Believe it.

Believe it.

by David Brenneman 

"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." 1 Timothy 2:5-6 NASB 

"And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee; and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at His teaching, because His message was delivered with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave us alone! What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, it came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another, saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” And the news about Him was spreading into every locality of the surrounding region." Luke 4:31-37

The reality of life is wrapped up in the truth of God, His love for mankind, His judgment to come.  

People today want to blame everything or someone else when it comes to what appears to be psychological problems of the carnage we see in the news.  

Demons never went away after what we read in the New Testament.  They are still among us.  They believe in the power of God far more than most people do.  They fully acknowledge the truth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 

People everywhere want to believe that "good" people find their way to Heaven. 

There's no entry into Heaven without true salvation in Christ Jesus.  There is no buying your way in. No one alive can make purchases to anyone to get in. A living person's dedication to living out a life of 'purity' cannot redeem one soul.  The Bible is rather clear that Jesus is the only Mediator between God and mankind.  Just as equally clear it says that by no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved, only in Jesus Christ. 

People in this world are deceived into living a life that God never intended for people to live.

Pursuing things that do not matter. 

Pursuing desires that do nothing to address their exit from this world. 

Jesus said that He stands at the door and knocks. That door, my Dear Reader, is at the hearts of men and women everywhere. 

We achieve nothing at pointing people to ourselves.  We are never to do any such thing.  Our lives are to be a reflection of our relationship with Jesus.  The forgiveness, grace and mercy available in a life lived for Jesus. 

We see tragedy after tragedy in the news...where is God in these things? Many in this world want God on their terms.  They cry out when it's their only other option.  In the book of Judges this is what we read of the children of Israel doing. 

In Jesus's day we see that demons are an acknowledged reality to what they saw in their lives. 

In 2,000 years demons have been working on trying to hide in plain sight.  

Demons, as well as humans, must obey the overall plan of God. They cannot break the Word of God. They cannot do things that would negate God's will for mankind. 

They fight God daily in their pursuit of succeeding at least once in this.

The reality of the Bible is what we DO see in our world.  We battle not against flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12 NASB "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.".

We, both in the Church as well as outside of it, do not take that passage seriously enough. 

People will not rest in peace who do not have Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  The very next second of their existence is in painful torment in Hell. A life of good deeds means nothing.  We are born in sin and only the shed blood of Jesus Christ can wash that away.  Biblically speaking you can potentially live a perfect life by the world's standards and guarantee your place in Hell.  Salvation is a free gift of God through Jesus Christ.  There's nothing you do to earn it. It's free to all who ask. 

Jesus did all the work on the cross and sealed the deal when He arose from the dead.  

Demons point the world away from this truth by way of the tragedies they create.

They do it through anger, malice, the list goes on.  Anything to keep people from the truth of God that they are permitted by God to do, they will do.  

My Dear Reader before you today is death and life. Your way and God's love for you as shown through what Jesus did to save you.  You can be set free from the sins that have permeated your life.  You can know for sure that should you die today that your very next moment will be in Heaven.  Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, that is to enter Heaven, but through Him.  

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13 NASB 

The powers of darkness don't want you knowing the truth. The demons know that everything that Jesus spoke of was truth. 

Demons are in this world right now fighting the seeds of life in the lives of men and women from coming to the surface, from salvation taking place in them.  

Seeds of sin always bear the fruit of sin. As Dr. Charles Stanley said in one of his life principles, there are no crop failures in regards to the seeds of sin. Sin, brings death. Eternal separation from God. A single sin is enough.

My Friend, do not take this message lightly.  Jesus loved you enough to take the penalty of your sins upon Himself. He took your place and died for you that you might find life in Christ Jesus.