We must be sure that God is leading us. We can think we are on the right path and in fact be far from God! That's why we need to be sure that we are on the right path for God. "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15)
May God give us a sensitive heart so that we can be touched and reclaimed by the Lord. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters" (Psalm 23:1-2). He is therefore our Driver. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14) Not by our own thoughts, our own mind but by the Spirit of God. God has given man free will, God does not impose anything. God places two ways before you: either good or evil. God never forces anyone. God has always wanted man to be happy. When we stand in the presence of God with a good disposition, we see the work that the Lord does among us. God is still in action to this day.
"For I would not have you ignorant of this mystery, brethren, lest you should think yourselves wise, that a part of Israel is fallen into hardness, until the whole of the Gentiles be entered." (Romans 11:25) To this day, the Lord is working for the last one to enter. The people of Israel are groaning under the pressure of the whole earth because Israel is to be trodden under foot. We must be awake, with eyes to see. "For he says, and it happens; he commands, and it is done. (Psalm 33:9) Every year that passes, there is always a word of Scripture that is fulfilled. Those who were in Ephesus, they made the history of Ephesus. When God called Noah, God was at work the whole time Noah was working. But when the ark was finished, it was over. The man who has to tame animals, how did he not see this? Each kind of animal came 2 by 2 to enter the ark and that under the eyes of men. It had never rained, scientists had never seen water fall from the sky. But when God created the earth, there was water above the sky. Faith is power. "Now faith is a firm assurance of things hoped for, a demonstration of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Despite the mockery of the people, Noah continued to work. You will be mocked, but persevere. Never be discouraged. Satan wants you to be discouraged. "For you have need of perseverance, that, having done the will of God, you may obtain that which is promised you." (Hebrews 10:36) Our adversary, the devil is not going to leave you alone because he wants to discourage you.
When you look at your problems, you are weak. The Syro-Phoenician woman was not a daughter of Israel. She knew that Jesus was the solution to her problem but she was sent away. She did not get discouraged. She approaches Jesus and hears a bombshell come out, "It is not good to take bread from children and throw it to the dogs." (Matthew 15:26) God knows how to test faith. If it were you, you'd be gone. As soon as someone makes a remark, you get angry. Perseverance has taken over. There will be pressure on you but you have to know who you are. Never sell your birthright. "Yes, Lord," she said, "but little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Jesus said to her, "Woman, your faith is great" (Matthew 15:27-28). This is perseverance. Before she got what she wanted, look at the barriers. She did not get discouraged. We must know God.
We must examine ourselves to see if we are in God's plan and action for this time. God cannot change. We are beneficiaries of what the Scriptures have had to proclaim. When the light shines, then we are enlightened. We must be where the light is so that we are not in darkness. To know if I am in the program, I need to know what God's program is? What is God looking for in this time? "Come out of her, my people" (Revelation 18:4) This is the call to come out of a place. God wants me to come out, but from where? It is not my program, but God's program. To get into His program, I must leave my program. At Pentecost, when Peter had to show God's program for their time, he said, "These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall have dreams. Yes, on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:15- 18) This is the program. On that day, you could see it. The Holy Spirit came down, they were in the program. "When they heard this speech, their hearts were greatly moved, and they said to Peter and the other apostles: Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37) I have always walked with my program but now I want to walk according to His program.
Often we are hypocrites, we lie to ourselves. They were true, they recognized that they were not in the program. To present this Jesus to the world, you have to know this Jesus. The rich young man had done everything. The Lord loved him. "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21) He was empty, that's why he couldn't do that.
Job had everything, he served God but to fill the void, God made him go the way you don't like. Job was stripped of everything so that he could be filled. He had nothing left, he was alone. He had no one to lean on, that's when Job stood up and said, "Oh, I wish my words were written, I wish they were written in a book, I wish with an iron chisel and with lead they were engraved in stone forever... But I know that my redeemer lives, And that he will rise last on the earth. When my skin is destroyed, he will arise; when I have no flesh, I will see God. I will see him, and he will be favorable to me; My eyes shall see him, and not the eyes of another; My soul longs for him within me. (Job 19:23-27) The void has been filled. Jesus is the life of the seed. To believe in Him is to have life.
All that happened in ancient times is a lesson to us. We will be judged severely. Do not play with what is ahead of us. On that day, there will be no one beside you. Before us, there were also people who lived, we are not the first Christians. You give yourselves a lot of importance but in fact you are worthless. How many people in the Scriptures have really persevered more than you? Jesus never lacked true children who have respect and fear for the Word. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1) That is, it is pride. We can't even give you advice anymore. "To whom do we want to teach wisdom? Who can be taught wisdom?" (Isaiah 28:9) The knowledge of God can never lead you to pride. Jesus was humble. "Despised and forsaken by men, a man of sorrows and accustomed to suffering, like one whose face is turned away, we have despised him, we have set no store by him." (Isaiah 53:3) When the Word enters you, you cannot become proud! There have been people zealous for the Word of God. "Indeed, you had compassion on the prisoners, and you gladly accepted the removal of your possessions, knowing that you have better possessions that last forever." (Hebrews 10:34) God will never beg you.
In John 6, Jesus preached such a hard word, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:54) The people left. "Jesus said to the twelve, "Don't you also want to go away? (John 6:67) Jesus never begged. I must realize my lowliness and the grace that God has chosen me. We have a privilege. These men understood.
Cornelius had means, soldiers under his power. Look how this man humbled himself. He trembled when he knew his prayer had been answered because he knew he was not worthy. When the Roman centurion came, he did not feel worthy of Jesus coming to his house. "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof; but say only one word, and my servant will be healed." (Matthew 8:8) You say you belong to God but you don't know God's program. The Pharisees were like that. "If you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham." (John 8:39) We must not be self-indulgent and think too highly of ourselves. When you are like that, you are on your own agenda. When you walk by sight, you will never get far in spiritual things.
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith. (Luke 7:9) Jesus points to the work He would do among the Gentiles. "It came to His own, and His own received it not. (John 1:11) When Paul and Silas were preaching the Word, it was always the Jews who came to insult and silence them. When you have harsh words, it arouses anger. Let us always have soft and tender words.
The angel told Cornelius to go to Joppa and get Simon Peter. Cornelius was so excited that while he was waiting for Peter to come, he gathered his friends and family. But you are ashamed of what God is doing in your life. "But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when you are converted, strengthen your brothers. (Luke 22:32) When you are converted, how can you still be ashamed to tell men that God has done something in your life? You cannot be ashamed because you see that you are not the same person anymore. But when you have not changed, then you will be ashamed because you do not see the life of Christ in you. Something powerful has to happen in us so I give testimony of what I have experienced. Don't go and give testimonies that are false because you will be judged. Don't say that God has done something, when he has done nothing. If God has done something, speak, but if God has not done anything, then be silent. You can have gifts, that's fine but what counts is the life you manifest. If there is a people who must make God respect, it is us. Let us work for this Jesus who suffered and died for us.
"Sanctify them with your truth: your word is truth. (John 17:17) We are the children of truth. There can be no lies. God never does a job by halves. If He has begun then He will complete. God can never lack true sons of God. You have become so proud that you have not realized that you have changed your guide. "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) "This light was the true light, which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." (John 1:9) The Word is a judgment for each of us. One day, we will leave but before that, God warns you to take action. If you don't pay attention, you will regret it. "What happened in the days of Lot will happen in the same way. (Luke 17:28) "I tell you, on that night, two people will lie in one bed, one will be taken and the other left; two women will die together, one will be taken and the other left." (Luke 17:34-35) God does not come looking for a group but for individuals. God is looking for the one who is conformed to his Word. "Where will it be, Lord? And he said, "Where the body will be, there will the eagles be gathered. (Luke 17:37) The gatherings are only those that have the same nature. The vulture can join the eagle but the reverse is not possible. The vulture strives but the eagle remains the eagle. There is something in them that makes them never eat something rotten. But the vulture can eat out. For the eagle, this does not pass. Even if he tries, it will cause him problems.
Matthew 13:34-38 / Matthew 13:24-28
While the Word is being preached, Satan also casts his tares. When you sow, you want to reap what you sow. If one sows, it is because it is important. The son of man is the Lord Himself in His ministry as a prophet. "Verily, verily, I say to you". The son of the kingdom is the sons and daughters of God. Those who are born of God.
Luke 8:5-11 / Matthew 13:38
"But to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the power to become children of God" (John 1:12) If one is born of God then one is the Word. The Son of Man sowed the good seed.
1 John 3:1-10
This is a reality. To be a child, there must be a father. The world cannot count you as one of its own because you are different. Never like the world, but like Christ, that is, the Word. When Jesus has taken away the sin, that is, He has uprooted it, there is nothing left. No more desire of sin. No sin in Christ, yet we are supposed to be like Him. We were in Him. We can't change your nature anymore. We need this God in our life. The Word of God does not change anyone. Let every seed produce of its own kind. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed." (Genesis 3:15) There are indeed 2 seeds. The woman has no seed, it is indeed the seed that Mary received. "Behold, the damsel shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) We have always been sons of God. "In him God chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him," (Ephesians 1:4) Before the foundation, there was only God. Now we were in Him. God is eternal, so we are eternal. This is the plan that God wants to bring you into. It is not today, but from the beginning. When a son of God hears the Word of God, he gives up everything because it is in him.
The others can never experience the new birth because the Word of God does not change anyone but it restores the sons of God to their original position. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) Satan can work with his own but he cannot touch you. "For we were all baptized into one Spirit, into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13) When you get back into that Body, there is no more disorder. You are back where you belong. We form the Body of Christ. Now in the Body of Christ, there is only Christ Himself that is the Word. What you have and what you are is greater, more beautiful and more precious than what is in this world. Why envy the world? God has called you to be holy.
When you are in this Body, the problem of sin is solved. Satan brought Eve into pride through unbelief. The evil one has his own, but you have the seed of God. The big problem we have is obedience and submission. Look at Esther, she was chosen by the king because she was different: simply obedience and submission.