Sin's Slow Deadly Poison.

Serpents everywhere biting people, killing people - why? Because the people sinned against God. God gave the enslaved freedom, yet the enslaved were so filled with their mistrust, they could only think of the comforts of their slavery. Is it strange to believe there were/are comforts in slavery? Even right now at this very moment there are people caught up in the comforts of their slavery. It's not that they want to have a master over them forcing them to do their bidding no matter how laborious. They don't enjoy the whip, or chains, the restrictions on their ability to do as they please in all phases of their lives. They despise the abuse heaped upon themselves day after day and they do long to be free of the anguish of slavery. However, given an opportunity to leave a lot don't readily jump at the chance when it means suddenly having to fend completely for themselves. Yes, they are abused but they are also fed and clothed. Now on their own they have to find a way to provide for their own needs something their tortured, enslaved mindset can scarcely fathom. The fear of freedom can be overwhelming. Some would rather die than face that fear, others will leap at the chance to embrace that fear for their freedom.  God's chosen people, the descendants from Abraham were enslaved and now given their freedom. Out on their own, some began to believe they marched to certain death from deprivation of the necessities to life. They started to long to return to their enslavement - the comforts of slavery- rather than die free.

Even after all God had done to obtain their freedom, they still doubted His protection, they doubted His ability to provide for them. They were choosing death over living for God and the promises offered to them by God and that choice became quite literal for many. The serpents came. Deadly venomous serpents began striking out at person, after person and each bite brought the preferred slavery to death over the hardships of life.

Finally the people had enough losses of loved ones and the fear of their own demise. They turned to Moses, God's chosen liberator, and begged him to do something to stop the serpents from killing them all.  They took their minds off themselves and sought a redeemer, someone to save them. They realized they couldn't depend on themselves to keep safe, they needed outside help. They needed a supernatural power to stop them from dying. So…

Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

Moses was told by God what to do (Numbers 21:8,9) he lifted up the brass serpent on the pole and when anyone was bitten by a serpent all they needed to do was look upon that brass serpent and they lived.  Prior to the brass serpent every single bitten person died. Only those bitten who looked upon the brass serpent lived.

The Son of man, Jesus Christ just like that brass serpent had to be lifted up for all to look upon. Today almost 2000 years after Jesus was hung upon the cross He is still lifted up for ALL to look upon.

We can remain enslaved to sin and all its many, many comforts, or we can look to the lifted Christ and find freedom from sin's slavery.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

Men loved darkness rather than light- why? Because their deeds were evil.

Those who embrace the evil hate light because they don't want their evil exposed for what it is. They want to call their evil a good thing, a right thing, it pleases them and brings them mental, physical, emotional pleasure to commit the evil. They believe they have a right to the evil and the evil can't be all that bad because it's what pleases them, and why shouldn't they be pleased on any level they choose? Why should they deprive themselves of any evil, they live for themselves and believe others should too.

There is so much evil in the world that is called good, so much. We don't want to believe things we do are evil so we convince ourselves they are good and along the way we have turned our backs on the God of truth, and serve the god of deception carefully disguised as the true God.

We need to look to the lifted Jesus Christ our Savior and seek only His truth. WE need to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us on any point in our lives that is a disguised evil. We need to throw ourselves as the foot of the cross and reach for the salvation found only through Christ.

This prison planet we are living on has a myriad of evil traps set up around every corner of our lives. Our hope must forever be before us, the hope of salvation, of a new life. With this hope of a new life we need to live with our eyes set only on the cross where Jesus our Savior died and then rose from that death to a newness of life so that we too may live in newness of life- newness of hope, that same Jesus will return for us and free us from this prison planet.

We have a liberator, we have a path to freedom, we will be set free right now and that hope of a future life without any of sin's stain will keep us free in the knowledge that sin will not win.

Please, Lord give us the newness of life through the Holy Spirit so we may live completely for You in Your truth. Protect us, keep us from ALL evil. Convict our hearts so that we may never be deceived and give us all we need to be wholly Yours now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen!

The Earthly and the Heavenly Things.

Jesus tells us we must be born again of water and Spirit. Jesus tells us outright that our original birth is not enough- we need a spiritual birth. Unlike our birth- which we had absolutely no say so in, we do have a say so in our spiritual birth.

Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews.  As a ruler of the Jews we have to understand this man knew the laws and ways of the Jews inside and out. Unlike the majority of his fellow rulers of the Jews, Nicodemus' heart was right with God. Because his heart was right with God he desired to know more of Jesus. Going to him at night, when others were less likely to witness the visit, Nicodemus didn't want to be one of the blind and deaf Pharisee. He didn't want to write Jesus off as a crackpot, not when he knew that his forefathers had done that very thing to prophet after prophet in the scriptures. This particular Pharisee ruler wanted to seek truth and that meant going to the source. He told Jesus he knows that he is a teacher from God because of all the miracles He was doing- none but God could do such miracles. As soon as Jesus heard that Nicodemus believed that He was from God, Jesus knew that he was seeking truth and had his heart open to receive that truth.

Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus that people had to be born again of water and Spirit. This threw Nicodemus for a little loop, crazy talk from one that most of his fellow Pharisees thought was a lunatic? Jesus told him outright NOT to marvel at what was being said. He even accused Nicodemus of being a Master of Israel and not knowing these things was the surprise. He looked Nicodemus in the eyes and said-

Joh 3:11… We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 

Joh 3:12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 

Nicodemus wanted to know more from the man he believed was sent by God, the miracle performing man, yet Jesus outright tells him that he was finding it hard hearing earthly things, hearing heavenly things would really throw him for a loop.

We need to remember for a moment that Nicodemus could have left at any moment. He didn't need to stay there and listen to things that might be considered insulting, he didn't need to listen to Jesus, and yet he was compelled to do so even after being told that he should know these things already and that his finding it hard to believe the simple things would make it even harder to understand the heavenly things that he was there seeking.

Why are we studying this stuff about Nicodemus and Jesus?

Because we need to live our lives in Jesus Christ our hope, and we need a newness of life, we need to be born of the water and the Spirit if we are to survive this prison planet.

Jesus tells Nicodemus of the heavenly- of Himself. He came from heaven and just like Moses lifted up the serpent…

This is something Nicodemus was intimately familiar with- Moses. He knew Moses inside and out- every word ever written by Moses Nicodemus had read time and time again. When Jesus mentioned Moses lifting up the serpent, Nicodemus knew all about the raised serpent and its purpose. A plague of fiery serpents was killing off the people following Moses in the wilderness, a lot of people. The people witnessing person after person dying knew something had to be done so they said this to Moses--

Num 21:7  Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 

They sinned and were in need of salvation.

Moses was told by God to make a brass serpent on a pole and when the bitten people looked on it, they would live.

Bitten by a serpent, knowing the bite is deadly and yet all they needed to do was look on the brass serpent there on a pole so they could live. Their faith in obeying the word of God healed them. They looked to the raised up brass serpent because they were told in doing so they would live.

Jesus used this example to predict the His own death.  Just as the serpent was raised up - He too would be raised up for all to see and look to so they could live. At the time Nicodemus had no real knowledge of Jesus' impending crucifixion. These words were cryptic to him and yet he wanted to comprehend. Nicodemus already wanted to be born again of the spirit, he wanted truth from God.

More on this tomorrow by the grace of our Lord, by the will of God. May we too forever be seekers of truth. May we be born of the Spirit always. May we look to the raised up and crucified Christ for our salvation, our hope of new life so we may live in Him always.

*******

Joh 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 

Joh 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

Joh 3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 

Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

Joh 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

Joh 3:9  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 

Joh 3:10  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 

Joh 3:11  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 

Joh 3:12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 

Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 

Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

More Fruit - Repentance

Fruit of the wicked.


Proverbs {10:16} '...the fruit of the wicked to sin.'


Fruit of the righteous.


{11:30} 'The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life...'



Life and death.
Fruit of the Righteous, fruit of the wicked.
One leads to life, one to death.



Jer. {17:10} I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.


The Lord God searches our hearts.
The Lord God tries the reins.
The Lord God gives every man according to his ways.
The Lord God gives every man according to the fruit of his doings.

We have choices to make.


God or no God.


The choice is straight forward.


The choice made is the difference between life and death.


Every human creature of God's will make the choice.


We will live according to that choice, our lives will be a reflection of the choice we make- daily, hourly, minutely.


Our lives are comprised by our fruits. Our fruits are wrought from our beliefs. Our beliefs will be revealed in our actions (fruits).


According to our ways we will be given of God what He deems proper.



Jer. {21:14} But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.


We may be punished.


Jer. {32:19} Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.


The Lord sees, the Lord knows and we will reap what we sow, we will get according to our ways. Anything we receive of the Lord will be deserved whether it is punishment for wickedeness or the Tree of Life for our obedience to Him.



Hos. {10:13} Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.


Do we plow wickeness?
Do we reap sin?
Do we eat the fruit of lies?
Do we trust our own ways and in the ways of those around us and not God?
What is the reward of wickedness?
Death.


Amos {6:12} '... for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.'


Judgment into gall-something bitter and unwelcome, something unwanted and despised.
The fruit of righteousness into hemlock- poison, deadly.
What happens when we despise judgment and consider the fruit of righteousness poison?
No good can happen, none. Yet it will be done. Many would rather turn that which is good into something seemingly bad so they no longer are accountable to the good. If you make something good bad, if you pervert something good you can placate your conscience falsely holding yourself unaccountable.


Micah {7:13} Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.


Desolate land why? Because the fruit of those in the land is evil, is wicked. Desolation is not desired by any. Desolation as a result of evil ways.


Matt. {3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {3:9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {3:10} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.


Fruits for repentence.
Trees with rotten fruit are cut down and burned.

We need to repent of our ways and go- and sin no more. We need to grow closer to Christ, our Lord and Savior. We have to realize that anything less will mean we can't possibly have fruit meet for repentance, that any fruit we have will be rotten. Only the fruit we bring forth as a result of our lives in Christ will be acceptable.

The cutting down, the burning is all real, these aren't lies being spread to cause you to lose hope, to lose faith. These are truths being told so that you may find hope and have faith in the only one who can save you.


Matt. {7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.


Known by our fruits.

What fruit do you produce? It's a valid question. It's a question we need to ask ourselves.
Is it possible for a person to seemingly produce one sort of fruit but secretly bear another? Wolves in sheep's clothing. Ultimately the fruit they bear will reveal where they stand by the grace of God, what they believe in and what they are speaking of. We are given a standard to judge all men by and that standard is God's word, God's law. 'Isaiah {8:20} To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.' When we refuse to hold up that standard of judgment we fail to even begin to recognize the fruits their works should reveal.

We liked to think that those who appear loving, kind, good-hearted, sweet and wonderful will of course have to be God's, how could such wonderful fruit come from someone if they were in fact wicked? Impossible? I don't think so. Christ even says --

Matt. {7:21} Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven. {7:22} Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works? {7:23} And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.

Many will say... MANY...willl say didn't I do this and that in your Name...didn't I do many wonderful works (actions-fruits). What's Jesus going to say to these many?

'I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.'

Depart.
Workers of iniquity.

But here they are saying that they did many wonderful things in Jesus' name! They are truly believing they are doing wonderful things. So it's not the sweet, kind, loving, gentle person we couldn't imagine not being in Christ who is going to be known by Christ. We are told who have light in them, who have truth in them- 'Isaiah {8:20} To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.'

Why would God who saved His people from the Egyptians and brought them out into the wilderness to offer them a covenant, why would He do that if it was a covenant that meant nothing? Jesus never broke the covenant. Jesus proved by His life that it was possible to keep the covenant. Yes, the sacrificial, ritualistic laws were abolished because they all pointed to Christ, but God's law, the testimony didn't change. The commandments the Ark of the Covenant held were not done away with.

Yes, we have a standard to judge by, and it's a standard we have to use because if we trust our senses, our feel good, looks good, nature than we will be deceived and while we might think we are following truth we won't be and we will be among those crying out to the Lord only to hear those awful words- 'I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.'


Matt. {12:33} Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

So true.


Mark {4:26} And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; {4:27} And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. {4:28} For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. {4:29} But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.


We have very little control over the hows and whys of things, but we know that God is in control and He does things in His order. Step by step His ways are past our comprehension. He has a reason for all that is allowed and He is watching the inhabitants of Earth very closely. Seed to the ground, earth bringing forth fruit-- the blade, the ear, the full corn, the harvest. The Lord will reap the bounty of those that love Him truly they will be the fruit He harvests.


Luke {3:9} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.


The wicked bearing will be cut down and burned- there is no escaping it for those who refuse to love the Lord their God, their Creator, their Redeemer.


Luke {6:43} For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {6:44} For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. {6:45} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.


Every tree is known by his own fruit. We can't use anyone else's fruit, we all have our own whether we want to admit it or not. Each person is either a good man with good treasure or an evil man with evil treasure. God knows which is which and we can only hope and pray that our treasure is good by His grace.


People generally would rather not think about good and bad, they'd rather hold up the standard that it's by grace we are saved, that not of ourselves it is a gift of God --Eph. {2:8} For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: {2:9} Not of works, lest any man should boast.


Truly if anyone boasts that their goodness will save them they've got it all wrong!


On the same token if anyone boasts of their evilness and claims they are saved by grace they've got it all wrong too. If they glory in their evil ways and show no signs of repentance they will not be saved.


Ps. {51:17} The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.


Rev. {3:19} As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent


Rev. {3:3} Remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast,
and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will
come upon thee


Acts {26:19} Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision: {26:20} But shewed first unto
them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the
coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.


Acts {3:19} Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the Lord;


Matt. {4:17} From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.


Mark {6:12} And they went out, and
preached that men should repent.


Repent.



May the Lord our God and Savior Jesus Christ bless and keep us! May we repent of our sins, may we be known of God, may we cling to our salvation in Jesus our One and Only hope! By His mercy, by His grace!

Amen.


“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”- Jeremiah 17:7-8