Jesus asks:
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8: 36-37)
Again, the devil taketh him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy god, and him only shall thou serve. (Matthew 4: 8-10)
Jesus knew the devil, and the devil also knew Jesus. And the devil believed that if he could trick Jesus, then the Lord would have never made it to the cross to die for the sin of the world; which would have also meant that there would have been no resurrection, and, obviously, there would have been no salvation for people of all languages and nations; which also means that there would have been no day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit would have never come to men, women, and children all over the world. For if Jesus had accepted the offer from Satan, then Jesus would have become a servant of the devil, thereby making Himself a partner of Satan in the evil one's quest to kill people all over the earth in order to take their souls to hell.
In short and in total, Jesus would have sold His soul and the devil would have owned Him---and we would have never had the wonderful story of Jesus! There would have never been a Christmas, no Easter, and no churches anywhere in the world. Instead, we would have had a world of total darkness, death, and destruction, and no hope for a place called heaven. Not only no hope, but we would have never had a way to heaven because the only Door of heaven, who is Christ, would have never opened.
Jesus, however, had the power to say "no" to Satan's offer, and Satan went away---only to appeal again to the weakness of sinful men and women: of which men and women have accepted the devil's deal over the past 2000 years: from which they have sold their souls for power, fame, and fortune.
Satan has had enormous success with four tools from his bag of tricks: money, sex, music, and drugs---though not in a specific order. For if a person has a weakness for one, then he or she could easily fall prey to everything else.
Today, there is a tsunami of premarital sex among teenagers in churches all across the United States, out of which comes unwanted pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases and abortions.
For Satan knows that whatever works for people out in the world also works for people of churches: money, sex, music, and drugs.
Churches are falling all across America. They have---and are--- abandoning Christ because they have been led to believe that the old ways are ineffective today; for churches have been seduced to accept the premise that people need new ways, new music, a modern Bible for modern man, and a new message: do good, feel good, and do not consider bad habits as sin.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7: 14)
What is God saying here? And to whom is He speaking?
The people, called by my name, are Christians. And God is calling His people to (1) humble themselves, (2) pray, (3) seek my face, (4) and turn from their wicked ways.
God is saying that Christians have sin in the camp, which the Lord calls, wicked ways, because Christians are guilty of going after money, music, sex, and drugs.
Churches are corrupted from within. This is why churches have lost their power of God today. This is why churches never experience true revival because revivals have become no more than Sunday morning services five nights a week. This is why Jesus said, thou hast left thy first love (Revelation 2: 4). Christ, in fact, has removed His candlestick from many churches across America, and the churches do not realize that Jesus has departed.
Christians have been lured away from Christ because of money, music, sex, and drugs.
How many ministers and preachers are selling Jesus for book deals, CDs, and DVDs and reaping financial rewards at the expense of the blood of Christ?
How many ministers of music are selling Jesus for record deals, CDs, and DVDs and reaping financial rewards at the expense of the blood of Christ?
For if we compromise the Word of God for money and music, for personal fame and power, the door is opened for sex and drugs.
When Lazarus died, Jesus wept. Do you suppose Christ is weeping for Christians and churches today?
Amen.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8: 36-37)
Again, the devil taketh him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy god, and him only shall thou serve. (Matthew 4: 8-10)
Jesus knew the devil, and the devil also knew Jesus. And the devil believed that if he could trick Jesus, then the Lord would have never made it to the cross to die for the sin of the world; which would have also meant that there would have been no resurrection, and, obviously, there would have been no salvation for people of all languages and nations; which also means that there would have been no day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit would have never come to men, women, and children all over the world. For if Jesus had accepted the offer from Satan, then Jesus would have become a servant of the devil, thereby making Himself a partner of Satan in the evil one's quest to kill people all over the earth in order to take their souls to hell.
In short and in total, Jesus would have sold His soul and the devil would have owned Him---and we would have never had the wonderful story of Jesus! There would have never been a Christmas, no Easter, and no churches anywhere in the world. Instead, we would have had a world of total darkness, death, and destruction, and no hope for a place called heaven. Not only no hope, but we would have never had a way to heaven because the only Door of heaven, who is Christ, would have never opened.
Jesus, however, had the power to say "no" to Satan's offer, and Satan went away---only to appeal again to the weakness of sinful men and women: of which men and women have accepted the devil's deal over the past 2000 years: from which they have sold their souls for power, fame, and fortune.
Satan has had enormous success with four tools from his bag of tricks: money, sex, music, and drugs---though not in a specific order. For if a person has a weakness for one, then he or she could easily fall prey to everything else.
Today, there is a tsunami of premarital sex among teenagers in churches all across the United States, out of which comes unwanted pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases and abortions.
For Satan knows that whatever works for people out in the world also works for people of churches: money, sex, music, and drugs.
Churches are falling all across America. They have---and are--- abandoning Christ because they have been led to believe that the old ways are ineffective today; for churches have been seduced to accept the premise that people need new ways, new music, a modern Bible for modern man, and a new message: do good, feel good, and do not consider bad habits as sin.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7: 14)
What is God saying here? And to whom is He speaking?
The people, called by my name, are Christians. And God is calling His people to (1) humble themselves, (2) pray, (3) seek my face, (4) and turn from their wicked ways.
God is saying that Christians have sin in the camp, which the Lord calls, wicked ways, because Christians are guilty of going after money, music, sex, and drugs.
Churches are corrupted from within. This is why churches have lost their power of God today. This is why churches never experience true revival because revivals have become no more than Sunday morning services five nights a week. This is why Jesus said, thou hast left thy first love (Revelation 2: 4). Christ, in fact, has removed His candlestick from many churches across America, and the churches do not realize that Jesus has departed.
Christians have been lured away from Christ because of money, music, sex, and drugs.
How many ministers and preachers are selling Jesus for book deals, CDs, and DVDs and reaping financial rewards at the expense of the blood of Christ?
How many ministers of music are selling Jesus for record deals, CDs, and DVDs and reaping financial rewards at the expense of the blood of Christ?
For if we compromise the Word of God for money and music, for personal fame and power, the door is opened for sex and drugs.
When Lazarus died, Jesus wept. Do you suppose Christ is weeping for Christians and churches today?
Amen.
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