The Believer and Believing: Part 3, Prepare

2 Timothy 4:2-5
Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Luke 12:8-12
Jesus was warning his disciples against hypocrisy...
"I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God's angels. But anyone who denies me her eon earth will be denied before God's angels. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
"And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don't worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said."

We must practice the word of God and be ready when we are questioned or attacked. Be ready to show why Jesus is the way. Show how different Christianity is to other faiths.
We must perceive that Jesus is Lord and remind fellow Christians His word.

Our Rebel Christ, Jesus

Luke 12:37-44
Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders
As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy--full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn't God make the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.
"What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
"What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor to the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on."

We are rebels! That's the wonderful thing about being a Christian. Being a Christian has nothing to do with lifestyle or living better. It has to do with the difference between living a forsaken life to a forgiven life.

Ready For The Jump?

If someone was about to jump off a bridge, would you stop them?
Take this, you were on a plane and the flight attendant gave you a parachute. The pilot calls over the radio and says, the plane is going to crash and everyone should put on their parachutes because the engines stopped and we are going to crash. Would you jump out of the plane without your parachute?

Jesus came to teach us and forgive us of our sins. He paid our sins in His death so that we would be saved. If we never know Jesus, we will perish.

How can the Bible be any clearer about God's rules?

We Desire to Walk With God

Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow Gate
"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell* is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."

*Greek The road that leads to destruction.

Judgment Day

The clock is ticking! Are you ready for God's judgment? No matter what you believe, you will be judged before God. If you have been saved and you're standing in front of the throne of God --
the one who is absolute glory and all of what is righteous and truth -- will you be ready?

The Believer and Believing: Part 2, Trust

Jesus said to the four fishermen,

"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

We have to just listen to God and follow his plan. Drop whatever we are doing and do what God wants us to do, not what we want to do. In order to stay to His plan for our life, we have to adjust in our feelings and attitude to stay in the will of God. You must put your full trust in Him. Put the old life behind and start new -- a life worthy of God.
This crisis of faith is always an issue because God doesn't always give us the details. Faith is all about placing our trust in God. If you truly believe in Him, you will make the adjustment to trust Him. He confronts us of what He wants us to do and we have to trust that He makes these decisions the best for us. Just look at what the fishermen would have missed out on if they were not willing to make adjustments in their life to follow Jesus.
Trust God and you will be blessed!

The Believer and Believing: Part 1, Courage

You will be prosecuted for your beliefs and people will judge you. This is not new. It has always been happening and Christians will always be prosecuted for preaching the Gospel and Word of God.

Ephesians 4:22-32
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Chapter 5
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person–such a man is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.