Hear, Believe, Obey!

 

There is a fundamental and biblical way of being converted to Christ, that sadly is not being taught to those who desire to enter God's Kingdom. One needs to hear the good news of the Kingdom of God, believe with their hearts what they hear and then obey the commands and teachings of Jesus Christ that are contained within the bible.

So many hear the word, even believe what they hear or read, but don't obey it or do what it says! The scriptures have no value in and of themselves UNLESS you apply them to your life! 

Jesus said that those who hear His sayings and put them into practice are wise!

Matthew 7:24-25

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."

The scriptures written in the bible are just words in a book like any other book in the world, until you DO what they say and when you start practicing what Jesus taught is when truth can start working in your heart and mind!

James said the same thing!

James 1:22-25

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."

It's not enough to just go and sit in a church pew and sing a few songs and say amen a few times or nod your head in agreement and then leave out the building and just keep doing what you've been doing all your life, remanining carnal minded and walking in your flesh. What's separating you from the ungodly and the wicked? Do you think just because you GO TO a church that you are a Christian? Or just because you profess to be a Christian, you ARE a Christian? 

If you don't have all three things how can you enter God's Kingdom? 

John 3:3-5

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Jesus said if you love me you will OBEY my commands!

John 14:15-23

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me."

The questions are these:  Have you been born from above? Do you love Jesus?

In Christ,

Tyrone

IF You Love Me.........

 

John 14:15, 19-24

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me."

How many times have you said, 'I love Jesus', but have not obeyed His word? How many times have you said, 'I believe in Jesus', but have not done what He commands?

It's easy to say I love Jesus, I believe in Him, but when you are confronted with the truth of His word and you realize that you have not obeyed Him, it can be very hard to admit that you really don't love Jesus.

God desire's His children to be obedient, just as parents want their children to obey what they say. And when children don't obey, they have to pay the consequences for their disobedience. 

Obedience leads to blessings, salvation, the Love of the Father and the Son, the fruits of the Spirit being birthed in our souls. Obedience leads to eternal life with God.

On the contrary, disobedience leads to death (separation from God), it opens a door for satan to oppress our souls, it leads to self deception, it also leads to the wrath of God and ultimately being thrown in the lake of fire, if our names are not found written in the Book of Life. 

There is no other option if you really want to be a Christian and live a godly life, we all must obey the teachings of Jesus Christ and His commandments, and 1st John 5 tells us that His commandments are not burdensome.

1st John 5:1-3

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

The main point of the entire bible is Obedience! From Genesis to Revelation, from Adam to the Last saint who will enter God's kingdom, the call is to love and obey God and keep His commandments!

Even Solomon who was the wisest man who ever lived understood this truth and summed up the life of man in one sentence!

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil."

In Jesus,

Tyrone

Is It Hard For You To Obey?

Jeremiah 7:21-26

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.

One of the biggest, if not THE biggest root problems of mankind is obedience! Whether it be obedience to the laws of God, or the laws of man, it's just not the nature of human beings to obey! Many people have a problem with the word 'obey', itself! So what does 'obey' mean?

Obey: 1: to follow the commands or guidance of

Example: He always obeys his parents.

           2: to conform to or comply with

Example: obey an order; falling objects obey the laws of physics. (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

Now that we know what obey means, we can apply our understanding to what we know of  the many situations that have occurred over the last decade with African-Americans, and European-American or any, law enforcement officer. From what I myself saw on video or read in an internet article, I can understand that when the officer gave a command, it was NOT immediately obeyed! Thus, causing an escalation of what should be a routine traffic stop, but ended in a senseless death, or serious injury.

The majority of the times that I see someone get shot or killed, was because the situation escalated when the commands of the officer, were not immediately obeyed, or the suspect tried to flee. And that is, and will continue to be a huge problem for mankind!

Now if you profess to be a Christian it is our #1 duty to OBEY THE COMMANDS OF GOD! And where do we find the commands of God and His Son Jesus Christ? In the bible! How many of you read the written and inspired word of God, say amen, but don't DO WHAT IT SAYS! 

Jesus Himself said: "I ALWAYS DO  those things that please Him". He also said this in John 14:15

“If you love Me, keep My commandments."

Jesus even LEARNED OBEDIENCE through His sufferings!

Hebrew 5:8-9

"though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,"

It started all the way back in the garden of Eden and continues to this day! Human beings, with their fallen nature, have a very hard time obeying any commands, whether it be from law enforcement officers, a company supervisor, parents, or God Himself!

Even as I write this blog post, another young African-American man was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop!

When will we learn to obey!

In Jesus Name,

Tyrone

Do You FEAR The Lord?

Proverbs 1:7

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Do you have a reverent fear of God? A fear that helps you to do right when you want to do wrong?

I'm not talking about a fear that makes you afraid to come near to God and receive His salvation and love. But a godly fear that keeps you obedient to Him and His commands.

In these last days it seems there is nothing much that can cause a man or woman to stop sinning and repent (change your mind) and turn to God. 

With ever increasing sin and debauchery, what will it take before people begin to fear the Creator of Heaven and earth? 

What has to happen before man says this is the finger and the judgment of God, who can stand?

In the first century church, Ananias and Sapphira learned a hard lesson about lying to God.

Acts 5:1-5

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things."

It's inevitable that God will do the same things today that He did thousands of years ago when people forgot to fear and reverence Him. 

So let those who fear the Lord remember His promise of a heavenly kingdom that cannot be shaken, and let us labor to enter into that kingdom and the joy of our Lord!

Hebrews 12:28-29

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire."

In Jesus,

Tyrone

Whoever Desires To Become Great Among You, Let Him Be Your Servant

Matthew 20:25-28

"But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The Spirit of God led me to these words of Jesus, although I had read them before as have most of us who love the truth, but when the Spirit gave me a deeper understanding of these scriptures I was blown away and quickly repented and asked the Father to forgive me for thinking more highly of myself than I ought and for placing my trust in men who call themselves 'leaders', when in truth Jesus said in Matthew 23:10 "Nor be called leaders, for One is your Leader, the Christ." (Greek Interlinear Bible)

The word used for 'leaders' in the Greek is:

2519. kathegetes kath-ayg-ay-tace' from a compound of 2596 and 2233; a guide, i.e. (figuratively) a teacher:--master.

Here's what Jesus said in Matthew 23:1-12

"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their   garments.They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

When Jesus was resurrected and appeared to His disciples on the sea shore of Tiberias, He spoke with Peter who had denied Him three times. Pay close attention to what Jesus said to Peter.

John 21:15-17

"So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep."

Notice that Jesus did not tell Peter to 'lead' His sheep, Jesus told Him to FEED HIS SHEEP! He made it clear to Peter and the rest of His disciples that they were called to feed and care for HIS sheep. Also notice that Jesus asked Peter the same question three times, the same number of times that he denied Jesus. When you look at Acts 10:15-16 the Lord showed the same vision to Peter three times and then after that he still wondered what the vision meant! At certain times in Peter's ministry it seems that he needed to hear things three times or more before he understood what the Lord was saying?  I know that makes me feel alot better because the Lord has had to show me things more than three times before I got it!

Acts 10:15-16

"And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again."

Along with Jesus, (who is the perfect example of true humility, obedience, and servant-hood) Paul gives us a great example of one who understood what it meant to be a servant of the Lord.

1st Corinthians 2:1-5

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

1st Corinthians 3:4-7

"For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase."

Acts 21:12-13

"Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 

Let those who call Jesus their Lord and Savior remember that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble!

Philippians 2:1-11

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

In Jesus Name,
Tyrone