

### Serving the Kingdom of Heaven - Volume I

Copyright 2020 Dr. Steven J. Bassett

Published by Dr. Steven J. Bassett at Smashwords

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Serving the Kingdom of Heaven

Chapter 2 - Today's Christian Religion

Chapter 3 – Legalism and Christian Living

Chapter 4 – Why Do People Go to Church?

Chapter 5 – Beware of False Prophets

Chapter 6 – Who is Wise and Understanding among you?

Chapter 7 - Are you doing the Will of the Father?

Chapter 8 - Your perception is your Reality

Chapter 9 – Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Chapter 10 – We Need Unity in the Body of Christ

Chapter 11 – Walk by Faith

Chapter 12 – Let your Light Shine

Chapter 13 – The Promise of a Spirit-Filled Life

Chapter 14 – What is it you Treasure Most?

Conclusion

Introduction

The following collection of chapters originated from separate Hen Soma-One Body Ministries "Word for Today" messages. Each message, inspired by the Holy Spirit, places a focus on what true followers of Christ need to understand concerning the kingdom of heaven and how we should live our lives as we await the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today's manmade local church system claims the name of Christ, but has drifted far from how Jesus taught His disciples to live here on earth. Moreover, we know Jesus said that out of the whole world only a few will actually seek to live a life for Him centered on His kingdom. Hence, in the end only true followers of Christ (the few) will pass through the narrow gate that leads to heaven. Consequently, those who do not seek spiritual wisdom concerning the kingdom of heaven will by default end up following the broad path of this world that offers eternal separation from God. Mankind cannot serve two masters, and they will either choose to turn away from this world to serve the kingdom of heaven ruled by Jesus, or they will choose to continue to serve the kingdom of this world ruled by Satan. Those who reject the truth of the gospel that offers eternal salvation will perish in the end. Hence, it is paramount that true Christians grow spiritually to avoid the snares and pitfalls set by the spirit of this world, Satan. The devil and all of his followers are at work daily to blind mankind from the truths of heaven. Furthermore, although the gospel has been with us for over two thousand years, things today are not so different than they were in the day's Jesus walked the earth during His ministry. Moreover, the truths concerning the kingdom of heaven have been and continue to be challenged by today's religious system. This includes countless so-called local churches scattered throughout the world that practice manmade traditions and follow the teachings of false doctrines based on half-truths. They offer mankind, in the name of Christ, manmade buildings designed to draw people in so they can get right with God. These establishments all have some form of entertaining music programs, children churches, eloquent teachers and pastors, and other attractions to help draw people in to become part of their organizations. Sadly, these manmade institutions are guilty of misleading countless people with false teachings on what it means to be a true servant of the kingdom of heaven. Hence, the purpose of this book series titled Serving the Kingdom of Heaven is to illuminate the truths concerning the kingdom of heaven essential for those seeking to truly follower Jesus here on earth. Each chapter was once an individual message written over a period of time. Consequently, you may see some repetition within the chapters as you are reading, but each message will reinforce the overall truths focused on being a true servant of the kingdom of heaven. Additionally, these chapters are not necessarily sequential or in series and therefore can be read in any order as the Spirit may lead. As a final note, I pray these messages will help the one true Church (Body of Christ) to unite around the world in prayer, fellowship, and love. Please take time to pray before and after reading these messages to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you as you continue to grow in the understanding of the Father's purpose for your life. "Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:21). Please share any comments or questions concerning this book at hensoma.onebody@gmail.com. Amen!
Chapter 1 – Serving the Kingdom of Heaven

The kingdom of heaven, sometimes referred to as the kingdom of God, is literally all around us. Not long before Jesus began His earthly ministry, the scriptures tell us that John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Him. John proclaimed, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:2). John continued to openly preach of a coming kingdom right up through his imprisonment and eventual beheading. During the of John's imprisonment Jesus withdrew to Galilee and began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17). During that time Jesus warned His followers to separate themselves from the religious people of the day, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20).

Today, Jesus continues to warn us to avoid walking in the ways of this world. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14). This message has been a mainstay over the centuries and an integral part of the life of the true disciples of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the Lord offers eternal life in heaven to all who are willing to come. Those who hear His message, surrender their lives, and turn from the ways of this world will find eternal citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. However, those who hear His message and choose to reject it as they go on living their lives for themselves will find eternal pain and suffering in the end.

Consequently, many who hear the gospel, even though they refuse to fully surrender their lives in this world, do make a conscious effort to try to live a better life. They have no intentions of foolishly turning away from everything they desire here on earth, but do make an attempt to please God by trying to be a good person in hopes He will save them from hell and instead allow them into heaven when they die. These so-called converts probably prayed some form of a sinner's prayer, began looking for or attending a local church, obtained a bible, and some will even tell others about their new found life as a "Christian." However, they are only deceiving themselves if there was no true change of heart or spiritual transformation in their life. Without a full surrender they remain disobedient and lost souls destined for eternal separation for God. Sadly, many of these deceived individuals actually believe that they are "saved" and heaven bound, but because they chose to place their trust in the half-truths offered in manmade doctrines and traditions, they remain eternally lost.

The truth is, Satan knows the gospel better than most people in this world, and he also believes that Jesus is Lord of all. Therefore, Satan surely knows that Jesus died to set mankind free of sin, he knows every verse in the bible, he attends local churches regularly, and is no doubt an inspiration to all those who choose a "good" religious life as opposed to true salvation through Christ. Satan also knows he will never enjoy eternity in the kingdom of heaven, and therefore, he does not want anyone else to go to heaven if he can help it. The bible tells us that the Jews, God's own chosen people, lived life following false manmade religious doctrines and traditions. Regrettably, so do those who follow similar practices in local church assemblies around the world in the name of Christ.

Moreover, we also know that Jesus called these Jews out because of their practices. Jesus told them, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44). This same message is applicable to the countless religious minded self-proclaimed Christians of today. They follow their manmade practices in the name of Christ, yet blindly are deceived by the lies of the spirit of this world who leads countless down the broad path that leads to destruction.

However, there is a narrow path that leads to a narrow gate where true believers pass through to enter the kingdom of heaven. "When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs. Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:20-21). The kingdom of God is revealed daily through acts of love performed by true followers. These are the acts of kindness performed by servants of the kingdom revealing God's love to the needy and lost in this dying world.

Jesus said, "The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." (Matthew 13:11-12). "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." (Matthew 13:16-17). The true followers of Christ are blessed to learn the deep mysteries and spiritual truths about the kingdom of heaven because the Holy Spirit indwells them for this purpose.

Consequently, there are countless churchgoers who falsely believe they have eternal life and yet remain spiritually dead in spite of all of their efforts to reach heaven. They are part of the many who take the broad path that Jesus spoke of; the ones who choose to hold onto their lives here on earth rejecting the free choice to surrender everything to serve the kingdom of heaven. The true Gospel message tells us we must lose our lives here on earth by surrendering everything. Moreover, this is not a one-time act of surrender as some suppose. It is a lifetime commitment whereby we pick up our cross daily to serve the kingdom of heaven. This is a great contrast from the false teachings of today's religious establishments whereby they tell their followers that they can gain eternal life through praying a simple prayer.

Moreover, this so-called Christian life, today sometimes referred to as "Churchianity," is nothing more than a lie from Satan. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (Matthew 13:24-30).

Therefore, in spite Jesus' sacrifice on the cross to free mankind from sin, Satan has shrewdly taken advantage of mankind's selfish motives to cleverly create today's so-called Christian church system. In these misguided institutions, countless members are in fact the weeds mentioned in the parable above. These religious minded people reject the truth and unwittingly end up becoming children of the devil. However, just the opposite holds true for true servants of the kingdom, the wheat in the parable above, as they will find themselves gathered into heaven on the day of judgement.

"Then He (Jesus) said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38). "Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans (those who serve the spirit of this world) strive after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:31-33).

Through the year's mankind has practiced wickedness, been disobedient towards God, and have desired to live their lives in a selfish manner. Regrettably, these are the same attributes that dominate the population of our world today. Thus, it should come as no surprise that mankind so easily embrace false teachings about the kingdom of heaven. Consequently, this has produced an abundance of counterfeit doctrines and traditions that serve the needs of the many people who congregate regularly in manmade churches around the world today. These institutions follow the ways of the world more closely than most people think.

For example, many of these church organizations offer a platform for members to boast about the great number of souls they have won for Christ. However, unless they are referring to how many new member's they added to their congregations they are greatly mistaken. Only God can save or win a soul. Mankind may be capable of changing another's mind, but the changing of a heart required for salvation is between the individual and God alone. I cannot help but wonder how God feels when He sees these people, with their good intentions, go forth and use sales tactics to convince, scare, or coerce others into believing the gospel of salvation. Once they draw these potential converts in, they have them pray a sinner's prayer to save their souls and claim victory for Christ. Unfortunately, many of these encounters produce no more than new member to some local church, or far worse a deceived lost soul with a false hope of salvation.

Furthermore, these manmade institutions are populated with far too many pride-filled self-centered men and women who strive to gain key positions in these so-called churches. These conceited individuals pride themselves once appointed by congregations into sought-after positions such as pastor, teacher, bishop, etc. Moreover, many of these make-believers compete with other local churches somehow believing that they are better than those who they compete with. They believe that they have better teachers, more gifted worship groups, or sounder ministry opportunities. Consequently, they have their just reward right here on earth within their manmade institutions, but in the end, they will be sadly greeted with harsh judgement form the Lord.

Understandably, these are not new practices at all as the Lord's disciples had the same mindset from the start. The disciples asked Jesus, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. "Truly I tell you," He said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (Matthew 18:1-6).

Therefore, a true servant of the kingdom of heaven is not concerned with lofty positions or recognition, but instead will humble themselves giving all glory and honor to the Lord for everything He does through us. Shame on those who boast of their lofty position in today's religious establishments. This same shame falls on those who believe they are superior to others because of intellectual prowess as they become self-proclaimed bible scholars. Their behavior is no different than that of the Scribes and Pharisees who confronted Jesus. Worse yet, many of these so-called scholars stand guilty of causing true brethren to stumble and non-believers to be deceived by their many false traditions, doctrines, and practices.

On another occasion, little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on and pray for them. At that time the disciples rebuked those who brought them telling them to go away. "But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there." (Matthew 19:14-15). Once again, here is just one more example of how mankind will take it upon themselves to pass judgement based on their human thinking without ever consulting the Lord's will in these matters.

Moreover, contrary to popular churchgoers' beliefs, Jesus does not wish for us to become bible scholars taking on leadership positions that place us into situations where we become decision makers. Whatever happened to taking these issues to the Lord? Instead, Jesus continuously tells us that He is the Teacher, the Shepherd, the Lord of all who are true servants of the kingdom of heaven. Consequently, there are many here on earth who "play church" as they choose to be in control and often lean on their own understanding when making decisions. Great judgment will come upon them when they have to answer for their folly on the final day of judgement.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this same issue in one of his letters to the Corinthians. "Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). We are nothing in the kingdom of heaven without Christ, we must not try to take things into our own hands but instead yield to His guidance.

Hence, the question of who will be the greatest in heaven is the last thing true followers of Christ should be concerned with. However, this will no doubt continue to be an issue with mankind because it is human nature to want to be first. In fact, even though Jesus clearly answered this question with His disciples earlier, the same issue came up again during the last supper. "So, Jesus declared, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors. But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as the One who serves. You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials. And I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father has bestowed one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:25-30). Therefore, let us be like Jesus and truly humble ourselves to become faithful servants of His kingdom just as He taught us to be and not how we wish to be.

Consequently, if you now discover through reading these truths that you have been deceived by Satan's religious system and wish to repent of this life, the time is now to repent and live for the true kingdom of heaven. Do this right now, today. Each of us must individually find and develop our own personal relationship with Christ. This can only happen if we fully surrender our lives in this world (everything) and ask the Lord to forgive us of our past sinful life and accept us into His kingdom as lifetime servant of heaven. This choice is the greatest one you will ever make, and your eternal existence will depend on your decision to accept or reject the calling of the Lord for your soul. Furthermore, once you choose to truly surrender you will receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (God) who will guide, teach, and protect you the rest of your days.

Chapter 2 - Today's Christian Religion

"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So, practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of 'Rabbi' by which they are addressed. But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:1-12).

One day Jesus was invited to dine with a Pharisee and He went to his house to meet with him there. The Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal as expected because of a well-established religious tradition. When Jesus saw the reaction of the Pharisee, He said, "You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well? But give as alms the things that are within you, and you will see that everything is clean for you." (Luke 11:39-41).

Jesus continued to reprimand the Pharisees with several more woes concerning their wretched religious practices. It was at that time one of the experts in the law (a Scribe) told Him, "Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us as well." Jesus replied with several more reprimanding statements such as, "Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things, waiting to catch Him in something He might say." (Luke 11:52-54).

Ironically, today's Christian Religion is similarly comprised of many manmade doctrines and traditional practices (in the name of Christ) that are no different from that of the religious Scribes and Pharisees mentioned above. The world is full of so-called local churches that religiously draw in followers with their grand worship teams, positive psychology atmospheres, and powerful speakers to appeal to and entertain their congregations. Even the smallest so-called bible believing church establishments, in their own modest ways, offer a pull for outsiders to join them. Regrettably, Jesus' message to these many misguided so-called Christian establishments would no doubt be the same as His message was for the Scribes and Pharisees so many years before. Today's religious leaders claim titles such as pastors, assistant pastor, teachers, bishops, reverends, priests, worship leaders, and the list goes on. These individuals strive to "please God" while they run their institutions scattered across the world. Sadly, most of these same leaders have little or no understanding of what it truly means to serve the kingdom of heaven.

Moreover, there remains a great divide within today's so-called Christian churches with their varied doctrines and practices that is enormous. Nonetheless, because these establishments place little or no reliance on the leading of the Holy Spirit, they rely on varied traditions, human thinking, and even worse, a covert influence by Satan himself. The adversary's ploy to divide and conquer is clearly evidenced by the many divisions within the local church system around the world. Moreover, each of these separate organizations believe they hold the real truths to Christian living and yet none of them realize they are deceived by their own false understanding of the truths of heaven. This division is the product of today's Christian Religion that immensely splintered and driven by a variety of manmade traditions and doctrines.

The Apostle Paul, recognizing this growing problem, gave instructions to all believers concerning division among congregations. "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6). Additionally, he wrote, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

Regrettably, today's counterfeit Christianity is not going anywhere as it will continue to feed the religious minded and deceive mankind from knowing the true way to heaven. Worse yet, instead of these congregations seeking unity they would rather defiantly defend and preserve their traditions and beliefs than to open their hearts and minds to the true teachings of Jesus. These practices are not from above; therefore, true believers need to be aware of their misleading ways. Moreover, those who are true Christians are simply called to be humble servants doing the will of our Heavenly Father every day until He comes for us and not churchgoers.

Consequently, yielding to these manmade practices emulates the same behavior of the Scribes and Pharisees who confronted Jesus. They became so rebellious towards the truth that in the end it led to their actions to crucify the Lord. True Christians are not called to live religious lives. The bible clearly tells us what true religion is. "Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27). The Lord will use us to perform these and many more selfless deeds if we turn away from the ways of this world and its practices to humbly serve the kingdom of heaven.
Chapter 3 – Legalism and Christian Living

Over the years, the term legalism or being legalistic has been widely used to describe strict guidance and practices in the name of Christ. Hence, to understand what is meant by the term legalism we should begin with a basic definition. Legalism: Strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious moral code. Therefore, Legalists are people who add personal preference to accepted doctrinal teaching, accept these additions as having equal weight with doctrinal teaching, and apply these additions in the judging of others. Another definition is that legalism is the reduction of life to mere technicalities substituting code for conscience, ritual for worship, rectitude for holiness, and morality for purity.

Legalistic mindsets truly exemplify human nature and should be expected with those who are ruled by their intellect as this is the way of mankind. However, the true followers of Christ are no longer citizens of this world and should behave as citizens of heaven. Thus, disciples of Christ are free from the bonds of legalistic thinking, that is unless they make a personal choice to hold onto worldly practices associated with legalism. As we all know, the ways of this world are based on principles of conformity through the establishment of norms that guide our daily lives. These norms or traditions dictate with whom, what, when, where, why, and how of our lives here in this world.

However, those in Christ are freed of these earthly practices once surrendering their lives and become members of the Body of Christ. Nevertheless, there are those who have, or will, make the choice to place themselves in bondage to the many manmade traditions and doctrines found in legalistic practices in today's so-called Christian establishments. Hence, this number includes misguided born-again believers who blindly follow a system based on worldly thinking that runs counter to a life based on faith alone. Thus, these believers have substituted a Spirit-led life filled with power from above for a life that conforms to manmade doctrines and practices based on tradition and religious principles. No wonder there are so many manmade divisions today who claim to be Christian and yet do not follow Jesus on the narrow path that leads to eternal life. This is heresy!

However, this is not some new notion that has come about in recent times. The Apostle Paul wrote about this same issue. "I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is not even a gospel. However, this is not some new notion that has come about in recent times. The Apostle Paul wrote about this same issue. "I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you embraced, let him be under a curse! Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I certify to you, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not according to man. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:6-12).

Therefore, we must realize that as born-again Christians we are no longer of this world, but just in it. "So, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). Thus, as Christians we must turn away from trying to live our lives as the world lives. The true Church is made up of One Body and is here on earth for one purpose, to serve the kingdom of heaven. Thus, for those who find themselves blindly following manmade traditions and doctrines, you should question if you were ever spiritually reborn and now abide in Christ. Without this transformation no one can gain a personal relationship with the Lord.

Hence, how can we know if we have a true personal relationship with Jesus? "By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. If anyone says, "I know Him," but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. Beloved, I am not writing you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard. Then again, I am also writing you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining. If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." (1 John 2:3-11).

Thus, as mentioned earlier, the scriptures clearly tell us to separate ourselves from the ways of this world. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever." (1 John 2:15-17). This is how true citizens of heaven are called to live. Thus, we must not be deceived by a misplaced trust in mankind's false doctrines and traditions. These practices will only cause division and pull us away from the very commandments Jesus told us to follow.

"You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." (1 John 2:20-29).
Chapter 4 – Why Do People Go to Church?

A common term used in today's Christian Religion is to "go to church." However, when put in proper perspective this term makes about as much sense as asking someone how much does the color black weigh. The Church, the Body of Christ, is not a place to go to, but rather it is a true spiritual Body that is made up of all true (born-again) followers of Christ. This is the difference between a church (a manmade building) and the Church (a God made living Body) and they are drastically different in so many ways. Once someone hears the gospel, they have the choice to either surrender everything to follow Christ and become part of the Church or to reject the gospel by holding onto their lives in this world and go find a church to join. This rejection, a truly blasphemous act, is the option most chosen by mankind each and every day. On the contrary, the choice to accept the gospel by surrendering all, a life changing act, is made by only a few each day.

Therefore, being a member of "a church" is common practice for mankind who do not have a personal relationship with Christ. Though, being a member of the "Church" is truly the only thing that matters to gain citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Nevertheless, countless people who claim to be Christian have never made a full surrender of their lives from the heart and in turn falsely believe they will enjoy eternal life beyond their lives in this world. Satan, the father of lies, is the primary force behind the many half-truths that are behind this deception. This counterfeit gospel is a perfect fit for those who are looking for a way to heaven outside of giving up everything in this world for Christ. Hence, they will decide to surrender to a counterfeit gospel, as more of an insurance policy, that promises eternal life. Yet, this false gospel can never deliver on that promise of heaven. Moreover, this is the same counterfeit gospel that is usually entered into through some form of "sinners pray" prayed by these make-believers. The most common places these encounters take place are at a Christian concert, revival, bible study, church service, etc. where these individuals are offered an opportunity to avoid hell by making this verbal commitment.

Furthermore, these unsaved and deceived people are blinded by the lies of doctrines and traditions that appeal most to them so they can continue to live life the way they wish to in this world. Thus, because they remain spiritually dead, with no true relationship with Jesus, they embrace the idea they should "go to church" following rules laid out by these manmade institutions thinking they offer eternal life. Likewise, for those who take this path there is not much change between their lives and that of those who do not go to these churches. The only real difference between their lives and others who remain spiritually dead is that they prayed a "sinners' prayer" and try to live a better life (less sinning, swearing, drinking, etc.). Many of these false converts will go out and get a bible in an attempt to understand how they should live their lives as churchgoers. Regrettably, the local church system provides a very nice place of refuge for these deceived people.

Moreover, these manmade institutions called "churches" provide a place for so-called converts to invest themselves in doing what they perceive as good things for God. Each week these people meet to sing songs, listen to teachings, and sometimes break out in conversations with others who frequent these establishments. Here they can kind of "clear their conscious" and provide outward volunteer work in programs like Sunday School, worship teams, and greeters. Many will aspire to something even higher such as to be a reader, elder, teacher, and maybe even pastor. Although there are mild differences from one local church to another, they all usually follow a similar basic traditional format each week.

What's more, many of these individuals will move around from one local church to another until they find one that offers what makes them feel most comfortable (or less convicted of their lifestyle). These ongoing rituals will continue week after week as these people believe that this is what it means to be a Christian. If you ask them what the church is, they will answer with something like this. "Church is a place where each week we sing some songs, say a short hello to one another, have announcements and the offering, listen to a well-constructed sermon (hopefully), and end with a closing song and prayer." Sadly, after the service everyone heads for their cars to venture into another week of routine life in this world only to come back next week to do it again.

However, what do you think would happen if we all stopped going to these local church institutions? Maybe the more important question would be what Jesus would say if we did? Would He chastise us because He needed people to sit in the seats of these local church buildings? Would He tell us He is upset because He had no worship teams to play songs or teachers to teach eloquent sermons? Maybe He would be upset that there were no people there to hear these eloquent sermons, no money to pay the bills, or some other reason?

Truthfully, I do not believe Christ would say any of that. Actually, I do not think these are the things that matter in the kingdom of heaven at all. However, there are many who will try to twist the scriptures to make a case for these things, but nowhere is it spelled out that we must live this way for Christ. These are manmade practices handed down through time. Think of how many people would be frustrated and anger if congregations stopped attending these manmade institutions that lead people away from the true gospel.

Thus, this leaves us with the question of what it truly means to serve the kingdom. If it's not being a part of weekly rituals then what does it mean? True followers of Christ do not need to play church as those mentioned above once they realize what they are really here in this world. Furthermore, just as Jesus taught us throughout His ministry, serving the kingdom is an everyday calling not some weekend event as many suppose. Jesus clearly placed no day above any another as he worked, healed, and performed miracles. This was regardless of what the religious leaders of the day had to say. Jesus taught that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few and so we should be ready to serve every day.

We do not have to be in a "church building" to worship, pray, fellowship, and be discipled. Furthermore, we certainly should not limit these activities to a single day. This is a product of years and years of tradition and some people know of no other way. However, there is a far better way. Our true ministry is to reach the broken and hopeless scattered around the world. The local church buildings, although being filled with broken people who need a savior, choose to believe they are already righteous. Jesus told the Jews who thought they were righteous, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Luke 5:31-32).

Consequently, it is important to understand what Jesus will truly say when He returns. "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?' And the King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.'" (Matthew 25:31-40).

Hence, it is easy to see what Jesus will measure our lives against in the end. He wants us to serve Him daily as we as servants minister to those who are lost and broken. These are those with hearts readied to hear His calling. We who belong to Christ are His servants and we are not here to build our own little Christian world on earth. Furthermore, we must open our hearts to the truth and realize that today's local church system is an institution that works outside the kingdom of heaven. In the end, the Lord is not going to care if we were part of some local church or not!

Thus, Jesus will measure whether or not we are true servants of the kingdom of heaven based on how we served His kingdom. "Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' And they too will reply, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then the King will answer, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:41-46).

Regrettably, there will be many on that final day who will argue, "Did we not serve on your worship team? Did we not attend your local churches? Did we not preach eloquent messages for your people to hear each week?" I do not believe they will like the answer to these questions on judgement day. My prayer is that everyone will repent of a religious life governed by false doctrines and dead traditions. The Lord said there is much work to be done, won't you join in with those who will, in the end, enter into God's rest. Our sabbath will come soon enough once our work here on earth is completed. "There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:9-11).

Chapter 5 – Beware of False Prophets

"Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15). Jesus gave us this warning and yet I wonder how many who claim to know Him truly understand what He meant by saying this. Dating back as far as the early believers there have been many heretics using the name of the Lord for motives not aligned with those of the kingdom of heaven. Whether an individual, knowingly or unknowingly, embraces false teachings and practices, their true motive is based on feeding their own desires. Some may do so thinking they are pleasing God, others to acquire worldly recognition, or still others to gain wealth. Whatever their reason, by engaging in these practices they allow themselves to be used as pawns of the spirit of this world, Satan.

Satan is always on the prowl to deceive as many as he can with his lies and half-truths that lead his listeners away from heaven. Today's elaborate Christian Religious system offers the perfect platform for Satan's plan to succeed. Countless men, women, and children blindly follow manmade false doctrines, traditions, and practices believing they are from God. They live in a world that offers a sense of godliness, but is a counterfeit substitute for a real life in Christ. However, for most, the cost of losing one's life here on earth to follow Christ is just too high. Thus, they seek compromises that allow them to hold onto their lives here in hopes they will somehow gain salvation down the road. This is a path that can only lead to eternal separation from God.

However, there is still hope for those deceived if they turn their gaze toward heaven and away from this world and its many pleasures. Many of today's manmade church establishments who are misled by false doctrines and traditions were initially established with good intent. However, overtime they have twisted away from the truth and have become trapped by their own design. Nevertheless, in spite of Satan's many ploys to sabotage the truth, the gospel message lives on through the living Church, the Body of Christ, made up of true followers of Christ who are out there on the front lines letting their light to shine in this dying world.

Jesus said, "See to it that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Matthew 24:4-8). We are seeing the beginning of the birth pains Jesus spoke of. However, the Lord will not return for His elect until the very last soul that will be saved has been surrendered.

Regrettably, there are thousands of people who are deceived by those who are wolves inwardly, and yet outwardly portray the persona of sheep. This is a very dangerous practice and Satan could not be more pleased with the results. Presently, there are countless false teachers seemingly unaware of the danger of what they are doing, and all in the name of Christ. However, this should come as no surprise to the true believers in Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote that we should, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So, they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:2-4).

Therefore, for this reason, it is not difficult to see why so many have been deceived by today's false teachings in local churches around the world. They choose to believe false teachers offering messages that appeal to their congregations lifestyles here on earth. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

If you are reading this, be warned so you do not fall into Satan's deceptive trap. Today is the day you need to open your eyes to realize that there are many wolves in sheep clothing unknowingly being used as pawns of the devil. "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves." (2 Peter 2:1). Many so-called local churches who follow manmade doctrines and traditions deceive thousands upon thousands of trusting (yet misled) members of their congregations.

Paul wrote, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" (Galatians 1:6-8). "For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily." (2 Corinthians 11:4).

"But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these! They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

"You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:10-17).

Therefore, the true followers of Christ must be aware that Satan works nonstop to deceive as many as he can. Thus, we who are the elect must separate ourselves from these practices and instead seek to be the servants of the kingdom of heaven the Lord would want us to be. Our time here on earth is short and we must pray that the Father would have His way with us every day. We are here to bring a light in this dark world ruled by the spirit of this world, Satan, and his many followers.
Chapter 6 - Who is Wise and Understanding among you?

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor in your heart's bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice." (James 3:13-16).

Consequently, many who make the claim to know Christ remain spiritually dead because they have refused to surrender everything to follow Him. Thus, because they refuse to lose their lives in this world, they will never experience the spiritual rebirth required to gain citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. The result for these individuals if they care about their eternal soul is to find some alternative options derived through human thinking. However, because they remain spiritually dead, they can never know the mind of God because they do not have the Spirit to teach them.

Moreover, there are those who truly believe they have surrendered their lives to the Lord, but then they go on living their lives the way they always have. However, because their lives are fruitless for the kingdom we must wonder if they were ever truly born-again. There are also many who claim to know Christ who spend their time studying and memorizing scriptures from a human worldly perspective thinking they can acquire the truths of heaven outside of the Holy Spirit. Although they will gain a great deal of knowledge and understanding at the human level, until they allow the Holy Spirit to take control and teach them, they will never gain spiritual knowledge and wisdom. The religious leaders who confronted Jesus thought they had gained spiritual understanding from studying the scriptures, but they were mistaken. Jesus told them, "You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life." (John 5:39-40).

Nonetheless, the true believer who follows Christ gains spiritual maturity not through human means, but instead they learn through spiritual means. "You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth." (1 John 2:20-21). Thus, those who are in Christ must set our hearts and minds on serving the Lord trusting by faith He will teach us all we need know. Jesus promised to give us the words to say when we are to speak, lead us to those He wishes to minister to, and provide any and all of the needed resources for His work He will have us do.

Regrettably, if we trust in ourselves or in others to dictate what we should know, who we should minister to, or where the resources to do so will come from, we must ask ourselves, where is the will of the Lord in all this? Can we say we are truly walking by faith if we place our trust in anything or anybody but Christ Himself? There are those who would argue that simply trusting our complete walk with Christ simply based on faith in Him alone is a big mistake. They will argue that we must have accountability from others such as elders, teachers, and pastors. However, many of these so-called church leaders lack any true form of spiritual understanding as they operate based on their human understanding of the scriptures. This is faithless human thinking at work, and many times will provide a platform the adversary, Satan, to influence decisions.

Furthermore, we must understand that serving the Lord is not based on what we know or understand. We must walk by faith (doing everything without understanding) as we seek to do the will of the Father. Jesus did not tell us we must become bible scholars, nor does He select His followers from among the well-educated polished individuals in the world. In fact, Jesus ha proven to do just the opposite time and time again. Most of those He has called to follow Him are among the uneducated, lowly, and of humble means. These are those can and do admit they are worthless without Him! Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Luke 5:31-31).

Thus, we must be careful to walk by faith and not place our trust in those who claim to know the mysteries of heaven and bear no fruit to support their claim. "As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming." (1 John 2:24-28).

Finally, as illustrated above, the true follower of Christ must learn to walk by faith and not by sight. This means we do not have to wait until we have gained a full understanding, but instead that we are prepared to blindly step out placing our full trust in Christ to protect us and keep us on the narrow path. I pray you will find the perfect peace that passes all human understanding as you walk with Christ. "The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness." (James 3:17-18).

Chapter 7 - Are you doing the Will of the Father?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ tells us that the kingdom of heaven is already here: "When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs. Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:20-21). This is the same Gospel that offers mankind hope and eternal salvation. "That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

The good news of this gospel is a message for all of mankind. Furthermore, once a person truly listens to it, they are then faced with a choice that will make all the difference in their life forevermore. Mankind can find eternal salvation through a life-changing event whereby spiritual rebirth takes place through an act of complete faith (total trust) by fully surrendering one's life in this world for an eternal life in heaven. This single act, not just a verbal prayer of acknowledgement, is from the heart and not one's mind. Once the Lord sees our heart truly surrender, repenting of a life in this world, the Holy Spirit will spiritually transform us (through spiritual rebirth) and place us into the Body of Christ (the Church). It is this spiritual rebirth that transforms us into citizens of heaven.

Furthermore, once we become born-again, we are filled with the Holy Spirit (God) who will teach, guide, and care for us in this world. Additionally, this new life will produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives that can only come from heaven. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. 6Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another." (Galatians 5:22-25).

Thus, when someone is a true child of God, they cannot comfortably live outside of the will of God. Therefore, when we choose to surrender our life, we also have decided to surrender our own "will." Once we make this commitment, we become fulltime servants to do what our father in heaven "wills" for our life. Yet, many will ask how will we know what God's will is? The answer is found by living by faith placing our full trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me." (John 6:38). One day while Jesus was speaking to the crowds someone came and told Him that His mother and brothers stood outside wanting to speak to Him. Jesus, knowing the difference between earthly life compared to heavenly life responded, "Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?" Pointing to His disciples, He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:46-50). Jesus was clearly illustrating the difference between living our lives as those in the world do as opposed to living our lives as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven will.

Therefore, all who are transformed through salvation are part of God's family, citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Thus, we cannot be deceived to believe that praying a simple prayer, joining some local church, etc. can offer salvation or citizenship in heaven. This citizenship can only come through full surrender by forfeiting your life here on earth for Christ's sake. There are many, possibly some who are reading this book right now, who are under the false notion that they are a Christian simply because they prayed a simple prayer, go to a church, read the bible, and pray. These actions, though they have merit here on earth, can be done by anyone whether they desire to know Christ or not.

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'" (Matthew 7:21). Therefore, "By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. If anyone says, "I know Him," but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6).

Thus, there is a difference between claiming to know Christ and actually having a personal relationship with Him. He knows the difference, and we cannot fool Him if we choose to reject the good news of the gospel. All those who replace a true relationship with Christ by following the religious practices found in so-called Christian churches around the world will sadly discover their folly in the end. On the contrary, those who are the elect and are known by Christ will, in the end, spend eternity in heaven with Him forevermore.

Finally, Jesus told us to obey just two commandments. "Jesus declared, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40). The true follower of Christ will do just that and will commit every day to serve the kingdom until the Lord takes them home. "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20).

Chapter 8 - Your Perception is your Reality

In this world, what people perceive in life establishes what they believe. Perceptions are typically based on what people hear, see, and think. However, not all of our perceptions are in fact truth. Each one of us has blind spots that, although others may be able to see, we cannot. For example, when I taught college students public speaking many of them repeatedly used terms such as "you know, like, umm, etc." without realizing they were doing so. These verbal pauses were interjected due to nervousness from speaking in front of others. Unsurprisingly, when this was pointed out to the students, they quickly denied using verbal pauses. However, watching themselves on video they learned that what they perceived was not true based on what actually took place.

Therefore, it is important for us to be open to feedback from others who see things in our lives we do not. This includes how we perceive spiritual matters and how these perceptions influence our beliefs based on what we have heard, seen, or what we may think. Could we have blind spots based on potential false perceptions? I can say that in my own life this has proved to be true. As a young (less spiritually mature) Christian I was misled more than once because of things I heard. I thank God that the Holy Spirit, just as the video camera example, revealed to me these false perceptions. Hence, with so many differing doctrines and practices floating around out there it creates a great likelihood that false perception can creep into the things we believe. I know in my own life these misconceptions that were based on sermons and teachings of people who meant well caused confusion in my life and some led me into foolish debates I wish I had never experienced.

Fortunately, the Holy Spirit lives withing those in Christ to guide, teach, and direct our lives to reveal blind spots as we grow and learn about spiritual truths. Of course, that is if we are willing to listen and learn. However, if we simply try to understand the scriptures purely from an intellectual perspective (which can influence our perceptions) we may wander farther from the truth than you can imagine. Seeking to trust what we learn about Christ from this human perspective all but eliminates our ability to understand spiritual matters through faith. Learning using our intellect requires us to obtain information based on human cognitions. However, learning from a spiritual perspective demands us to believe things by faith without leaning on our own understanding (cognitions), but instead placing our total trust in the Holy Spirit who lives within us to be our guide.

So, let us consider an example using a common misleading spiritual concept. Many believe we can be saved (placed into the Body of Christ) if we simply pray a "sinner's prayer." When asked why they believe this people usually exclaim, "Because the bible says so." Although this is partly true, it leaves out the most critical part of the gospel message needed for salvation. This would be like telling someone if they simply jump out of an airplane with a parachute on, they will land safely on the ground below. This is true, providing we tell them the rest of what they have to do. We must also tell them they must release the chute once they jump from the plane.

Thus, in our example of attaining salvation through a simple prayer above, we must remember to tell them the rest of what one must do to gain eternal life. In addition to a simple prayer, we must fully surrender our lives, turning away from our life here in this world, and choose to follow Jesus as servants of the kingdom of heaven for the rest of our lives. This is like pulling on the release cable to open our parachute causing a safe landing. Without this act of full surrender, we foolishly are placing our hope for eternal life in a half-truth. Since we know that Satan is the father of lies and half-truths it is easy to see where this false teaching got its roots.

Accordingly, someone who has been deceived by such half-truths could easily misinterpret scripture based on inaccurate perceptions. Take for instance John 10:28, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand." They could rationalize, "Well, since I prayed the sinner's prayer and now have eternal salvation, there is nothing I could ever do that will separate me from God, because no one can snatch me out of His hand." Although the statement is true by itself, when applied to the false pretense of how we gain salvation it becomes a believable half-truth. The only way it could become completely true is if we understand that salvation comes from a full surrender of everything in this world and then one can experience spiritual rebirth into the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand how easily Satan can mislead those who simply listen to others or interpret spiritual truths from a human perspective. If we place our faith in perceptions without seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit (a common blind spot), we may never grow spiritual. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote, "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). Regrettably, these words apply to a countless number who claim to be Christians, but experience no true spiritual growth because they remain worldly and bear no spiritual fruit.

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned." (John 15:1-6).

The Lord warns us to "remain" in Him. Therefore, what happens if we choose to not remain in Him and walk away because we falsely perceive what it means to be a Christian? I have experienced clever deceptions like this in my walk with the Lord and am extremely thankful the Lord did not leave me alone to fend for myself. Mercifully, He placed the Holy Spirit within me to reveal blind spots and spiritually grow me to acknowledge traps set by the adversary. Would you risk eternal life by placing your faith and beliefs in perceptions that are nothing more than half-truths? What are your spiritual blind spots? The Holy Spirit will tell you if you turn toward heaven and away from the ways of this world. Believe this, if you are not living for the Lord you are living for the desires of this world, and if you are not serving the kingdom of heaven you are serving the spirit of this world.

Therefore, the point of this message is not to judge you or anyone. Instead, it is to enlighten you of the deceptive half-truths that many blindly follow. I am compelled by the Spirit to tell others about this! If someone believes they have a personal relationship with the Lord and yet do not, their soul will be lost forevermore. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7:21-23).
Chapter 9 – Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Many think that first century believers were at a disadvantage because they did not have a bible to help them grow spiritually. To me, that is like feeling sorry for people who actually know how to do math and feel those people who depend on calculators to do their math as better off. Accordingly, I would say that first century believers were at a great advantage over so many who have bibles today, because they truly had to rely on the Holy Spirit and fellowship for their spiritual growth. Today, many people rely heavily on written bibles that they may or may not understand from a spiritual standpoint, and countless online sermons they can listen to that may or may not be delivered from a spiritual standpoint.

Thus, just because people may own and read a bible or can readily access material online does not mean that they will actually read it and if they do, they may not actually understand it. Moreover, placing one's complete trust in well-crafted sermons delivered by well-educated eloquent speakers may not produce the results we need to grow spiritually. So, how does a true follower of Christ learn spiritual truths while avoiding false teachings? The answer is quite simple, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit of God to guide us and teach us by translating the truths of heaven we would never spiritually mature.

Thus, the early believers were probably at a great advantage over today's Christians that spend most of their time growing intellectually and less time growing spiritually. Either way, the early believers had the same Spirit to teach them the very same truths as we have today. Also, Satan worked just as hard back then as he does today trying to deceive mankind with all kinds of lies and half-truths. "The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, in order that judgment will come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Subsequently, we remain in a time of deception and this is why we need to be diligent in placing our trust for spiritual truth solely in the Holy Spirit. "You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." (1 John 2:20-29).

Additionally, you have probably heard the expression that "we must rightly divide the word of God," but have you ever really wondered what this means? This often-used scripture, 2 Timothy 2:15, actually reads (from various translations), "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (KJV); "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (ESV); "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (NIV); and "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (NASB). You may have noted that nowhere does it say, "Rightly dividing the word of God;" instead it speaks of rightly dividing or accurately handling the "word of truth."

Some will argue that 2 Timothy 2:15 means to "rightly divide the Bible," but when Paul wrote this there was no bible, just Old Testament scriptures. Therefore, in context, Colossians 1:3-6 tells us quite clearly what the word of truth is. "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, about which you have already heard in the "word of truth," the gospel that has come to you."

Moreover, Ephesians 1:13-14 states, "And in Him, having heard and believed the "word of truth"—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession, to the praise of His glory." Finally, James 1:18 states, "He chose to give us birth through the "word of truth," that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creation." Therefore, the "word of truth" is in fact the gospel message! Having faith in Jesus Christ through the gospel of salvation, we become new creatures, citizens of heaven.

Nevertheless, this is not how most so-called "bible scholars" use 2 Timothy 2:15 and many would probable seek to argue this issue because it does not agree with their well-established traditional viewpoint. Therefore, please understand that the intent of this message is for clarity, not for the sake of argument. In fact, the scriptures tell us to, "Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which is in no way profitable and leads its listeners to ruin. Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 14-15).

Thus, with a clearer understanding of where the widely used term "word of truth" comes from, let's address what Paul meant when he wrote that we should "rightly divide" the word of truth. The term "rightly dividing" used here in 2 Timothy 2:15 translates into one single Greek word. This word is a form of the Greek verb "orthotomeo," which only appears this one time in the New Testament. Moreover, in New Testament times, orthotomeo was primarily a civil engineering term used, for example, as a road building term. The idea was to cut straight, or to guide on a straight path. Hence, the word describes the cutting of a roadway in a straight manner and without deviation. The term orthotomeo was also used as a mining term meaning to drill a straight mine shaft whereby miners could travel through this shaft quickly and safely.

Furthermore, it is important to note that there is another Greek word, katatomeo, which translates to mean "to cut into sections." This Greek term is the one misused by those who describe the "rightly dividing the word of truth" as a dissection of the scriptures. However, this is not the Greek word used by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15. Yet, Paul does use the Greek word katatomeo (cutting up) in Philippians 3:2 stating, "Beware of those who would divide you up." Thus, the proper meaning of orthotomeo, "rightly dividing" the Word of truth, is not intended to divide, but means that we are to teach the scriptures accurately – straight to the point. Moreover, this would mean to teach the scriptures in their totality without the influence of false teachings, manmade traditions, and other such influences.

Paul also clearly defined the importance of the written scriptures for believers. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16). Nonetheless, we are cautioned by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:23-26, "But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will."

Thus, the "Word of Truth" is in fact the gospel of Jesus Christ who, became flesh and made His dwelling among us to surrender His own life for the salvation of all who choose to do the same; they, in-turn, must surrender their own lives to follow Him. Unfortunately, many of today's Christian scholars embrace the lofty belief that they are the wise keepers of the spiritual truths of the kingdom of heaven. These scholars walk the same path as their predecessors, the Scribes and Pharisees, before them. These are those who, instead of seeking spiritual wisdom from above, feed their human intellect with half-truths sabotaged by their own understanding and even worse by Satan himself. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12).

Hence, this is the age we now live in, governed by religious leaders who practice manmade teachings and traditions without realizing the great danger these false doctrines place their unknowing congregations in. "For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So, they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Jesus said, "False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible." (Matthew 24:24). We must seek the Holy Spirits guidance and not mankind's when it comes to spiritual truths.

Consequently, "The message of the cross (the rightly divided Word of Truth) is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25).

Chapter 10 – We Need Unity in the Body of Christ

The Lord Jesus the Christ gave us just two commandments to follow. "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus wants the whole world to experience the love of God and His intent is that mankind will share in this love with one another as we seek to spread God's love around the world.

Before departing this earth Jesus, while praying to the Father, implored His true followers, the Church, to be united as one body while we serve the kingdom here on earth. Moreover, Jesus said, "But now I am coming to You, and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they (the true followers of Christ) may have My joy fulfilled within them. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth." (John 17:13-19).

Therefore, it is evident that the Lord knew Satan, the spirit of this world, would look to divide His living Church through deception, lies, all kinds of envy, strife, etc. Thus, it was for this reason Jesus made the following plea to the Father: "I am not asking on behalf of them alone (His disciples who were with Him), but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one— I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me. Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me. And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:20-26).

Hence, it is easy to see Jesus' desire for His Body here on earth was for unity among all as we serve the kingdom of heaven fulfilling the will of the Father. However, many who claim to follow Christ today are greatly divided and for many different reasons. Some of these reasons include differing doctrines, denominational barriers, individualized traditions, and the list goes on. However, these reasons can be defined as nothing more than selfish desires, disobedience, worldly thinking, and of course the constant influence of the adversary Satan. The adversary's ploy to divide and conquer is well evidenced by the many denominational division around the world, each believing themselves to hold the truths to Christian living and none even close to the truth.

Yet, this should come as no surprise to the true followers of Christ. As we who are in Christ continue to serve the kingdom with one another, the rest of the so-called Christian society goes on living as natural man. They have created for themselves a modern Christian Religion that is splintered into many differing factions. These establishments are governed by various manmade traditions and false doctrines responsible for the division among them. However, this is not new, the early Church suffered from these same effects. The Apostle Paul emphasized what true Christian should to follow, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Moreover, Paul wrote, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

Regrettably, today's modern Christian Religion is nothing more than a multitude of Laodicean assemblies (see Revelations 3:14-22) who follow false doctrines that appeal to those who attend these spiritually lethargic establishments. Instead of seeking to find unity in the Body of Christ (the Church), they would rather defend and preserve their manmade doctrines and practices than to open their hearts and minds to the true teachings of Jesus. It is no wonder the members of these congregations remain spiritual babes in Christ. They will never spiritually mature until they turn away from human teachings that do nothing more than stunt their spiritual growth.

Paul wrote, "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:1-9).

Thus, true followers of Jesus should distance themselves from these manmade false mini-kingdoms here on earth. I have found no greater fellowship and growth than that experienced ministering to the lost and needy of this world alongside others who are led by the Spirit to do the same. I have learned more about the kingdom of heaven in one day ministering to the needy than I learned over decades attending these manmade churches. The harvest is plentiful and the true workers of the Lord are few. Therefore, we do not have time to become entwined in the worldly practices produced by today's Christian Religion. We who are called by God should seek to unite in love and purpose as we serve the kingdom of heaven as one body.

Finally, we must be a light unto the world to include those who have been ensnared by the divisive divisions created by these manmade institutions. "We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: "The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me." For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:1-6).

Chapter 11 – Walk by Faith

True Christians, those who have fully surrendered everything to follow Christ, must learn to walk by faith. The world teaches that we should always look before we leap. Otherwise, we can fall into unseen traps and potentially suffer harm from unknown threats. This type of thinking teaches us the street smarts needed to keep ourselves out of trouble in the world around us. Hence, because we have had to learn to be cautious in our lives here on earth it is quite difficult for many who desire to live for Christ to learn to walk by faith. Yet, we are clearly told we should not walk in the ways of our former lives and instead walk by faith placing our full trust in the Lord. "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Furthermore, we who are in Christ (born-again) have been given a helper, the Holy Spirit, to be our guide, teacher, and comforter in this world. We are truly foreigners in a strange land here in this world and even with our best efforts we cannot navigate this life without the help of our Lord. Moreover, this includes whatever decisions we make in our personal lives, whatever ministry efforts we engage in, when we pray, fellowship, etc. Unlike the way the world operates, we must learn to step out in faith placing total trust in the Lord in all we do without leaning on our own understanding.

Therefore, the Lord has promised to guide our steps each day as we set out to serve the kingdom. He will lead our purpose showing us what we should know, who we will minister to, when we should stay or go, and where He wants us. As we place our full trust in Him, just as we did when we were spiritually reborn, He will provide everything we need to serve Him. We must live a daily life of surrender just as our Lord did for us when He came down from heaven and died for us. The Lord places the Holy Spirit within us when we are spiritually transformed and we need to learn to get out of His way and let Him have control.

Hence, the very essence of what it means to walk by faith is to blindly follow Christ into the unknown and not worry about anything. "We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). Thus, the key here is that we surrender our purpose and will to allow our lives to be governed by the Fathers' purpose and will. This is possible only for those in Christ, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). Yet, this is an impossible life for those who remain unsaved or for immature born-again Christians that just won't let go.

Consequently, the Christian that walks by faith on a daily basis will find a life filled with blessings, peace, and joy as they place all their needs, worries, and cares in the hands of the Lord. Every day here on earth is another opportunity to serve the kingdom of heaven fulfilling the will of our heavenly Father. However, if we fail to place the Lord first in our lives (the first commandment) or fail to place the needs of others in front of our own needs (the second commandment) we will find our lives to be unfruitful and meaningless to the kingdom of heaven. We all should understand the difference as we lived worldly in our former life here on earth.

Accordingly, if we stop and listen to the voice of God, we will learn to see His power in a way that is goes beyond human understanding. We will experience His full love as He ministers to our feelings, emotions, wishes, desires, as we grow, learn and endure the many trials we will go through here on earth. "The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him. And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: "This is the way. Walk in it." (Isaiah 30:20-21). Thus, if we walk by faith and trust in Him alone, He will keep our path straight.

Thus, we can find peace in the midst of any storm if we set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. "Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3). However, walking by faith is not always easy and impossible when we lean on our own understanding. It is crucial for those us to live a life based on faith and not on human thinking as the world does.

There are many examples of how easily we can fail to walk by faith when we do not place our trust in Christ. Here is just one of them. One time when Jesus was sleeping in a boat His disciples who were with Him found themselves in the midst of a great life-threatening storm. "The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" "You of little faith," Jesus replied, "why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm." (Matthew 8:25-26). The disciples were reacting based off human understanding and failed to trust that God had the situation under control in spite of the storm around them.

Finally, "So, do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. You need to persevere, so that after you have done God's will, you will receive what He has promised. For, in just a very while little, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls." (Hebrews 10:35-39). The idea of walking by faith is comprehendible to those who remain spiritually dead. Likewise, it holds no value to those who claim to know Christ and yet live their lives just as the world has taught them to live, by placing their trust only in the things they can see or understand. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Chapter 12 – Let your Light Shine

The Apostle John gives us a powerful illustration of how Jesus, the true light of the world, offers hope to this dying world. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). These were not mere words to make a point, and although it may sound like following Jesus is a simple action, this single action presents the greatest life challenge that mankind will ever face in life.

When Jesus said "whoever follows Him," He truly meant that we would have to make the choice to surrender everything in this world to follow Him. He sees our true heart, and no matter what we might think or say we cannot hide from Him the true intentions of our heart. Many make the claim to know Jesus, but us knowing about Him is not what really matters. The only thing that matters for us in the end is that Jesus truly knows us. If not, those who deceive themselves and reject the true gospel will find out in the end they will never enter heaven. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

Therefore, we each have to make the choice to either walk away from our lives in this world to follow Jesus, or to reject the gospel and hold onto our lives in this world. The Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, remains an everlasting force for all who choose to become citizens of heaven. Furthermore, once a we are spiritually reborn and placed into Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us as our guide who will navigate our lives through the darkness of this world.

From the very beginning of time, when the Lord created the heavens and earth, the world was free of darkness of sin. However, Satan, the spirit of this world, brought darkness into this world when he caused mankind in the garden causing Adam and Eve to disobey. Satan continues to spread darkness throughout this dying world every day. However, God offers this world an everlasting light source to offer hope and salvation through His only Son Jesus the Christ.

In spite of mankind's sinful and disobedient ways, the Father offer's a Light of hope for everyone who will repent of their sinful life in this world to follow Jesus. "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5). Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5). Moreover, before departing this world Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to indwell His disciples to make them the light of this world.

Therefore, everyone who surrenders their lives in this world to serve the kingdom of heaven will become a light of hope to this dying world. However, Jesus also tells us what will be the result of rejecting the gospel. "So therefore, every one of you who does not give up all that he himself possesses, is not able to be My disciple." (Luke 14:33). Therefore, the time is now if you have not given over all that you are to become a humble follower of Jesus. If you should wait because you suppose there is still time it is you who may hear in the end, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you worker of lawlessness!"

Nevertheless, in spite of this warning many will continue to reject the gospel and choose to live in darkness. "And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that what he has done has been accomplished in God." (John 3:19-21). Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, "Are we blind too?" "If you were blind," Jesus replied, "you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains." (John 9:39-41).

Finally, those who are in Christ remain here on earth to be a light in the darkness offering eternal salvation to all who will come to the light. Jesus said, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness." (John 12:46). "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16). Are you letting your light shine in this world? If not, it is not too late to repent from a life in this world and become a light in the darkness for others to see.

Chapter 13 – The Promise of a Spirit-Filled Life

Before departing the earth, Jesus made it very clear that He would not leave His followers alone here in this world. True to His word, the Lord continues to live within every born-again Christian in the form of the Holy Spirit. Once someone hears the gospel message and chooses to surrender their life here in this world to follow Jesus they are spiritually transformed into a new creation. This transformation, through the spiritual baptism places the believer into the Body of Christ, also known as the Church. Moreover, during this transformation the Holy Spirit is sent from above to indwell the believer to be their guide and teacher here on earth.

However, the Spirit does not indwell anyone until the instant they surrender their heart to the Lord. Moreover, this does not happen through a simple verbal commitment. Nor is it automatic just because someone believes the gospel to be true. Satan believes the gospel to be true and he will surely never attain salvation through its message. Do not be deceived, God sees our true intention and knows the moment of complete surrender. He also knows when someone may accept the gospel intellectually and verbalize their belief, but in their heart, they reject the gospel and decide to hold onto their lives here in this world. Jesus declared, "In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:33).

Thus, Jesus said, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. In a little while, the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him." (John 14:15-21).

Therefore, those who hear the Lords plea for their soul and fully surrender their lives to serve the kingdom of heaven in their heart will receive the advocate. "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me. All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you." (John 14:22-26).

"By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. If anyone says, "I know Him," but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:3-5). Therefore, to walk as Jesus walked is to listen to and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit trusting in full faith that He will never fail you. Conversely, this life is not one that religiously seeks to please God, because in our own strength we could never please Him. Hence, if anyone truly wants to be pleasing to God, they will surrender their own will and allow the Father to have His way with them through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the Spirit-filled life of true followers of Christ is one of humble service to the Father and is not governed by the many manmade doctrines and practices followed by countless people who use the name of Christ. These are those who have never fully surrendered their lives and therefore remain spiritually dead. These so-called local churches are scattered around the world offering a sort of substitute Christian life for those who either do not want to lose their lives in this world. This decision will never produce a true Spirit-filled life and is one instead governed by human effort.

Furthermore, most of these manmade traditions and doctrines have been cleverly designed (knowingly or unknowingly) through time in a way that appeals to one's life here on earth. These teachings are the same as the teachings of the religious minded people who confronted Jesus and cried out for His crucifixion! Just as in those days, today's teachings have been influenced by Satan himself to align the many so-called Christian beliefs with the ways of this world. Sadly, the amount of deception is so great that there are many born-again Christians who are being deceived by these teachings.

This runs counter to a true Spirit-filled life offered to us by Christ. The Apostle John wrote, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever." (1 John 2:15-17). Yet, there are millions of mislead people believing that they are Christians, but instead are simply following religious practices to satisfy their desires in their search for righteousness.

Thus, true Christians must be on guard for these deceptive practices. Jesus told us, "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you." (John 16:13-15). Jesus' true followers listen to the voice of God and not the teachings and practices crafted by man in traditional organizations labeled as the Christian or bible believing churches.

"As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." (1 John 2:24-29).

Consequently, if you are not born-again or are not sure if you are, there is still time to fully surrender your life and ask the Father to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Once you have done this you will experience the power of the Spirit as He guides your paths in true righteousness. For those of you who already are born-again and have been deceived by manmade teachings and traditions, Repent! You must turn away from the ways of this world and instead live to do the will of the Father. Only then will you experience a Spirit-filled life.
Chapter 14 – What is it you Treasure Most?

We live in a world that offers tremendous opportunity for growth and wealth, countless pleasures to meet our hearts desire, and more. Yes, for those who are doing well and maintain a positive outlook on life this world is awesome. However, for those who experience poverty, detrimental life changing circumstances, loss, and pain the outlook in this world is just the opposite. Moreover, a reality that often goes unnoticed for both rich and poor alike is what happens in our lives beyond life in this world. All of mankind will experience eternity, but just as on earth there are two extreme conditions one might experience, just as the rich and the poor, eternity offers a similar dual existence. However, this existence will be eternal, not temporary, and mankind will either experience eternal life or eternal suffering forevermore.

Thus, it is paramount for each of us to consider where our hearts are concerning our eternal condition. We are all offered an opportunity to choose between eternal life and eternal suffering. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers hope and salvation for those who choose to turn away from their lives here on earth for an eternal life in heaven. The lake of fire, created for the devil and his angels, is waiting for all of mankind who choose to reject the good news Jesus offers and instead hold onto their lives in this world serving their own personal desires. Hence, all the joys and hardships, wealth and poverty, and opportunity and despair this world has to offer will perish one day leaving each of us with an eternity that will be based on our own personal choice concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Consequently, if we choose to adhere to the gospel, surrendering everything in this world to follow Christ, we will find ourselves foreigners in a strange world. A world filled with people who have made the choice to reject the gospel to live life as they desire. This world is full of "every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, hatred, envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice, gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful people." (Romans 1:29-30). This is a world ruled by Satan, the spirit of this world, who intentionally seeks to create hardships for those who choose heaven and reject this world.

Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14). This world offers a broad way that most in this world will follow, and those who are true followers of Christ will find themselves going against the flow of this world. This is a flow that leads to eternal suffering, but the few who choose to enter through the narrow gate will experience eternal life in heaven.

Furthermore, those who choose the broad path here in this world choose to serve the spirit of this world. These self-centered worldly people, "Invent new forms of evil, disobey their parents, and are senseless, faithless, heartless, and merciless." (Romans 1:31). Therefore, it is not hard to understand that unsaved people of this world have a very different value system compared to the few who choose to follow Jesus. Whereby, they value the temporary things offered in this world while those who are in Christ value eternal things only found within the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus tells His disciples, "Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15). "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21). Thus, if we are focused on the things of this world our hearts will be consumed by meaningless things that feed our fleshly desires. Conversely, if we are focused on things above, heavenly things, our hearts will be consumed by everything that is good and pleasing to God.

Beware, the spirit of this world is like a strong magnet and if we take our focus off of heavenly things, we can find ourselves pulled into the flow of this world. Regrettably, many who claim to know Christ are guilty of chasing their dreams in this world and in doing so compromise a true walk with the Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do." (Romans 7:15). Consequently, a life focused on this world can easily lull believers into a worldly life quenching the Holy Spirit blinding them from the error of their way.

Regrettably, many have fallen into this snare set by Satan to the point they no longer even have a desire to live for the Lord. They end up chasing the things of this world such as self-centeredness, fame, wealth, and the many other worldly pleasures. It is important to understand that the adversary is always at work in an attempt to neutralize a Christians walk with the Lord. Understand this, things such as feeding the desires of the flesh, gaining fame, gaining wealth, etc. are all ploys of the devil to keep mankind from focusing on what is most important, the things of the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, we must understand that Jesus took a strong stand against the ways of this world. This includes things like storing up treasures for ourselves in this world as opposed to storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven. One of Jesus' parables made this illustration for us. "The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. So, he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?' Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!"' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?' This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21).

However, today there are countless leaders who claim to follow Christ, but either knowingly or unknowingly are nothing more than pawns of Satan. They teach their false doctrines and practices in countless manmade establishments calling themselves Christ centered or bible believing churches. They have a form of godliness, but instead they mislead millions of willing participants who live compromised lives in this world. These so-called Christians are the ones who have already decided in their hearts to reject the true gospel and embrace a counterfeit gospel that offers them half-truths that appeals to their worldly desires.

Moreover, these spiritually lifeless establishments led by wolves in sheep's clothing are deeply rooted in Satan's plan to rob mankind of eternal life. These pawns of Satan proclaim that God wants Christians to gain great fame and wealth here on earth. Additionally, they teach that we should enjoy all the riches of this world because we are God's heirs and deserve the finer things in life. Heretics! However, the true children of God must turn away from a desire to store up worldly treasures while avoiding the treasures of God. We must be on alert for the many ploys of our adversary knowing he will never stop until his end. Therefore, understand our riches come from above and all of our needs will be tended to by our Lord if we seek His kingdom above all else. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33).

Finally, we who serve the kingdom have the assurance that all of our worldly needs will be met by our heavenly Father. Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." (Luke 12:22-23). "And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. For the nations of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:29-34).
Conclusion

I pray that in reading this collection of messages you have been blessed with a greater understanding of what it means to truly serve the kingdom of heaven. Moreover, I pray that you will continue to grow spiritually as you are being perfected by the Holy Spirit each day forward. Furthermore, if while reading this book you realized that you were in need of a true relationship with Jesus that if you have not already fully surrendered your life you will do so before it is too late. Each day until Jesus' return we must allow the Holy Spirit to bind us together in love and purpose as we seek to do the will of the Father here on earth. Also, I pray one day soon the one true living Church will unite in love and purpose so that we can pray, fellowship, and share the love of God with one another and be a shining light testimony to the whole world. There are no heavenly divides in the Body of Christ ordained by God. The scriptures mention no acceptable denominational factions and no acceptable reasons to not congregate with others who are living a righteous life for the Lord. This is a ploy of the adversary to divide and conquer. We as God's people need to grow up (mature) in our walk with the Lord and follow the example set by Jesus. We must pray that God will lead others who are true followers of Christ into our paths to provide opportunities for fellowship, growth, and prayer as we continue to serve the kingdom of heaven. "Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:21). Finally, I pray God will bless your life and I look forward to spending eternity with each of you forevermore. God bless you today and forever! Feel free to contact me at: hensome.onebody@gmail.com. Amen!

The End
About Hen Soma-One Body Ministries

This Spirit led ministry is focused on serving the kingdom of heaven with fellow Christians united to do the will of the Father. Hen Soma-One Body Ministries (Hen Soma is Greek for One Body) is not connected to any traditional religious denominational/non-denominational institution. Instead, we believe there is only 'one body,' the true living Church called by the Father to do His will every day. We seek to follow the teachings of Jesus as opposed to the many differing 'doctrines' that cause division and divide among true followers of Jesus. Jesus prayed, "That all of them (followers of Christ) may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me (John 17:21)." The desire of this ministry is to help unite Christians from around the world to share prayer requests, fellowship, and spirit-led teachings inspired by God. As servants of heaven, we seek to fulfill the commission from our Lord to reach the whole world with the "Good News."

About the Author

Dr. Steven J. Bassett grew up in New York as one of ten siblings. He graduated high school in 1976 and entered the United States Air Force that same year. It was on June 6, 1982 when he personally met his savior Jesus Christ. Since that day, in spite of his many shortcomings, the Lord has continued to shape his life to serve alongside others who have experienced spiritual rebirth and are part of the Church, the Body of Christ. He now resides in New Jersey and is blessed with a beautiful family, wonderful fellowship, and best of all eternal life found in Jesus.

From the author: I have been greatly blessed by the Lord in putting this this book together focused on issues of spiritual growth for the true Christian who seeks to serve the kingdom of heaven. I pray you have been blessed as you have read through this book. You can also download these other free e-book's at https://www.smashwords.com to enhance your own spiritual growth: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ: God's Gift for Mankind," "Walk as Jesus Walked - Volume I: The Teachings of Jesus," and "Walk as Jesus Walked - Volume II: Growing in Christ."

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