The Power Of Words! (Part 2)

As we know, words definitely have power. They have the power to start world wars, to tear down kingdoms and to build them up. Words have power to destroy souls and curse generations of families. 

As Christians we must learn how to build one another up as the scriptures tell us and not tear each other down to prove our point or to be considered 'right'. We must learn to choose our words carefully and to have the words that we speak seasoned with the grace of God. How is that possible? By having our hearts and minds cleansed of all unrighteousness by the blood of Jesus. We must become new creations of God, transformed by the renewing of our minds, conformed to the image of Christ Jesus, and established by the word of God in our hearts.

It was God's word that formed the Heavens, the earth and everything in it.

Psalm 33:6-9

"By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."

In contrast, satan, a fallen angel who rebelled against God and was cast down out of Heaven, deceived Eve, with evil words that she listened to which led to the corruption of her mind and she in turn, enticed her husband, causing them both to sin by disobeying the direct commandment of God.

Genesis 3:1-7

"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings."

satan, who is completely evil and has the power to deceive the whole world, spoke a few sentences that brought down humanity and caused us all to suffer corruption, a cursed earth, and disconnection from God at birth, being born with a carnal nature, prone to sin.

This is why Jesus said it's what comes out of a man that corrupts him, for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks!

What do you talk about all day long? What do your friends talk about? Your spouse? Your children?  Pay attention, because that's what your heart is full of! Is your heart full of the wisdom and words of God or is it full of the world and the things of this world? 

We know what James said about the tongue!

James 3:5-12

"Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of  iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh."

Be careful what you speak to yourself and others! Words have power!

In Christ,

Tyrone

Just For You

Some words that God speaks to you are just for you and no one else! Like what happened to Paul on the road to Damascus.

Acts 9:1-7

"Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one."

When the Lord has a word for you it doesn't matter where you are or who is around you, the Lord can speak directly to you and change your whole life! Notice that the men who went with Paul to Damascus just stood there speechless, the light didn't shine around them, only Paul. The men heard a voice, but what the Lord was speaking was just for Paul, not them!

And when Paul was recounting his testimony to the people of Jerusalem when he was arrested, they didn't want to hear it! They called for his death! His experience with Jesus was just for him, you can't make others believe your testimony or experiences, because each person has to have their own unique experience with God in order for them to develop a deep faith and trust in the Lord!

Acts 22:6-11, 17-22

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.  So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.

Something to consider here, I found a discrepancy between Acts 9:7 and Acts 22:9. 

Acts 9:7 says: "And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no

 one."

Acts 22:9 says: “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me."

Which testimony is true? Did the men who journeyed with Paul hear a voice but didn't see the light? Or did they see the light but didn't hear the voice of Jesus? Hmmmmm, the Lord knows!

After Jesus was resurrected, He restored Peter by speaking to him three times, the same number of times Peter denied Him. 

John 20:15-22

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. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”"

Jesus gave Peter a word that was just for him! God has something unique and personal for every soul that chooses to obey His word and follow His Son. The road to Heaven may not be easy, (Jesus said it is straight and narrow), BUT, you can make it with the help of His Spirit! You can overcome this world, your flesh, and the devil. You just have to be willing to let go of your life in this world and accept the life that God has for you, it's the only way that your soul can be saved.

The choice is yours!

In Christ,

Tyrone

Religion, Oppresses The Soul!

 

The world has religion and men started religion. Being a Christian is NOT a religion, Christianity IS a religion, just like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormon, or Judaism. Did you know that Wicca is considered a religion? How about Neo-Paganism? Something to think about!

When Jesus called people to follow Him, He said, whoever wants to be my disciple must take up his cross daily and follow Him.

Luke 9:23-25

"Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"

Being a Christian or a follower of Christ is a lifestyle! It's an everyday self-denial and death to the flesh relationship with the risen King! If you practice a religion with its rituals and ceremonial traditions it will lead you into deception and oppression of your soul, (mind, body, and spirit).

Like the Pharisees in Jesus day, being religious will lead you to hypocrisy, erroneous thinking, hard heartedness, jealousy, envy, and the worst of all, PRIDE!   

Jesus told the Pharisees about themselves in Matthew 23:15, 27-28

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

The same thing is happening right now in religious institutions worldwide! And the sad thing is, those who are the hypocrites, hirelings, and modern-day Pharisees are reading these same scriptures every Sunday, and nobody sees them for who and what they are! Would anybody really care if they were exposed?

This is why it's so important for believers to read the bible FOR THEMSELVES, and not depend on any man or woman to give them the truth. Two thousand years ago the Bereans in the bible SEARCHED the scriptures to see IF what Paul the apostle of Jesus said was true! So how much more should we be searching the scriptures, praying, fasting and calling on God for revelation and guidance in these last days!

Acts 17:10-11

"Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

It's beyond time to stop just hearing the word, it's time TO DO WHAT IT SAYS! You will not receive the blessings and promises of God if you don't obey the teachings of Jesus! The traditions of men will keep your soul oppressed and cause you to THINK that you are in right standing with God just because you attend services in a church building and sing a few songs! But what did Jesus say?

Matthew 15:7-9

"Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Does anybody want to admit to themselves that they are hypocrites? I used to be a hypocrite myself! Going to church, singing songs, saying amen, etc.... but then I went out partying, getting drunk, sleeping around, and still calling myself a Christian, I didn't have a real relationship with Jesus, and I didn't know who God really was!

It's time to stop being religious and start living the daily lifestyle of a biblical Christian, a disciple of Jesus, only when we do that, will we begin to see the glory, power and grace of God in our lives!

In The Lord's Army!

Tyrone

The Glory Cloud Of God's Presence!

 

The glory cloud of God's presence is one of many physical manifestations of God that can be invisible and visible to men. The cloud can be present and felt by people but not seen by them, it can also be seen and felt by people. Although many will become irritated, even angry, by God's presence and want to get away from it, especially when His presence emanates from His people, but many will be drawn near and experience a very real and very alive, Almighty God!

 During the Azusa street revival in 1906 through 1908, many eyewitness accounts tell of the cloud that physically manifested in the building and did not leave until years later. One story in particular from the revival talks about how fire descended and ascended from the roof of the building and the neighbors surrounding the building would call the fire department because they thought the building was on fire!

Excerpts Taken From, "They Told Us Their Stories" (The Youth Of Azusa Street) By Tommy Welchel

Some of the greatest miracles were when the flames were above the building. Bones that were cracked and broken were totally healed. Of course, any discussion about Azusa turned to the Shekinah Glory. When I asked about her experience with the Presence of God‘s Glory, Sister Carney‘s face would light up. She described it as being a part of heaven. To her, it was like breathing pure oxygen, and to her wonderment, it was always present. When I asked her to describe the Shekinah Glory Fire reported by many, she told her story.

She recalled the fire department coming because of a call that the building was on fire. When they arrived, they didn‘t smell any smoke or see any evidence of fire. She didn‘t run out with the firemen. She remembered that it was Seymour, Bosworth, Lake, Smith, and Sines that ran out. Sister Carney did go out one time to see the flames for herself. Remember, the fire department had been called on several different occasions, as passers-by would report seeing flames leaping up from the roof of the building. Finally, Sister Carney asked John Lake why the fire department kept coming and looking for the fire. He explained that the fire was coming down from heaven into the building and fire was going up from the building and meeting the fire coming down. Fascinated, Sister Carney went out, walked about a half a block and saw the awesome sight for herself. To her, this divine connection of fire coming down from heaven and going up to heaven was just further evidence of God‘s mighty Presence in that place. Sister Carney noted that although the Shekinah Glory was present all the time within the building, this divine connection wasn‘t an everyday occurrence. Whenever this connection was present, the power of God was even more intense within the meeting.

 I asked Brother Anderson to describe what the Shekinah Glory was like, and he again brightened up as he came to the edge of his rocker. Anderson told me that the Shekinah Glory was hard to explain because it could only be described, but not understood. At times he would come into the building, and there would be kind of a glow. There were times that God would start moving and working, and a smoke-like substance would begin to glow even brighter. People could walk through it, and sometimes it would sort of roll. You couldn‘t take a fan and blow it out, nor was it something you could pick up. Brother Anderson confessed that he tried because it looked so tangible. He remembered that at times the mist would get so thick that it would fill the whole building. Anderson also noted that at times even Seymour was fascinated with the heavy mist that filled the room. In fact, there were times that Seymour would take his feet and kind of play with the thick Shekinah Glory.

Brother Anderson was awed by the Glory and finally described it as a part of heaven coming down. You could walk in it, sit down in it, run your hands through it, and breathe it into your lungs, but you could not capture it. I pressed Brother Anderson to tell me about the fire. Although he was not one of the first to go out and witness the event, he told me that he had seen it. He said it looked like flames about fifty feet in the air coming down and was also going up out of the roof to meet, merge, and go on through the flame coming down. Young Anderson would just stand there with his mouth open. He didn‘t know how to explain it, but it was real. He told me that the burning bush described by Moses now made sense. 

One event, confirmed by others, that Anderson noted was that whenever the people worshipped by singing in tongues, the power was greater. Every time this happened the anointing fell on the service. Anderson was absolutely awed by the Shekinah Glory. One of the favorite songs sung by the Saints gathered at Pisgah is intricately linked with their encounter with God‘s Glory. The song that they sang with great enthusiasm was appropriately entitled, Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul.

There is no other hope for mankind, God MUST come down to save to His people, those who look for and long for His appearing. Jesus said, "Unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved." Do you understand what this means? It means that human beings left to themselves would completely destroy each other and the human race would become extinct! Just like the dinosaurs! 

I pray that you will get in the arc when the call goes out! This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in ALL the world and then the end will come.

Abiding In His Love,

Tyrone

I KNOW How This Is Gonna End!

 

Revelation 19:11-16

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Revelation 6:12-17

"I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

There is no deep underground bunker that will save those who go down into them, the Lord's angels are spirit beings, and there is no wall, no nuclear bomb blast door with reinforced steel that can keep them out, those who go down, will be brought out! There is no presidential bunker in the mountains of Colorado or wherever they may be that will keep the souls inside of them from standing before the Judgment seat of Christ! 

Human beings will learn that without the rule and authority of King Jesus over their souls, there is no real life, there is no real joy or peace. It's only by the continual pursuit of worldly things do people on this earth feel remotely satisfied, and even with gaining the whole world, like Jeff Bezos, or Bill Gates, the question will still remain, what happens when I die? You certainly can't take any money, houses or cars with you! 

THE ONLY WAY, for our souls to be saved is being converted to Christ, period! There is no other name given to men under Heaven by which we MUST be saved! But of course, God created human beings with free will, so the choice to accept God's FREE gift of salvation will always be in our control. God doesn't force Himself on anyone, you have to make a conscious, willful decision to choose Him, which is really choosing life, not death.

God is preparing His last days Apostles and Prophets to be sent out into the world, for the last great revival that will usher millions even billions into His Kingdom and there will be a complete separation between those who will worship the Lord Jesus and those who will take the mark of the beast. No more wars of so-called races, we are ALL humans anyway! 

This is why Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness, and then the end shall come."

Revelation 13:7-8

"It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

Just like the last great revival will be world-wide, so will the mark of the beast and the influence and power of the man of sin to deceive the whole world. The scripture says ALL who dwell on the earth will worship him, only those who names ARE written in the Lamb's Book of Life will not! A total and complete separation of two groups of humans! Christians and Non-Christians! 

It sounds like something out of a movie, doesn't it? But this will be the reality in the very near future I believe, and the time to prepare is now!

As always, the choice is yours!

In Christ,

Tyrone

The Kingdom Of God

 

The Kingdom of God is real! And so is the kingdom of satan. Angels are real, and so are fallen angels, corrupted beings who left their place of glory and light with God to side with lucifer who rebelled against The Most High God and was cast out of Heaven. Sounds like a Hollywood movie script, doesn't it? A fairytale made up in the minds of men. And that's exactly what the evil powers and principalities that rule over this world want everyone to believe, that it's all a fairytale, a myth, they want you to believe that the bible is the biggest book of fairytales ever written.

This is exactly why every dictator, communist ruler and evil leader bans the bible and the practice of true Christianity as soon as they come to power, why is that? To keep people blinded from the truth of who they really are!

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

The KJV says man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."


We are far more than just a body with thoughts, emotions, and wills. We are living, spiritual, and immortal souls walking around in flesh and bone bodies originally created by a supreme being with ALL power, wisdom, glory, might and strength! We were and still are, created in the image of God and made to have dominion over the creation of God. We were destined to live in Paradise forever, until the fallen angel satan entered the picture in the Garden of Eden and corrupted God's perfect creation by deceiving Eve, who in turn enticed her husband Adam to sin against God and thus broke the divine spiritual connection that they shared with their Creator. 

And now every human being born is disconnected from God and can only be reconnected to the Creator by being born from above, having faith, belief, and obeying the commands of the only Begotten Son of God, Jesus. 

This is why Jesus told His disciples not to fear those who kill the body but CANNOT kill the soul!

Matthew 10:27-28

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Jesus also gave His disciples a glimpse of who He really was when He was transfigured on the mountaintop.

Matthew 17:1-7

"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop is the perfect example of the Kingdom of God being revealed on this earth and in the sight of ordinary men!

This is also why Jesus told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU! If so be that you are born from above, by being baptized in water AND the Holy Spirit. This is exactly what Jesus told Nicodemus!

Luke 17:20-21

"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

John 3:3,5 (Greek-English Interlinear Bible)

"Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one is not generated (born) from above, he is not able to see the Kingdom of God."

"Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one is not generated (born) of water and of Spirit, he is not able to enter into the Kingdom of God."

The Greek word used in the text here for generated is Strong's number G1080 which literally means: 

γεννάω gennáō, ghen-nah'-o; from a variation of G1085; to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate:—bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.

So Jesus was telling the Pharisees and Nicodemus, that we MUST be born from above, conceived by God, by the faithful act of baptism in water being fully immersed, and baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire by Jesus Christ Himself! A truly spiritual and supernatural God ordained experience! If this doesn't happen then the soul CANNOT SEE and CANNOT ENTER, the Kingdom of God!

The Kingdom of God is not in some distant future or when we die and go to the ole by and by, the Kingdom of God is near! The Kingdom of God is NOW! 

John 14:23

"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."

Is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit making their home in your soul? Is the Kingdom of God WITHIN YOU?

Abiding In His Love,

Tyrone

Whosoever Will, Let Them Come!

 

Mark 8:34-38

"When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

The above scriptures are powerful, challenging, and thought provoking! So many talk about how loving, kind and gentle Jesus was during His earthly ministry, and He was, and still is! BUT have these same people actually APPLIED what Jesus said in their own lives?

If ANYONE literally does what Jesus said and taught, they would be complaining and crying like babies! Just one day without the pleasures of the flesh and people will think the world is ending! That's how challenging Jesus words are to those who are completely engrossed in a world that is dying and full of sin.

The call of Jesus here is to let go of everything in this world, even who you THINK you are! Everything you've done in the flesh and by the strength of your flesh, put it behind you! Let go of all your worldly knowledge, schooling, training, parent's advice, teachers' advice, friends' advice, you have to become as nothing, like Paul, the Lord's apostle did, like Jesus did, who was God Himself manifested in the flesh. He humbled Himself and became as a servant, and became obedient to the will of the Father, even unto death!

These sayings and teachings of Jesus are absolutely paradoxical, they seem senseless and self-contradictory, unacceptable and undoable, but that's exactly what Jesus calls us too! You can deny yourself; you can put to death the misdeeds of the body; you can live a holy life on this earth right now! Jesus did it as a man, and we are called to walk in his footsteps, to become LIKE HIM!

You can't do anything though without receiving the Dunamis power from God above, the Spirit of the Living God in your soul, because the carnal mind is hostile to God and WILL NOT submit to God or His commandments, you MUST first believe that you need Jesus to deliver you from yourself, from sin, from the devil, and from the world. It all starts with BELIEF!

This is why Jesus uses man to preach His gospel, because only through believing His word can we be set free, only when we feel the conviction of the Spirit in our hearts and respond to it with repentance, can we begin to change our minds and our lives. 

It can be extremely hard to change our sinful lifestyles, our bad habits, our erroneous ideologies and our upbringing. But change we must, if we want life, if we truly want the salvation of our souls, if we want the blessings of God in our lives. There is only ONE way, and that is the way of Jesus, and His way is the way of the cross, and DEATH TO SELF!

What way will you choose?

Abiding In His Love,

Tyrone