

### Walk as Jesus Walked

### Volume I: The Teachings of Jesus

Copyright 2018 Dr. Steven J. Bassett

Published by Dr. Steven J. Bassett at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to your favorite ebook retailer to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.
Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Are You Following the Teachings of Jesus?

Chapter 2 - This World Is Not Our Home

Chapter 3 - We Need to Be Christ-like

Chapter 4 – We Must Avoid Hypocrisy

Chapter 5 - Salvation: More than a Simple Prayer

Chapter 6 - Good Soil Produces a Great Crop

Chapter 7 - Jesus Is the 'Word of God'

Chapter 8 - We Must Do the Will of the Father

Chapter 9 - Be in Prayer Always

Chapter 10 - Do the Things Jesus Said and Did

Chapter 11 – Jesus Rules All of Creation

Chapter 12 - The Bread of Life

Chapter 13 - Are You Walking as Jesus Walked?

Chapter 14 - Avoid Manmade Traditions and Doctrines

Chapter 15 - We Need Unity in the Body of Christ

Conclusion

About Hen Soma-One Body Ministries
Introduction

The following collection of messages were derived from separate Hen Soma-One Body Ministries "Word for Today" online postings titled "The Teachings of Jesus." On the surface it is often assumed that most people have a pretty good idea of what Jesus taught. However, just how much do you really know about what Jesus taught? How do His teachings apply to those who claim to be Christians? You would be surprised how little those who claim to be a Christian know about what Jesus taught. Thus, this series on the Teachings of Jesus is essential for all who wish to experience spiritual growth and a better understanding of how to walk as Jesus walked. If you are one of the few who already know these teachings then this book will reinforce and bless you as you continue to grow in your walk with Christ. It is important to note that each one of the messages in this book were posted on separate occasions over a period of several months. Consequently, some portions of these messages may appear to be redundant to you as the reader, but this is only because the original postings took place over a broader span of time than it may take you to read this book. Furthermore, the chapters in this book are not sequential or in series and can be read in any order as each message was derived at separate times from the Spirit of God. As followers of Christ it is essential we learn to walk as Jesus walked. Therefore, the best place to begin in our walk is with what Jesus taught as recorded in the bible. Once we learn to walk as Jesus walked, we will begin to enjoy a life filled with faith, hope, and love. If we fail to know and follow the teachings of Jesus, we can quickly find ourselves living a life filled with fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. My prayer is the Lord will use these messages to inspire you to live a deeper spiritual life as you grow and learn how to walk as our Lord walked. Moreover, I pray these messages will further equip you as a servant of our Lord to inspire others to walk as He walked. Furthermore, if you are unsure if you are spiritually reborn and received the gift of eternal life my prayer is the Spirit will use these messages to plant and water the seeds of faith and bring you to repentance and full surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, I pray these messages will help the Church to unite all 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 spiritually grow in the understanding of the Father's purpose for your life here on earth. "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6). Please feel free to share any comments or questions concerning these messages at hensoma.onebody@gmail.com. Amen!
Chapter 1 - Are You Following the Teachings of Jesus?

As Christians, it is essential we live our lives according to the teachings of Jesus in order to walk as He walked. "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6). Disappointingly, over the years I have been surprised by just how many who claim to be Christians, many who are regular churchgoers, have little or no idea what Jesus taught and how essential these teachings are for one's spiritual growth. Some say they have heard these principles from teachings in weekly sermons or bible studies, but most say they really can't recall the specifics from these teachings. Do you the reader actually know the teachings that Jesus provided for His true followers to live by? Well, if you have any doubt you can understand why this series on the Teachings of Jesus is essential for your spiritual growth. If you're one of the few who are confident that you know these teachings then this book will reinforce and bless you with continued growth in your walk with Christ.

Today's modern churches place their primary emphasis on the fact that the teachings of Jesus are simply intended to bring the unsaved of the world into the kingdom of heaven. Regrettably, because of this, many churchgoers have little or no understanding of how the teachings of Jesus apply to the life of a person once they become a Christian. Moreover, many who claim to be Christians spend a great deal of time focused on the teachings of the Apostles found in their letters to early believers and almost no time on the actual teachings of Jesus. Let there be no mistake, it is a great thing to know the scriptures inspired by the Word of God Himself, Jesus. The scriptures contain the instructions and ingredients needed to make us wise for salvation through faith in the Son of God. In fact, "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 3:15-17). However, there is still far too little focus on the importance of what Jesus taught as found in the four Gospels and how these teachings apply to Christian living.

Modern traditional manmade doctrines place such a heavy focus on how the Gospels provide the good news of salvation for those who are unsaved that the teachings of Jesus for His true followers are overlooked. Truthfully, the focus of these traditional teachings place little or no emphasis on the hard things that accompany what Jesus taught concerning how Christians should live. There are many examples of this throughout the Gospels, here is just one from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man." (Luke 6:20-22).

Yet, many of today's manmade doctrines teach that Christians should be blessed with great prosperity not wanting for anything and they achieve this by claiming whatever they want in Jesus' name. Sadly, they also teach that if we do not get what we ask for it is because we lack faith. Others teach that the Lord wishes Christians to find happiness in a comfortable life here on earth while enjoying all of the harmless pleasures this world has to offer. Once again, this teaching is based on living a life focused on the pleasures of this world. Some teachings even implore Christians to maintain a good reputation in the world even if it means they have to soften the teachings of Jesus (water down) to not offend others. In other words, compromise the message for the comfort of one's self and of others. All of these teachings are contrary to what Jesus taught us about how His true followers should experience life here on earth.

Jesus said that for the few who choose to surrender their lives to follow Him they can expect to experience suffering, hunger, and public ridicule for His namesake. This does not sound like Christians can expect to live a comfortable life while here on earth unless they are willing to compromise their faith. The truth is, for someone to live the comfortable life spoke of in these manmade doctrines all they have to do is choose to live life as they did before their so-called surrender of their lives to serve the kingdom of heaven. This is exactly what the spirit of this world desires, to have people who "claim" to be Christians pay no regard to what Jesus taught. However, true Christians cannot compromise there walk to live as the world does because the Holy Spirit will continue to teach and guide them toward righteous living for the heavenly Father. Thus, those claiming to be Christians and yet who continue to live as the world does are deceived and continue to live to please their father (Satan).

Jesus taught us that in the end there will be a great blessing for all who do endure the hardships of this world. "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers (religious teachers) treated the prophets in the same way." (Luke 6:23). However, for those who disregard His teachings, Jesus had a very different message. "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way." (Luke 6:24-26).

You see, for the true Christian this world is not our home and we are not to store up treasures while here on earth. On the contrary, we are called to take whatever we are blessed with (time, money, etc.) and share it with others who are suffering from lack of earthly needs. Manmade doctrines, based on tradition handed down through the years, tell us to give all of our resources to the "local church." This way the leaders of these establishments can spread these resources around to the needy as they see fit. Unfortunately, far too many do this only after they balance their budgets driven more on wants than on true needs. Only after paying their bills do they ponder how to disseminate the remaining resources. Sadly, there is usually only a small percent of the offerings left over to donate to whatever good cause these religious organizations decide to support. The real travesty is many of these local church organizations make these donations (usually quite piously) to take credit for the good things they are doing for the Lord. On the surface this does not seem to be a bad way to give to those in need, but by doing this are we truly being good stewards with the blessings handed down to us from above intended for the needy? Regrettably, many who claim to know Christ default to this method of giving because it is convenient or because they don't want to invest the time and effort to minister to the needy in the world around them.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, be careful not to squander what the Lord has blessed you with. We must humbly be good stewards as we seek to walk as Jesus walked until the day we are called to heaven. Paul wrote, "Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13). The true Christian has one purpose on this earth, the same purpose Jesus had, to serve the kingdom of heaven. This means we must live to do the will of the Father and not to serve our own will. Furthermore, we are not called to do the will of some local church, pastor, priest, reverend, etc. It was for this reasons Jesus taught, "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, true Christians cannot place their trust in people or some local church, they must place total trust and faith in Jesus and not in what some religious organization is telling them to do. This in no way means Christians should avoid meeting with others who either intentionally or unintentionally make the claim to be Christians and yet are blindly misled by the traditions and false doctrines taught in countless modern-day churches. Moreover, a great deal of these so-called local churches are filled with true born-again Christians who are being deceived by traditions and false doctrines and need to hear, know, and follow what Jesus taught.

Therefore, the true Christian should look to fellowship with others who truly follow Jesus and look to minister to those who claim to know Christ and yet have never surrendered their lives to serve the kingdom of heaven. Your life in Christ might be the only truth they will experience and through you the Lord can share the true things of God. In the same way, we cannot neglect meeting with others who belong to the Body of Christ (the Church) to be used by our Lord to minister to one another's needs. This is how the Lord keeps His Body spiritually healthy. Finally, it is essential we meet with our brethren to learn one another's needs and allow us as good stewards to give generously to one another as each need.

These are not my teachings; they are the teachings of Jesus. "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!" (Matthew 7:24-27).

Hence, build your foundation on Jesus, the true "Word of God," and not on the many manmade traditions or doctrines that are the product of human thinking and not capable of fostering spiritual growth. Those who choose to continue to follow these false teachings are as blind as the scribes and Pharisees who confronted Jesus with their religious practices. Remember, they were so unwavering in their efforts to hang onto their manmade traditions and doctrines it drove them to the point of killing Jesus to shut Him up. The true Christians, those called to serve the kingdom of heaven, must live a life led by the Spirit following the teachings of Jesus and anxiously awaiting the return of our Lord. Amen!
Chapter 2 - This World Is Not Our Home

Jesus did not mince words when it came to telling His followers how they must live here on earth. He illustrated this both in word and deed teaching us to be servants of the kingdom of heaven. What's more, He made it quite clear His true followers are not to make this earth their home by striving for a comfort filled life here on earth. On the contrary, He taught that this is exactly how the lost people of this world seek to live. For true Christians, our comfort comes from above and we must place our full trust in the Father to meet our needs, just as He said He would. Moreover, Jesus said for those who live to serve the Lord in this life there will be great treasures in heaven to be enjoyed for eternity. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21). Christians must have their hearts and minds firmly fixed on serving the Father in heaven and not the spirit of this world.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "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). We are called to be a light unto the world, and yet if choose to live as the world does, as we did in our former lives, we will shine no brighter than the unsaved of this world. Thus, what we place our focus on in our lives each day, what we desire, is what governs our walk with Christ. Jesus taught, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your vision is poor, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23). Although it may be difficult at times, we must always choose to go against the flow of this world. In doing so, we then must be prepared for the many trials and difficulties that will accompany our decision to walk as Jesus walked. However, if you live by faith trusting in the Father, He will surely bless you for He alone sees the true intent of your heart.

Jesus commanded us to do just two things. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27). However, there are far too many who continue to neglect these commands as they take it upon themselves to continue to live their lives in a way whereby, they place themselves first. This is just as the spirit of this world teaches. For instance, it is human nature for us to pass judgment on others and we all have probably found ourselves doing this from time to time. Yet, Jesus tells us this type of behavior is unacceptable. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37). Left to our own demise we would all surely fail at keeping the commandments set forth by Jesus. However, we have a savior who clearly understands we cannot keep His commandments on our own. This is why He sent us the Holy Spirit who, through faith, makes all things possible if we place our full trust in God to help us.

Jesus taught us to open our hearts and love everyone no matter who they are or what they may have done to us or to others. Although we may despise the many sins we and others are ensnared by, we must never neglect to show love to the sinner. Our Lord Jesus is a friend to sinners; otherwise, how will they ever hear the good news that will lead them out of sin and into eternal life. Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48). It is critical for the Christian to understand that we cannot walk as Jesus did in our own strength. Everyone who has ever tried and failed knows this to be true. This world is not our home, heaven is! The true follower of Christ will seek to live a spirit-filled life allowing the love of God to shine through them and in return will give all of the glory and honor to God. Amen!
Chapter 3 - We Need to Be Christ-like

Acts 11:1 tells us that the disciples in Antioch were the first who were called Christians. This was a term describing those who followed the Lord Jesus Christ. This term is also synonymous with the expression Christ-like meaning "like Christ." There are many who claim to be Christian and yet they do so only in word and never act upon their claim. "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6). To walk as Jesus walked is to be Christ-like. Jesus commanded us to love God first, and then to love everyone else. In doing so we allow the Lord to shine through us as we shine as glowing lights proclaiming the Gospel to the whole world.

Therefore, if we make the claim to be a Christian, we cannot serve two masters. We will either serve the Spirit of God or we will serve the spirit of this world. This is a daily struggle for all who choose to follow Christ. The spirit of this world teaches mankind to practice self-indulgence, religious practice, pagan rituals, and even produces an appeal for manmade doctrines taught in the name of Christ and yet lead many to destruction. All of these things, and so much more, are contrary teachings that define what it means to live a godly life. We must live a Godly life that shouts out "I am a follower of Jesus!" Consequently, if one claims they abide in Christ it will be evidenced by whether or not they walk as Jesus walked. This does not mean we must be perfect, only Jesus is perfect; however, we must not have it in our heart to practice sin as the Father knows one's true intention of their heart. Jesus never practiced or condoned a sinful life. On the contrary, He taught us to live a spirit-filled life.

Jesus did not hesitate to call out those who blindly followed traditional teachings based on a human understanding of the written scriptures. Regrettably, it was this practice which caused these religious leaders to become blinded from the truth in the first place. Similarly, those who teach today's manmade traditions and doctrines are following the same practice as the religious Jews who confronted Jesus. They work quickly to discount anything they cannot find within the written scriptures (bible) making the claim that if they cannot align it with a written scripture (often based on their own human understanding) then it must be false and not of God. In doing so they discount countless spiritual teachings and guidance from the Holy Spirit. If these so-called religious leaders would place their full trust in Jesus, the true "Word of God," instead of leaning on their own understanding they would learn to grow spiritually and not just intellectually as the people of this would learn. Without the Spirit mankind can never understand the deep spiritual truths about the kingdom of heaven.

Attempting to serve God through an intellectual relationship has become an all too convenient approach often used by those who seek to maintain the status quo found in modern day manmade traditions and teachings. However, this earthly approach warrants the same rebuke Jesus levied on the spiritually blind religious leaders 2000 years ago. Remember, it was those same religious leaders who crucified Jesus because He failed to agree with and follow their manmade traditions and teachings. The true followers of Christ are called to live by faith, and yet todays religious leaders blindly seek to eradicate anything that violates their many manmade traditions and doctrines. I tell you, for misleading their congregations with these false doctrines they will be judged more harshly than those who they are deceiving.

Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 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).

The Lord did not teach a Gospel that claimed a simple prayer of faith could produce eternal salvation. He taught that we must lose our lives to gain new life. Jesus did not teach that to be a good Christian we must go to a church on Sunday and read the bible. Yet, this is exactly what many manmade traditions and doctrines spread and teach to their congregation's week in and week out. Because of their blindness to the truth these teachers will find out on the final day they should have chosen to live by faith instead of leaning on their own understanding. Jesus taught, "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).

"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 3:16-17). However, the written scriptures (containing only a fragment of God's words) are not the "Word of God" as many will claim; Jesus is the Word of God and always has been. It was Jesus who said, "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 14:23-26).

Jesus never said the bible (the written scriptures) was His word and the Apostles never made this claim either. The written scriptures were not compiled until well after Jesus and his Apostles departed this earth. Once Jesus departed this earth the Holy Spirit was sent to those who become the children of God to teach and guide these true servants of Christ to walk as He walked. He can use the written scripture just as He could use any part of His creation to teach us the spiritual truths we need to know to walk as He walked.

It was Jesus who foretold that He would send the Holy Spirit, who is God, to live within each of His true followers. The written scriptures tell us this same truth as written by the Apostle John. "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 2:26-29). All true born-again Christians, those who surrender all for Christ, must place our complete faith in our Lord Jesus knowing the advocate He promised us, the Holy Spirit, lives within us and will guide us each day as we seek to do the will of the Father. Amen!
Chapter 4 – We Must Avoid Hypocrisy

As followers of Christ, we must be aware that there are countless false teachings being promoted all around the world by would be Christians. The spirit-filled Christian who remains focused on Jesus each day will learn the truth through the Holy Spirit who grants us the knowledge and strength needed to walk as Jesus walked. It takes great sacrifice for someone to follow Jesus and seek to maintain a pure and humble heart that is free hypocrisy and full of the truth. There is little difference between today's religious organizations who call themselves the local church and those religious leaders, the scribes and the Pharisees, who taught manmade traditions and doctrines during the time of Jesus' earthly ministry. Both are guilty of following doctrines derived from human thinking and from cleverly designed deceptions covertly implanted by the devil over the years.

Jesus called out the religious leaders for their misguided traditions. As true followers of Jesus, we need to be prepared to do the same if the Lord should call upon us to do so. Jesus clearly warned us of these false teachers throughout His teachings. In one instance the scriptures tell us "When they crossed to the other side, the disciples forgot to take bread. "Watch out!" Jesus told them. "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They discussed this among themselves and concluded, "It is because we did not bring any bread." Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How can you not understand that I was not telling you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (Matthew 16:5-12).

Those who have made a true commitment to serve the Lord must beware of the yeast of the many false teachings found in today's manmade traditions and doctrines that are based on human thinking. Jesus gave a firm warning against these teachings. "Whoever 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 thrown into the sea." (Mark 9:42). Our Lord's message concerning how we should live is very different than what is being taught in today's modern local churches around the world. Unlike the many watered-down messages being taught today, Jesus taught us that we must make a complete lifestyle change (repent) from the way we were living prior to our salvation. The word repent means to go the other direction (a complete about-face), not just saying I am sorry and please save me because I don't want to go to hell. Yet, this is the diluted doctrine being taught by so many in place of the true Gospel message.

The harsh reality is that we must trade our plush comfortable lives here on earth for a life of sacrifice and suffering. Jesus said, "If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the Gospel will save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34-38). Jesus added, "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, if you have not already done so, you must repent of your worldly life here on earth to serve the kingdom of heaven! The blessing here is that it is not too late for you if you are reading this.

Regrettably, there are many who think they already possess salvation by just saying a simple prayer, yet they are betrayed by this false teaching or false Gospel. The true Gospel tells us that salvation comes from true repentance of a life in this world coupled with a true lifelong commitment to serve the kingdom of heaven. Have you made this commitment or have you based your salvation on a simply prayer in an attempt to save yourself? Is it possible you have been tricked by the modern-day scribes and Pharisees who teach false doctrines offering a false hope? Hopefully, you are not one of so many who have been deceived into believing mere words like, "I believe in you Jesus please save me so I can go to heaven and not hell" will actually give you eternal life. This is not what Jesus taught; He demands of us our very lives and that we live them out (as He did) as servants of the kingdom of heaven as opposed to being servants of our own desires in this dying world.

What would Jesus say about this hypocrisy? He told the so-called believers of His day the same message He is telling the so-called church going believers of our time. "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.' You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men." He went on to say, "You neatly set aside the commandment of God to maintain your own tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your Father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever you would have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift committed to God), he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. Thus, you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters." (Mark 7:6-13).

Your soul is far too important to compromise your eternal future by holding onto the temporary pleasures of this world. Have you fully surrendered your life to serve the Kingdom of heaven? Or instead, are you simply accepting the false teachings found in the many manmade traditions and doctrines being taught in today's modern churches scattered around the world. Serving God is not going to church, it is becoming part of the Church – the Body of Christ! My prayer is, if you have not already done so, you will surrender your life to Christ today to serve the eternal kingdom of heaven. Amen!
Chapter 5 - Salvation: More than a Simple Prayer

There is nothing more important for all of mankind than the question of eternal salvation. Therefore, understanding how one must attain eternal life should be paramount to every person on earth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6). This truly is the difference between eternal life spent in heaven with God the Father and eternal separation from Him where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. With this in mind it should be plain there is no room for error when seeking to understand the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Salvation is a life changing event whereby spiritual rebirth transpires through the act of faith (total trust) and complete surrender whereby one becomes a new creation. Once someone becomes a born-again believer they are filled with the Holy Spirit (God) and all of their sins are forgiven through the sacrificial blood of Jesus. This new life will be evidenced by the fruit of the spirit as the new creation, the born-again Christian, decides to forsake their life here on earth to serve the kingdom of heaven forevermore. In other words, the born-again Christian makes the eternal decision to surrender their own will forevermore and instead live out their lives here on earth to do the will of the Father while serving the kingdom of heaven.

There is a vast difference in the lives of those who are eternally separated from God and those who are eternally saved. Regrettably, there are far too many who make the claim to be a Christian and are in fact victims of a deceptive false doctrine that teaches a cruel lie that will, in the end, leave the one who believes it eternally separated from God. There is no doubt that this ploy is part of Satan's plan. Satan is the father of lies and seeks to rob these would be converts of their very souls. Unlike the true Gospel plan as explained above requiring a full surrender of one's life to serve the kingdom, this well constructed and believable lie requires no more than a simple prayer for salvation. This false teaching claims that stating a simple prayer like, "Jesus you are Lord, forgive me of my sins, I give you my life" is all it takes to be saved by grace. Sadly, nowhere in the bible will you find this simple formula.

On the contrary, there is a far different doctrine that Jesus taught. He requires we literally surrender our lives to serve the kingdom of heaven. Furthermore, Satan's deceitful teaching taught in modern churches around the world usually does not stop there. This hopeless doctrine will then give new so-called converts a set of rules or guidelines to follow like that they must now go to church regularly, read from the bible, remember to pray, and seek to live a godly life and they should be good to go. All of this sounds great! However, you do not have to be a Christian to follow these guidelines as countless religious people do these things all the time.

Jesus knew Satan would deceive the masses with false doctrines filled with deceitful lies. The Lord said we will know the true Christian, those who abide in Him, by their fruit! "Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them. 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 7:15-23).

The book of James tells us, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, "Go in peace; stay warm and well fed," but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead." (James 2:14-17). Today's modern churches are full of religious minded people who are deceived by well-crafted manmade traditions and doctrines. As mentioned, these doctrines are a product of the adversary to fool people with a false sense of salvation, yet never offering true eternal life.

Moreover, most of these doctrines offer watered-down (softened) teachings so as to not offend the growing populations that fill these Laodicean institutions. These traditional religious establishments are spiritually lifeless and the only way they can maintain their existence is by asking for their weekly offerings from those they are deceiving. Therefore, what is the real purpose behind the existence of these spiritually lifeless so-called churches? Is it to fulfil the adversary's plan to deceive as many as he can with a way to satisfy the religious needs of those he has fooled into believing that they are truly a Christian.

These manmade traditions and doctrines do not offer the true followers of Christ with the teachings needed to live a life pleasing to God. On the contrary, the true Christian is called to walk as Jesus walked and not to follow lifeless manmade traditions and doctrines! The true Christian should be out on the streets looking to share what the Lord has blessed them with to others who are in need! This includes sharing the Gospel, time, money, etc. James wrote, "But someone will say, "You have faith and I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that, and shudder! O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?" (James 2:18-20).

Hence, if you are not sure if you are a born-again Christian it is not too late to commit your life to the Lord. If you do not, you will surely perish in the end. The true Christian does not wait for others to take care of those in need, they act! "Continue in brotherly love. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them." (Hebrews 13:1-3). This includes sharing the blessing we receive from the Father with fellow Christians who are in need. "Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality." (Romans 12:13). The true Christian must be ready to share with anyone and everyone the Lord leads us to.

Therefore, you must be ready in season and out of season to do whatever the Lord asks of you. We all must stop serving our own selfish needs and wants and look to give of ourselves to others. "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.' 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 25:31-46).

As previously stated, it is not too late for you to be sure of your salvation! Repent from a worldly life based on satisfying your own desires and surrender your life to serve the kingdom of heaven. It's time to seek the Lord to find out what His will is for your life. The world is full of those who have real needs, won't you join in with our Lord and be used to help them? This is what we are called to do in Christ - to share His love and good news to the world each day until He calls us home. Amen!
Chapter 6 - Good Soil Produces a Great Crop

One of the more recognizable parables Jesus taught was the parable of the sower. "That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." (Matthew 13:1-8).

Jesus continued, "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." (Matthew 13:18-23).

Thus, Jesus tells us even though the seeds are scattered in a way to reach all of the ground (all people), it only produces a crop of but a few. Sadly, there are many who profess to know Jesus and remain unsaved and fall into the category of the seeds that fell among the thorns. These are the people who hear the Gospel message and begin down the path of righteousness doing all the things true Christians do and yet in the end fall short. They become overwhelmed with the worries of this life to include a desire for wealth that ends up choking out the word. They remain lost and unfruitful due to the fact they never truly surrendered their lives to serve the kingdom. Words cannot express how pleased the Father is by those who have heard the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and have surrendered their lives to serve His kingdom. Conversely, there are no words that can express how grieved the Father must be by the even greater number of those who have heard this message and rejected it.

What a sad truth that so many who hear the Gospel will aimlessly reject the good news that offers eternal life. The adversary is relentless in his attack to rob the unsaved of a chance for everlasting life. Although some may experience a short-lived life change once hearing the Gospel, once this world and all it has to offer in the way of pleasures temps them, they are drawn back into a life separated from God. Although they may have understood the good news and maybe even prayed a prayer of salvation, they never turned away from this world to surrender their lives to serve the Lord. Therefore, they were never spiritually transformed and thus remain spiritually dead. Likewise, others who have heard and understood the Gospel message make it a point to go to a church and associate with others who profess to be Christians, but once again because they never fully surrender their lives by repenting from a life in this world, they remain eternally lost.

I pray this is not you, but if you feel it may be, it is not too late for you to fully surrender your life and be saved. If you do not you will spend eternity separated from God. Jesus told us another parable: "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).

Regrettably, far too many are deceived by manmade traditions and doctrines and although countless people who make the claim to be Christian and remain lost will be gathered with the weeds in the end. It is the true Christians, the wheat, whom the Father will use to go among the weeds and bring light into their darkness as they share the good news of the Gospel. However, it is important to know that this does not mean that the true Christian the right to judge those who are lost. Jesus tells us we must love them just as He did, no matter who they are! "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:17–18). Those who are true Christians must allow the Lord to use us to reach the world and we should continuously pray that those who hear the Gospel message that they will be good soil and produce a great crop. Amen!
Chapter 7 - Jesus Is the 'Word of God'

As Christians, it is essential to understand that once we are spiritually reborn (indwelt by the Holy Spirit) the Word of God becomes alive within us. Thus, if we seek wisdom and guidance from our Father in heaven, He will provide it through this same Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the true Christian surrenders their own will to allow the will of the Father to guide them as they serve the kingdom of heaven. This happens in the same way the power of the Holy Spirit guided Jesus throughout His ministry here on earth. Moreover, it is the Spirit that teaches and guides our hearts with the absolute truth concerning the will of God while we are here on earth. Therefore, this truth is not based on what we or someone else might think to be true, but instead is the pure truth that can only come from above.

On the contrary, today's modern local churches through their manmade traditions and doctrines teach that the bible, not the Holy Spirit, is what should govern the life of the Christian. The bible, or written scriptures, is a great tool for Christian growth as it 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 3:16-17). However, what about the Christian that does not have access to a bible? What did the early Church do before the bible was compiled? Were they less equipped? Of course not, if we have the Holy Spirit living within us, we are fully equipped. Only human thinking driven by someone's intellect would cause them to believe that a Christian's growth and strength to walk with God would be stunted without a bible.

The adversary no doubt enjoys authoring false doctrines and lies to cause confusion and misunderstanding among the followers of Christ. He never stops in his attempts to divide, confuse, and mislead those who will listen to his false teachings shared by many who claim to know Christ. If they did know Christ, they would know it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that Christians can grow spiritually. There are many who read the bible and grow intellectually concerning the contents of the written scriptures, but they never gain the spiritual insight because they interpret the scriptures based on human understanding. This then becomes the foundation of how they gain their insight for guidance and direction and often causes them to neglect the leading of the Holy Spirit as their navigation system for their walk here on earth. Thus, even though they may develop their own perception of what they read it may not align with God's true meaning. It then does not matter how much it makes sense to them; it is just wrong. This is the reason there are countless differing doctrines, each based on someone's perception, yet not on target with what God's true meaning was or is from the written scriptures.

The scriptures clearly tell us the Word of God is Jesus, and yet most modern church teachings will tell you that the all-inclusive Word of God is the bible. As stated, the bible is an awesome source for all Christians as it contains the written scriptures (which are based on God's words spoken through His messengers) that provide sound information the Holy Spirit can use while teaching us how to walk as Jesus walked. However, we cannot be naïve to the fact that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has caused an unimaginable amount of growth and guidance in the lives of Christians that have never even seen a bible. Furthermore, all truth comes from above and is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Even without the written scriptures the Lord will reveal all truth to the spirit-filled Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"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." (1 John 2:27). Thus, if we are to truly live our Christian lives by faith, we must offer a far greater freedom for the Holy Spirit to work within us than just what we can wrap our minds around from an intellectual standpoint. Having a personal relationship with Jesus, the Word of God, is what will teach and guide us to know and do what is essential while serving the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was asked, "Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us (His followers) and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word (the one's written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit). 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). Thus, if you truly want to know what the Word of God is, this includes all of the things Jesus taught us to do, then seek to do the will of the Father and have faith to know that through the Holy Spirit we will learn all things we need to know as is revealed according to His purpose.

Hence, once we embrace the truth that Jesus is the Word of God, we need not look any further than Him for the truth. The truth about how to live, what to believe, when to come and when to go, who we should minister to, or which way we should go while serving the kingdom. Jesus freely offers us the truth, and yet if we let the adversary or our intellect get in the way things can get rather confusing for us. "One day an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" Jesus replied. "How do you read it?" He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus said. "Do this and you will live." But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:25-29). It is plain to see that when those who try following Jesus based on their own understanding of the scriptures will end up building their own foundation of what is true and then defend their position even if it means arguing with the author of all truth!

Consequently, in spite of the attempt by the man who confronted Jesus to justify himself Jesus took the opportunity to turn an argument into a learning moment. He told the man, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side. But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, he looked at him and had compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Take care of him,' he said, 'and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.' Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" "The one who showed him mercy," replied the expert in the law. Then Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:30-37).

Thus, Jesus was illustrating what it means to serve the kingdom of heaven. Too often, although we mean well, we pass by the needy believing the Lord will use someone else to meet their needs. We often make excuses such as we are too busy, or we don't want to get attached, or some other excuse to atone for our lack of actions. Yet, it is acting with true compassion and unconditional love toward others that serves the will of the Father. This is what Jesus, the true Word of God, expects of us! This is what serving others means, otherwise we are just living out a self-serving life no differently than the unsaved of this world do. Jesus taught, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses or forfeits his very self? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truthfully, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:23-27).

True Christians will follow the teachings of Jesus that are given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us as we serve the kingdom of heaven. This means we must be cautious not to make the mistake of following our own understanding, living by the opinion of others, embracing traditional denominational practices, or try to develop a cognitive understanding of what the written scriptures means to us. Instead, the true Christian will walk by faith surrendering their whole lives daily to do the will of the Father. It is only then when the realization that it is not how much we know, but rather who we know that counts when it comes to walking as Jesus walked. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit while serving the kingdom of heaven and you will find yourself living within the Father's will for your life. Amen!
Chapter 8 - We Must Do the Will of the Father

The true Christian is called to live their lives according to the teachings of Jesus. Throughout Jesus' ministry, He made it a point to set His own will aside and instead do the will of His heavenly Father. He did this in spite of the fact He possessed the same human nature we have, a nature that cries out for us to satisfy our own selfish will and desires. In the book of Genesis, we learn how Satan appealed to Eve's selfish desire when he tricked her to eat the fruit in the garden. "You will not surely die," the serpent told her. "For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5). Satan, the father of lies, continues to try to fool mankind into believing all kinds of deceptive lies. Just as Jesus told us how it would be in the end times, many who claim to be Christians will find solace in well-crafted manmade traditions and doctrines that teach a likeness of the truth, but are based on false notions.

There is no doubt that Jesus will have much to say to the many teachers spreading these false doctrines. Instead of serving the will of the Father, unknowingly and sometimes knowingly, they serve the purpose of Satan the father of lies. These doctrines contain watered-down and sometimes false teachings that fool congregations into following a lie because it appeals to them. Although these teachers may mean well in their own minds, they are guilty of deceiving their followers into eventual eternal damnation. However, the true Christian depends on the Holy Spirit to teach them the truth about all spiritual matters and guide them in their walk while protecting them from these false teachings.

The Gospels give us many examples of how this deception caused the Jews to sway from the truth as they followed manmade traditions and teachings. For instance, "The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed. Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially. And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining. So, the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: "Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands." Jesus answered them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.' You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men." (Mark 7:1-8). These same words apply to today's modern churches who claim the name of Christ but neglect His teachings. They follow senseless manmade practices and then judge others who choose to reject these well-crafted manmade traditions and teachings! Woe to those who mislead the lost with these worldly notions.

Therefore, for those who seek to live for the Lord and not the practices of mankind there is good news. Jesus taught us a better way, in fact, the only way for us to serve our Father and the kingdom of heaven. Praise God that it is not based on us trying to figure out what we should or should not do to please God. On the contrary, it is simply walking by faith allowing the Spirit to guide and teach us along the way. Furthermore, the true Christian simply needs to let the Father use them any way He sees fit and not worry about what mankind has to say about it. In other words, it is simply living day in and day out to do the will of the Father. Moreover, this is exactly what Jesus taught us in word and deed throughout His ministry. He showed us to live a Spirit-filled life and be in prayer with the Father always. Therefore, if there is something the Father wishes for us to do, He will reveal it to us. God will provide the means and the words to do any and all of His work. Consequently, the true Christian must walk by faith, not by sight and not lean on their own understanding, because Gods ways are not our ways.

During Jesus' ministry His own disciples did not always understand what He was saying when He taught. For example, "Meanwhile, the disciples urged Him, "Rabbi, eat something." But He told them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." So, the disciples asked one another, "Could someone have brought Him food?" Jesus explained, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months until the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest. Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. For in this case the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor." (John 4:31-38).

For this reason, the true follower of Christ need not try to plan what to do for God today or tomorrow. Only the Father has the big picture, Jesus told us this repeatedly saying I do the will of the Father not my own. We need to stop trying to be in control and totally let go trusting that God will guide our steps through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within each true believer. This is what it means to walk by faith. Amen!
Chapter 9 - Be in Prayer Always

The Gospels clearly illustrate how important prayer was in the life of Jesus during His ministry. He was in constant communication with the Father for strength, guidance, and purpose each day throughout His ministry. The ministry of Jesus sets the example for His followers to live to include how they should approach their personal prayer life. The true Christians are called to walk just as Jesus walked. "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6). This world offers so many forms of distraction that we can quickly take our eyes off of Jesus and fall short in our attempts to remain in daily communication with the Father. Between the constant attacks of the adversary, our fleshly needs and desires, and life in general we can easily find ourselves distracted from having a healthy prayer life. However, it is important to understand that it is during (and throughout) these times that we should be all the more diligent to talk with the Father. This is the example Jesus left for us as he was in prayer during the most difficult of times.

A good illustration of how the distractions of life can stymie one's prayer life is found when Jesus' disciples struggled in the garden at Gethsemane the night Jesus was seized. "Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. "Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?" He asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." A second time He went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done." Again, Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy. So, He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing. Then He returned to the disciples and said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! See, My betrayer is approaching!" (Matthew 26:40-46).

Thus, it is plain to see just how easy it is for mankind to find themselves in the same predicament as the disciples in the garden that night. How quickly the events and worries of this world can come upon us and draw our attention off of the Lord. Even though we truly desire to remain in prayer we still will find ourselves distracted by this life. Worse yet, many Christians find themselves in a state of shame due to falling into the snares of the devil or because they are not living a spirit-filled life. This is when Satan will attack their prayer life by trying to make them feel not worthy enough to approach God. However, if this is you don't despair because none of us are worthy. We have a great God who is so patient with us! We simply need to come before the Father with a repentant heart and He will forgive and comfort us. We all struggle in one way or another as Jesus said, " For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:41). However, this is not an excuse for us not to pray, but rather is a reason for us to be more diligent in seeking God's strength in our hardships.

Thus, the true Christian must seek to be in constant prayer; however, if we don't know how to pray it doesn't matter how devoted we may be. For each of us, what we specifically end up asking for in prayer varies from day-to-day driven by our circumstance. Yet, how we intercede is paramount if we should expect an answer from the Father. Jesus said, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward." (Matthew 6:5).

Looking back in my own life, I can remember as a child I was taught to pray a handful of scripted prayers as was common with my religious upbringing. I would pray these memorized prayers over and over again as was what was expected by this religious organization. The only thing these prayers accomplished was maybe a temporary freedom from guilt, but I never really prayed these prayers from my heart, but instead to satisfy the penance levied on me by the religious leaders. It was only after I surrendered my life to Christ that my prayers became alive, real, and meaningful. It was only then that I realized true prayer was not repeating a memorized set of prayers, but instead was having a heart to heart conversation directly with the Father. I also discovered that this dialogue was personal and should be done in secret between the father and myself. Jesus taught, "But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:6).

We must learn to pray from the heart and not so much the mind. The Holy Spirit actually intercedes with and for us to the Father in the same way He did with Jesus when He was praying. Jesus said, "When you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." (Matthew 6:7-8). Hence, prayer is a deep and personal conversation between you and God done out of reverence and trust. "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1). Jesus responded, "So then, this is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours." (Matthew 6:9-15).

Praying these actual words (as many religious traditions teach us to do) was not the message Jesus was delivering, but rather He gave us a pattern to follow when interceding with the Father. Jesus taught we should begin our prayers with worship and praise of our heavenly Father. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name." He then stresses our purpose as servants of the kingdom, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." He then taught us to ask the Father for our daily needs, "Give us this day our daily bread." Then He taught we should intercede for daily forgiveness of our sins and shortcomings asking, "And forgive us our debts." This next part of what Jesus taught about prayer is often overlooked and where most of us fail. Jesus told us to ask God to forgive us just as we forgive those who sin against, "as we also have forgiven our debtors." It is crucial we do not overlook our commandment to love and forgive others who have sinned against us.

The next aspect of daily prayer Jesus taught focused on our daily struggle with our adversary, Satan. Each day we need to remember to ask our Father to protect us from the daily attacks from the wicked spiritual forces of this world, "And lead us not into temptation (meaning guide our way), but deliver us from the evil one." Finally, Jesus reinforces what the attitude of our hearts should be like toward others as we intercede with the Father. "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours." Think about the example Jesus set by forgive others over and over again even while He was dying for us on the cross. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34).

The true Christian should always be in an attitude of prayer throughout each and every day. Although our minds wander and we have the tendency to focus on many things of this world throughout the day, we need to make time to pray from our hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to intercede with and for us unto the Father. Paul wrote, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Ephesians 6:18). "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains." (Colossians 4:2-3). "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19). Amen!
Chapter 10 - Do the Things Jesus Said and Did

For the true Christian, following the things Jesus taught through His words and deeds is essential for us to embrace while serving the kingdom of heaven here on earth. Christians are called to be merciful, compassionate, humble, and bearers of good fruit not just on Sunday's as is the practice of many, but each day. Therefore, the best way to be Christ-like is to practice the things Jesus taught throughout His ministry while here on earth. Thus, if we spend time allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us about what Jesus practiced as found in the four Gospels we will experience spiritually growth in all the areas needed to help us to walk as Jesus walked.

Regrettably, far too many people who claim to be Christians follow their many manmade traditions and doctrines that teach a very different message on how to live as Christians. Consequently, today's modern churches around the world remain divided and confused on how a Christian should live while here on earth. Yet, if we place our focus on living as Jesus taught us to live instead of following these manmade traditions and practices found in countless denominational factions we would find the truth that will lead us in living a fruitful life in Christ.

As you can imagine, the full list of ways true Christians should live here on earth as found in the Gospels is far too great to record here. Therefore, let's begin with exactly what the Lord commanded His followers to do. Jesus commanded us to do only two things. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27). Did Jesus really make it that simple for us? The answer to that question is "Yes," yet as simple as these commandments may seem, living them out is one of the hardest things for us to do. That is why Jesus graciously sent us the Holy Spirit, as He knew that in our own strength we would all fall short.

Thus, for those who only make the claim to be Christian, those who never fully surrendered their lives to the Lord, these commandments are simply impossible to fulfill. Consequently, this is why there is so much backbiting, envy, and countless other sinful practices found within today's modern churches claiming to know Christ. These institutions have been deceived in the same way the Scribes and Pharisees were who ridiculed Jesus for teaching these very commandments. The problem with those who are religious minded is that they have become caught up in their manmade traditions and customs to the point they cannot see the truth. What a blessing it is for the one who frees themselves from the legalistic yokes placed on them by one of these religious practices and teachings.

Jesus was clear in describing the true meaning behind His second commandment. "But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:27-36).

The Lord taught us to love others selflessly no matter who they are or what they may have done to us. This kind of love can only come from above and if we open our hearts, it will shine through us to others. Ironically, if you choose to live this way you will discover that you are living a life that is opposite to the ways of this world. Nevertheless, true Christians should always seek to demonstrate endless compassion with no boundaries just as our Lord did.

Jesus also taught that His disciples must be humble. "Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So, when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:1-4). All too often those who falsely claim to know Jesus (and those true Christians lacking in spiritual growth) make it a point to draw attention to themselves for the things they do in the name of the Lord. The true follower of Christ will secretly minister to those in need sharing the blessings received from above (time, money, etc.) according to the Father's will as they serve the kingdom of heaven.

Furthermore, everywhere Jesus went He taught that we should freely give to those in need. "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.' 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 25:31-46).

Consequently, we will all be judged individually based on the fruit produced from our own individual lives. "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, people do not gather figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from brambles. The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the torrent crashed against that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation. The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it collapsed—and great was its destruction." (Luke 6:43-49). Thus, we who are true Christians must seek to live our lives here on earth the way Jesus taught us to live. Therefore, it is imperative we do not let ourselves get caught up in the many deceptive manmade traditions and doctrines being taught in countless modern-day churches around the world. Jesus taught us to build our Christian foundation upon Him and Him alone. Amen!
Chapter 11 – Jesus Rules All of Creation

It is important for the true Christian to understand that all of creation, everything, is under the Lord's control. Once we have faith in knowing that the Lord is in control of all things we can begin to understand why nothing is impossible with Christ. The written scriptures clearly tell us that Jesus was there at the very beginning when all things were created. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3). "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16). Therefore, we can have full confidence that all of creation was made through and by Jesus and all things are under His control. "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20).

Thus, when mankind (mere humans) seek to maintain control of their own lives, even to the point of rejecting their creator, they will be without excuse in the end when they will face judgement for their sins. A heartbreaking example of this is that atheists who pretend there is no God will in the end pay the price of living a sinful self-centered life driven by sin. Moreover, the same goes for all those who reject God's design for us choosing to live their lives according to their own choosing. Jesus said, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female", and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." (Matthew 19:4-6). Once again, those choosing to live outside the will of God and His design will have no excuse for their sins in the end!

How foolish it is for those who choose to discard our Creators design and instead choose to live out a selfish life only to face judgement with no hope in the end. Much of the reason for man's rejection of God's design is because of the endless lies from the adversary, the devil. Satan is the father of lies and author of the many deceptions designed to keep us forever separated from God. That is why it is written, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen." (Romans 1:25). However, there is hope for those who do choose to repent of their sinful ways because our Lord and creator is merciful and able to forgive all sin. Remember, with God all things are possible. "Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." (Jeremiah 32:17). Therefore, when the final judgment day is upon us woe to those who do not repent of their sins while in this world.

In the same way, misery will come upon those who "claim" to know Christ and yet fail to surrender their lives to serve the kingdom heaven while in this world. Far too many remain spiritually dead because they would rather serve their fleshly desires and hope they will get to heaven based on the false notion that if we are good enough we can somehow or another get into heaven. Nonsense, we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit." You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, whoever knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin." (James 4:13-17).

There is no doubt that the Lord Jesus is ruler of all of creation and He demonstrated this many times throughout His ministry while here on earth. For example, "When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to Him, "They have no more wine." "Woman, why does this concern us?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you." Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water." So, they filled them to the brim. "Now draw some out," He said, "and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!" (John 2:3-10). With absolutely no effort, Jesus turned ordinary water into wine.

Another example of the Lords awesome power over creation was the account of when Jesus walked on water. "When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them. A strong wind was blowing and the sea grew agitated. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified. But Jesus spoke up: "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading." (John 6:16-21). Did you get the last part of this scripture? The boat immediately arrived at the shore showing that Jesus even controls time and space, not only for himself, but for His disciples as well.

Finally, Jesus demonstrated that He even has control over the weather. "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (Mark 4:35-41).

Therefore, Jesus proved repeatedly that nothing is impossible with Him. This includes the forgiveness of all sin and the granting of eternal life to all who surrender their lives through repentance from their lives in this world to serve the kingdom of heaven. Regretfully, all those who reject this Gospel message and choose to hold onto their lives in this world will suffer a very different end than those who truly repent. "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). Amen!
Chapter 12 - The Bread of Life

The true Christian, in spite of their physical needs, must learn that their spiritual needs far outweigh any earthly need they may have. Jesus told us we could gain all the spiritual nourishment we need if we would only eat from the "bread of life." "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (John 6:25-27). Here our Lord is telling us we should not be chasing after the temporary things in in this world, in this case our daily food. The scriptures clearly tell us the Father will provide the daily bread (food) for all of His children, those who are spiritually reborn into His family. Jesus told His disciples that they should not be spending their lives working for the things of this world that will perish such as big homes, boats, jewelry, etc. Instead, His followers should be doing works that serves the kingdom of heaven according to the will of the Father. The disciples asked Jesus, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:28-29).

One day Jesus was asked by His disciples, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread." "The bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:30-40).

It was at this point the religious minded people who had been following Jesus in the crowd began having real problems with His teachings. Complete submission to Jesus was beyond what they expected or wanted. These worldly-minded followers were more interested in satisfying their own needs rather than having a true relationship with the Lord. And once they heard Jesus making the claim to be the bread of life the disciples had heard enough and began to grumble. Jesus said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:41-51).

Therefore, hearing Jesus tell the people He was the bread of life caused the Jews to begin to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them." (John 6:52-65).

Jesus clearly knows who His true followers are. He also knows those who have foolishly made a verbal commitment and yet never repented of their old selfish lives. Just as with the early disciples in the account above, those claiming to be a Christian without fully surrendering their lives to serve Christ will end up falling away from the truth when faced with the choice to give up everything in this world to follow Jesus. For them, this is too great a sacrifice and enough to cause them to walk away as just as those who were following Jesus did. "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. When Jesus saw this he said, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:66-68).

Consequently, we learn from the scriptures and history that in reply to Jesus' challenge eleven of the twelve apostles (all but Judas Iscariot) remained as true followers until the end of their earthly lives. We must answer this same challenge; will we remain to the end? Unfortunately, today there are far too many who make a verbal commitment to follow Jesus but, in the end, never truly fully surrender their lives to serve the kingdom of heaven. Many of those claiming to know Jesus remain deceived by the countless manmade traditions and doctrines telling us it takes nothing more than a simple pray to gain salvation. Yet, because those who believe in this false gospel never fully surrendered their lives to serve the Lord they will suffer a great disappointment when they hear Jesus say, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41). Amen!
Chapter 13 - Are You Walking as Jesus Walked?

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus made it clear both in word and deed how His true followers must live their lives here on earth. As stated many times in previous chapters of this book, modern day "local churches" are filled with people who claim to be Christians yet continue to live their lives just as they always have, focused on satisfying their own fleshly desires. They may have made a verbal commitment to serve the kingdom of heaven; however, they reject the call to completely surrender their lives to the Lord and therefore remain spiritually separated from God. "For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14).

Unfortunately, many of those who hear the call for salvation and are initially drawn to the light never surrender their lives and remain spiritually dead. You see the spiritual transformation that makes one a child of God is eternal and only comes when we are willing to lose our lives for the Lord just as He did for us. This does not happen by simply responding to the call with a simple prayer or promise to live for Christ. Instead, we can only become one of the chosen when we completely surrender our lives in this world to serve the kingdom of heaven by doing the will of the Father by giving up our own will. From the time, the gospel message was first spoken until now many have been called to salvation. However, only a few have chosen to surrender everything and turn their backs on this world and its sinful ways. Only a few will seek to walk as Jesus walked, and yet the scriptures tell us "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6). Consequently, all who do place their full trust in the Lord and choose to repent of living a sinful life here in this world will become spiritually reborn to enjoy eternal life forevermore.

Regrettably, Satan has created an elaborate series of lies to deceive people over the years causing those who listen and believe these lies to remain spiritually dead. Cleverly, Satan has intertwined these lies into today's manmade traditions and doctrines taught to countless people in congregations all around the world. The modern day so-called local church structure is comprised of church buildings filled with countless numbers of those who make the claim to be Christian and yet remain unsaved. They follow false teachings tainted by the adversary to fool so-called believers into believing a multitude of lies. One of the most prominent lies is that a simply prayer can offer salvation to anyone willing to pray the prayer without ever having to sacrifice anything.

However, the Gospel message tells us that salvation comes from much more than a simple prayer; it comes when we must fully surrender our lives to the Lord. Consequently, far too many who have heard and followed this deceitful teaching falsely believe themselves to be Christians yet remain spiritually dead. Thus, anyone can make the claim to follow Jesus, but it only counts if you truly walk as Jesus walked. Judas Iscariot believed in Jesus and even followed Him around as one of His disciples, but in the end, we know he never fully surrendered to serve the Lord. Jesus said, "If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32).

Thus, it is easy to understand why those who have truly believed the lie found in the watered-down teaching that a simple pray has granted them eternal salvation quickly become offended and angry with anyone challenging their belief. However, this should come as no surprise, the Scribes and Pharisees felt the same way when Jesus presented them with many truths that contradicted their belief system. It is human nature to defend our belief system, no one wants to be considered wrong in what they think or believe. You have to admit, surrendering one's whole life seems extreme when you compare it to praying a simply prayer for one's salvation. People are trained to take the path of least resistance and take the simplest route to satisfy their needs, we call this homeostasis. Therefore, if the simple option of praying a sinner's prayer is on the table as opposed to giving up one's whole life it sounds like the smart choice. This is the well-constructed lie Satan sells to people, but not the true Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, how is it that a lie like this been so successful over the years? First off, those who teach this doctrine much like an inoculation shot for the mumps or measles offer it as a simple fix to an eternal problem. Just as going to the doctor for a onetime shot to protect us for a lifetime, people are fooled into praying a simple prayer as a onetime action to inoculate them for a lifetime and give them eternal life saving them from the fires of hell. Sadly, this just is not true! Furthermore, it has become more believable through time as it has become a traditional belief passed down through the ages as a basic default for one's salvation. Mankind throughout the world are taught from the days of their youth to embrace traditions that are passed down from their fathers, mothers, pastors, priests, etc., and most of the time people will refuse to discard these traditions simply out of respect for those who taught them. Moreover, mankind makes it a point to hold onto the traditions and ideas that comfortably fit into their belief system because people do not like to be challenged or to have to deal with change. However, traditions like this, although passed down with good intent, do not align with the teachings of Jesus. In fact, most passed down traditions found in today's local churches are nothing more than manmade teachings and practices.

Consequently, the true Christian must never place the opinion or teachings of others (this includes anyone) in front of the truths taught by Jesus, and especially the teachings of Jesus that are most difficult to live by. As an example, Jesus said, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39). These are harsh words given to us by Jesus! Yet, woe to those who fail to listen to His words and choose to hold onto traditions and false teachings instead. In the end, those who turn away from Jesus' teachings will find that although they knew who Jesus was, they never gained a personal relationship with Him. In the end, Jesus will say to them, "I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers." (Luke 13:27).

Hence, is no surprise that Jesus taught a far different Gospel message for the salvation of mankind than the false teaching that a simple prayer can actually cause spiritual rebirth for the unsaved. "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done. Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." (Matthew 16:24-28). Surrendering our whole life to serve the kingdom of heaven is not a one-time commitment said in a simple prayer. On the contrary, walking as Jesus walked becomes an everyday way of life for the true Christian. Thus, our choice to deny ourselves and live for the kingdom of heaven is what produces our spiritual rebirth.

Therefore, the choice we are all faced with at some point in our lives is to either make a full commitment to live for the Lord or to continue living a selfish life of sin in this world. The first alternative produces spiritual rebirth and eternal salvation, and the second alternative produces nothing, as it will leave us lost and separated from God. Regrettably, many who hear the good news of the Gospel continue to choose a life governed by their own beliefs learned and followed since childhood. The bottom line is that we need to be sure of our salvation and not base it on traditions or teachings, but instead base our choice on the teachings of Jesus. This means we need to become real with God to gain and foster a personal relationship with the Lord. Therefore, if you wish to spend your life in heaven forevermore you must repent of a life based on human understanding, selfishness, false teachings, and a focus on the ways of this world.

Accordingly, if you choose to surrender your life to serve the kingdom of heaven you can be sure you will have to endure a great deal of opposition from this world. This hostility will come from loved ones, friends, family, and even those who try to draw you back into the traditional religious practices you grew up believing. A far greater threat the true Christian will have to face is Satan a true adversary to all who are part of the kingdom of heaven. He is the father of lies and is responsible for the false teachings that separate people from God. Additionally, there will be a constant struggle with the desires of the flesh that cause us to stumble in our walk with Christ. Once Jesus was asked, "Who then can be saved?" He answered, "With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." Peter began to say to Him, "Look, we have left everything and followed You." "Truly I tell you," said Jesus, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the Gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and to receive eternal life in the age to come. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first." (Mark 10:17-31).

Thus, if you have not already done so, please surrender your life today and become a spiritually reborn servant of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, "So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous, and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:49-50). It is not too late for you if you are reading this. Repent (turn away from) your life in this world and live your life according to the will of the Father as Jesus did. Take time to read the four Gospels to learn how Jesus walked.

"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.' 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 25:34-46). Amen!
Chapter 14 - Avoid Manmade Traditions and Doctrines

Many of the previous messages in this book covering the teachings of Jesus mention the deceiving nature of manmade traditions and doctrines taught in today's modern churches. As you read the Gospels, you learn that Jesus had a lot to say concerning how the religious leaders, specifically the Scribes and Pharisees, had lost their way. These religious minded people made it a point to attack Jesus throughout His earthly ministry as the Lord continued to point out how these religious leaders had become blinded to the truth by their own manmade traditions and doctrines.

Consequently, this same message applies to countless modern-day churches who claim the name of Jesus and yet live their lives governed by manmade tradition and doctrines. These teachings, the outcome of Satan's lies and human thinking, are water-downed versions of the truth or worse are outright false doctrines. Jesus warned us about these types of teachings that would be conveyed by many wolves in sheep's clothing to deceive the people. The true follower of Christ, those seeking to walk as Jesus walked, should be aware of these false teachings and be careful not to be deceived in the same way countless souls who hear and believe these teachings are.

Moreover, many of these manmade traditions and false doctrines produce a sense of self-righteousness for those who follow them, yet as Jesus taught, in the end these teachings will lead those who follow them to death and destruction. Jesus said, "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). Their own corrupt human thinking blinded the scribes and Pharisees, religious leaders during Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus taught on many occasions that traditions and manmade doctrines blind those who embrace them from the spiritual truths. He said, "Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation." (Luke 20:45-47).

True Christians, those who are members of the Body of Christ, do not follow manmade traditions and doctrines. Instead, they follow the teachings of Jesus as they serve the kingdom of heaven; that is, unless they listen to these false teachings allowing themselves to be deceived by Satan. These lifeless teachings have little or no spiritual value and are derived from man for man. Unquestionably, the adversary loves these teachings as they blind and mislead the unsaved causing them to remain spiritually separated from God even unto the end. Therefore, as previously mentioned the true followers of Christ can expect to be under attack and ridiculed by those who follow these false teachings for not accepting them as truth.

There is a great range of these false teachings out there and they vary from one local church to another. For instance, nowhere in the written scriptures does it say the followers of Jesus must be part of an institution called the local church. Yet, this is exactly what most traditional so-called churches will tell you to do. Pastors, elders, and teachers in these organizations find it essential to convince people to join their church and continue to come or they will make the Lord unhappy. How else are they able to fill the seats with ears to listen to their intellectual sermons? Moreover, how else will they be able to collect the offerings needed to maintain their establishments? Do not be deceived, if you are spiritually reborn, you are already part of 'THE CHURCH' and can trust the Lord to provide all the fellowship you need (and not just on Sunday). There are many true Christians out there serving the kingdom of heaven whom the Lord will connect you with if you place your faith in Him to do so. Unfortunately, instead of trusting God to provide the fellowship we need most Christians bounce from on local church to another looking for and not finding the fellowship they desire. Place your trust in the Lord for your needs!

Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are." (Matthew 23:13-15). This same message applies to the many who are teaching and following manmade traditions and doctrines as they replicate the same behavior as that of the scribes and Pharisees did before them. These modern-day religious leaders are pawns of the devil used, intentionally or unintentionally, to deceive their congregations who in turn blindly follow the traditions and false teachings they are hearing. Woe to these local church leaders who are misleading so many! Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (Matthew 23:23).

As previously mentioned, many of these spiritually lifeless institutions must work hard to collect money from their followers to fill their coffers. This is the only way they can keep these organizations afloat. The saddest part about this is they guilt their congregations into giving and all in the name of Jesus! Jesus never taught His followers to emulate the ways of this world, and He opposed the building of organizations or business in the name of the Lord. I pray these false teachers and their followers will repent of this sinful practice. They must leave these institutions and seek to serve the kingdom according to the Father's will and plan. They would do well if instead of applying their weekly offerings into maintaining their expensive buildings and infrastructure to take these funds and give them to the needy, orphaned, and widowed in this world. Only then would they begin to realize what it truly means to serve the kingdom of heaven.

Furthermore, by leaving these manmade institutions they would free themselves up to lead their congregations out into their neighborhoods and streets where the needy are. They could minister to the needs of the people and preach the Gospel as they share God's love with those who are lost. By turning their focus away from their manmade establishments and place it on being used by the Lord they will discover what Jesus was talking about when He said we must love others with an unconditional love. Regrettably, just as the Scribes and Pharisees turned a blind eye and continued to follow their manmade doctrines so will many of these teachers and leaders remaining blinded by their own foolishness. Just as the religious leaders in Jesus' time, today's religious leaders would rather find a way to get rid of those who oppose their traditions and false doctrines than listen to the truth.

In the Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy, he told him, "To instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God's work, which is by faith. The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith. Some have strayed from these ways and turned aside to empty talk. They want to be teachers of the Law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert." (1 Timothy 1:3-7). What do you think the _stewardship of God's work_ was Paul was speaking of here? It was doing the will of the Father and not the will of false teachers who were misleading the brethren arguing about fruitless issues having no bearing on their daily walk as Christians.

True Christians will seek to be of one mind and not worry about trivial thinking. Satan uses these fruitless issues to further tear apart the Body of Christ. Issues such as whether there will be a pre/mid/post tribulation rapture; which version or translation of the bible is the right one for Christians to use; the type of music we should or should not use to worship the Lord; whether we should assemble on Sunday or Saturday; the many arguments about spiritual gifts; issues surrounding water baptism (and the baptism of the Holy Spirit for that matter); and the list goes on. If we would just set aside the time used to argue these issues and by faith seek to serve the kingdom together we will find peace and oneness in the Lord. If we allow these issues to get in the way of our unity and love we are allowing the adversary accomplish what he intends, to tear us apart.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:23-26).

True followers of Jesus are those having a personal relationship with the Lord and not simply being a member of a local church based on manmade doctrines. True salvation is in Jesus and Jesus alone. As Christians, we must be ready in season and out of season to do whatever the Lord should ask of us and stop serving our own selfish needs and wants. Our time here on earth is short and must be used to serve the kingdom. It is time for those who claim to be Christians to seek the Lord to learn what His will is for their lives and fully commit themselves to serving the kingdom of heaven while doing the Father's will. The world is full of people with real needs, it is the responsibility of the Church (Body of Christ) to act and help them. This is what we are called to do, that is if we claim to be in Christ! We are called to share His love and His good news each day until He calls us home.

Jesus told us to share our blessings from above with those in the world who are in need. "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 25:33-40). Those He placed on His left, the ones who did not do the will of the Father, they were sent away into eternal punishment. Have you repented from a self-driven life in this world to serve the Lord? If not, my prayer is you will before it is too late. Amen!
Chapter 15 - We Need Unity in the Body of Christ

Jesus gave us two commandments, that we should love the Father first and foremost and then love all people around the world without exception. This includes everyone, other Christians as well as those who are unsaved. He then went one step further and prayed a special prayer to the Father that His true followers would be united and serve the kingdom of heaven as one body. Not long before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed, "But now I am coming to You, and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they 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).

The Lord knew that Satan would look to divide His body here on earth (the Church) through deception, lies, all kinds of envy, strife, etc. It was for this reason Jesus pleaded with the Father, "I am not asking on behalf of them alone, 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).

This prayer from Jesus to the Father was a plea for His Church to remain united and find peace with one another as we do the will of the Father as one. However, because we are human and have a sinful nature we will always struggle with the desires of the flesh, which has and continues to cause divide within the Church. The adversary's ploy to divide and conquer is evidenced by the many denominational division around the world, each believing they hold the truths to Christian living. These manmade divisions follow the many manmade traditions and doctrines dating back to the early church. The Apostle Paul wrote about this while addressing those in Ephesus, "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). This same message applies to the hundreds of thousands of denominational divisions claiming to be followers of Christ around the world. Paul wrote a similar letter to those in Corinth, "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).

Paul's letter's stand as prophetic messages to the many divided Christians throughout the world today. Paul wrote about how the true Church should look. "And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament. And as each individual part does its work, the body grows and builds itself up in love." (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Regrettably, today's modern churches are greatly divided as each adopts their own manmade practices to govern their institutions in place of the true teachings of Jesus as found in the bible. These many religious minded organizations offer an abundance of choices for the one who makes the claim to be a Christian and yet remains spiritually separated from God due to a lack of true surrender. The pastors and teachers of these Laodicean churches teach false doctrines that appeal to the many who attend these spiritually lethargic institutions. Instead of seeking to find unity in the body of Christ they would rather defend and preserve their traditions and manmade beliefs than to open their hearts and minds to the true teachings of Jesus. It is no wonder the members of these churches remain spiritual babes in Christ. They never mature to where they can eat the spiritual meat of the Lord needed for spiritual growth.

Paul said it best, "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).

The true followers of Jesus should not behave in this manner. It is the way of world to embrace petty differences instead of seeking unity and peace. We who are called by God should seek to unite in love and purpose as we serve the kingdom of heaven as one body. Therefore, "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). Amen!
Conclusion

I pray that in reading this collection of messages you have been blessed and that they will help you in your walk with Jesus. Moreover, I pray they will inspire your continued spiritual growth and understanding as you serve the kingdom of heaven. Furthermore, if you are unsure of your salvation I pray the Spirit will use these words to plant and water the seeds of faith to cause your heart to repent and that you will fully surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. Additionally, 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 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. "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6). 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.

I have been greatly blessed by the Lord in writing this book that discusses the teachings of Jesus. I pray you have been equally blessed reading this book! If you were blessed by this book then please check back in the future for other volumes already in-work.

Check us out on Facebook at: <https://www.facebook.com/groups/1120172931444989/>
