}, you will remain a Child, or worse, you can fall away altogether.

The simple truth is, if you do not know the Truth, you will believe the lie. Your Spirit is hungry. It wants something to believe in. It wants to be filled. If you do not allow God to fill it with good and whole Food, it will be filled with junk. Know the Truth. Then it will not matter how charismatic, or smooth tongued, or even how right it may sound, you will never fall for the Lie. Do not be mislead through the starvation of your Spirit.. Eat up..

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

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..