How Do We Follow the Lord?

 How Do We Follow the Lord? It Maybe Different Than You Think! This is perhaps one of the most important questions you can know as a Christian so I thank you forclicking on this email and pray that you will sincerely read and take to heart what the scriptures say about this extremely important answer. We are all Citizens of the Kingdom of Darkness when we were born: Before even answering the above question there is a framework that we were born into that all Christiansmust understand completely without reservations. Everyone is born into this world which is controlled and currently owned by Satan and evil forces [see “What is the Kindsman Redeemer?” link below]. Not only that, but due to Adams’ sin, we are born into bodies that directly opposeGod and these bodies are constantly telling us to do primarily what we want to do. Woven throughout all the scriptures there are two kingdoms. The Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdomof Light. When we are born, we are automatically citizens of the Kingdom of Darkness in which Satan rules, and on a planet that Satan controls, and we use temporary bodies which directly oppose God. We are spiritual beings that started the day we were born,and our spirit will live forever and is independent from the bodies they occupy and control. Due to the circumstances, we are born into and the constant desire of these bodies to oppose God, wenaturally comply with the status quo of the environment of Satan’s world and serve the desires of our bodies. Consequently, at an extremely young age (when we reach the age of accountability) we sin and continue to live a lifestyle of sin. We then go on tolive a life of being “a good citizen” of Satan’s world and constantly are separated from God. After these bodies fail us and we breathe our last breath, we are doomed to spend eternity separated from God in utter darkness and in continuous torment along withSatan, the fallen angels, and everyone else (Ps 14:2-3; Ecc 7:20; Rom 3:10-12; Rom 6:23; Matt 25:41; Rev 21:8; Rom 8:1-39; Rom 3:23; Rev 20:15; 2 Peter 2:4; Heb 9:27; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Matt 25:46; Matt 23:33; to name a few). As a Citizen of the Kingdom of Darkness, we follow the rules of the Kingdom: As a citizen of the Kingdom of Darkness, our primary drive is to follow the one rule that Satan hasfor Its citizens. Essentially the primary rule is to “do whatever you want as long as you don’t harm yourself or anyone else” (paraphrasing the general nature of sin nature and sin). It’s always a balancing act betweendoing what you want and not doing something that causes you or anyone else harm. For example, at one time or another, we’ve wanted to go through a stop sign when no one is around and we’re in a hurry, but we typically don’t because we might be doing our walletsharm if the police were watching. If we knew for certain that we could never be caught, many would proceed without a second thought. This is but one example of thousands that we are faced with throughout our lives. Our concern is primarily about doing whatis in our best interest (with less emphasis on “right” and “wrong”). The end result of a life lived by serving this Kingdom and living in sin nature and sin is to be eternallyseparated from God as previously mentioned. We are born as “slaves” – yes “slaves” to sin nature and sin. We are not free but slaves. Jesus Himself makes this pointily clear by telling us that “Whosoevercommits sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34). Therefore, when we are born into this world, we are a servant of sin nature and sin! Despite being in Satan’s Kingdom; we “instinctively know” we have a Choice: Even though we are born into this Satan’s world, God has given our physical bodies from birth a built-insense of morality and a conscience. It is God who defines morality and not man. Every child knows instinctively the difference between right from wrong and they all have a sense of justice, and no one likes it when things aren’t fair (For example: “Sally gotmore ice cream than me!”). All cultures, races, languages, and people throughout the ages all have the exact same built-in precepts of right and wrong, and a sense of justice at birth. While being raised, and for decades later, society teaches them to lieand fend for themselves and ignore their conscience. Society (and unfortunately, many Christian churches) contradict God and our conscience and pass lawsand policies that try to redefine morality from what we know to be right. For example, legalization of narcotic drugs, lying, sex outside marriage, getting drunk, and accept homosexual behavior, etc. Since all of creation testifies of God our Creator, andthe conscience that God Has given us, those that don’t pursue Him are without excuse (Ps 19:1-3; Acts 14:15-17; Rom 1:20). If we are guilty of breaking even one commandment, we are guilty of breaking all of them. We all clearly know the outcome of such behavior and lifestyle - however, WE CAN’T STOP ON OUR OWN - because of the bodies we occupy, and we are slaves to sin, and we NEED HELP! (Gal 5:19-21; 1 Cor 6:9-20). Our Option! We can Defect to The Kingdom of Light! As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and died on the cross, conquering sin anddeath and paving a way for us to accept Him and follow Him and He will be faithful to forgive us of our sins and prepare a place for us in heaven and eventually be adopted heirs into the Kingdom of Light. Everything above is nothing new to Christians becausethis is basic “milk of the Word”. What many Christians may not realize is that the Kingdom of Light is the exact opposite of the Kingdom of Darkness. Most will say that is obvious, but polls show that many may not be fully aware of what that entails. Even the basic Kingdom of Light rule is the opposite of the rule of the kingdom of darkness. “Thereforeall things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matt 7:12) From the day our eyes were opened, we have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ into our lives, andthose that accepted were provided the Holy Spirit to indwell their hearts so that the HOLY SPIRIT PROVIDES THE CONSTANT HELP WE NEED. We then have the option of serving and following Him for the rest of our lives or we can later choose to walk away from the Lord and reject Him (parable of the Sower among dozens of other passages). We literally are defecting from the Kingdom of Darkness and moving over to the Kingdom of Light. Let’s say that you choose to follow the Lord for the rest of your life. What exactly does that mean? Switching Kingdoms REQUIRES Something from You: When we accepted the Lord, He provided us a Service of Calling [see “What is YOUR Service of Calling?” link below], tasks that we must do to serve Him. He also provided us with Gifts that will enable us to perform those tasks [see “Whatare YOUR Spiritual Gifts?” link below]. He has also instructed us to put on the armor He has provided for us so we can resist Satan and this world [see “What is the WholeArmor of God?” link below]. God takes this very seriously! When we defect, we are no longer a slave to sin, we are choosing to serve and follow God, and hence we become bondslaves to God. We CAN NOT do both! It’s one or the other! [A bondslave is one who willingly gives themselves to serve the desires of their master; in this case Jesus Christ our Lord]. Today we live in the last Church Age [see “We arethe Laodicean Church!” link below]. Of the seven church ages over the last 1,900 years, we are in the last and our Lord has nothing good to say about this Church. He characterizes it in such a bad state that He evensays that demons feel so comfortable within the “Christian” church that they make their home within its branches (denominations). Many Christian churches today teach doctrines of demons from the pulpit and convince the congregations that they are from theScriptures. Many Christians are deceived into believing their pastors without verifying for themselves what the Scriptures say [see “What does it Mean to be Deceived?” link below] What does following God, and being a citizen of the Kingdom of Light require? It requires that youleave the Kingdom of Darkness and no longer follow your desires and follow the indwelling Holy Spirit inside you and follow your Service of Calling. But wait! Isn’t one of those “doctrines” taught from the pulpit that once “saved” we can never be unsaved?That type of thinking is exactly what leads people away from God to serve after their own desires. The problem with that thinking is that man has changed the meaning of “saved”. We are NOT “saved” when our eyes are opened and realize we have a choice to follow God. We ARE “saved” AFTER we have followed our Lord our entire life and when we physically die – ONLY THEN are we saved! “Buthe that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matt 24:13). Throughout the entire scriptures (from Genesis through Revelation), there is an extremely importantword that is said over and over again which most pastors intentionally skip, and that word is “IF”. The scriptures make it clear constantly that we have a choice. IF we continuously follow and obey Him until our death, we will be saved; otherwise, we won’t. These are but an extremely few verses that say this: •IF we hear His voice AND follow Him, He will give us eternal life (John 10:27) •IF you want to be Jesus’ friend, you will do whatever He commands you (John 15:14) •IF you want to abide in Jesus’ Love, you will keep His commandments (John 15:10) •IF you do the will of the Father, the same is Jesus brother, sister, and mother (Matt 12:50) Jesus Tells us That Not Many Will Enter Heaven - WHY!? There are hundreds of millions of people today that call themselves Christians that have nothing todo with God. Yes, they may go to church each Sunday and they might even give tithes, etc. but their hearts are far away from God and God has no part in their daily life. We are told, "Becausestraight is the gats, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it"(Matt 7:14). Jesus Himself tells us that in the end there will be people who call themselves Christians but will not be permitted into heaven. In fact, Jesus tells us that some of them even prophesy, cast out devils, and do many wonderful words in the nameof Jesus - yet they will not be permitted into heaven. Why? They are not permitted into Heaven because they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus and they do not obey his commandments. "Notevery one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess untothem, I never knew you (they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus):depart from me, ye that work iniquity (they don't keep Jesus' commandments)."(Matt 7:21-23) Only those that Continuously Follow Jesus will Enter Heaven! We are told consistently throughout the scriptures that only those who follow Jesus till they die will be saved and go to heaven. Salvation is not for those that call themselves Christians nor simply go to church but to those that “follow” Jesus and make Him Lord of their life daily and are led by the HolySpirit in their hearts! Paul makes this abundantly clear when he tells us that even if we have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries, can even perform miracles, give away all our goods to the poor and even give our lives we will still go to hellif we don’t have Jesus’ Love in our lives. (1 Cor 13:1-3). Many people want to believe that because at some point in their life their eyes were opened and theLove of Christ was revealed to Him, that it automatically makes them “saved” and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Christ himself gives us a parable – and then defines exactly what it means so there would be no misunderstanding. It’s about people whohave the “Word” (Jesus) planted in their hearts and start to walk with God and then “fall away” from walking with God (they later reject Jesus). The parable of the Sower explains the necessity to “continuously follow Christ”. There are manydifferent groups of people in this parable who heard and accepted the Word of God and it started to grow in their hearts, yet most ended up not following God in the end for various reasons. Only those that held onto the Word and grew in Him produced fruit for God (Matt 13:3-23). And ONLY those that produce fruit for God will enter heaven (Matt 3:8-12). The Scriptures affirm that the Holy Spirit can be resisted by both the believer and the unbeliever(Acts 7:51; Matt 23:37; Matt 12:50; 7:21; Luke 7:30; John 7:17; John 2:17). Don’t resist His leading in your life! •“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenlygift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him toan open shame.” (Heb 6:4-6). •“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, thereremaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, supposeye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeancebelongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:26-31). •“But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity,and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” (Ezek 18:24). We are human and we will slip and at times unintentionally sin, and perhaps even at times regrettablyintentionally sin. It is those times should we repent and are deeply and intensely sorry for our actions and if we then turn away from them, God has promised that He is faithful to forgive us and put us back in a right relationship with Him (1 John 1:9). Godwill NEVER forsake us and will always forgive us if we wish it. It is always up to us whether we desire to follow Him or not. How Do You Start to Follow the Lord in Earnest? First of all, commit your life to follow the Lord! Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit continuouslythroughout each day of your life. Hate evil and run from it as this is the Fear of the Lord [see “What Exactly is the Fear of the Lord” link below]. Know that you areleaving the Kingdom of Darkness to never have anything to do with it again, and a citizen of the Kingdom of Light, and as such you receive your orders from the Lord. Set in your heart what Jacob said so many years ago: “Asfor me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Josh 24:15b). Determine your Service of Calling and use the Gifts of the Spirit that He will provide to you to performwhatever He desires for you as you serve Him (yes, think of yourself as a willing servant, a bondservant, just as the Apostles did as they served the Lord). “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servantsto obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Rom 6:16). Put on the full armor of God, Study the Word of God and hide it in your heart (memorize it) so that you won’t’ sin against Him (Ps 119:11) and seek His guidance in Prayer. We are Required to Test Everything for Ourselves! The principle we are to follow is for us to "Prove all thingsby the Word of God” (1 Thess 5:21). That includes all ministers, teaching, preaching, doctrines, sermons, writings, opinions, and practices. Examine all by the light of the Bible. Any teaching that is not 100% supported by the Scriptures you areto reject wholly. Studying is not optional for Christians but required of God. In fact, we are commanded by God to “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividingthe word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15). The problem is that there is no such thing as a perfect English translation that tells us exactly whatGod’s word is. There is always a discrepancy between the original Greek (NT in this case) to English and mankind has created more than 450 different English translations which have thousands of differences between themselves. So which version should you bestudying if they are all saying different things? The best you can hope for is to find a translation that mirrors as closely as possible the original meanings of the scriptures. How much easier would it be to study God’s Word if an English New Testament translation existed whichtook each of the original Koine Greek words and applied the original meaning along with the original parsing assigned to each of those words? This is something that even the King James scholars did not do because of the constraints placed on them by KingJames, their lack of knowledge of Greek, and their time constraints. The Pure Word is a New Testament reference that does just that! It is the perfect resource that every Christian should have to dive into God’s Word and use along with your preferredversion of the Scriptures. Most Recent Messages Available: If you would like copies of recent prior emails that you might have missed, you can obtain them byclicking on the links below. List of the recent topics still available: •TheNew Heaven and New Earth •TheSecond Horseman Has Started His Ride •JesusReturns ONLY When “No One Knows the Day nor the Hour” •Firesfrom Heaven: World Governments are Preparing •MyPeople are Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge •TheReliability of the Bible •Whatis YOUR Service of Calling? •Whatare YOUR Spiritual Gifts? •Whatis the Whole Armor of God? •Havethe Revelation Events Started? •WhatEXACTLY is the Fear of the Lord? •ThreeChristmas Story Details You Might not be Aware of •Whatis the Kinsman Redeemer? •Weare the Laodicean Church! •WhatDoes it Mean to be Deceived? •Warning:The Mark of the Beast Foundation is Here! •Scripturessay that Hyperinflation is Coming! •ShouldChristians Leave the Cities? •TheBible Describes an Upcoming Pole Shift •Whyis the USA FIRST to be Destroyed by Fire? While you study, I would suggest using “The Pure Word” as a complement to your favoritetranslation to understand more fully the meaning of each verse. Over the centuries, definitions of individual words have been slowly changing. It is the only translation that incorporates the original meanings of each of the 5,624 Greek root words as writtenover 1,900 years ago, along with their detailed parsings. Watch the official intro video now and see exactly how The Pure Word is an invaluable resource that should be used by every Christian, pastor, and Bible study group. Experience the gospel as they did in the first century, during the time of Christ, the Apostles, and the birth of the Church!