If You? Then I?
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. John 8:31
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
God has loved to refer to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus, who descended from Abraham lineage, had strong argumentative discussions with the religionists of His day about abiding in His word, knowing the truth and being free indeed and who their true father was. Jesus said it was not Abraham but the devil. God’s Word is unchanging:
"When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. "I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
"I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father." They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. "You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father-God."
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. "Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. "But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:28-45
Abraham was the father of faith, not only because He believed God, but because He was willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac with out question. Just like our Father God did with Jesus. Abraham also had a quality of faith and works that God Himself brought out in His words to him:
And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, "since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? "For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him."
And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, "I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know." Genesis 18:17-21
Abraham, who was a wealthy person, commanded his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice. But many religionists of our day with their hedonistic and humanistic gospel and feministic Jesus have not understood how important justice is to God. Injustice brings God Himself to walk here on earth to deal with the outcries that have come to Him about it. God blessed Abraham for loving justice and righteousness but destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because there was no justice or righteousness in it. Many religionist of this century have missed a very important aspect of the purposes of the Holy Spirit and as well as God’s character, nature and ways about Justice. God’s Word is unchanging about the Holy Spirit that was on Jesus and is on God’s true anointed servants the following:
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:2-5
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:2-3
Justice is a very important aspect to God and His Holy Spirit and should be to His people in the confessions of their faith. God has called all His people to do works of justice, righteousness, truth and caring for the widows, homeless, helpless, demon-possessed and oppressed. Those who have had justice and security removed from them by the devil of lies. He has put His people upon the earth to return justice to the land, to set the captives free, to bring healing to the lonely and oppressed. He has called them to step out of their shells and secure places and bring hope to a dying nation. He has given them the tools to do the job. They have all the love and gifts they need to do what He has commanded them. They must simply step out and do it. If they did it in their masses, how great the change would be to the nation.
But God’s people have not obeyed Him. They have not listened to Him or the words that He spoke to Abraham their father of Faith. Instead God’s people have walked in their fears and insecurities. They have not allowed God to stretch them to do much more than they are doing. They had not listened to God voice calling them to action. Actions which they said spoke louder than words. They did not prove that they love Him, by obeying His Words to them.
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 1:16-20
They did not serve God by their action and He did not bless them for it and sent judgment instead. They were afraid that He would not also protect them. They did not understand that they had His authoritative word, Name and power. They had nothing to fear but fear itself for they had Him. They did not trust Him and His Word to accomplish the things He have called them to do to bring justice. He desired them to come forth and do justice for justice is very important to God. Although the harvest was vast and needy the laborers did not go out into the harvest to bring justice to the dry and this vast and needy land. Hence what prophet Isaiah wrote was true in America:
How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers. Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them. Isaiah 1:21-23
The church of Jesus Christ in America had no real leaders, just followers. It has no real Presence of God Person but a dead form and a lot of rhetoric. Even God was so tired of that hocus-pocus they call their worship of Him. He wanted the real thing - the true love and deep love of His real people. He was tired of dead traditions and outward form. God, the fountain of youth, wants the river of love of His children flow to Him from their outpoured hearts of love. For many their praise was genuine and He received it that way because all who teach them were not necessarily pure before Him. Yet, He forgives all for their genuine caring and openness with Him. But God’s word was going to be fulfilled even in America:
Therefore the Lord says, The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, And take vengeance on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city." Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness. The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. Isaiah 1:24-28
God’s people did not understand that if they did their part He would do His part. This is a principle that God has instituted with His people and operates with them. Hence His word states:
"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. "For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
"As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, "then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.'
"But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, "then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 2 Chronicles 7:13-20
The choices and resulting consequences belong to God’s people. If they walked before Him did according to all that He had commanded them and kept His statutes and His judgments, then He would have established the throne of their kingdom, as He had covenanted with them. But if they turned away and forsook His statutes and His commandments which He had set before them and served and worshiped other gods such as the god of mammon. Then He would uproot them from His land which He had given them and He would cast them of His sight.
Some would say that this can not be. But they fail to heed the words of Jesus who said about them and their confessions:
These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
"Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-"I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. "
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' " Revelation 3:15-22
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
http://walthope.wordpress.com
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. John 8:31
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
God has loved to refer to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus, who descended from Abraham lineage, had strong argumentative discussions with the religionists of His day about abiding in His word, knowing the truth and being free indeed and who their true father was. Jesus said it was not Abraham but the devil. God’s Word is unchanging:
"When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. "I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
"I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father." They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. "You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father-God."
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. "Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. "But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:28-45
Abraham was the father of faith, not only because He believed God, but because He was willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac with out question. Just like our Father God did with Jesus. Abraham also had a quality of faith and works that God Himself brought out in His words to him:
And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, "since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? "For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him."
And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, "I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know." Genesis 18:17-21
Abraham, who was a wealthy person, commanded his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice. But many religionists of our day with their hedonistic and humanistic gospel and feministic Jesus have not understood how important justice is to God. Injustice brings God Himself to walk here on earth to deal with the outcries that have come to Him about it. God blessed Abraham for loving justice and righteousness but destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because there was no justice or righteousness in it. Many religionist of this century have missed a very important aspect of the purposes of the Holy Spirit and as well as God’s character, nature and ways about Justice. God’s Word is unchanging about the Holy Spirit that was on Jesus and is on God’s true anointed servants the following:
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:2-5
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:2-3
Justice is a very important aspect to God and His Holy Spirit and should be to His people in the confessions of their faith. God has called all His people to do works of justice, righteousness, truth and caring for the widows, homeless, helpless, demon-possessed and oppressed. Those who have had justice and security removed from them by the devil of lies. He has put His people upon the earth to return justice to the land, to set the captives free, to bring healing to the lonely and oppressed. He has called them to step out of their shells and secure places and bring hope to a dying nation. He has given them the tools to do the job. They have all the love and gifts they need to do what He has commanded them. They must simply step out and do it. If they did it in their masses, how great the change would be to the nation.
But God’s people have not obeyed Him. They have not listened to Him or the words that He spoke to Abraham their father of Faith. Instead God’s people have walked in their fears and insecurities. They have not allowed God to stretch them to do much more than they are doing. They had not listened to God voice calling them to action. Actions which they said spoke louder than words. They did not prove that they love Him, by obeying His Words to them.
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 1:16-20
They did not serve God by their action and He did not bless them for it and sent judgment instead. They were afraid that He would not also protect them. They did not understand that they had His authoritative word, Name and power. They had nothing to fear but fear itself for they had Him. They did not trust Him and His Word to accomplish the things He have called them to do to bring justice. He desired them to come forth and do justice for justice is very important to God. Although the harvest was vast and needy the laborers did not go out into the harvest to bring justice to the dry and this vast and needy land. Hence what prophet Isaiah wrote was true in America:
How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers. Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them. Isaiah 1:21-23
The church of Jesus Christ in America had no real leaders, just followers. It has no real Presence of God Person but a dead form and a lot of rhetoric. Even God was so tired of that hocus-pocus they call their worship of Him. He wanted the real thing - the true love and deep love of His real people. He was tired of dead traditions and outward form. God, the fountain of youth, wants the river of love of His children flow to Him from their outpoured hearts of love. For many their praise was genuine and He received it that way because all who teach them were not necessarily pure before Him. Yet, He forgives all for their genuine caring and openness with Him. But God’s word was going to be fulfilled even in America:
Therefore the Lord says, The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, And take vengeance on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city." Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness. The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. Isaiah 1:24-28
God’s people did not understand that if they did their part He would do His part. This is a principle that God has instituted with His people and operates with them. Hence His word states:
"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. "For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
"As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, "then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.'
"But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, "then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 2 Chronicles 7:13-20
The choices and resulting consequences belong to God’s people. If they walked before Him did according to all that He had commanded them and kept His statutes and His judgments, then He would have established the throne of their kingdom, as He had covenanted with them. But if they turned away and forsook His statutes and His commandments which He had set before them and served and worshiped other gods such as the god of mammon. Then He would uproot them from His land which He had given them and He would cast them of His sight.
Some would say that this can not be. But they fail to heed the words of Jesus who said about them and their confessions:
These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
"Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-"I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. "
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' " Revelation 3:15-22
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
http://walthope.wordpress.com
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