Good Morning Beloved Family,
Heavenly Father,
You alone are worthy of all our praise.
You are the God who never fails to break his promises to us,
though we do not always keep ours to You
We thank you that in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection
Thank you for allowing us to see your love, justice, mercy, provision and victory.
You are the God who lifts us up when we are weighed down
often from the consequences of our own disobedience
How great you are Lord!
You are the bread of life,
fill us with hunger for You
let us feast today on You and Your Word
In Jesus' name
Amen
"So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin."
John 8:31-34
Today's Message: Why It Matters What You Believe
Christianity is the Word of God set free to reproduce the image of Christ in believers. Religion, however, is man's attempt to control God, thereby imprisoning the very Word that has the power to set men free.
Christians must develop a "Love for the Truth." It is the Rock that will withstand the forces of hell and deception. If we desire our own philosophies and selfish ambitions to cloud our minds we have constructed a trap for own demise.
Knowing the Truth shall make you free!
Salvation is a process. Faith in Christ starts the process in motion! Any person who suffers from the pain of sin can experience immediate help when they start believing in Christ. This is not to say that they have experienced full salvation. Faith must rise in one's heart before any other act of grace can be experienced. Faith truly is essential.
What You Believe Matters.
People who begin in faith enter into the provincial realm of God's promises. As long as they continue, they will enjoy total spiritual healing and salvation.
The "glory of man," all our philosophies, ideologies, beliefs or lack of belief, no matter how wise, regardless of how noble, are destined to fail. We must develop the desire to know truth as defined by the Lord himself and we must choose to embrace it. We must also apply it.
People who begin in faith enter into the provincial realm of God's promises. As long as they continue, they will enjoy total spiritual healing and salvation.
Faith brings healing to a number of sin's injuries.
Faith fills the vacuum created by doubt.
Faith counteracts the negative influences of fear.
Faith reverses one's sense of worthlessness and unimportance. Faith helps build back self-esteem.
Faith dispels the clouds of depression.
Faith connects the heart and soul with God.
Faith pleases God.
However faith is considered, it is wholesome, positive and good.
Faith pleases God..
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible."
Hebrews 11:1-3
Why it matters what you believe? Faith..
It is through earnest prayer that keeps faith alive and makes certain the receiving of the qualities that make us in the image of God. Perhaps the best example that I can give you the definition of faith, is the biblical word "pistis." Some of you may be familiar with the meaning of word. But for those of you who are not, from the original Greek word pistis, we get the English word faith.
However, like many words today, there are typically several variations, depending on its usage. But another way to translate the biblical word pistis are the words assurance, believe, belief, those who believe, fidelity.
Let me explain why I prefer the word faithfulness or belief. Because unbelief yields weak trust in God's Word and weak truth results in weak Christian living. Just suppose that you tell a friend that you have faith in them. What exactly does that mean? First, that you are sure that the person you are talking to actually exists that they are real. Second, that you are convinced that they are trustworthy, you can believe what they are saying and you can also depend on them.
As Christians, we must understand what the Bible means by its frequent admonitions to "hear." Paul writes in Hebrews 3:15, "Today, if you will hear His voice." Paul is not importunately asking us to hear the sound of God's voice, but to understand what God wants us to learn. Paul wants us to essentially "get it."
In Hebrews 4:2, Paul uses the Greek word pistis for the first time in his letter. And he will use it 31 more times. I believe that "faithfulness" is better in this instance, because that is what the Israelites lacked. Faithfulness is trusting God in continuous fashion as shown by conduct. God has given us a great deal, but it is our responsibility to hold firmly to His instructions by living them.
Beloved, I would say our greatest weakness is not that we do not believe that He exists, but that we do not trust what He says. Thus, from a biblical standpoint, we have not "heard." Because if we did,
if we knew Who God was, we would trust what He says in His Word. And if we did indeed trust it, we'd certainly take great care to obey it!
Now you hopefully have grasped all of that, let's move forward to repentance.
I know that some of you may have an issue with repentance. Repentance prepares the heart to receive God's Word. Scripture teaches us that John the Baptist was given the ministry of preparation. John's burden was to reach the people with the message of repentance. The Gospel!
To better understand the importance of repentance, we need to understand our need for it. We all have sinned, we fall short of God standard of perfection. Each of us, no matter how "good" we are, were all born in the flesh, and have caused people to be disappointed, or angry with us. But more importantly our "sinful" has caused us to be in rebellion against God. So we must look at sin and its horrible effects to fully appreciate the gift of repentance.
What is it so critical that we obey the godly instruction, because unless we actually obey, we have not yet truly heard. If a person continues to sin, then he has not really heard. Put in another way, if a person continues to sin because God's Word does not motivate him to obedience, then he, in a worst-case scenario, either does not believe God or at this point his belief is so weak that he cannot bring himself to trust Him.
And that brings us to sin. What is sin? The Bible gives no formal definition for sin.
It does however describe sin as an attitude that personifies sin as rebellion against God. Sin is the transgression of God's law. Actions by which humans rebel against God, fall short of His purpose for their life, and surrender to the power of satan rather than to God. Rebellion was at the root of the problem for Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, and has been at the root of humanity's plight ever since.
"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."
Hebrews 2:1-4
Human sin is universal, we all sin. Yes, even myself. All persons without exception are under sin's dominion, Romans 3:9-23. Ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against the clear command of God, sin has infected humanity like a malignity. Adam and Eve introduced sin into human history by their rebellious actions. The Bible affirms that every person who has lived since, with the exception of Christ, has followed their example. Whatever else one may say about sin's origin, this much is surely affirmed on the subject throughout the Bible.
In spite what many have been taught, or perhaps chosen to believe, you cannot earn salvation by doing charitable works or simply by obedience to God's law. Salvation comes through Christ and Him also. We can never do enough good to earn it!
Obedience is a condition we must meet before God will give us His free gift of salvation. New Testament evidence is overwhelming on the subject. Here a just a few of them, Acts 5:32; 1 John 2:4
But don't take my word for it...
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
John 14:12-15
"Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here."
John 14:29-31
What you believe matters.... Consider it carefully.
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries