" DECEPTION "

Good Day To You,

 Last week I experienced computer problems an I was offline for 7 1/2 days. Well I'm back and as usual I'm bringing forth the Word. The title of this weeks message is " Deception. "

Deception: The act of deceiving (2)The fact or condition of being deceived (3)Fraud,trickery.

The Bible addresses hypocrisy. You see many people claim to know God. So I'm of the mindset, how can we know if anyone really does? We will not know for certain in this life, but a glance at their life-styles will quickly tell us what they value and whether they have ordered their lives around Kingdom priorities. Our conduct speaks volumes about what we believe. What do people know about God and about your faith by watching your life? How can you be sure that you belong to Christ? If you do what Christ says and live as Christ wants.What does Christ tell us to do? We are to " Believe in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, and Love One Another. "

True Christian Faith results in "Loving Behavior"; that is why the way we act can give us assurance that we belong to Christ. Now, to people who are feeling guilty and condemned, you know that you have sinned, and Satan ( called " The Accuser ") of the brethren is demanding the death penalty. When you feel this way, don't give up hope - the best Defense Attorney in the universe is pleading your case. Jesus Christ, your Advocate, your Defender, is the Judge's Son. He has already suffered your penalty in your place. You can't be tried for a case that is no longer on the docket. United with Jesus, you are as safe as He is.

Don't be afraid to ask Jesus to plead your case - He has already won it. If you are being deceptive about something in your life, and wearing a mask it's time to confess. True confession also involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn't be genuinely confessing our sins to God if we planned to commit them again and just wanted temporary forgiveness. I believe that we should also pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it.

LAST POINT: When we come to Christ, He forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. We don't need to confess the sins of the past all over again, and we don't need to fear that God will reject us if we don't keep our slate perfectly clean. Of course we should continue to confess our sins, but not because failure to do so will make us lose our Salvation. Our relationship with Christ is secure. Instead, we should confess so that we can enjoy Maximum Fellowship and Joy with Him. Now Confess your Sin and Move Forward.

Until Next Time...

Jim,