HOLINESS IS A FRUIT

Luke 11:42 “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone.”

LUKE 11:42-44

When Jesus said, “and not to leave the other undone,” it is clear that He is not arguing against doing what is right. God’s Word stresses holiness in our actions. The Pharisees’ error that caused Jesus’ rebuke was that they believed their actions could produce a right relationship with God. But a proper relationship with God can only come by humbling ourselves and putting faith in a Savior, who is Jesus. God cleanses our hearts by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8) and then we have our fruit unto holiness (Rom. 6:22). Holiness is a fruit, not a root, of salvation.

In a similar instance found in Matthew 23:26, Jesus told the Pharisees, “Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” True Christianity comes from the inside out. A good heart will change a man’s actions, but a man’s actions cannot change his heart.

One of religion’s favorite doctrines is that if you will just act right, you will be right. Nothing could be further from the truth. You must be born again. And if you are born again, then holiness is a by-product and not the way to a relationship with God.

This is the heart of the Gospel. Every major religion of the world has a moral standard it enforces, but only Christianity offers salvation through a Savior. Presenting holiness in any way other than as a result of salvation is denying Jesus as our Savior and places the burden of salvation on us. Improper emphasis on achieving holiness or salvation through one’s own actions can damn that person. We must trust Jesus completely.

Written by: Andrew Wommack

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,

He called it … Dad

John 7:22 “Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.”

JOHN 7:21-24

The covenant of circumcision was given to Abram in Gen. 17:9-14. In v. 14, the Lord said that any man who did not carry this sign of the covenant in his flesh was to be killed. This placed a great importance on the act of circumcision. Paul says in Rom. 4:3-13, that Abraham had already been justified by faith before he was circumcised. It was Abram’s faith that saved him at least 13 years before the Lord commanded Abram to be circumcised. The Jews had focused on the outward act of obedience instead of the inward act of faith that caused Abraham to be obedient. This was the source of the contention between Jesus and the religious leaders too. They were emphasizing all the outward acts that the Lord had commanded and were totally disregarding the motives of the heart. Jesus was saying that if an individual would cleanse his heart, then his actions would inevitably change too.

The truth of salvation by faith had been lost in Judaism, and even though many of the Jews had come to put faith in Jesus as their Savior, they were trying to mix faith and the keeping of the commandments together as a requirement for salvation.

The condition of a person’s flesh is not the important thing. It doesn’t matter if that flesh is circumcised or holy. It is the condition of the spirit that matters with God. Today the act of circumcision is not the issue, but acts of holiness are still deemed by many as essential for receiving salvation. This same legalistic thinking lives on today in the doctrine of water baptism, church membership, and other acts of holiness which some preach are necessary for salvation. Faith alone in the love of God, as expressed through Jesus, is the only thing that God demands for justification. Religious rites mean nothing. The only thing that counts is becoming a new creation.

Written by: Andrew Wommack

Matthew 9:38, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest

 MATTHEW 9:35-38, 13:53-58, MARK 6:1-6

People are born again through the power of the Word of God, not through prayer. Prayer is very important, but it is not a substitute for the Gospel.

The Gospel is the good news that although we are sinners and worthy of God’s wrath, God, in love, sent His Son to be our substitute, bearing our punishment, so that we could be made completely righteous in His sight. It’s based only on our faith in this completed work of Christ and not our own performance. Now that’s GOOD NEWS!

KING OF HEARTS

Mark 4:30, “And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?”

MARK 4:30-34
The word “kingdom” means “the realm over which a king rules.” When applied to God, it could refer to all creation, since “his kingdom ruleth over all” (Ps. 103:19), but the kingdom more often applies to His rule in and through those who are submitted to Him. “The Kingdom of God” more specifically refers to Christ living and ruling in our hearts. So praying “thy kingdom come” is praying for the expansion and influence of God’s rule in the hearts of men everywhere and, ultimately, the establishment of His physical Kingdom here on earth at His second coming (Rev. 11:15; 20:4).

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Jews kept looking for Jesus to establish a physical kingdom here on the earth and deliver them from the oppression of the Romans. Although, during the Millenium, the Kingdom of God will physically rule over the nations of the earth, Jesus’ Kingdom is spiritually established by His Word and not by carnal weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation . . .behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk. 17:20-21) Paul says we are already in the Kingdom of God (Col. 1:13). The Kingdom of God is therefore Christ’s “invisible Church,” His body. The Kingdom began during His earthly ministry and is still ruling the hearts of men today.

The new birth ushers us into the Kingdom of God which is infinitely greater in wonder and benefits than our finite minds can comprehend. To the degree that we do begin to understand how God’s Kingdom works and apply our lives to it, we can experience heaven here on earth. Pray for a release into the physical of what is already present in your spiritual being.

Written by: Andrew Wommack

“John 3:16”

GOD – the greatest lover

SO loved – the greatest degree

The world – the greatest company

That He gave – the greatest act

His only begotten Son – the greatest gift

That whosoever – the greatest opportunity

Believes in Him – the greatest attraction

Should not perish – the greatest promise

But – the greatest difference

Have – the greatest certainty

Eternal Life – the greatest possession

Say yes 2 Jesus

Today!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Luke 5:37 :And no man puts new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

Luke 5:38: But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

Jesus here in the Gospel of Luke talking about putting new wine into old wineskins, that it would not work. The new wine would cause the wine skin or bag to burst. In the context of this scripture, Jesus is speaking about a new day that was on the horizon for his Church. This would be when the Holy Spirit would be poured out from heaven and into the Church (believers) that is a good place to stand up and shout.!

As he explained about the new wine causing the old wine skin to burst, he was comparing it to our old way of thinking. Or we could say our religious tradition. Which Jesus said made the Word of God of no effect. This is what happens to a believer if we try to understand the Bible with our old natural mind. It will cause us to get frustrated and discouraged.

Jesus wants his bride to have the best wine all the time. Glory to God. So this New Year may it be a New Season for us to walk in the Spirit and receive the New wine daily. And be not drunk with the world, but be filled to overflowing with the wine from heaven.

Let Jesus fill our cup of blessing, and let us go and do likewise to the lost.

So if you ever have a non-believer ask you if a Christian can drink wine? Just reply why sure, come visit with me and let me show you where that is in the Bible. And watch God confirm his word with signs following, by giving you creative ways to minister to the lost.

Self-denial is embraced by much of Christianity today. Historically, self-denial has always been a big part of false religion. Most religions of the world teach an abasement of self, but they do it as penitence in order to obtain salvation. This is not the denying of self that the Bible advocates.

True self-denial as the scriptures promote is not self hatred or masochism, but rather an enthroning of Christ above self. We have a new identity in Christ that replaces the old self. We don’t deny self in order to obtain salvation, but it is a love response to what Christ has already done for us. He gave His all for us and we willingly give our all back to Him.

Denying self in an attempt to earn salvation is most always motivated by guilt and characterized by rigid rules as Paul describes here. True Christianity, on the other hand, is not the observance of rituals, but a relationship that produces holiness as a fruit and not the root of salvation.

Holiness doesn’t come from the outside and work its way inside. When we are born again we become righteous, and we work that holiness out into our physical lives.

Trying to destroy the power of self through harsh laws actually arouses and strengthens sin. Christians must not let life become a set of rules, but rather a response to a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Written by: Andrew Wommack

1 Corinthians 13:8

Fear of failure. It’s haunted all of us at some time in our lives. Popular psychology tells us to adjust to it. But the Word of God tells us that there is a failure-proof way to live without it. It is the way of LOVE.

If you want to know real success, you must learn to be moved and motivated by love. That’s how Jesus was when He was on the earth.

Even when John the Baptist was senselessly, brutally murdered and Jesus went away to be alone, He didn’t deviate from the way of love. For Matthew 14:6-14 says that even then in that emotionally taxing time when the people followed Him and would give Him no solitude, He was moved with compassion and healed their sick.

I used to wonder how Jesus could just turn away from that terrible crime and not retaliate. What I didn’t realize was that He did retaliate. He overcame the works of Satan with compassion. He defeated hatred with love. He attacked Satan in the spirit realm by destroying his works of sickness and disease.

Compassion doesn’t strike at the surface of things. It goes to the root of the problem. That’s why it always succeeds.

“But wait!” you may say. “I can’t operate like that. I’m not Jesus.”

Yes you can, because the Word of God says that His love has been shed abroad in your heart! (Rom. 5:5). And 1 John 2:5 says His love is perfected in you as you keep His Word.

Commit to living the life of love today. Watch God turn failure into success at home, at work…in any situation. LOVE NEVER FAILS!

Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:1-14

Written by: Kenneth Copeland

The serpent didn’t come to Eve in the garden threatening to bite her if she didn’t eat of the forbidden fruit. Instead, he came with deception, presenting himself as being concerned for her welfare. Satan’s greatest weapon is deceit.

Just as a football player, a boxer, or military man’s success depends partly on how well he knows his opponent(s), so believers must not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. Jesus stripped Satan of all his authority (Mt. 28:18). The power that Satan uses against us now, is deception. Those who ascribe other powers to him have already fallen prey to one of his lies. The devil deceives us and uses our own power and authority against us. The thing that makes deception so deadly is that those who are deceived don’t know it. Once they realize they are deceived, they aren’t deceived any more.

The best defense against the devil is to be so God-centered that you give no place to Satan. People who are very sensitive to the devil’s presence usually are so at the expense of being sensitive to the Lord’s presence. David said, “If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there” (Ps. 139:8). Anytime Satan’s oppression is present, God’s presence is there too (Heb. 13:5). It’s just a matter of where our focus is. Focusing on the devil is a trick of the devil. Choose to focus on God.

Written by: Andrew Wommack