Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

Paul constantly knew that he needed to remain humble and give glory to God throughout his whole ministry.  Paul conversed with Christ.  He was given prophecy to share.  I believe he knew how important his role was to the spreading of the Gospel.

One thing he never lost focus of was Jesus.  He knew who the Lord was starting with his encounter on his way to Damascus.  It only grew from there.   

Galatians 6:14 – ¹⁴ May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

As members of the body of Christ we need to remember to remain humble.  Our victory comes from Jesus and nothing of ourselves.

Proverbs 16:18 – ¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

The Old Testament talks on pride a lot and it isn’t good. 

Is it a proud man that apologizes to others, or a humble man?  Is it a proud man that seeks forgiveness or a humble one? 

The proud man hasn’t got room in his heart for God.  The proud man won’t move over and allow God to work through him, because he feels he has the situation under control.

Check the ego at the cross and humbly bow to the Lord.  We are lost without Him literally and figuratively.  Boast about what Christ has done for you to others, not about how great you are.

I was listening to Dave Hunt the other day.  He was speaking on how ridiculous it is that we have absolutes and rules all around us that need to be followed or chaos erupts.  Still there are people everywhere who want to believe when it comes to God, there are no absolutes, no expectations from God, no rules, it’s just a free for all on whatever you want to think and that leads to Heaven along with every other approach.

It was one of those things where your listening and thinking, wow, isn’t that the truth.  Man has the audacity to say that everyone needs to be tolerant of everybody’s viewpoint; after all we all serve the same God.  The Hindus serve 300 million Gods, none of which are mine or they wouldn’t be Hindu.  The witch doctor doesn’t serve my God.  The New Ager that thinks he’s god, doesn’t serve my God.  How can anyone think that all roads lead to Rome?

When a baseball game is being played, it has rules.  If you don’t follow the rules, you have chaos.  So in as something as simple as a baseball game if you don’t abide by some absolutes, the situation breaks down, but in Faith we don’t need any absolutes?

My God tells me I am a sinner.  I can look at myself on how I think and do things and tell you that.  I can look at other people and tell you there is something drastically wrong with the human race.  With that information I now need a faith that at least explains this.  I know I desire love.  I know love is one of the most wonderful things in life when it’s real.  

It is said that Allah has 99 characteristics and not one is love.  The God in the Bible is love.

1 John 4:8 – 8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  KJV

It can’t be the same God.  The Koran states to kill the infidel.  Kill the Jew and the Christian if they won’t submit to Islam.  Does this sound like the same God?  So how can all roads be the same or lead to Heaven? 

Jesus says He is the only way. 

John 14:6 – ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

People just can’t come to grips that a majority of people could end up choosing hell.

Matthew 7:13- ¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 

It’s easier to sit back and think, whatever anyone wants to think will just be fine for God.  ????  Does that make any sense even in the world we live in today?

Today if you decide that I don’t want to obey the law or I don’t want to pay my bills, will nothing happen?  Do you think people will sit back and say, well you can believe however you want and it’s just fine, I’ll role with that?   Do you think you can take a test and answer anyway you want and the answer will be fine and you will score an A?  Of course not!  Yet when it comes to however you want to view God, you’re right.  Absolutely ridiculous! 

To study all religions out there is not a hard task.  If someone seeks truth, they will find the one true God.  The other false religions expose themselves quickly.  That’s why I know that we will all be held accountable, because if we seek for truth or the true God at all, instead of our own desires, we will find Him.  We are built that way.

James 1:22 – ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Many today are not even hearers of the Word.  Most don’t go to church.  Most don’t listen to Christian television or radio.  The dangers of this are making God whatever suits your fancy.

Is there a problem with this?

It’s a hard argument to make in front of God that you’re loving Him with all your heart, soul, and strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5 – ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Jesus throws in your mind in His words.

Matthew 12:30 – ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Hearers of the Word is the first part that many Christians aren’t even taking the time to do.  So if we’re not hearing, were certainly not doing.

Here is something to reflect on:

If you’re doing what’s right in the Word of God, you’re being a doer.  If you’re purposely avoiding or not doing what is wrong, you’re still a doer.  Both take effort and action.  Taking a stand for the Word of God is being a doer.

What if Abraham just listened to God, when he was told I am giving you this land and he didn’t act on it?  What would have happened if he didn’t listen to God, when he told him to take Isaac up to have him sacrificed?  He wouldn’t have been the father of the Jewish people and his descendant’s wouldn’t be inheriting the promise of the Holy Land.

What if Noah had heard God’s voice and didn’t build the ark?  Well he and his family would have perished like all the rest and if he was truly the only righteous one left, who knows what would have happened concerning the future of man.

What if Moses hadn’t listened?  No first five books of the Bible.  Jews don’t leave Egypt.

These men were doers, not just listeners.  The one’s I mentioned are popular biblical figures, but there have been many doers that have preserved the Word of God, by carefully copying it from scroll to scroll.  Others stepped out on faith such as Martin Luther and William Tyndale so we may all have the Word of God.  Paul spread the Word in the beginning as our most notable missionary.  Could you imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t have been a doer after his engagement with the Lord?

Now understand that God knew the actions of these men before they even did the things they did.  It’s the same reason God can have men write down prophecy and even though they do, it still happens.  God is not restricted to seeing things the way we do.  Never-the-less these men were human and had to step out on faith and were doers. 

Do things for the Lord.  Be doers of good and be doers by not doing things that are against God.  It pleases Him and is there anyone else you would want to please more?

What do worldly responsible people do?  They worry about tomorrow.  I have always been a responsible person.  Take care of yourself so others don’t have the burden of taking care of you.  Put away enough so in the future you have it taken care of. 

I have seen enough people squander all they have on nothing and are broke until the next paycheck.  I was in the military for 4 years, I saw this a lot.  I see others declaring bankruptcy for reckless, I have to have it now spending.  So responsible is good, right?  In a worldly sense, it’s top notch.  In a spiritual sense?  Let’s read further.

Matthew 6:25-34 –  ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Are these verses telling us to be reckless or irresponsible.  No.  These verses are telling us to Trust in God.  Don’t mistake the casual words of eat, drink, or wear.  These are just the things 100% of us have to do in society.  Many put a lot into all three.  I used to put a lot into the first one.  I was well known for that.  The funny thing is; I knew that.  Many that knew that about me didn’t realize they struggled with one of the other two, or possibly more than one.

This isn’t just don’t worry about eating, drinking, and clothes.  This is about trusting God first.  Seek first the Kingdom of God, then you won’t have to worry about the rest of these things.  Seek first the Kingdom of God, don’t be worrying about building bigger barns.  Verse 27- “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Were supposed to live for God today and tomorrow will take care of itself, but that’s not how we have been taught by our advisor’s is it?  No we’ve taught to plan for tomorrow.  Work today for that and put God on the back burner for later.  Pretty good scheming by the devil, huh.  I’ve bought into for many years in the name of responsibility. 

Here is the reality after all that worldly advice we got.  Our Country is broke.  It’s leaders are pushing us towards a one world socialism.  It’s trying to get rid of all the have and have nots, while pushing us towards a bunch of we needs.  It’s easy for government to lead those kinds of people.

If were seeking God first, not worrying about tomorrow, and have been for the last 10, 20, 30+ years, then retirement is looking pretty fulfilling.  You have been doing what the Lord has commanded.  If you have been putting the right amount in your 401k and it all collapses like it has and is in jeopardy of doing it again, you’ve responsibly in a worldly way have banked yourself into an empty plan.

Truth is, even if it works out correctly and you sought the world first instead of the Kingdom of God, we’ll find out that the Word of God warned us against that kind of investment.

Don’t worry about tomorrow, God has that covered as long as you’re seeking the Kingdom first today.

James 2:26 – 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

How do we indicate or show that we believe Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for us on the cross?  By our actions, that is how we show that we really believe.  It is our faith that he died on the cross for our sins and that He is the Son of God that redeems us, not works, but we do need to have that faith.

Here is an example.  You say to everyone I love to mushrooms brains, love them.  Someone looks to you and says, okay, I just happen to have some right here.  You say, no I’m not hungry right now.  So the person leaves you alone.  Later on your hungry and that same person over hears you.  They present it in front of you again.  You make another excuse.

My point of the paragraph is: “talk is cheap.”

James 2:18-19 – ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

This has always been one of my favorite versus.  Probably because in this time period we live in, we hear all the time something such as, I believe there is a higher power of some sort.  They may also say I believe God exists.  Well that’s fine and dandy and those people may really feel like accomplished believers since evolution is being rammed down our throats.  However, even demons believe God exist and where are they heading?  Hell.

We need to have faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for our sins.  We need to make Him Lord.  How do we show our faith?  By our works.  How much works?  That’s God’s call, but the Word of God states actions speak louder than words.

Matthew 21:28-31 – ²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’   ²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.  ³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

   ³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”  “The first,” they answered. …………

Now Jesus was telling this parable to the Chief Priests and Elders in these verses and His point was that tax collectors and sinners were entering ahead of them.  However, the Lord is making it clear that actions speak louder than words.

If someone is always making promises to you and never acts on them, what’s the character of that individual?

Acts of kindness or love is a true affection shared.  Words are nice, but if never backed up with acts, well that starts become empty and insincere over a long period of time.

Show the Lord you love Him!

Your actions, good or bad, make a statement on how much you care and love Him.