YES OR NO

In Matthew 5:37 it says,"But let your communication be, Yea,yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." We should answer with a yes or a no. People used to do this. I can't help but wonder what happened? How honest are we in our lives? Jesus knows!

"Timber"

Jesus said in Matthew 7, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." God's judgment is certainly exact and to the heart of the matter. Fruitless trees are cut down and thrown into the fire. Can we hear the cries of "timber" coming from those whom God has assigned as the lumberjacks. Remember judgement does begin at the house of God.

Peace

Psalm 37: 37 says, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace." Where does that peace come from? Philippians 4: 6,7 tells us this, "Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Even a young child knows enough to cry out for help. Lord help us, we pray and thank you for the peace.

When we pray?

In James 5: 16 - 18 it says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." What kind of results are we having when we pray?

Forgiven

The song goes like this, "have you learned to forgive, to just let it go, no looking back and then you won't move so slow, just give it to the one who has saved your soul and you'll learn to forgive my friend." This is a nice chorus that the Lord gave me many years ago, but it is absolutely worthless if you and I don't forgive. How long has it been since the Holy Spirit has reminded us of the importance of forgiveness? Is there that one person or one situation that is eating at us? Let me exhort us all that Jesus said, if we don't forgive, we will not be forgiven.

What are we sowing?

Galatians 6:7 says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The annual excitement is in the air or maybe I should say in the dirt. People are planting their vegetable and flower gardens in hopes of a bountiful harvest, and it is exciting to see the fruits of our labor. If we sow carrot seed we will reap carrots. If we sow squash seed we will reap squash. This is so easy to see in nature and yet mankind has the hardest time understanding spiritual sowing and reaping. Scripture tells us, that if we sow sin we will reap death, when it says that the wages of sin is death, it means if you sin you reap death. Yet Christians continue to sow sin. The Church in this current hour is sowing seed and much of it is going to reap death. In many churches playing in far more important than prayer.In churches across our land many Pastors are afraid to mention sin for fear of losing people who have only come to have their ears tickled with upbeat and positive talks that are at best only encouraging good works, the most of which are not born of the Spirit but of the flesh. The call to our lives is to go make disciples, and to love God with everything we have and are, and to love our neighbor the same way we love ourselves. Let's get to sowing.

Where are the nine?

In Luke chapter 17 Jesus went into a certain village and ten lepers from a distance cried at the top of their lungs, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Jesus had compassion on them and told them to go show themselves unto the priest so that they could be declared healed. As the ten lepers started out to see the priest, they were healed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed turned around and with a loud voice glorified God, falling on his face at Jesus' feet giving him thanks. Scripture says in verse 16, "... and he was a Samaritan." In verse 17 Jesus says, "... Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" Let me ask the same question, where are the nine? Are they filling the churches across the land, teaching Sunday School classes, functioning in leadership positions, etc.. Each one of us that has been born again were as the lepers were and Jesus cleansed and saved us all. Are we at Jesus' feet worshiping or are we so wrapped up in ourselves that we haven't the time or will to worship our Lord Jesus Christ? Where are the nine? Well they are mostly attending Church meetings across the land, but that is not the question. The question is, are we the one out of ten who returns daily to worship the one who saved us and cleansed us and set us free? As fearful and dreadful as it sounds, is it possible that 90 percent of those in churches are the lukewarm that Jesus said he would spew out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16)?