Hebrews 3:12-13, 19

“12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

“19. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

By definition unbelief is an absence of faith. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.

The Bible tells us that the just shall live by his (or her) faith (see Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11).

To underscore the importance or necessity of living by faith, Hebrews 14:23b tells us that what is not of faith is sin.

People will have you think it is a small thing to doubt God, or try to do things on our own. Or to do things your own way – without adding God in the equation. But the truth is God’s plan for us is that we trust him, and allow him to direct us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 5 tells us to trust God and not our own understanding. Why? Because our understanding will fail us. We cannot see the complete picture. We don’t know what is behind the closed door or even around the next corner. However, we are encouraged to trust God, because he will direct us in the way that we should go. And make the way straight.

Faith is a personal thing – how you live your life. No one has a heaven or hell to put you in. No one should be given the job of judging (approving of, or not) your life. Ultimately, whether we live or die it is unto God. Our goal is to be accepted of God.

However, as a minister of the gospel, we are given the duty to preach (teach and share) the word of God. We are instructed to be instant in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2…” Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine”).

We are not given the luxury of choosing what part of the Bible we want to share. We must share it all.

There are times when the life a person may choose to live comes in direct conflict of the word of God. Just because the word hits you hard does not mean that the vessel who God used to deliver that word is attacking (or judging) you.

You can simply accept it or reject it – the choice is yours. Whatever choice you make, you must judge it by the word of God (the whole thing and not just special scriptures you believe proves your point). Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

Whatever choice we make we must be prepared to accept the consequences of that choice. God loves us enough to allow us to make a choice and to receive what follows as a result of the choice. For example, if you choose not to pay your bills, you will receive a low credit score. A low credit score leads to higher interest rates, causing you to pay more for the same items others can get cheaply. This will teach a person to make a different choice later. They may choose to start paying bills.

Why? Because God is faithful. He will deal with you heart and mind to give you an opportunity to choose differently.

Back to unbelief

Hebrews calls it “an evil heart” because it takes God out of the equation. Unbelief replaces God with you (I, me, we, us). God is a jealous God, and he will not share is glory with another. By removing God, we are saying to him “I don’t need you,” or “I can do this on my own,” or even “I don’t fully trust that you are capable, or even willing to do.”

Unbelief is the absence of faith. It is dark and void (completely empty). Unbelief separates you from God. There is no middle ground.

We are not perfect. There are times when we struggle with and in faith. However, the difference is the person of faith chooses to press through and rebuke his or her own doubt, and unbelief, striving to trust God. The unbeliever settles in their unbelief and chooses to stay there.

Even in this God is still faithful. If the person, (who is shrouded in unbelief), were to repent, and strive to get to know God at a deeper level, they too can be accepted of God.

So let us all examine ourselves to see where we stand.

Let us repent, and do better.

Let us forgive, and let go.

Let us choose to trust God.

Let us take him at his word.

Have a blessed day!!

(Sunday morning message – Pastor K. Adams)

Scripture test: Acts 16:25-28

Praise- to express a favorable judgment of: Command. To glorify God. To express approval or admiration, of, command, extol. To offer grateful homage to God as in words or song.

Praise is a weapon of warfare- Old Testament whenever the children of Israel would go into battle, they would send the Levites first to praise and play skillfully.

Have you ever had a moment when you just had to stop what you are doing just to give God a praise ? So you do, but you really don’t understand why? My wife would say- “me and the Lord are working on some things” after her praise.

Why did Paul and Silas pray and sang praises unto God? They must have felt – While we’re in this situation we might as well praise him!

While you’re in your situation you might as well praise him too! Remind him of how amazing he is, and what a awesome God he is.

This was Paul and Silas’ moment to spontaneously praise God. Paul and Silas were not expecting for the shackles to fall off. They were not expecting the prisoners chains to fall loose, or the prison doors to be opened. But they knew God. They had the unction to praise God! Praise is a power weapon. It will set the captives free.

Do not let your situation determine if you can or will praise God. No, everything does not work out the way we planned. Yes, sometimes the worst things happen. In spite of this, God remains faithful. God remains worthy of your praise. Sometimes you have to praise God in your “prison” experiences. God can use these situations to bless you and everyone around you.

Your praise is powerful and purposeful.

⁃ Your praise can set you free.

⁃ Your praise can bring diabetes to a normal level.

⁃ Your praise can stop Corona virus.

⁃ Your praise can deliver you from drug addiction.

⁃ Your praise can deliver you from lying, cheating, gossiping, hating, etc.

Remember sometimes you just got to give him praise.

Psalms 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

2 Corinthians 5:20

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

In the Garden of Eden, man communed and talked with God daily. The the enemy, that subtle serpent, came in and caused separation between God and man. Ever since that day God had a plan to get together again with man. The plan was Jesus. Through Jesus’ life and death on the cross. The way has been made.

Reconciliation (by definition):

1. the restoration of friendly relations.

2. the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.

3. the action of making financial accounts consistent; harmonization.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 King James Version (KJV)

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

This time around God wants us to choose him, not for himself to be forced upon us.

To this end God has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to us. Our job is to share this good news with everyone we can. To let the world know how he loves us and wants to dwell is us.

God sets before us all the opportunity to choose life and good, or death and evil. If we choose life and good, and endure, we shall see his face in peace. If we choose death and evil, we will place ourselves on the path to hell. Away from God’s presence forever.

We are to witness – give testimony of what God has done. Anyone can read a book, but personal experiences of victory and triumph are priceless. We are called to be written epistles seen and read of men (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). The very life we live can work to reconcile men to God.

It is duty to be taken seriously. Because our life can draw or repel. It can bring glory or dishonor to God. How? With our mouth we speak one thing, but with our life we live something totally different.

This is hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the “church” is full of it. But God also knew this would be the case. He instructed his disciples to let the wheat and tares (weeds) grow together. In the end, he would separate. This is important to note that God would separate- we are not qualified to judge what is tares, and what is not (Matthew 13:24-30). After all, there was a time when we ourselves could have been described as tares.

We must understand what we do and say does matter. It matters because people are watching us. Our actions and reactions are viewed under the microscope of how the “church” is perceived. We must live up to the true standard of Christianity (followers of Christ). It seems to be a simple requirement – to actually live what you believe. When (or if) you stumble or fall, admit it, repent, forgive yourself, and move on.

We are not perfect!

Rather, we share the gospel (good news) with all. The word of God alone is powerful enough to do what needs to be done in the individual who hears and receives it.

We don’t judge, we pray.

We don’t accuse, we pray.

We don’t throw people away, we pray.

We trust God.

We take him at his word.

We do what he has called us to.

We love.

Loving God means loving his people. Our gift, our calling is for people. We feel their hurt, and we feel their pain. We work to bring them to God, who is able to touch, to save, to heal, to deliver, and to set free.

Together again – our ministry of reconciliation.

This is what the world needs.