Jesus Casts Out Demons

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is called Jesus Casts Out Demons. Let’s turn to Mark 1:14-28, Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did 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 unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. Let’s turn to Col 2:9-15, For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it,  in the Cross. Jesus has all authority. Jesus triumphed on the Cross over all powers and principalities, and made an open show of them. Because He humbled Himself to the death of the Cross, the Father has given Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in Heaven, on the Earth, and under the Earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I’m reminded of when Jesus was walking with His disciples and He was surrounded by crowds of people, and the people that had demons would come up and bow down before Him and the demons would say, You are the Son of God!; they would bow before Him. When Jesus went to cast out the devils out of the Gadarene, the Gadarene ran to Him and bowed down to Him. Let’s go there. Luke 8:26-39, Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me! You see how the demons recognized Jesus and recognized His absolute authority over them. For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, What is your name? And he said, Legion, because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. In another place it says He said, Go. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you. And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. Amen! Amen! Jesus has absolute authority, people, over every demon, over every power, over every principality. If we will submit ourselves to Jesus’ authority, and let Him be Lord; truly be Lord, then He will reign in our lives, and then we will be delivered from every rebellious spirit, and every wicked thing that torments us. Those of you that have demons; you know you have a demon, those of you that know you are tormented, come to Jesus! Come to Him! He will set you free if you will come to Him; if you will take His yoke upon you, if you will walk with Him, He will set you free. But you have to continue with Him. Glory!  Jesus said in Mat 12:28, If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you. The Kingdom of God is with power!  The Kingdom of God is with authority! Jesus Christ is the King! All things are put under Him. He is King over all the Earth. He commands the  unclean spirits and they obey Him. All things are His servants. He said in Mat 11:28-30, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. If we will come to Him and take His yoke upon us, we will find rest for our souls. If we will continue in His Word, we will be His disciples indeed, and we will know the truth, and His truth will make us free. If we continue in sin and idolatry, we are the servants of sin; we are involved with demons; we are in rebellion against our Lord. When we partake of, or indulge in unclean things, we partake of unclean spirits. We cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. We cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Let’s turn to 2Cor 6:14-18, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? and what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk among them;  I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean; and I will receive you,  I will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Chapter 7, verse 1, Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We must cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, fearing God; no longer rebelling against Him to follow our own lusts, but yielding to Him; following our Lord as He leads us in paths of righteousness to perfect us. If we will do this, if we will continue in His Words; continue in His Holy Spirit and follow Jesus, He will bring us to the place where we can be set free of unclean spirits, and He will cast them out of us by His Spirit, and we will be free from whatever it was that was tormenting us for such a long time: whether it be fear, or lust, or rebellion, or witchcraft, or whatever it may be, and we will be able to remain faithful to Him and continue to follow Him and overcome the powers of darkness that have had us bound. As we continue in obedience to Jesus and His Word, we remain in His authority and protection. It is when we say no to Him, and go after something evil in rebellion against Him, that we open ourselves up to the powers of darkness, and they will take advantage against us to try to bring us back into bondage and darkness. Mat 12:43-45, Jesus said, When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation. If a person is delivered of evil spirits, but they don’t continue with Jesus, but return to their old wicked ways, their last state will be worse than their first.

1 John 1:1-10,  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship, one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. We have been delivered from the domain of darkness: Col 1:12-23,  giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. In the King James Version it says, Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. 

Jesus Christ shed His Blood on the Cross at Calvary, and that Blood redeems us. Not only does it cleanse us of all of our sins, when we repent and come to Him, with faith in His sacrifice on the Cross for our sins, but also it redeems us from the authority and the power of darkness. We were slaves to sin; we were slaves to the Devil; we were bound by him. All the world has been deceived by the Devil. They are under his authority. But when you come to Jesus, and you take His yoke upon you, repenting of your sins, with true repentance, and you give yourself to Him and confess Him as your Lord and believe that He rose from the dead, you shall be saved!; you shall be delivered from the authority and power of darkness. If you have demons, they will be cast out. Thank you Lord! Amen! If you continue with Him; if you continue in His Word, you’ll be cleansed, you’ll be washed, you’ll be sanctified, you’ll be justified, Amen!; in the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord! Thank you Lord! Amen! Thank you Lord! Amen! Jesus’ Blood redeems us from all the authority and power of darkness, Hallelujah!

 

Adjustments Needed:

With those who love the preeminence, their concern is not for your well-being, or even for their own. Denying what gift or word of edification you may have received from the Lord, they exalt themselves over you, with whatever form of witchcraft they are used to using, not considering the cost, not considering the end of their conversation, to maintain their illusion of superiority and dominance, never considering the Words of Jesus, who said, They that exalt themselves shall be abased, but he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Exalted by God!, forever! How much better is that than the petty, temporary trappings of the honor of man, who knows nothing apart from God. Jesus said, How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only? How many of us in the church of Jesus Christ today are motivated in this way, not truly seeking to glorify God or edify His people, but only to be exalted in the eyes and hearts and mouths of men; to be enriched by them, loving filthy lucre rather than the eternal true riches of the Kingdom of God. Many of us, considering the Words of our Lord Jesus: that He is going to reward everyone of us according to our works, need to make some serious adjustments to our conversation in the Body of Christ, or we are headed for much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Joh 13:1-17, Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, Lord, are You washing my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet! Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head! Jesus said to him, He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, You are not all clean. So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.   Jesus washed Judas’ feet, knowing that he was betraying Him.   Meditate on that for a moment. Php 2:5-11,  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

 Denying Ungodliness

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Denying Ungodliness. Let’s turn to Titus 2:11-14, For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us; did you know that the grace of God teaches us?, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Let’s turn to Php 3:1-21, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Heb 3:6-19, But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, they always go astray, and they have not known My ways. So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest. Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Heb 4:9-16,  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When we are being tempted, we can come boldly to the throne of grace and find help in the time of need. 

Let’s go to 1 Pet 1:13-25, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 

because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. The scripture says, Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. What is holiness? Holiness is simply being separate from sin, separate from that which is evil, that which is defiling: separated unto God. As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever… This is how we purify our souls: by obeying the Word of God through the Spirit; the Holy Spirit leading us to do the Words of God. As we continue in the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will teach us His Word, and He will be leading us every day in doing it, and that’s how we will be purifying our souls; that’s how we will be being set free from the things that bind us up, from the things that defile us. Chapter 2, verses 9-12,  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 2 Pet 2:1-9, But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds, then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment… We see here in verses 7&8, that Lot was vexed by the filthy conversation of the wicked. It says in verse 8, For that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds. The same is true today: as we see and hear the lawless deeds that are before us every day; it vexes our souls if we are after righteousness. If we are seeking to walk in righteousness and holiness before the Lord, those things that we see and hear in this wicked world every day vex our souls. Abraham interceded  for Lot before God, in the plains of Mamre, and God had His angels deliver him out of Sodom before He destroyed it with fire. All the wicked were consumed in the fire. There is a fire coming. The angel told Lot and his family, Don’t look back, but, because of the condition of her heart, her love of the world, the things she had in Sodom, Lot’s wife looked back, in disobedience to the Word of the Lord, and became a pillar of salt. Jesus said, Remember Lot’s wife. The Apostle John said, Love not the world; if any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Jesus, by His own intercession for us, with the sacrifice of Himself, has delivered us out of the fire that is coming. The wrath of God is coming. All the wicked will be consumed in the fire; they will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. As you are being delivered from the destruction to come, are you looking back? Do you love the world and it’s pleasures? If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Is your heart overcharged with the things of this life, so that that day will overtake you, and come upon you unaware?

2 Cor 6:14-18, 7:1,  Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.  Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Remember: Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Are you touching unclean things? Are you being defiled by the things you indulge in, on your phone, your computer, or your TV? It’s so easy, and made readily available to you! You’re going to have to come to the place, like the Apostle Paul did: to count it all dung, and to put it out of your life, seeking the Lord with all your heart at His throne of grace, to help you to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, that you might know Jesus, and the power of His resurrection, if by any means you might attain to the resurrection from the dead: the first resurrection. Blessed is he who has part in the first resurrection; on him the second death has no power!  That’s what we’re after people! We want to be a part of that first resurrection! There is nothing of this life that is worth hanging on to, if it’s going to keep you from being a part of that! Forget what is behind and reach forward to that which is before! Press toward the mark for the prize: the prize! There is a prize: the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

 Becoming Fruitful

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes with Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Becoming Fruitful. Let’s turn to Psalm 1:1-6,  Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. First of all, we must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, and we also must not stand in the way of sinners; we must not sit in the seat of the scornful, if we are going to bring forth fruit unto God. Then we must delight ourselves in the Word of God. His Word must be our delight and joy, and we must meditate in it, day and night, all the time. Let’s turn to Luke 8:5-15, The Parable of the Sower, A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. When He had said these things He cried, He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Then His disciples asked Him, saying, What does this parable mean? And He said, To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Jesus said, Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. We see here that the thorns choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful in our lives, and we bring no fruit to perfection. Let’s go to Luke 13:6-9, He also spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down. We must seek the Lord with all our heart to deliver us from the counsel of the ungodly, from the way of sinners, and from the seat of the scornful, or the contemptuous: those who mock and deride; from the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of this world; to change our hearts; to dig about us and fertilize us; to make our hearts good ground, where the seed can take root and bring forth fruit according to our abilities: some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold. It’s about our hearts. Do we really love Jesus? If we do, He said we would keep His Words; we will love His Words, we will continue in His Words, and we will learn the truth, and the truth will make us free from the previously mentioned things which keep the Word from bringing forth fruit in our lives. Our desire will be to glorify the Father by bringing forth fruit that remains to His Glory. We will bring forth fruit in his season.

There is a season when the fruit begins to manifest: we’ve been sowing the Word in our hearts, continuing in reading and meditating in the Word of God, day and night; the Holy Spirit teaching us, and revealing it to us and leading us in doing it. Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 7: those that hear His sayings and do them. Let’s go there, Mat 7:17-27,  very, very important scripture, Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. 

Going back to bearing fruit in his season: The seed begins to germinate as our hearts become more and more broken and fertile, through the various trials and testings that the Lord has been leading us in. Soon, in the spring, the buds begin to appear on the tree branches. Then, throughout the heat of summer, because we are planted by the rivers of water, our leaves will stay green, and the fruit will continue to develop, until, in the season of the harvest, the fruit is ripened and the harvest comes forth. Then there is great rejoicing for the harvest, and God is glorified!  He will be glorified in His people. Amen! We do not want to meet Him empty handed. We want to meet God, when the time comes, with joy and confidence in His great work of salvation in our lives through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead, by which He has made us His sons and daughters, with arms full of fruit, bringing glory and honor to Him!

Let’s go to Mark 7:6-13, He answered and said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do. He said to them, All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and he who curses father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say, If a man says to his father or mother, Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban— that is, a gift to God, then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do. This is where we go astray: If our heart is not toward Jesus, we will end up in the commandments of men, and we will not bring forth fruit, because it’s the Word of God that brings forth fruit through our heart- hearts that love Him- hearts that are given to Him. Our hearts need to be turned from ourselves to Jesus. He has saved us. We must love Him and His Word; His Word has saved us, and serve Him with all our hearts.

Whether we live, we live unto Him; whether we die, we die unto Him, that whether we live or die, we are His! Hallelujah! We are not our own; we have been bought with His precious Blood through the sacrifice of Himself: His great love wherewith He loved us! Therefore we must glorify Him in our bodies, bringing forth fruit that remains to His Glory, and the Glory of the Father. Jesus said in John 15, Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples. If we will do what is written in Psalm 1, and meditate in His Word, day and night, with the Holy Spirit teaching us, as it is written in 1 John 2:27&28, let’s go there, But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. Abiding in Jesus, and His Words abiding in us, we will bring forth fruit in his season, if we will remain faithful to our Savior, and continue with Him, as He works in our hearts and lives, conforming us more and more to His image.

If we will not do these things, we will not bring forth the fruit, and we are in danger of being cast off as an unfruitful branch. We are without excuse. Jesus has warned us in John 15:1-14, let’s go there, He said, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. In so doing, and bringing forth fruit, we will become His friends. Isn’t it great that God has made a way for us to become his friends? Isn’t it worth doing? Are the things of this life worth that much to you, that you would forgo such an opportunity, and even risk eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire for them? Really? Don’t be deceived by the lying prophets who prophesy peace unto you who won’t love the Lord, after He has loved you so much to give His life for you on the Cross, and suffer for all your sins. Your destruction is coming if you won’t repent. Repent now! Turn to Jesus with all your heart, confessing your sins, and He will abundantly pardon you and bring you into all His goodness, if you will be faithful to Him, and continue with Him, doing His Words. Hallelujah!

Psalm 1:1-6, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Do we love Him? If you love Him you will want to keep His Words; you will love His Word if you love Him. If you will do these things, you will be able to stand in the Day of Judgement, where every man will give an account of his doings before the Living God; you will be able to stand. But the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgement, and they will not stand in the congregation of the righteous. 

 Married To Jesus

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is called Married To Jesus. Let’s turn to 2 Cor 11:1-4, Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! Let’s turn to Rom 7:1-6,  Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.  This is a marriage. When we come to Jesus in true repentance and faith in His sacrifice on the Cross for us, confessing Him as our Lord, we enter into a covenant with Him: an everlasting covenant in His Blood. In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. When we truly repent of our sins and come to Jesus, trusting in His sacrifice for our sins, and receiving Him as our Lord, He comes to dwell in our hearts by His Spirit. 1 John 5:20, And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Gal 4:6&7, And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. John 1:10-13, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. As we repent and believe and are baptized into His death through water baptism, our old sinful nature is crucified with Him and buried with Him. All our old sins are washed away. And when we arise out of the waters of baptism we are raised with Him, truly as a chaste virgin, because His Blood has washed us white as snow. Then we are married to Jesus; we are in Him and He is in us, and He gives us the Holy Spirit. If we will ask the Father, He will baptize us in His Holy Spirit that He may lead us every day. Jesus said that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross every day and follow Him. We put to death every day our own desires, our own understanding, through the Holy Spirit, yielding to Him to do the will of the Father. Jesus is leading us by His Spirit and cleansing us and purifying our souls as we continue through the Spirit to obey His Words. We do this because we love Him; we love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us. The Lord is gracious, and He will help us to continue with Him in His Word. He will lead us in righteous pathways to deal with our rebellious and wicked hearts, cleansing us more and more with His Word, and through His power, conforming us more and more to His image, setting us free more and more from the things and powers that have had us bound in darkness, bringing us out of darkness into His marvelous light. It is a wonderful and marvelous thing to be married to Jesus; to be a member of the Bride of Christ. His love is wonderful, and as we remain faithful to Him, if we will truly love Him, He will perfect us. The Lord wants us to walk perfect with Him. He said, Be holy, for I am holy: separated more and more from this present evil world with all of it’s corruption and wickedness. The pleasures of this evil world cannot ever compare with the Glory of God that He will bring upon those who truly love Him. 

Rom 8:9-18, But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

Let’s turn to 1 Peter 1:3-25, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 

that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 

having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever, because all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and it’s flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. As we continue with Jesus in His Word, with the Holy Spirit guiding us and teaching us, His Word will begin to bring forth fruit in us, and through us in the lives of others if we will yield to Him and follow Him, and ask Him to deal with our hard hearts. 

Let’s turn to Luke 8:4-15, The Parable of the Sower: And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on a rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. When He had said these things He cried, He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Then His disciples asked Him, saying, What does this parable mean? And He said, To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. If we will ask Him, if we are really serious, Jesus can change our stony or thorny hearts, if we will let Him break us and deal with our lives, that we may, with patience, bring forth good fruit to the glory of the Father. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. If we will love Him, be faithful to Him, and abide in Him, He will bring forth much fruit through us. John 15:1-14, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 

This is a marriage. A marriage only works when both parties remain faithful to one another, and continue loving one another. Jesus is faithful, and He is loving us. He has proven His love for us. Let us remain faithful to Him, loving Him, and following Him in the work that He has for us to do.

Interpretation of a message in tongues:

I am God Almighty. You who are listening to my servant Rob this day: turn to Me with all your heart. I have given My Son a living sacrifice for your sins. He loved you. He washed you in His own Blood from your sins. Turn to Him with all your heart; be married to My Son. Be the Bride of Christ! Become a spotless bride for My Son and I will receive you into my Kingdom says the Lord.

 The Sheep And The Goats

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is about The Sheep And The Goats. Let’s turn to Mat 25:31-46, When the Son of Man comes in His Glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His Glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Then they also will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? Then He will answer them, saying, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Before we get to the main meat of this message, I’m reminded right here: these are the two places where the entire human race is going to go; some into everlasting life, and some into everlasting punishment. Believe me, these things are real! This is the truth. This is where the whole human race is going. Only the righteous are going into eternal life; only the sheep. In Matthew 7 Jesus said, Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but they that do the will of My Father. They that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. They that love Jesus will keep His Words. He that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that practices sin is of the Devil. So, as we Christians follow the Lord to do righteousness; to be led by the Holy Spirit to do the will of the Father, He will be leading us in doing good works. Mat 19:16-21, Now behold, one came and said to Him, Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? So He said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to Him, Which ones? Jesus said,  You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The young man said to Him, All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack? Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. We need to be following Jesus in giving to the poor and doing good to the needy. Let’s turn to Luke 10:25-37, And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? So he answered and said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. And He said to him, You have answered rightly; do this and you will live. But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Then Jesus answered and said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. So which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? And he said, He who showed mercy on him. Then Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise. We are called as believers to do likewise; to show mercy; to have compassion. But we also are called to be led by the Holy Spirit. It’s so important that we understand this, and that we obey the Lord in showing mercy and doing good in giving, in taking care of others. It is so important: Jesus said, My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me. That’s what we’re called to do as Christians. Before Jesus went back to be with the Father He told His disciples, I will not leave you alone. I will not leave you comfortless. When I go to the Father I’m going to send the Holy Spirit, that He may be with you forever. So Jesus has not left us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and we as believers can receive the Holy Spirit; be baptized in the Holy Spirit and be led by the Holy Spirit to do the will of the Father every day, denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Him every day. That’s what Jesus has called us to do. He’s called us to love one another. Let’s go to 1 John 3:16-19, By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. Let’s go to 1 Cor 13:1-3, This is the chapter on love: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. So if we are giving to the poor; if we are visiting prisoners and the sick, and we’re not doing it in love, it profits us nothing. Jesus said, If you love Me, keep My Words. So, as we’re walking in love, and walking in obedience, He will lead us, in fact He will bring people to us that He wants us to minister to. And if we love the Lord, and if we love one another, if we have love in our hearts, as we read in 1 John, we won’t shut up our hearts. But, according as we have, we will give, we will share, we will do what the Lord leads us to do in every situation.

Why are people poor? There are many reasons, and the Lord knows: the Lord knows why a person is on the street; why a person is homeless; why a person is begging. The Lord knows every heart. That’s why it is so important for us to be led by the Holy Spirit when we give to the poor, or when we visit prisoners, or when we help the needy. It’s so important. Jas 2:14-17, What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. God will lead you in His love to give to the poor, help the needy, visit the sick and the prisoners. He will bring those brothers and sisters that are needy across your path: the ones that He wants you to minister to. He knows every heart. He knows what they need, and He knows what you are able to give to them, and He will lead you by His Spirit what to do in every situation. We must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in this, for there are many deceivers and seducers and false brethren who are very skilled in getting people to give to them. Some are able to carry on their deceit for a long time. The Lord will lead you. He will bring the needy ones to you and show you what to do to really help them. I’ve also experienced preachers that are very skilled and very crafty, and they know how to get money from the people because Christians want to do this: they want to give; they want to help the needy, and they want to give to those that teach them. But there are many false prophets: Jesus said they are wolves, ravening wolves in sheep’s clothing. The sheep’s clothing is the Word of God. They speak the Word of God. They quote the Word of God, and they know how to deceive the people and to get money from them, big money. The only thing is, they don’t count the cost. I’ve always said this. They are very crafty and they use their craftiness to get money, but they don’t count the cost, because one day they will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and they will have to give an account for what they’ve done to His people, and how they’ve treated His sheep. Remember, Jesus said, If you’ve done it to one of the least of these my brethren, you’ve done it unto Me. So, if you’ve stolen from Jesus it’s not a good thing. That’s what Judas did. In the Book of John, John said about Judas that he had the money bag. That tells you several things: First of all it tells you Jesus wasn’t too concerned about money; He let Judas carry the bag, and John said that he was a thief, and he used to pilfer from the money bag. So, can you imagine: one of Jesus’ twelve disciples was stealing from Jesus! It didn’t work out too well for Judas. Neither will it work out well for these false prophets, and these wolves in sheep’s clothing, if they don’t repent; if they don’t stop taking from God’s sheep. We are supposed to be doing quite the opposite! Now there are many ministries and people doing things to help people, but the question is: Is God leading them? Are they being led by the Holy Spirit in what they are doing, in giving to the poor, or helping the needy, or visiting prisoners, or the sick? Are they doing it in obedience to the Lord, or are they doing it as a dead work: something that they come up with on their own? And they are ministering to people and it’s not according to the will of God. So, we must be led by the Holy Spirit. We must have a heart of compassion. Jesus had compassion on people, but He said, I only do the will of My Father; I only do what I see My Father doing, and I only say what I hear My Father saying, and we are called to walk in the same way. And we can! Recently I heard a message about this very subject, about how we must have a heart for the poor, for orphans and widows. We must have a heart to minister to them and help them. And when I was praying about this, the Lord told me, I will bring them to you. Again: 1 John 3:16-18, By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.