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Sermons
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Pharisees
"So I say unto you, unless you be greater than the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven".(Matt. 5:20)

I'm going to go by the other name Jesus gave them: hypocrites. (Matt. 22:18)

So what the opening verse is saying is "Unless you're greater than the hypocrites, you won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

The definition of a hypocrite is: one who affects virtues or qualities one does not have (dissembler).

Does that sound familiar?

A hypocrite is someone who goes to Church to be seen, not to hear the Word and learn from it.

A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit in church around other church folk, when out of sight, lies, cheats and steals the same as any sinner.

A hypocrite is someone eager to be critical of someone else's behavior, but doesn't move a finger to try and change their own.

The Lord has harsh words for these hypocrites. Matt. 23: 13-33 says it all.

In this passage, Jesus condemn the scribes and Pharisees for acting sanctified, all the while being underhanded, sneaky, and unscrupulous. They stole from widows, who in those days had no income besides what their parents and husbands left them, turned Solomon's holy temple from a place of worship into a self-serving shopping center, and worst of all, persecuted the messengers and prophets the Lord sent their way.

Does that sound familiar?

Do you snarl at someone whenever they bring the Word to you?
Do you get snide and reject them?
Do you bombard them with your opinion or other verses before they have a chance to really talk?
Do you make deride others for not going to Church and living the Christian life as you do?

Then how are you any different from the Pharisees?

They rejected any messenger and prophet that God sent to them, and if the answer is yes to any of those questions, you're doing the same.

Lucky for you, you don't have to be condemned to the same fate as the Pharisees.

Just re-commit yourself to Jesus and start again.

God is merciful. Repent of your behavior, start again and you will earn his forgiveness. No matter what you think you've done, NOTHING is too horrible for the Lord wash away with His blood. His mercy is boundless (PS. 108:4) abundant (1 Pet. 1:3) and eternal (PS. 103:11,17). The waters of Life are open to all who seek it (Rev.22:17). Please come and drink.

The doors right now are open to all; come in, before it's too late: for once the door is closed, all the money, all the threats, all the pounding in the world won't open them again once they're closed.

Repent, my brothers and sisters. There's no need for you to go to hell for all eternity.

God is waiting for you at the gate. Amen.

Posted by planet/thelambssancturary at 6:33 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, August 9, 2006 10:24 PM EDT
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Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Why the Devil comes Down so Hard on us Little Girls
Ever feel like, no matter what was going good for you, something was missing? That no matter what good things happen, your attention is always focused on the bad things? Well, there's an evil force behind that kind of thinking, and it's called the Devil. He's here to kill, steal,and destroy all of us, but he comes down harder on us girls. Let me explain why.

Once, long before the Earth was made, the Devil was an angel named Lucifer. He was God's right hand man, and all he had to do was worship God. He was the most beautiful angel of them all, he was very highly ranked and very well regarded.

But he let his beauty and status go to his head and pridefully decided that he, Lucifer would be better and higher than GOD, his own Creator, and he rebelled.

His beauty and status was stripped from him, and he was cast out of Heaven, a monstrous and disgusting thing.(Rev. 12:7-9)

Soon after, the Lord made the Earth, the plants and animals, and then finally, Adam and Eve. The Bible goes on to tell about how the snake tempted Eve into sin. (Genesis 3:1-6)

Ever wonder why Satan targeted Eve, and not Adam?

The reason is because Eve was made as the ultimate expression of God's grace and beauty, exactly what the Devil was before he decided to rebel against the Father. Everything Eve was reminded the Devil of what he used to have before he threw it away, and he was filled with overwhelming hatred for her.

This hatred has passed down to us, her daughters.

But we have something stronger than the Devil's hatred. Jesus love.(Luke 10:19-20)

Jesus loves us little girls. We see this in the many and varied examples in the New Testament. He used a woman to demonstrate that He would accept all who come to him (John 4:1-26). He allowed women to help and support His ministry (Luke 8:1-3) at a time when women weren't allowed to do anything but domestic projects. Jesus didn't push away or condem the girl who committed adultry (John 8:1-11) In fact, He saved her life when the Pharisses would have stoned her,according to the Old Testament law. He allowed Mary Magadalene, a known harlot with whom no guy wanted to be with in broad daylight, to be redemmed and travel with Him. He was our very first supporter of equality, and through His blood, we are now, and forever equal to men.

Jesus loves his little boys just as much as He loves His little girls, but in general, women have been oppressed far longer and more harshly than men have. So we girls need a little more support from the Holy Sprit.

In fact, everytime someone is abusive, molesting, and murdering, it's the Devil's hatred striking out at God's Grace and Beauty, us. For the Devil hates everything good & pure, therefore he hates us, who were designed & fashioned that way. he takes great pleasure in corrupting us, men, women and children alike.

Therefore, cling to that Heavenly Father who loves you and wants nothing but the best for you.

Be encouraged. Jesus is with you wherever you go. (Rom. 8:35-39; Heb.13:5-6)He's with you when you go to the store, when you're trying to pay your bills, taking care of the kids- -just call on His strength and mercy and He will gladly give it to you. He will be there when your child is sick, when you say goodbye to a beloved family member, and through all of your other troubles, pains and persercutions. (2 Cor. 4:8-10)

But remember, brothers and sisters, serving the Lord isn't always easy (2 Cor.4:11-12). As Jesus and His Desciples suffered persecutions, so must we. The Devil comes down much harder on believers than sinners, which is why he runs rampant in the Church, especially in these End Times. Even people who've served the Lord for 20 years and more are backsliding into sin, running from God, unwilling to find their way back again. It's a real sorry sight to see, and so, so sad to watch. But take heart, your troubles won't last forever. (Rev. 21:3-4; Isaiah 9:1-7) God will make a new world for all those who are loyal and faithful and served Him until the end.

Until then, remember: Jesus loves us little girls, little boys, and babies, every one.

Posted by planet/thelambssancturary at 9:46 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 12:35 AM EDT
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