Obedience or Love – Which is Most Important? [podcast]
“IF ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
Have you ever noticed the “If” of this statement by our LORD Jesus?
Okay, reread the words of Jesus above and see what comes first in the sentence – “love” or keeping His commands.
“IF you love me, keep my commandments” says Jesus (John 14:15). IF we don’t believe upon, know, and love Him there’s no use trying to keep His Word. He’s not speaking of keeping His Word in order to earn His justification but rather as the fruit of knowing Him in a saving relationship. The hell bound self-righteous pharisees knew God’s Word yet they refused to “COME” to Jesus – to love, honor, and believe upon Him (John 5:39-40).
“Few seem to understand the huge difference between obedience and legalism. We obey because we love God and we know obedience doesn’t save us. Legalism believes by obeying they are saved by it. We that are born again know only the blood of Jesus saved us but we also know that obedience proves we are saved and keeps us saved. It is joy to obey the Lord as we love what He loves and we hate what He hates. Amen.” Shirley Bruso
—- JESUS IS NOT GLORIFIED BY THE KEEPing OF HIS INSTRUCTIONS/COMMANDS BY THOSE WHO DON’T LOVE HIM …. LOVE COMES FIRST – LOVING AND WORSHIPPING HIM IS MOST IMPORTANT TO GOD. “IF IF, IF YE LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.” JOHN 14:15
“Ye are my friends, IF ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14
LOVE is the governing factor:
“We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
Of John 14:15 and 15:14, one source notes the following:
- John 14:15: Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” He makes keeping His words the direct proof of love.
- John 15:14: Jesus says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” He shows that friendship with Him requires action and obedience.
- Love is the root: Jesus starts with love as the inner heart motive.
- Works are the fruit: Doing His commands is the outward action that proves the love is real.
- They are not separate: Jesus does not say love replaces works; He says love produces obedience.”
Love begins with God and any relationship requires reciprocating love – love flowing from each of the 2 parties to one another.
“And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, FOR THE LOVE HE HAD TO HER.” Genesis 29:20
Jacob didn’t mind serving a whole 7 years for Rachel, because he loved her so much. The true disciple doesn’t view serving God as drudgery but rather delight – because he loves God supremely!
“A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” John 16:21
“His commandment are not grievous”
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3
IF I don’t love Jesus, do you think He’s honored when I try to obey what He said? No.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…” Matthew 22:37
“IFFF ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
IF WE LOVE JESUS, OBEYING HIM IS JOY, JUST AS IT WAS FOR JACOB AS HE SERVED A WHOLE 7 YEARS TO OBTAIN A LIFELONG MARITAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS BELOVED RACHEL (GENESIS 29:20).
Perhaps we are not understanding the divine economy as Christ meant us to understand Him. Jesus says “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14) It’s only IF I love Jesus that He is interested in my doing the things He told HIS true people to do, otherwise, my good works are in vain, even if I suffer martyrdom by burning my body – “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2) IF WE DON’T LOVE HIM – truly – with our whole heart, mind, and strength He’s not interested in us obeying Him (Matthew 22:37-39). Now, of course, if I truly do love Him, I will obey Him and yet Jesus doesn’t want us to think we are impressing Him by outward obedience only. In the divine economy, it all begins with LOVE – “God so LOVED the world that He gave ….” (John 3:16) The Bible informs us that “The Lord looketh on the heart” and if He sees that I don’t truly love Him, He’s not interested in my vain outward show (1 Samuel 16:7).
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
Those who truly know and love Him do His commandments. They don’t live on their own terms but rather on His. They delight to do His will because they truly seek, know, and love Him who bled to redeem their otherwise hopeless, wretched souls. Yet, obedience saves no one. Keeping His commandments doesn’t save you – the pharisees claimed to do that while refusing to come to Christ whom (John 5:39-40). No, God alone can save and He does so on His terms – initial and ongoing faith “which worketh by love” which is relationship. Yes, “faith … worketh by love.” (Galatians 5:6) Remember that even if a person goes so far as to give their body to be burned and has no love – they don’t love God, their obedience, their sacrifice is in vain (1 Corinthians 13:3).
1 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks to those already saved using the phrases “work of faith, and labour of love.” Please pay close attention to the words “faith” and “love.” “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
When God initially saves us, He puts a love in our hearts for Him which is manifested by putting our faith in Christ. Jesus taught that knowing the Father and Himself were cardinal in His kingdom. – “And this is life eternal (the whole purpose for it), that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:10
DID GOD send His only begotten Son to create an army of mechanical law-keepers OR a family who knows, worships, and adores Him? What does the Bible say is the cardinal reason for the whole plan of redemption? Why did God send His only begotten Son to bleed, be buried, and raised again to justify all who would come to Him? Are you familiar with what the LORD told us in Exodus 25:8, Matthew 22:37-40, and Philippians 3:10? We must have anchored in our hearts this glorious truth of knowing Him! Nothing else matters if we don’t relish Him, adore Him, and worship Him. If you name the name of Jesus Christ, it would greatly benefit your life, understanding. and ministry to memorize the words of the very Redeemer Himself as is recorded in John 17:3. More on that later.
If we love the LORD truly and our neighbor we will not steal, lie, covet, bear false witness, hate, commit adultery, OR any of those other sins and be walking in God’s perfect will. It’s really quite simple actually. But first we must examine this day whether or not we truly love Him.
One writer notes:
“Holiness is first and foremost agape love. Unconditional love for all, including enemies of us and enemies of God. This over-emphasis on repentance can make us the initiator and God the responder if we are not careful. God is always the initiator.”
IT IS MY OPINION THAT WE SHOULD BEGIN TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO OVER-EMPHASIZE OBEDIENCE WHILE NEGLECTING TO PREACH THE COMMAND TO KNOW, LOVE, AND ABIDE IN CHRIST. ALL OF OUR OUTWARD OBEDIENCE IS IN VAIN IF WE DON’T AUTHENTICALLY LOVE HIM. MANY WHO PREACH SEEM TO BE DOING THIS AND ARE CALLING MANY TO WORSHIP AT THE ALTAR OF SELF BY PERPETRATING THE FALSE NOTION THAT CHRIST’S ONE PERFECT SACRIFICE WAS NOT ENOUGH. THIS SEEMS TO RESONATE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT TRULY AND UNRESERVEDLY SURRENDERED TO CHRIST AND WHO WANT TO FEEL AS IF THEY ARE HELPING TO EARN THEIR OWN SALVATION WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE. WHAT DOES ROMANS 4:4-5 TELL US?
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5
So, while it’s absolute that ALL who have saving faith in Christ are obedient and have good fruit in their lives, those good works and good fruit aren’t what saves them. No, good fruit merely evidences that there is a relationship. Christ alone can save and He does that instantly when a lost soul believes upon Him (John 6:47; Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1, etc.). The Great Shepherd of His sheep keeps His people saved as they keep themselves in the love of God, “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 21: 1 Peter 1:5)
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 21
The story of Jesus, Mary, and Martha is yet another place in the Scriptures of truth that clearly reveal what God is looking for from us – to love and to worship Him supremely.
“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
Jesus speaks to us of an abiding union/relationship with Him where He calls us His friends. I want to encourage you to read John 15 closely this week. In this discourse on the Husbandman (the Father), the Vine (Jesus), and the branches (us), you will note that the relationship precedes the fruit bearing. While the fruit reveals the root – testifies to the relationship – fruit doesn’t save, neither does obedience. God does require us to obey Him by putting our faith in Christ to save us, but it’s He who saves us. Jesus Christ alone can save. Ephesians 2:8-10 reveals that we are saved by His grace through our faith and that we are “his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.”
Consider that our LORD was “moved with compassion” toward those in need (Matthew 9:36). The great apostle said “the love of Christ constraineth (compels) us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14)
At times we quote 1 John 2:4 and yet, let’s look at a wider angle of this passage:
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 2:3-6
“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice…” Matthew 9:13
“And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Joel 2:13
Is loving God more important that obeying God? Both are obviously important and yet, in the divine economy, which is most important?
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
Am I choosing and learning to “love the Lord” with my whole heart?
Andre Alexis writes: “Christianity is more than merely believing and obeying commands and reaping the promises of God. Christianity is not a religion: it is a relationship. And a relationship requires communication. Therefore, prayer is essential, because it is through prayer that you and I communicate with our heavenly Father.” …. This is a simple truth and yet bears stating as brother Andre did above. This is especially important due to the epidemic of charlatans which have promulgated a “what’s in it for me?” self-serving lifestyle upon millions who don’t bother to truly lay down their lives and see with their own eyes the full counsel of our LORD’s Word which actually communicate the very “thoughts of his heart.” (Psalms 33:11). The LORD wants a relationship with each of His children. He’s not just there to answer our every prayer while we commit spiritual adultery by wasting our time/lives in this fleeting world playing games, giving hours to frivolous foolishness, etc. He wants our hearts. Jesus told us the reason the Father sent Him in John 17:3. This was David’s and Paul’s whole goal in their respective earthly lives (Psalms 27:4, 8; Philippians 3:10). Jesus told us He wants an abiding relationship that bears fruit that remains to His eternal glory (John 15:1-16).
After being saved, under the new covenant, it’s not law keeping but rather abiding in Christ, amen? John 15 “Abide in me.”
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
PRAYER: Holy heavenly Father, I come to You impoverished in spirit. For without You dear LORD, we can do nothing. You are love and I am not and yet, I ask You here and now to more deeply imbue my innermost man with and teach me Your love. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Uphold Jesus (audio)
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Apostasy
Doubt Casting Wolves Exposed
Beware of this New Fad of Uncertainty
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:11
Satan was the first to cast doubt on God’s Word, on what God had said. This led to the fall of mankind. It seems to be the first play in his playbook – in order to deceive mankind.
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1
Beware: Satan is the very father of all lies and the one who casts doubt upon the Word of his arch-enemy – the LORD. Did you notice that in the above verse, God’s Word describes our enemy as the creature that is “more subtil than any beast”? Then it shows us just exactly who he operates as we see this “subtil … beast” cast a question mark on the LORD and what He stated to the man and woman just previously (Genesis 2:17).
To “endure to the end,” we must be aware of this significant tripping tool, this pitfall of the enemy of all souls (2 Corinthians 2:11).
There are many ways and vehicles through which Satan casts doubt on what God has said in His Word – what He has spoken to us, mankind. In this message, we are merely touching on a few of those ways, in hopes of assisting the reader of being aware of the way our enemy works.
It has actually become fashionable to question the Almighty in the things He has non-negotiably stated to us in His Word. Is this not a fulfillment of many prophetic Scriptures warning us of apostasy?
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:20-21
Satan is in the Seminaries
Casting doubt on God’s Word is an ancient tactic of Satan and we must be aware of it and on guard against it. There are no boundaries to it – where ever the enemy works, this tactic will be seen and it’s most “subtil.” In fact, the place we think this evil scheming to be least likely to be found is the very place it can be most prevalently found – Bible colleges and seminaries! Personally, I have attended two Bible colleges and have dialogued with hundreds of seminarians. It doesn’t take long at all to see just where their faith and trust is and how they have allowed themselves to have “an evil heart of unbelief,” refusing to take God at His very Word (Hebrews 3:12-14). Rather, they are “subverted” as they have been taught not to believe God for what He says in His Word (Titus 3:9-11). Instead, they have systems in place to cast doubt upon the Most High which is treason and betrayal of Christ! See Satan’s Seminaries!
Doubt-Casting in the Margins of Perverted Versions of the English Bible
Have you ever noticed that in the margin of the new, corrupt versions of the English Bible, where the godless translators have rebelliously and brazenly removed portions of Holy Scripture, they have a note casting doubt on whether or not that portion they removed should have been there in God’s Word in the first place? The lie in the margin is that “many earlier manuscripts didn’t contain this portion of Scripture.” This is an outright lie. Satan is busy people (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus warned us that the enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy and that “Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word.” (Mark 4:15; John 10:10)
Of a new diabolical fad that is arising, Jim Clark notes:
“It seems that the latest apostate fad is ‘uncertainty’, also referred to as the certainty vs. assurance debate. They say that you can only have ‘assurance’ (something less than 100% certainty — like it’s something that you can scientifically measure) and only omniscient God has certainty. This is eisegesis (opposite of exegesis) — inserting human philosophy into Scripture. 1 John 5:13 says ‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.’ KJV”
In the divine economy and the heart of every true disciple of Jesus, salvation is a definitive certainty. Jesus made it certain because His blessed miracle of salvation in the hearts of men is certain. How can the most powerful experience (regeneration) in this life happen to a person and they not know it? The Son of God says:
Those who are truly saved, KNOW they are truly saved. Any person who is only 99% “sure” they are saved, is not saved. Huh?! Yes! Read these words of Holy Scripture:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, HATH everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” John 6:47
1 John 3:14 says: “We KNOW that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
This doubt is purely diabolical. Satan has not changed and that he is limited to the same tricks he had in the beginning (1 Corinthians 10:13). In the Garden of creation he cast doubt on God’s Word when he said to the woman: “Yea, hath God said?” (Genesis 3:1)
Of these doubt-casters, a brother named Preston notes:
“I think this stems from a philosophy embraced by many Calvinists. Christian Existentialism was started by Soren Kierkegaard and is where we get the idea of “blind leap of faith”. That is, the more obscure a belief can be the more “faith” one must exhibit or have to believe in it. This is a satanically-inspired, man-made philosophy and is not of God. God has given us overwhelming evidence not only of his existence, but also salvation as well. These men are preachers of confusion and are enamored with their so called intellect. In fact they are nothing more than fools!”
“Being b
orn again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:23
Beware of the wolf who would cast doubt on the “certainty” of knowing God (Proverbs 22:17-21). Along with the divine Person of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer, His “words of truth” are His “incorruptible” seed and make evident within every true born again and abiding saint that he is saved!
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:14-16
Among other evils, this doubt that Satan’s ministers are introducing and casting, stifles witnessing and fulfilling the Great Commission our LORD gave us (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).
“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. 18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. 19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. 20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 21 That I might make thee know the CERTAINTY of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?” Proverbs 22:17-21
Now that these smooth talking animalistic wolves have enormous masses of gullible audiences following their cultic personalities, they are beginning to cast doubt on the salvation of their constituents. Beware and be rooted and grounded in Christ!
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:6-8
Seek, love, and obey Jesus Christ and cease following men! Repent of this idolatry and spiritual adultery!
The LORD’s holy truth is divine, eternal, and non-negotiable, amen. “FOREVER O LORD, they word is settled in heaven.” Psalms 119:89
Concerning Satan’s process through the modern church of deceiving and damning the souls of millions, one commenter writes:
“Those of us who keep our nose in the crack of the Holy Word of God and ignore the imaginations of men will be glad we did! Whew, denominations and their doctrines have killed more people than Hitler could have imagined! No denominations, no politics, no electorate process, no opinions in Heaven! God IS. That is enough to know!”
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:22
Remedy for the sins of lies and doubt:
- Repent/surrender afresh
- Cling to Christ
- Repent of spiritual idolatry and adultery
- Denounce your human idols – all of them (Ezek. 14:3)
- Stop trusting mere men
- Get into God’s Word with reckless abandon
- Memorize Scripture by writing them on index cards – KJB
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“Excellent word! Sharing! I must admit I have been caught in Satan’s trap on this one in my life! But got right back up again, repented and know that I am His!” Darlene T.
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Articles
Thank You for Declaring that the Mexican People Matter to Jesus! Mission Mexico Part 50
Here’s to thanking God that you care for these beloved people and are praying and supporting. God is able.
So much is transpiring that I don’t know where to start….
Hopefully the pictures and other things in this 50th update will help attempt to give a taste of how good our LORD is.
From sister Crystal …
Subject: RE: Picked up 20k more JESUS tracts recently.
Good morning and BLESS YOU BROTHER TODD!
Your last note made me cry, so blessed to be able to get more “fishing tracts” out. LOL
I also prayed for the printer and their workers, seeing how many are being ordered, and how important they are. I know they’re glad to get your “business”. May their hearts and souls be pierced within also. They have to see the front page repeatedly…may it stick like glue in their minds and hearts. Thank you! The devoted distributors of GOOD NEWS. The best news known to man. I may have told you this already, but when I mailed that case of Bibles and the clerk asked what books they were, I said, “The Bible, the greatest bestseller of all time.” She smiled. I love working together with our family, each doing their little part in moving things along–may many hearts and souls be pierced within, and brought to the knowledge/measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Carrying on in Christ…occupying…Crystal
P.S. I sometimes say in prayer: Lord, you are the glue that holds me together. What EVER would I do without you!!! Without Him, I could do nothing. Without Him, I’d surely fail, Without Him, I would be drifting, like a ship that has no sail. For Jesus is the lighthouse, I owe my life to Him…My pianist/friend/Sister/Adopted Mom used to cry every time I sang that. She and her Son are now home, waiting for us to arrive. He is no longer in a wheel chair, but oh so happily singing for/with the Lord. Oh, how I miss them all.
IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL….WHEN WE SEE CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
He sent this to the Spanish group recently …… Brother Daniel was out ministering. He sent this picture.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
RECENTLY: Went to visit and refresh our beloved sister Maria. She was busy passing out JESUS tracts to the people. She was given some cash and we got her some food to bring home!!!! The Gospel, charity work being done here in Mexico is super well received here and is due to the love offerings of Christ’s saints.
A steady portion of what you give is given to brother Juan and sister Maria and other of Christ’s disciples. They are worthy of their hire.
“And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.” Luke 10:7
One of our main directives in this mission is to edify, feed, fuel, support, and take care of our LORD’s few labourers!!!! Amen!
“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
“I marvel in amazement at all the Lord is doing through you guys in Mexico. Each new story, brings such awe in my heart of how open the people are to the gospel. It is sure is a supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the people. There could be no other explanation. Praying every morning. This morning I prayed Ephesians 1:15-23. May God’s power be continually released in the saints who are ministering in Mexico!” Karen Cochran | Mission Mexico
Your prayers are being heard by our LORD and He is blessing many of the humble bless-ed people of Mexico.
“For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” Philippians 1:19
The Mexican people are so very authentically well behaved, naturally, trained, nurtured from birth to be kind, gentle, loving, and helpful. Most importantly, for eternity’s sake, they greatly desire to hear the Gospel of Jesus. It’s an evangelistic field day. Thank you for lifting a prayer right now for God to save the people of Mexico.
“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Psalms 2:8
Juan received another box of the JESUS tracts today after fellowship. Here’s a small part of what Juan, in his own words, spoke:
“Brother, we have chosen the best part—one that will never bring us shame. We have the best job: serving our Father in this Ministry of Reconciliation to expand His kingdom. It has truly been a great blessing to share His word; we can never fully grasp the scope of God’s vision, for His word never returns void—it always fulfills its purpose. Glory to God.
God restores us; God gives us our reward; God lifts us up, brother. There is power in the Word. Can you picture Moses? When he had a personal encounter with God, he would come away with a countenance—his whole face shining—and he had to wear a veil. That is how we are, too, when we have communion with God—an intimate relationship with Him. You are good and merciful to each one of us.” Juan
RECENTLY: Brother Juan picking up more JESUS tracts (Spanish) to pass out! Thank you for praying for and supporting Mission Mexico
During fellowship, brother Juan shared the following:
“The Word of God never returns empty; it always fulfills its purpose. We don’t know the full scope of God’s worldview, but we trust completely in the message of salvation. It speaks to us in all times, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, in Revelation, urging us to repent and turn to Christ. Glory to God for this message, brother. May God continue to use you greatly today, for His glory, and to expand His kingdom.
His blessed Word says that whoever perseveres to the end will be saved, but when Jesus was asked if they would enter the kingdom of heaven, he didn’t say they had to do much—there were few of them—he simply said to strive. So God commands us to take action in Joseph 1:9: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Amen Juan.
Meals like this are just a part of the torment one must endure to live in beautiful Mexico.
This meal was during fellowship with brother Juan. Most of all we (includes Tom and yourself) were blessed feed our brother and give him a nice cappuccino…. and fellowship where he was refreshed and also he took more JESUS tracts.
Brother Daniel was the first convert to Christ in Mexico 2 years ago upon arriving. Here’s a picture of Daniel recently when we met to fellowship, etc.
Would you like to lift our brother in prayer? Colossians 4:12
MORE CHANGED LIVES
Sister Nayeli is really growing in Christ. Wow
She cried out to the LORD this morning
And He answered EVERY one of her specific prayers…
For peace, food, provision, etc
She even asked him for a small pocket size Bible
And she got 2 of them also
Along with lots of food and provision
She is now handing out the JESUS tract and testifying of Christ
You may recall she was previously a lifelong Jew
God is good and your prayers are coveted for sister Nayeli
After all those blessings Nayeli and I went to refresh Maria. She wasn’t there. We were able to ministry Christ’s Gospel to many and ended with feeding and ministering to a dear elder homeless woman….
Thank you for praying. Yes Nayeli is a young disciple and growing in grace as she is seeking the LORD.
Last night I would tell her a Bible reference. She’d open up to that chapter and start reading out loud and in real time was blessedly stunned to have the LORD speak to her, showing her many things, including that He does hate her as satan was telling her. No, he loves her and is producing fruit in her life, which clearly proves she is His. The fruit and purging going on in her life clearly proves she is in Christ. Her whole countenance was transformed as she read those words. The reality of what our LORD Jesus taught in John 15:1-7 was made fully alive to her. She now saw things from God’s eternal perspective and how He was purging her so that even more fruit could be born. I haven’t talked much with her lately and so didn’t know but the things in her life were being sifted, stripped. She’s lost clients since becoming a saint of Christ, snatch from satan and Judaism.
Other passages Nayeli read aloud were Matthew 5:10-12; James 1:2-5, 12; Hebrews 10, 11, etc.
Nayeli was exhorted to “punch satan in the face” when he attacks her by not sitting around in heaviness. No, but by getting out and passing out some Gospel tracts, evangelizing the lost! She broke out in a joyful laugh at that one. Then we got in the car and went looking for dear sister Maria. She wasn’t there and so we evangelized and then a dear elderly homeless lady came by with 2 bags and a sad face. We were able to walk with her to get her some fresh delicious food with a large cold water and were able to give her some cash, etc. God is good saints.
Such deep sadness in this beloved woman.
Father, please heal and lift this beloved woman up from the mirey clay of sin and darkness in this world
Make her an example to many of Your love in Christ
Thank you for praying.
God is able.
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
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Apostasy
John Wesley on Calvinism, Once Saved Always Saved, and Conditional Security
John Wesley on Calvinism, Once Saved Always Saved, and Conditional Security
“Calvinists, who deny that salvation can ever be lost, reason on the subject in a marvelous way. They tell us, that no virgin’s lamp can go out; no promising harvest be choked with thorns; no branch in Christ can ever be cut off from unfruitfulness; no pardon can ever be forfeited, and no name blotted out of God’s book! They insist that no salt can ever lose its savor; nobody can ever ‘receive the grace of God in vain’; ‘bury his talents’; ‘neglect such great salvation’; trifle away ‘a day of grace’; ‘look back’ after putting his hand to the gospel plow. Nobody can ‘grieve the Spirit’ till He is ‘quenched,’ and strives no more, nor ‘deny the Lord that bought them’; nor ‘bring upon themselves swift destruction.’ Nobody, or body of believers, can ever get so lukewarm that Jesus will spew them out of His mouth. They use reams of paper to argue that if one ever got lost he was never found (John 17:12); that if one falls, he never stood (Rom. 11:16-22 and Heb. 6:4-6); if one was ever ‘cast forth,’ he was never in, and ‘if one ever withered,’ he was never green (John 15:1-6); and that ‘if any man draws back,’ it proves that he never had anything to draw back from (Heb. 10:38,39); that if one ever ‘falls away into spiritual darkness,’ he was never enlightened (Heb 6:4-6); that if you ‘again get entangled in the pollutions of the world,’ it shows that you never escaped (2 Pet 2:20); that if you ‘put salvation away’ you never had it to put away, and if you make shipwreck of faith, there was no ship of faith there!! In short they say: If you get it, you can’t lose it; and if you lose it you never had it. May God save us from accepting a doctrine, that must be defended by such fallacious reasoning!” ~ John Wesley
OSAS people make a vain attempt at redefining the words of Scripture to fit their own self-serving agenda of lukewarmness, cross-less rebellion. For example they hyper-focus on “eternal” in the term “eternal life” while intentionally refusing to synthesize the whole of what Scripture states. Purposely, they do not distinguish between initial and final salvation and refuse to believe that after being saved, the recipient of His salvation must “endure to the end” to be “saved.” (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; John 15:6; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6, 12-14; 10:26-39; 2 Peter 2:20-21; Revelation 2-3, etc.) They hyper-focus on the word “gift” and teach that a gift could never be lost which the rest of Scripture does not agree with. They then take the word “sealed” and make it to be permanent which it cannot possibly be because the same Greek word for “sealed” is used of Jesus’ tomb which we all know was NOT permanently sealed – it was unsealed when Jesus came out of that grave! (Matthew 27:66) In this they bear false witness against the LORD and act like some Scriptures are more divinely inspired than others. This practice reveals the evil and deceit of their own hearts. While they scream, “context, context, context,” they themselves syphon things out of the immediate and overall context of Scripture. Not just some Scripture in the Bible but rather “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) It must all be synthesized, put together, compared (1 Corinthians 2:13). Error will result in the hearts and lives of those who do not personally search, study, and revere “ALL scripture” in God’s Word.
The Cancer of Calvinism | Eternal Security/OSAS is a Scam
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