Jesus is Not for Everyone
Jesus says, "THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE WITH PEOPLE ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD". Although Jesus was talking about salvation, there are many areas where we need God's help or guidance to come out with the results that God wants. Recently I received an email from a friend saying "I love your quote: 'To follow simply what Jesus taught by words and example is Christianity in its most pure form'". This is a quote from our web site. To follow everything Jesus teaches by word or example is not as easy as just reading the red letters or to just understand intellectually what you read in your bible. Yes, reading the red letters is superior to following manmade doctrines and trying to understand Jesus based on what Paul wrote or what a church teaches, etc. Some of understanding Jesus requires God's help as Jesus tells us "no one really knows the Son except the Father". An example is one time Jesus told Peter, "My Father in heaven showed you who I am". To really know Jesus and understand everything He says and teaches by His example, we need God's help. 1
How do we access God's guidance? To be truly open to God's guidance we need to "deny" ourselves or put aside what we want or our own desires or concerns and seek what God wants. In seeking what God wants we can read the red letters in our bible that indicate what Jesus said and we can read the things God said in the rest of the bible. Note: be careful of manmade doctrines that claim every word in the bible comes from God, thereby confusing or diluting the importance of the words that God actually said. In our daily prayers we should ask God for His guidance in everything we think, say and do. Remember Jesus says, that God told Him what to "say" and what to "do". Of course as we pray everyday the prayer that Jesus teaches us to pray we will be praying for God's "will" to be done everywhere, including our in life. 2
Jesus is Not for Everyone
Apparently Jesus is not for everyone as Jesus says; "no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him to Me". We can tell people about Jesus, we share what Jesus has done for us and means to us, but God still has to draw or give a person a desire to come, which may be the subject of our prayers for that person. Some Christian groups have elaborate steps that remind others of sales approaches of large companies. Their steps may include how to "close the sale" or get the person to make a commitment or a statement that allows them to proclaim the person is "saved". Then they brag how many people were "saved" like a sales organization may brag about the number of sales. Much of "what people value highly is detestable in God's sight". We do not convince people to come to Jesus by sales pitches or by great logic or strong intellectual reasoning or biblical proof or by attractive social programs that close the back door of the church, etc. Jesus makes it clear that "you cannot come to Me, unless the Father makes you want to come". We make "followers" by helping those who God has given a hunger and desire to come to Jesus know the truth, which is following what Jesus teaches. Then we "baptize" them and obey Jesus by teaching "them to obey everything that I have told you". How do you know who has been drawn to Jesus? Even if you have great communication with God, unless God specifically tells you not to, it is safer to share or witness to everyone. If they respond with interest, pursue but don't argue or insist, just pray for them and let God do His thing. If they fall away, continue to pray for them but do not allow the accuser to give you a guilt trip. Sometimes there is a person you really care about and yet no matter what is shared from God or what God says through Jesus, they do not seem to hear. Jesus shares a possible answer we may not want to hear. "Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God". Since the only other one people can belong to, is the one Jesus calls the "devil", we may want to include spiritual warfare in our prayers for that person. 3
1. Lk 18:27 (NAS); Lk 10:22 (TL); Mt 15:17 (IC)
2. Lk 9:23; Jn 12:49; 14:31; Mt 6:9-13
3. Jn 6:44 (TL); Lk 16:15 (NI); Jn 6:65 (CE); Mt 28:19-20 (IC); Jn 8:44-47 (NI)
note: click here for bible verse and translation abbreviations
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A Psalm for reflection "I am listening to what the LORD God is saying; He promises peace to us, His own people, if we do not go back to our foolish ways." Ps 85:8 (IC)
Understanding the Teaching: What I share in the teaching is what I believe God wants me to share. All the direct quotes from God are highlighted in royal purple. Of course the words of Jesus are in red. Rather than follow some made up doctrine, remember that Jesus said that every thing He said (Jn 12:49) and everything He did (Jn 14:31) comes from God. All teachings and all opinions should be supported by what we learn from God or Jesus (see the scripture referred to in the footnote). .
MARRIAGE WORKSHOP MOMENT
To refresh what you have learned in our Workshop or entice you to experience our Workshop
"Remember, all marriages can be better, if you use what you learned."
On March 22, 2006, a pastor and his wife in Tennessee were having a discussion concerning one of their three children. Apparently they had difficulty in communication in their marriage. To get him to talk to her, she pointed a shotgun at him. Later she said, "I intended to hold my husband at gunpoint to force him to talk about his problems with our…". The gun accidentally went off and he was killed. (note; she has served some jail time and is out and has regained custody of their children) My point in sharing this is that calling time out and using the Speaker Listener Technique is a better way to communicate than pointing a shotgun at your spouse. Research has shown that over 80% of the people who have affairs say it is "not about sex" and it is "not about the physical appearance" of the other person. It is about companionship, acceptance, friendship, feeling good about your self, being appreciated, being admired, etc. Jesus says "Treat others as you want them to treat you." Lk 6:31 (TL) The companionship, acceptance, friendship, feeling good about your self, being appreciated, being admired, etc. that we all like and need should come from you for your spouse, not from a co-worker or a stranger.
The Better Half "When your partner won't support your efforts to make your marriage better" Without your spouse's support to improve your marriage, you can still pray daily for God's will to be done in each of your lives and your marriage. Jesus said, "all things are possible with God", Mk 10:27 NI). Obviously it is not wise to try to force your spouse to talk to you. Jesus says "Treat others as you want them to treat you." Lk 6:31 (TL) The companionship, acceptance, friendship, feeling good about your self, being appreciated, being admired, etc. that we all like and need should come from you for your spouse, not from a co-worker or a stranger. You have a better chance of improving your marriage with kindness than with meanness.
Email to pastor@jesuscenter.net
Hearing God's Voice - Greek Miracle - We Center on Jesus - Honoring God Physically
Eye Healing Miracle * The Alphabet is from God * Family Prayer Outline * Jesus Knows the Bible and Spoke Hebrew *