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DEVOTIONS
John 1:11-13
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
He came to his own, and his own received him not. Many times we look at this passage of scripture and say, had he come to me, I would not have rejected him. But you have to know that he comes to us in many different ways. Maybe, he was rejected by you when he came to you and you did not realize that was it Him. The question is "Have you rejected Jesus?"
You might say, no, I have not rejected Jesus. Uh-uh not me. But, if he came to you in such a way that were not expecting him to come, you probably have rejected him at one time or the other.
So, really think about it. “Have you rejected Jesus?”
But as many as received him, to them (the ones that received him) gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe his name: Now, those who did receive him, he gave them power to become (over/comers). The Word of God tells us that he gives us power to become - when he is received.
The ones we are talking about are the born again believers, who were born by the will of God. The ones who are born of the will of the flesh are still serving the flesh. They are one class of people who have rejected Jesus. Those born of the will of man, are another class of people who have rejected Jesus.
Have you rejected Jesus?
John the Baptist came preaching, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord‘.
Jesus came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Repent, which means to completely turn around from doing wicked to doing what is righteous, is a turn-off to some people to begin with. For instance, the word of God says, ‘flee fornication’. Flee means to run from. God wants you to completely shun (hate) fornication. The reason for this is because every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. When you sin against your body, you invite all types of diseases and sometimes there are other consequences to contend with, depending on what you did, and how it was done, also, who it was done with.
Paul ask a question that to me is in utter shock. What? This question is as if, the person does not know this fact that he is about to decree. ‘Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?’ He goes on the say, ‘for ye are bought with a price: there- fore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s‘.
We like to say, I do what I want to do, and we do just that. You do not have the right to do with your body what you want to if you have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. He has a right to demand pure holiness of you, in body, mind and soul. He earned that right on the cross of Calvary. Yet, you say that you have not rejected Jesus. And it is evident, because, some are still living in sin. This is in the Church of the Living God. Some are shacking, committing adultery, and fornicating. We even have homosexuals and lesbians sitting in the church leaving out unchanged. We have thieves, drug dealers, drunkards and the like who can actually sit in church and go right back to their wicked ways with no change whatsoever.
Yet, you say - I have not rejected Jesus.
Paul says, I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for them must ye needs go out of the world.
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortion; with such an one no not to eat. (Don’t even eat with them.)
This is the Word of God.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within?
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
We can’t help the unsaved if we ourselves, in the church, are doing the same thing.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Jesus is the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. His word is him and he is his word. You can not separate the two. His word is alive and powerful. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.
So when the word of God is received, it will perform an internal operation that is an inward action of cleansing from all unrighteousness. The Holy Spirit will convict of sin. Then repentance should follow when the word is received. The Lord will give you power to become, as sons of God, an overcomer from fornication, adultery, idolatory, covetous, drunkard ness, extortionist, or the like; as you repent of that sin. Many times people like to hold on to their sins and as long as they think that no one can see them, they are hidden. But Hebrews 4:13 says that “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” He sees all and he knows all.
Let’s just exercise the power to overcome, by saying:
This day, I flee fornication.
This day, I flee adultery.
This day, I flee covetousness.
This day, I flee ungodly advice.
This day, I flee (_______) you can fill out the blank.
The Word of God tell us that they (that can be you) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, (being a born again believer through the Blood of Jesus) and by word of their testimony (what you say about the deliverance of the blood of Jesus);….
So “Have you rejected Jesus?”
If your answer is still no. Then you have given up living in sin and have started to live a holy life.
We reject Jesus when we do not do the things that He say.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
If you love Jesus you will be a doer or the word and not a hearer only deceiving yourself.
God Bless you as you partake of this word from the Lord.
Pastor Shaw
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT GOD HAS SAID UNTO YOU?
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your rememberance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26
The Holy Spirit will bring all things back to your rememberance, whatsoever the Lord has spoken unto you. He will lead and guide you into all truths. All you have to do is to rely on Him. Listen to His still quiet voice.
One reason you have forgotten is because you have laid down his promises to you as unbelievable. Maybe it is taking so long to come to fruition. But you need not to worry. Go and pick them back up. The Lord is the one and only person whom you can truly trust. His word does not return back to Him void. It will accomplish what He has sent it out to do.
Yes, the Holy Spirit will bring back every word He has spoken unto you and you should then lay hold onto the promises rejoicing that it is so in Jesus name. For every promises is yes and amen to the glory of God.
Praise the name of the Lord for ever more.
Pastor Shaw
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