"Lord, Lord"

So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6:46-49 (NLT)

Here in Luke 6 Jesus says to some of those who have been calling Him Lord, “Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord! When you don’t do what I say?”

Jesus is addressing those who were just giving Him the lip service, “Lord, Lord”. They had not truly made Him Master of their lives. With their mouth it may have seemed that they believed, but their lives did not reflect the teachings of Christ. We know this is true because He said to them, “you don’t do what I say”. It is not enough to just 'say' we believe in Jesus. Even the demons believe and they tremble with terror. It is not enough to just 'say' we have faith. He wants us to show that we truly believe and have faith in Him by obeying His Word. Calling Jesus Lord is something that anyone can just ‘say’. You see to call Jesus Lord is to call Him our Ruler or Master. To call Him Lord means that we want Him to have authority, dominion, and control over our entire lives. We surrender our lives, our will, and our selfish desires to follow His teaching because we know that His ways are righteous and true. We surrender because He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us. Therefore we trust Him with our lives and lay them down at His feet to do with as He pleases. (James 2:19)

“And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:3-6

In the Gospel of John Jesus says, “If you love Me, obey My commandments.” (John14:15 NLT)

Our obedience to His teachings is for our own good. He says, “I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.” (Luke 6:48 NLT)

When we truly make Jesus Lord of our life and allow His teachings to go down deep into our hearts and take root we will be able to stand firm against the floodwaters of life’s problems, testings, and persecution. His Word will rise up in us and bring us comfort and assurance that He has not forgotten us but that He is with us every step of the way. The Sovereign Lord will be our strength! He will make us as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon heights. We will not be shaken or moved because He has set our feet on the Rock of our Salvation. He becomes our Fortress and Strong Tower then we are able to withstand the floods and the winds that beat against us. We won’t collapse under the pressure because we are standing on the Word of God which is our solid foundation!

However, Jesus said that it is very different for anyone who hears His Word and doesn’t obey. He said they are, “Like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” How sad to have heard the voice of God and ignore His leading. Ignoring Him only leads to destruction and chaos. Our lives will surely end up a mess and ruined without implementation of His Word.

There are so many people who have heard the teachings of Jesus Christ and have seen His miracles but refuse to submit to Him. They continue to want their own way, enslaved to their sinful nature. They have convinced themselves that they are fine without Him. So they continue on the broad road most commonly taken that sadly leads to hell. It reminds me of what Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death”. (Galatians 5:16 & 19-21)

Brothers and sisters let us truly examine and test ourselves to see if our faith in Christ is genuine or not before it is too late. For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. Each day it is our own choice to decide whether or not we will be doers of the Word or just hearers. But let us remember that it is sin to know what we ought to do and then not do it. (2 Corinthians 13:5, 1 Peter 4:17, James 1:22, 4:17)

Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day MANY will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Each of us needs to stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old godly way, and walk in it. May we be truly repent for our sins and turn to God so that He may forgive us and wipe away all of our sins. Let obedience to His Word be our number one sacrifice. Let us call out “Lord, Lord” because we desire for Him to teach us His Ways, believe in His commands, and obey His Word. Let us be like the person who built their house on the Solid Rock! (Jeremiah 6:16, Acts, 3:19, 1 Samuel 15:22, Psalm 119:66,11,9)

Stay Alert!! Don't Give the Enemy A Foothold

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in the His mighty power. Put on ALL of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6: 10-12

Take a moment and really read those verses over and over again. Let it sink into to your mind, heart, and spirit. We had better realize that we are ALL in a spiritual battle. Whether you like it or not you will either be a soldier in the army of the Lord, a tool in the hands of the enemy, or ignorantly become a casualty of the war. People are destroyed for lack of knowledge. As Christians we need to remember daily that we are in a real battle with unseen forces of darkness. Our battle is in the spiritual realm against devils, spirits, demons, and authorities. Although these are unseen their work is evident every where you look. Evil is rampant and very real.

Many Christians don’t even like to talk about devils or demons. They believe in God, heaven, the Holy Spirit, and angels but many do not want acknowledge that there are real spirits and demons that are fighting to win ground in our lives. They want to destroy us and our families. They want to get us entangled in sin and living to please ourselves instead of God. Their ultimate plan is to get us distracted from being living testimonies of Christ Jesus and prevent the spread of the Gospel. Of course they also want us to be damned to hell with them. They know that when Jesus’ blood was shed at Calvary that they lost the war, but that does not stop them from attacking God’s people. This is serious and it can not be taken lightly. Believers wake up and fight against the forces of evil in this world, in your community, in your families.

Don’t allow the enemy to deceive you into thinking that he and his demons are not real. Or perhaps you think that they can’t touch you. When we minimize the existence of the power of darkness that is when they win ground in our lives. Instead we have to realize that there are some powerful forces of satan plotting and planning the demise of God’s people. I’m not telling you to be scary and paranoid. Like Paul and Peter I am saying we have to stay alert!! Watch out for our enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We have to stand firm against him and be strong in our faith. We have to learn to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, always remembering that He who lives in us is stronger than any demon, spirit, or principality in this evil world. Not by our own might but by the power of God we can defeat the enemy in all areas of our lives. (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Peter 5:8-9)

If we are to stay alert then that means that we have to be on guard at all times. We have the Holy Spirit of God living in us, the mind of Christ, and the Word of God which helps us discern when we are under attack and they also help us to avoid traps that the enemy has set for us. The truth is that no matter what we do there will always be attacks. For those faithful servants of the Most High God that are truly doing God’s work, the attacks will be more severe. That is why we have to put on the whole armor of God spoken of in Ephesians 6: 13-17.

Staying alert also means not giving the enemy a foothold in our lives or legal ground to oppress or harass us. How do we allow the enemy to have a foothold in our lives? By the way we live and act. Paul said, “Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” (Ephesians 5:15-19, Ephesians 4:27)

If we act thoughtlessly living like fools instead of like wise men and women of God who fear the Lord and if we allow ourselves to be conformed to the world and its customs then we truly do not understand what it is that the Lord wants us to do. What God wants and His will for our lives is for us to be holy just as He is holy. If we do not live our lives holy then we will most certainly give the devil and his minions ground over us. You see we can open the doorways for spirits such as the spirits of infirmity, sickness, and addiction when we do not honor our temple by smoking, drinking, drugging, and having adulteress relationships. We open the door to lustful and perverted spirits when we watch dirty movies or shows, magazines, and books. Watching scary movies open the doors to harassing spirits and other unclean spirits. Meditating on our problems and worrying opens the doors for the spirit of heaviness, depression, and suicide. Unforgiveness in our hearts opens the doorway for angry and vengeful spirits. Are you getting this??? (1 Thessalonians, Hebrews 10:10, 1 Peter 1:16)

We have to stay alert!! We can’t give the enemy any ground in our lives. Fear the Lord Saints of God. Don’t forget that we are in a spiritual battle. You will be attacked! Be prepared. Stay prayed up and be on guard. Be about our Father’s business and live your life pleasing unto Him. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Fight in the name of Jesus!

Is It Right In God's Eyes or Your Eyes?

My spirit is grieved within me. All day yesterday I kept hearing the Lord saying to me “In the end day’s people will do what they think is right in their own eyes.” I searched the Word until I found Judges 17:6 which says, “For in those days Israel had no king, so everyone did whatever he wanted to-whatever seemed right in his own eyes.”

God’s people did not care about their God and his standards for living. They had an attitude of doing whatever they wanted, not what God wanted for them. They had His laws and His directions but they still wanted to have their own way disregarding His Word. This sounds so familiar to the attitude that infuses our culture today. This mind-set does not just permeate the world but has also leaked into the church.

There are believers doing what they think is best for themselves, compromising God’s Word, ignoring what the Word (Jesus) says and hardening their hearts to the Truth. Have we forgotten that we are to be Christ like desiring God’s will for our life and not our own? Lord please have mercy on us.

We must be careful to not become like the children of Israel who constantly hardened their hearts against God and His will for their life. They did not believe Him, did not trust Him, and complained against Him. That generation of unbelieving, disobedient and rebellious people sealed their own fate and did not enter into the Promised Land.

“But,” God says, “I was very angry with them, for their hearts were always looking somewhere else instead of up to me, and they never found the paths I wanted them to follow.” Hebrews 3:10

“Beware then of your own hearts, dear brothers, lest you find that they, too, are evil and unbelieving and are leading you away from the living God. Speak to each other about these things every day while there is still time, so that none of you will become hardened against God, being blinded by the glamour of sin. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as we did when we first became Christians, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

But now is the time. Never forget this warning, “Today if you hear God’s voice speaking to you, do not harden your hearts against him..” Hebrews 3:12-15

The children of Israel had no king but we have the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the standard that we as Christians are to follow. Our conduct and our opinions should be based on the Word of God. We can not allow ourselves to be conformed to this world, society’s attitudes, and ways of doing things. We are children of light and we must let our light shine for all to see by living the Word of God and standing for truth at all times. There is no room for compromise. These are perilous times. Everything we say and do counts.

“The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.” 2 Timothy 3:16

The Word of God must be our standard for living and making all decisions in our lives because His Word stands firm like a great rock, and nothing can shake it. His Word must be our guide not our own selfish desires or our own way of thinking. The Word (Jesus) is the only way. When making decisions we should ask ourselves is this right in God's eyes? Then see if it lines up with the Word of God.

Lord help us to stay on the narrow road. Gives us courage and faith to stand for truth. Let us not follow our own agenda or man’s agenda, but let us follow you. Our faith is in You alone..In Jesus name.. Amen.

Are You Ready To Fly

“So be prepared, for you don’t know what day our Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42)

Do not ignore the signs of the times. These are crucial days that our Lord warned about in Matthew 24. There is war and rumors of war. Famine and pestilence is every where. Evil men are claiming to be Christ and there are false prophets doing wonderful works and miracles deceiving many. Even some of those who claim to know our Lord and His Word believe the works of these lying spirits.

Jesus said, “Just so when you see all these things beginning to happen, you can know that my return is near, even at the doors. Then at last this age will come to a close.” (Matthew 24:34)

Brothers and sisters in the Lord there is no more time to be playing around. We have to be prepared to fly. The rapture of the church can happen at any time. We are called to be strong in our faith looking forward to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We all have a specific job to do here on this earth. ALL OF US that are His are called to serve. Each of us has been given a special talent and gifting so that we could bring glory to His kingdom. He saved us to help fulfill the Great Commission (spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth).

Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for our Lord’s unannounced return. Be a wise and faithful servant of our Lord by being about our Father’s business fulfilling the tasks that He has put on your heart. Allow Him to do His will in your life and use you to win others to the Lord. There will be blessings on you if He returns and finds you doing your work faithfully. (Matthew 24:43-47)

We must not allow ourselves to be entangled by this world and all of its distractions. We have to watch for his return and be on guard. We are God’s building stones which He is using to build His house/His church and Christ is our precious Cornerstone. The world and unbelievers are looking at us so we must be careful how we behave among them. Its God’s will for us to live good lives so that we silence those who have foolishly condemned the Gospel without even knowing what it could do for them; having never experienced its power. If we set the example and protect our witness they will end up praising God for our good works. (1 Peter 2: 11-17)

“Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls.” (1 Peter 2:11)

But if you say to yourself, “Jesus is not coming back soon”, and you act like the rest of the world gratifying your flesh you will produce evil results just like the world: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasures, idolatry, spiritism, hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group-and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you that anyone living that sort of life will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)


Instead let us acknowledge that we are in the end days and that Jesus will be returning to rapture His church soon. Be ready to fly. Live as children of light and of the day staying sober, protecting ourselves with the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the happy hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)