"...I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18) If He builds His church then He takes care of it. He is Faithful, which means that if He says something, He always does it. God watches over His Word. He doesn't do it for us but for his glory. "For the Scripture said to Pharaoh, "I have raised you up on purpose to show my power in you, and that my name may be made known throughout the whole earth. (Romans 9:17)
God's goal is to possess the person totally: body, soul and spirit. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16) Our God wants to take pleasure in tabernacling in you. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17) This is the first time God has tabernacled in a man. Christ has taken my place. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13) We are born of God. "Beloved, we are now children of God" (1 John 3:2) So there must be a difference. "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are made known." (1 John 3:10) So there are two groups, where do I fit in?
Question asked by a sister: Can we know if we are lost or if we are among those who are saved?
Yes, you can know. You have to treat yourself hardly. "But I treat my body harshly and hold it in subjection, lest I myself should be rejected, having preached to others." (1 Corinthians 9:17) If Paul could say that, then each of us can also probe ourselves.
Zephaniah 1:1-3 / Genesis 6:1-7
Beauty had taken up so much space, they rushed to choose daughters. For a son of God, the choice of a wife is conditional on the will of God. We see this today. All women are beautiful, there is so much surgery, make-up, ... You rush to them. You can't live with a man's daughter without taking the time to honor her father and mother. For God, there are principles that must be respected. The child you want to take still has a father and mother who brought it into the world. You cannot take something that is not yours. The girl belongs to someone. You have to go to the parents first to ask for the girl's hand. If the parents don't want it, then there's no point in continuing to chase it. "But he who has made a firm resolution, without compulsion and with the exercise of his own will, and has determined in his heart to keep his daughter a virgin, that one does well." (1 Corinthians 7:37) You think you are serving God when you are outside of his will. Uzza thought he was serving God, God didn't say anything, but when he touched the ark, he died. There must be order and respect for the Word of God. The Word of God must be preached without regard to your emotions. "When I say to the wicked, 'You shall die! If you do not warn him, if you do not speak to turn the wicked from his evil way and save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will ask you for his blood." (Ezekiel 3:18)
You can't marry just anyone! In the Word of the Sower, the field is the world. The good seed is the sons of God. The tares are the sons of the evil one. There is a mixture in this world, it is up to you to recognize it. It is not easy, that's why you have to consult the Lord. Never get tired of it. "I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your descendants after you, according to their generations: it shall be an everlasting covenant, whereby I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (Genesis 17:7) I don't know the future, but God knows the future so let's consult Him. In the things of God, we must not be hasty but first seek the Face of the Lord. "And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." (Psalm 50:15) God is good because He has seen to it that the pure Word is spoken to you through the Holy Spirit. God has created a channel that no one can block. God has done everything for you so that you cannot fail. He will even help you in the choice. He overcame for you, He died for you, He rose for you, He ascended for you and He intercedes for you. When Satan comes to accuse you, He stands before you to say, "I have paid the price. "But in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37) "If God is for us, who will be against us?" (Romans 8:31)
Men see you as unhappy, but you are richer. We will go home because we have a home. We are strangers in this world. "You, on the other hand, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people" (1 Peter 2:9) "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) We are connected with heaven.
Already in Genesis, God had declared His things. In the days of Noah, people did not believe this until the day it was made manifest. To this day, mankind has the testimony of what God has done. When God spoke of exterminating, no one could think that He had a plan to save. Even in His anger, He still loves.
God took us out of the world, so that nothing of the world could remain in us. Wherever the Jews went, they were known to be Jews. Christians must be recognized. "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35) You seek great things but God is in the small. This love is special, it is the love of Pentecost. "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47) In this dimension, people really saw that they were Christians. The characteristic of a Christian is love. Satan can imitate any gift, but he cannot imitate love. God, who is the Author of Creation, loved man. God loves you beyond what you can imagine. God cared for the welfare of man. While man was busy with the things of God, God looked at man and sought to give him more. He had given him everything, but even so, He wanted more. Man was not looking for anything other than the will of God. When you take pleasure in meditating on the Word of God, God takes pleasure.
Psalm 1:1-4
This man sought only the will of God. "Moreover, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is worthy of approval, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy, let this be the object of your thoughts." (Philippians 4:8) Guard your heart more than anything else. "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) You can never consider yourself holier than others. Love bears the weaknesses of others. "For love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). He created all things through His Word. "Be sober, be vigilant. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him with firm faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being imposed on your brothers in the world." (1 Peter 5:8-9)
In the days of Noah, all this was destroyed. Then it all started again with Noah. Then we come to Zephaniah. God declares the same thing as a result of the condition of man who does not follow God's way. There is a mixture between the seed of God and the seed of the devil.
Question: How do we know if we are spiritually dead knowing that we come to church, or if we are backslidden only temporarily?
Both are not making progress. So how can we tell the difference?
2 Timothy 3:1-9
This is not about people on the outside. It is about people who are always judging, always complaining.
Jude 3-17
Hell is not eternal because God cannot give eternal life to the wicked. For if fire is eternal, then the wicked also have eternal life. But only the sons of God have eternal life. You must observe the behaviors that you have. The Word is a mirror. If you still have problems with brothers and sisters, there is a problem. "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
Always complaining and murmuring, only you are better. Let's take the things of God seriously. A son of God who is temporarily backslidden, when the Word of God comes out, then you beg for God's grace and return to Him. "O God! You do not despise a broken and contrite heart." (Psalm 51:17)
In Zephaniah we are told again "I will cut off men from the face of the earth, saith the Lord", what does this have to do with? God put the rainbow to show you that He will never again destroy by water. But we are told that there must be destruction. It is exactly the same picture that is being painted today as it was in the days of Noah. "The heavens and the earth from now on are kept and reserved for fire, for the day of judgment and of destruction of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3: 7)
2 Peter 3:11
We are told about something that has to do with holiness. "Seek peace with all men, and sanctification, without which no man shall see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)
Zephaniah 1:7, then 14-16
It is the Day of the Lord that is related to this destruction.
Malachi 4:1, then 4-5
All those who are on the face of the earth, nothing will stand.
2 Peter 3:11 / 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
There is the Day of the Lord and the Day of Salvation. Before the Day of the Lord comes, there is the Day of Salvation. Before the Lord unfolds all His wrath, He unfolds a day in which He unfolds all His goodness. This is the Day you are in. In this time, you have no excuse. If you want to be holy, it is possible because this is the favorable time. The Word of God is preached for you. On this day, there will be no forgiveness for you.
Forgiveness is now. In the day of the Lord, there will be no more forgiveness. In this time, God can deliver you from all demons. He intercedes for you until now. This is the right time. Brothers and sisters, no one can condemn you today. You do not have to live in sin. Today, everything is possible. God loves you, you can't make excuses. If you want, God can remove all the demons. God is just and good. Before the judgment comes, this is the right time. Until today, the blood of the Lamb washes away your sin. When you fall, when you sin, come to your God and confess. He never tires of forgiving. God is able to change you but you don't believe it. You are the one who condemns yourself.
Philippians 2:12
You must realize the importance of the grace God has given you. Jesus is at the door. Laodicea is a mixed spirit. "I know that you are neither cold nor hot. May you be cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) Your murmuring and complaining are blocking you. Each of us can approach Him in humility, then He will approach us. This is the time when God gives the Holy Spirit because He knows you need it for this time. Your problem is your disobedience. God leads his people. The same Spirit that led the prophet Branham is the same Spirit that leads this ministry, we walk for the same purpose. God doesn't want anyone to be hurt. He gives you the day of salvation.
Romans 12:9-21
We need each other. Whether the other is good or bad, it matters to me because it is my life that must influence the other in the right way. "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35) "The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul. No one said that his possessions were his own, but everything was common to them." (Acts 4:32) You will be judged for every gift, every task that God has given you. Let's stop being selfish, that is the spirit of Satan. A son of God always has the desire in his heart to think of others.