The purpose of this statement is to use scripture to call to the ears of those who hear the voice of the Lord. We are not seeking membership, rather we are seeking fellowship with those who are seeking God, like our brothers around the world who are compelled by the Father and his Holy Spirit. This house was already built by Jesus Christ with his Love and Sacrifice and he has called to those who would continue this example of serving, by truly learning how to walk in love and serve each other. Everyone is accountable before their Lord and Master and also before their brothers who form the holy and sanctified body of believers.

1 John 2:27 “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, NOT counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in him.

THE CALLED:

John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me DRAWS them and I will raise them up on the last day.”

John 6:65 “He went on to say, this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has ENABLED him.”

John 12:37-43 “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord who has believed our message and whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason, they COULD NOT believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn – and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’s glory and spoke about him. Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. BUT because of the Pharisees they would not openly ACKNOWLEDGE their faith for FEAR they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved HUMAN praise more than praise from God.”

How many times have we seen people go along with doing the wrong things because of the pressure from others or because of what others might think or say especially if they disagree and stand up for what is right.

As you can clearly see from scripture it is only God who calls the “called”. No person can open the mind of another, this privilege clearly belongs to the Father. This condition of man is clearly illustrated in the following scriptures Mark 4:11-12, Luke 8:9-10 and Matt 13:10-15 which states “The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to YOU, but not to THEM. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but not understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

What a very profound statement from Jesus Christ.

John 8:47 “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

THE CHOSEN:

Matt 22:15 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to son ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

1 John 5:1-5 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born on God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

The scriptures are clear that it is not only enough to “believe” that Jesus is the son of God, but our belief as followers of Jesus Christ is measured by what choices we make, our conduct and our works as believers. Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one who DOES the will of my Father who is in heaven. MANY will say to me on that day. Lord, Lord did we not prophecy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform MANY miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!”

James 2:14-26 verse-14 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone CLAIMS to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” verse-19 “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.”

An undeniable formula that is found right in the Bible for those who are chosen of God. There are many who say they have the truth but deny its power by their actions. It is not enough to know the truth but we must be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). First by overcoming our own carnal nature and then discovering true brotherly love (1 John 4:19-21) by learning how to truly serve one another as Christ showed us (John 13:13-17).

FALSE TEACHERS:

2 PETER 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be False Teachers among you. They will SECRETLY introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them -bringing swift destruction on themselves.”

When so called leaders are not accountable to the body of Christ (The brethren) and they continually remind you of their authority over you and others then they have nothing to do with the serving Christ.

Matthew 20:25-28 “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. NOT SO WITH YOU. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your SERVANT, and whoever wants to be first must be your SLAVE- JUST AS the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to GIVE UP HIS LIFE as a ransom for many.”

You need to stop and ask yourself a question at this point after reading this scripture.

When you think of those leaders that you have met and have been exposed to, who claimed to be appointed and ordained by Jesus Christ to minister over you, did they give you the impression that they were following the words that Christ spoke in this previous scripture? Did you experience Christ- like service to you with love and patience? Let those answers be your guide and lead you to your next action 1 John 2:26-27 “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to TEACH YOU. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, to remain in him.”

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

Luke 6:26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”

The message from these scriptures is very clear if they are charming and as slick as a salesman WATCH OUT. Real messengers of God tend to be down to earth and up front about everything. The apostle Paul called himself a wretched man and chief among sinners, he was not being modest he was being real. Its okay to ask questions and to hold EVERYONE accountable. When you are harassed and “BOXED-IN” as a result of questioning the motives of others then its time to leave and find TRUE followers of Christ who obey his word concerning NOT lording over each other.

If you are called of the Father then these things have been written into your inner being – Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” The author of the book of Hebrews is quoting Jeremiah 31:33 stating that God’s laws and attitudes will be written inside of us.

 

THE PERSECUTED:

Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross DAILY and follow me.”

Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters –yes, even their own life –such a person cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 6:22-23 “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.

John 16:1-4 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue, in fact the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.”

2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus WILL be persecuted.”

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

Luke 9:62 “Jesus said to him, no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom.”

Have you been persecuted? Have you suffered? If yes, then don’t complain, don’t live in victim status pointing your finger at others that have wronged you. You made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ and he will not LORD it over you, he will not abandon you. WAKE UP and STAND UP with your brothers because we are living in GREAT times and you are being watched by millions of beings. While on this stage and while you still have breath and can decide to act, then wake up O sleeper and fulfill your role in playing out the final act with your brothers and be bold in your part to follow Christ’s example.

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with PERSEVERANCE the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and loose heart.”

 

THE FERVENT AND THE IDLE:

Isaiah 35: 3-6 “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come with vengeance; with DEVINE retribution he will come to save you.” THEN will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. THEN will the lame leap like deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”

Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”

Ephesians 5:13-17 “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Too many brothers are asleep, too many Sabbath keeping churches are idle and reserve their religion for a weekend hobby of convenience. They foolishly believe that there is not a personal cost to following Jesus and they are only prepared to operate within the confines of an idle and sluggish comfort zone. How sadly mistaken and dangerously wrong these idle people are. Those who are TRUELY called of God need to lean on each other and keep encouraging each other to be vigilant and sober.

1 Timothy 5:12-13 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-7 “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ , we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you.”

Isaiah 56:10-11 “Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, THEY CANNOT BARK; they lie around and dream, they LOVE to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are SHEPHERDS who LACK understanding; they all turn to their OWN WAY, they seek their OWN GAIN.”

Proverbs 1:32-33 “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm.”

1 Peter 4:17-19 ” For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

Rev 22:1 “Look I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”