World Christian Leadership And Training Ministry

WHAT JESUS DO YOU KNOW?
Part - 2
Sin

"12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
James 1:12-15

Someone asked me what I thought was the prevailing problem in the Church today. I did not have to think very long about that answer. The prevailing problem in the Church today is Sin. Yes, sin which is not repented, sin which is tolerated, sin which is not exposed, and sin which is ignored. Because of all of the exposure of sin by the news media, television programming, on our jobs, in our neighborhoods, and even in our personal lives, we have become numb to the seriousness of sin. Of course, it is not called sin, but just a more understanding society.

The acceptance of sin has left nothing sacred in our lives. Even children's books, movies, and cartoons have far too many sexual overtones, as well as homosexual overtones ("A Sharks Tale" movie). Exposing society to a constant barrage of sinful acts and behavior is no accident. The Bible warned us that this day and time was coming. It is often called the End Times Prophecy.

In the Gospel of Matthew 25:1-13, we are warned to keep the anointed "oil" of our righteous in Christ Jesus with us at all times. I am talking about "us" as individuals. We cannot ride on the coattails of our pastors, other family members, or other brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. We cannot act like a Christian on Sunday and live like "hell" the rest of the week. If you do, you are setting yourself up for a fatal fall. Your Sunday "sainthood" cannot stop you from being a weekday demon. It takes more than that. It takes a decision to live for Jesus and daily obedience to His Word in order to make it in this society.

Remember, the world is watching you. Is your Christianity all that it is supposed to be or is it a compromise? Are you embarrassed to live as a Christian? If so, then I must ask you, are you really a Christian? If you are a Christian, then you cannot continue to live the way you did before you gave your life to Jesus. You cannot be a double minded person and expect anything from the Lord.

Pursue Holiness through Christ Jesus

Although, society may be slipping into the great abbess of sinful behavior, it is still no excuse for Christians to fall in line after them. Society should not dictate the lifestyle of a Christian. Christians should be dictating the lifestyle of society by their example. Christianity is a lifestyle, a culture, not a religion. Religions attempt to bring God down to the level of humanity. Christianity brings humanity up to the level of God. You should become more like Jesus everyday as you pursue His Word.

I understand that people believe that it is difficult to live a Christian lifestyle according to the Word of God. However, it is difficult only if you are trying to live it under your own power. It will take a personal Relationships with Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit in order to make it. It will take daily reading of the Bible, prayer, fasting, and a constant renewing of your mind to overcome temptations of society. The foundation scripture says, "you are drawn away by your own desires and enticed." Not by society or anyone else, but by your own desires. So, take authority over yourself through the Word of God.

God has already provided a way out of every temptation that will come against you today. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." ( I Corinthians 10:13) Temptation is not an excuse to sin, but it is a reason to overcome sin. You always have the power to choose NOT to sin. However, I must add, you also have the RIGHT to repent (not run away, or hide it, or cover it up) of any sin that you do commit.

In spite of all of the preparations that God made to keep the Church from being overcome by evil, there will come a time when many "believers" will turn their backs on God and just walk away. They will begin to justify their behavior because of their FEEEEEELINGS, EMOOOOOOTIONS, or even the Lies of false ministers of the Gospel. The Bible warns the Church of this coming: "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ…" (Jude 4). False leaders will come, but the Body of Christ is expected to "discern the spirits" and false teachings of evil men, I John 4:1 and Hebrews 5:14.

God is Not Blind to Sin

In the Book of Genesis, chapter 6, Noah and his sons and their wives lived among a wicked generation whose thoughts were "only evil continually." God warned them that their days were numbered, 120 years to be exact. Noah was 500 years old when God spoke those words. No one listened, even when they saw Noah building the Ark. They laughed and ridiculed him and his family for the next 100 years. However, when Noah was 600 years, two month and seventeen days old, the Lord closed the door of the Ark, with a loud BLAM!

The rest of the world was caught up in their sinful ways and left behind to perish in their wickedness. They probably climbed on the Ark, beat on the door, and clung to the sides, but to no avail. They had been warned.

In the Book of Genesis, chapter 19, Lot lived among the people Sodom. God called the inhabitants of Sodom exceedingly wicked and sinful, Genesis 13:13. If you spend your time around wicked and sinful people, you will become like them in due season. (Life is an enrollment game, either you are enrolling someone or they are enrolling you.) Lot offered his virgin daughters to a crowd of males who embraced the sin of homosexuality, in order to keep them from Angels that God had sent to lead Lot and his family out of Sodom. Why would any father do that to his daughters? Lot had been enrolled into the sexual perversions of his surroundings (He did not sin, but he would have allowed evil men to sin with his daughters.) If you don't take authority over evil, you too will begin to call good evil and evil good. Anyone can be corrupted in due season through familiarization.

When the sins of Sodom had reached its "full measure" death was assigned by the Lord. God sent two Angels to save Lot from the impending destruction of Sodom. Who will God send to save you from the impending destruction that will surely come to a Nation with over 43,000,000 abortions, same sex marriages being sanctioned in many states, ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ personally practicing and touting homosexuality, pornography available in every bookstore and on every computer, and divorces surpassing marriages? LISTEN, God will NOT send anyone. He has already sent His only begotten Son, Jesus. If you don't listen to Him, you won't listen to anyone.

Again, the warning has been given to the world. Prophecy for the final days has already been written down exactly as it will happen. Just as the people of Noah's and Lot's day did not listen, far too many "Christians" are not listening either. People with all kinds of beliefs call themselves Christians and even say that Jesus is Lord. Yet, they are openly living in sin and declaring to the world that they are righteous in the eyes of God. They say it is okay because they are "good" people. They pray out loud to God and call on the name of Jesus, but practice or support people who stand for:

1.abortion, murdering babies as a means of birth control

2.sex outside of marriage because everyone is doing it

3.the homosexual lifestyle (death-style), including same sex marriage

4.removal of Christian values (the Ten Commandments) from government and the education system

5.males and females openly practicing homosexuality while calling themselves ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ<

Watch out! Be careful!

No one can serve two masters, Luke 16:1; you cannot be equally yoked together with non-believers, II Corinthians 6:14; are you following Jesus or the devil? Make a choice. The End Times are closer than you think because the End Times are already here! The falling away of the Church has already begun. God is pruning His vine. Choose according to the Word of God in Deuteronomy 30:19, given the choice of life or death, choose life, paraphrased.

In these End Times when the New World Order begins to arrest Christians, will you be arrested? Will anyone know you are a Christian? Do your co-workers, neighbors, or family members know you are a Christian? Don't deny Jesus here on Earth, so He won't deny you at the Gates of Heaven, II Timothy 2:12.

God told Cain in Genesis 4:7, that sin lies at the door (of his heart) and he should rule over it. If Cain had the power to rule over sin 6,000 years ago; then today, we certainly have the power to rule over it by the blood of Jesus and New Covenant that He established. You do not have to conform any longer to the ways of this world, Romans 12:2. God has granted you full authority over sin, so use it as often as necessary.

Given the choice of life and death, CHOOSE LIFE!

PRAISE THE LORD!

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Prayer of Salvation (pray it out loud)

Father God, I come before you in the name of Jesus. 
I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins. 
I believe You raise Jesus from the dead and
He is alive and with You in heaven. I confess
That Jesus is now my Lord and Savior. 
I repent of all my sins. 
I renounce Satan and all his evil works. 
I believe that I am saved and
I will be with You in heaven for all eternity when I die. 
I believe that I am now a born again follower of
Jesus Christ. Amen!

If you prayed this prayer, you are now born again. 
All your sins are forgiven, yes, every sin from the first
time you (knowingly) sinned until this very moment.
You are now a Christian.

Praise the Lord!

If you do not have a Bible, get one and read it everyday. 
Start with the New Testament and read
as much as you can daily.

If you do not belong to a Christian Church,
then find one in your area.

God has great things ahead for you, so get into
fellowship with other believers who can help
you, teach you, and edify you.

Congratulations!

Welcome to the Body of Jesus Christ.

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