The Truth!

 

How to Avoid Deception

 

Intro: No one is exempt from being tempted and deceived.   Christians who are not prepared are being swept into the streams of deception that are being spewed out by many different voices.  Many believers are filled with fear and worry.  They are following deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. (1Timothy 4:1) Here are 4 keys you can use to avoid falling into the trap of the enemy.

1. Be Alert and Watchful. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong”. Romans 13:11, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”  And Jesus encouraged us to, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) In other words, as followers of Christ we need to wake up and be on guard.  Too many of us have become apathetic and complacent.  We are asleep.   It’s time to wake up and be aware of what is going on around us and sensitive to what spirit is at work.  We need to be aware of the tactics and devices of the enemy, so we are not out witted and become a victim of deception.  (2Corithians 2:11)

2. Know and Do the Word of God. You must know God’s word. You will be susceptible to being deceived if you do not know what God has said. The Word is the plum line. It establishes true north in our life. Jesus said, “Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks” (Mt 4:4).  We must feed upon God’s word every day – read it, meditate upon it, speak it, hear it. Then, we must do what God’s word says to do not be just hearers only. James makes this very clear, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  (James 1:22) So, stay immersed in the word and walk in all the light God gives you, and you won’t have to worry about being deceived.

3. Guard your heart. Deception usually begins in the heart as a result of honoring one’s personal will above the will of God. The will of man by nature does not love the truth.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Even those who are religiously minded can have their hearts deceived (Jas. 1:26).  The heart can be polluted by pride, greed, apathy, unforgiveness, and offense.  These are all breeding grounds of deception. Not only can the devil deceive us, but others can deceive us, and we can be self-deceived – if, we don’t guard our hearts.

4. Stay in right relationship. God created us for relationship.  Relationship with Him and relationship with others.  It starts with our relationship with the Lord.  You will not be deceived if you commune with the Lord, pray, and worship Him.  You will remain sensitive to His voice and the leading of the spirit. Then, we need to be in right relationship with other believers.   We need each other.  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  (Proverbs 27:17)   Fellowship provides encouragement and strength.  We need people in our life to hold us accountable and to help us grow. One of the biggest traps and dangers for deception is going it alone.  When a believer becomes isolated, separated from God and others they become and easy target for deception. This is what church is all about, fellowship with other believers!

Invitation: If you have never asked Jesus to forgive your sins, you are being deceived by the devil because without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will be eternally lost in hell. God wants you to spend eternity with Him and has provide the way to heaven through Jesus Christ His Holy Son. Ask Jesus to forgive you and save you from hell. Invite Him into your life right now if you have never done that before its eternally to late! Then you will spend eternity with God and His Son Jesus!

The Joys of Trusting God

 

Psalm 40:1-5

Intro: We see so many Christian people that seem so sad and they feel beat down by the pressures and the problems of this life, facing trials and temptations on every hand. God wants us to trust Him with all these things. King David gives us a firsthand personal witness of the benefits and joys of trusting God with all the problems and trials of life. No matter what he faced, David had the privilege of taking everything to God and then fully trusting Him with everything he faced in his life. David gives his joyful report to the congregation about his deliverance and an encouragement to them to trust the Lord.

I. The first benefit is patience! Psalms 40:1 (NKJV) I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. David says he had learned to pray and wait on God to move and help him. David could even have patience while waiting for God to help him. Then David says God turned to face him and inclined His ear (bent down to hear) his request. God promises that He will hear us when we continue to ask, seek and knock, with continuous praying. (Mt.7:7)

II. The second benefit of having trust in God is His answer. Psalms 40:2 (NKJV) He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. David says he was going through (mud and mire) a time of despair and hopelessness. He felt the pressure of his many problems and He felt helpless in his situations in life. But when he prayed to God out of his pitiful state, God answered him and changed his situation. God changed his helplessness into victory, and turned his despair to joy. God had now set David’s feet on solid ground by giving him power over his problems and circumstances to where he could walk steadily in the paths of God’s leading.

III. Third benefit of trusting in God. He gives a new song of praise and admiration for His goodness. Psalms 40:3 (NKJV) He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord. God will bring a new song to your heart when He delivers you. We are to tell others about God’s mercy and grace in delivering us from our hopeless problems and troubles. When we do we will see another benefit of our trusting in God and that is people will see what He has done and they will put their trust in God as well.

IV. Fourth benefit of trusting God is joy. Psalms 40:4 (NKJV) Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. David gives us encouragement to commit our troubles and our lives to God. We will have no confidence in arrogant people (those who are full of self and think they know it all) and those that lie and brag about what they can do; God says the arm of flesh will always fail you. Jeremiah 17:5 (NLT) This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. Neither will we trust in idols. Idols are anything that takes up more of our time then God does! People look to everything the world has to offer (idols) trying to escape from their despair and hopelessness. We Christians will look only to God and trust Him!

V. Fifth benefit is confidence in God. Psalms 40:5 (NKJV) Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. God has no equal. When we remember the wonders God has performed for us. Count your many blessings, name then one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Look at the wonders of creation, the vastness and order of the universe and beyond. Look at the beauties and wonders here on earth. God gives us food, clothing, houses, cars, TVs, luxury items! Nature itself is a wonder of God. God’s wonders happen every day. I have seen many miracles and wonders that God has performed in my life and other people’s lives. They are too numerous to mention, we would forget some. The joy and blessings of trusting God is confidence and assurance. There is no one equal to Him. Many people give glory to the devil by fearing him instead of God. The devil is not omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He cannot create. He came to deceive, steal, kill, and destroy. Let’s take David’s personal witness and take everything to the highest authority there is. God has no equal and He invites us come to Him day or night. He has given us a High Priest who understands our need and presents our case before Him. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NKJV) ¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin .¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Invitation: Have you experienced the joys of trusting God lately? Take your worries, fears and doubts to God right now as He gives you this invitation to come to Him. Cast all your cares on the Lord if you have not already. You can never have joy till you fully trust Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? Come to Him while He is near and experience the joys of trusting God!

Priority of Prayer for 2025

Intro: As we think about our priorities for 2025, our top priorities should be of the spiritual nature. Those things that will help us grow in our relationship with God. Our spiritual life controls how we respond to all other things. God is concerned about every area of our lives and wants us to seek Him in prayer for His will, His guidance, His blessings, favor and wisdom in all of our ways. Prayer is one of the of the greatest privileges that we have!

I. One of our top priorities for this year should be prayer. (Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) 'Call to Me,                                                     A. We have an open invitation from God to call on Him in prayer. Only through prayer can we believers stay in contact with God, know what he wants us to do and the way we should go. God's word is like a map or G.P.S. System giving us guidance as to the right way to go. B. The promise if we call on God is (V:33b) and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'1. He will answer us. We should pray in confident & complete trust in God's word to us. 2. He will show us the things we don’t know. God’s plans for the future are inaccessible to ordinary people. Only God can unlock the answer to the things we don't know. He offered this knowledge to Jeremiah and to every one of us who are children of Abraham by faith.

II. Jesus invites us to call on God in prayer. In Matthew 6:9-13  (NKJV) ⁹  In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed (sacred, holy) be Your name. ¹⁰  Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹  Give us this day our daily bread. ¹²  And forgive us our debts,(trespasses,sin) As we forgive our debtors  ¹³  And do not lead us into temptation, (don't permit us to be temped) But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Jesus had given the disciples and us a model prayer. Now He assures them that God welcomes prayer and urged them to come to Him through their own prayers in His name. Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV) ⁷ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Jesus gives us the conditions of prayer. 1. Ask – Continuous and persistent action. Emphasized by the present tense. [keep on] 2. Seek- “keep seeking” - Like seeking some lost treasure that means the most to you. 3. Knock -“keep on knocking” Don't give up on prayer. B. God's promise to us if we do these things faithfully. Matthew 7:⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 1. We will receive. The answers we need to make right choices that will keep us on the right path and keep us faithful to Him, and keep us away from sin and trouble will be given. 2. You will find. We will find God more than ready and willing to help us along life’s journey this year. The people of Israel asked Jeremiah 42:3 (NLT) Pray that the LORD God will show us what to do and where to go.” 3. It will be opened. God promises that the door to His throne room will be opened to us.

III. God's promise to meet our needs when we pray. Matthew 7:9-11 (NKJV) ⁹  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?¹⁰  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?¹¹  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! A. The Father is willing to answer us because He delights in granting our request. B. He will give us the good things that we need to promote our health and well-being, our prosperity and success in life. Prayer makes sure we live with a humble acknowledgment of our need for His grace and mercy, knowing He is our only hope for staying on course and fulfilling our created purpose. God faithfully rewards those who call on Him.

Conclusion: Prayer shouldn't be looked upon as a burden, but a privilege in which we are able to communicate with the One who created us and who is in charge of the whole universe. Philippians 4:6 in the New Living Translation says “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” For the abundant, stress free, successful life, make prayer one of your top priorities for this year. This is the way of wisdom.

Invitation: First priority in prayer is salvation. If you have never called on Jesus to save you, now is the time! Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins against God. Then invite Jesus into your life to take charge of you. Be baptized as a public testimony of your faith in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord.

Christmas, the Celebration of Jesus Christ

 INTRO: Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ, who entered time and history through His birth and changed the world as none has ever done before. You and I are proof of that change He brought. We celebrate His coming into this world for the purpose of “Seeking and saving that which was lost.” (Luke 10:10)

I. At Christmas we celebrate Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son of God. December 25th, we celebrate the birth of Christ, His coming to earth as a baby in a human body. But His existence didn’t begin with His birth. Jesus existed before the foundation of the earth. John 1:1 (NKJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Psalms 2:7 "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Romans 1:4 Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

II. We celebrate Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. By His birth He brought salvation to all who would believe in Him. Jesus is a gift of love from the Father for the salvation of the world. John 3:16 (NKJV)  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus is the one who died for all of mankind; He is our "Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" who gave us citizenship in Heaven. Philippians 3:20-21 (NKJV) 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, we are eagerly waiting for Jesus' return when we will be changed into His glorious image.

III. We celebrate Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God who fulfills Old Testament prophecy. John 1:29 (NKJV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! The Lamb of God recalls the Passover Lamb, in [Exodus 12:1-14] whose blood was applied on the doorpost of the Israelite's houses to protect them from the death angel during the Exodus from Egypt. We celebrate Jesus as the Passover Lamb of God, who shed His blood as an offering to take away the sin of the world. We were washed clean by His precious blood when we confess our sins and ask Him for forgiveness. 1 Corinthians 6:11 (NKJV) You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. He is our Passover Lamb. He protects us from spiritual death and eternal separation from God. His salvation includes the resurrection of our bodies. 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!                                                                    Invitation: You must know Jesus as your Savior to make it to heaven. If you are not sure about your salvation, you can make sure right now by confessing your sins to Jesus and asking Him to save you, and then Jesus will provide you a home in heaven. 

A Son is Given

December 25^th we will celebrate the birth of Christ. Next to Easter, Christmas, the birth of Christ, is one of the greatest holidays of all. Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV) ^{6 a} For unto us a Child is born, — He was born for the salvation of the Jews first, and then us Gentiles. The bible says we were all sinners before God and needed a Savior. This prophecy of a Savior was made hundreds of years before it was fulfilled by Mary’s baby in a manger. Luke 2:10-11 (NKJV) ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Isa. 9:6b Unto us a Son is given; God's gracious gift to Jews & Gentiles which no man deserved, but this Son that was given came as Savior to all who would receive Him, to as many as believed on His name, He gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12) John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Jesus is not only Savior of mankind, but He is the soon coming King to rule overall. Isa. 9:6c And the government will be upon His shoulder. This refers to His kingly rule over all the nations of the earth. (Rev. 19:16) says On His robe will be the title “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Jesus will rule over God’s people according to (Micah 5:2) and over the whole earth. Zechariah 14:9 (NKJV) And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be-- "The Lord is one," And His name one. As King, He will be responsible to govern the nations. In Isaiah’s day Judah’s leaders were incompetent in governing the people. All governments are incompetent to govern properly. But the Messiah will govern properly, righteously.

Isa. 9:6d His name will be called Wonderful, - pleasing, great, brilliant, and perfect.

Counselor, - trial lawyer, advocate for the people. Go between for man before God.

Mighty God, - He will rule with all the power and authority of God.

Everlasting Father, - He will rule with all the love and care of a father.

Prince of Peace. – He will be the ruler and leader of real lasting peace. Ther is no peace without Him. Isa. 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it (kingdom) with judgment. (righteous decisions ) and justice (fairness, honesty, integrity) From that time (when He takes over) forward, even forever. The zeal (eagerness, enthusiasm) of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Hundreds of years later the beginning of this prophecy began to be fulfilled when: The angel told Mary in: Luke 1:31-32 (NKJV) ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Daniel prophesied that Jesus’ kingdom would come during the days of the anti-Christ's reign.

Daniel 2:44 (NKJV) And in the days of these kings (of the anti-Christ), the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

Fulfillment of this prophecy will be at the end of the 7-year tribulation period when Jesus comes back to rule and reign over the whole earth. It will not be a kingdom of mere might, and triumph of force over enemies, but it will be a kingdom of righteousness, honesty, integrity, and fairness attainable only in and by Messiah. We live for the day when the proclamation will be made in Heaven.

Revelation 11:15 (NKJV) And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" Revelation 19:6 (NKJV) And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering's, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!  The Lord Jesus Christ, who came as a baby Son born of the virgin Mary, is going to reign in sovereign power upon this earth and He is going to reign forever and ever over the new heavens and earth. He is going to reign in omnipotent power, supreme over all. The prayer of God's people, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” is about to become a living reality upon earth forever and ever as Jesus the Son that was given finally begins His “Reign” over all the earth.

Invitation: Have you received this Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, there will never be a better time than now in this Christmas season. Confess your sins against God to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you for His kingdom and ask Him to take charge of your life from this day forward. Be baptized as a public testimony to your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord. It will be your greatest Christmas ever!

DELIGHT IN GOD'S WORD

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 1:1-3

Intro: The way to have a successful life begins with taking God's word and making it first and foremost in our lives and then be obedient to its instructions.

1. WE ARE TO DELIGHT IN GOD'S WORD. (Psalm1:2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. Delight-means to take pleasure- We are to take great pleasure in the word of God. Make the word of God the joy of your life. If we do delight and meditate in the word of God there will be revival and there are some other tremendous benefits. It is not enough to just to read God’s word, but we must meditate on it. In other words try to figure out what it is saying to me. Everything we do in our lives and in this church body should be based on God’s word and not on our good ideas. How many times do we go by our feelings and our desires rather than the word of God? Lets look at the benefits of delighting in and meditating in God's word.

2. WE WILL BE BLESSED.  (Psalm1:1) Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; We will not listen to advice from ungodly, sinners or those that are always scornful. As we reject the way of ungodly, scornful sinner we will be Blessed means blissfully, happy or contented. Bringing happiness and thankfulness. Bringing the favor of God. Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Delighting in God’s word brings His blessings.

3. WE WILL BE STRONG IN EVERY SITUATION (Psalm1:3) He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water. Rooted and grounded in the word of God. The word of God will bring you success over every situation, problem, worry, doubt and fear. Not wandering here and there not knowing what to do or which way to turn. Will have a never-failing supply of nourishment and refreshment.

4. WE WILL BE PRODUCTIVE(V:3) He shall be like a tree that brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; Will display the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We will honor the Lord Jesus in our words and actions. They will always timely and appropriate. Leaf will not wither during dry season because we are rooted in God's word. We will not be subject to extreme ups and downs. One day hot, next day cold to spiritual things. We will be useful for in His kingdom work. We will be steady in and through all circumstances.

5. WE WILL BE PROPEROUS IN ALL THINGS(Psalm1:3) And whatever he does shall prosper. Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. The promise is that when we read and speak God's word then we will prosper, and we will have great success in all we do. The reason, of course, is that we are living in close fellowship with the Lord, knowing His will and all our life is therefore guided by the Holy Spirit. The only way to be efficient and successful in the Christian life is to be led by the Spirit of God in all we do as we read God's word. Living God's word makes us prosperous, productive, and it gives us good success.

CONCLUSION: This is the way of Revival, blessing and prosperity for our lives! This is the will of God for all His people. We can be revived! We can be renewed in our passion and zeal for the things of God. We can do all things through the Lord Jesus Christ who strengthens us. Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible."

INVITATION: There in Psalm 1:4 is a warning for the ungodly. They will not stand up under God’s judgment nor will they be in the congregation of the righteous. Will you be able to stand up under God’s judgment of your life and will you be able to stand in the congregation of the righteous? You won’t unless you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Come to Jesus right now. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and get things right with God while there is still time. Please don't put it off!

The Main Goal in Life