Matthew 15:8-9
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
The interesting point in this portion of Scripture is that there were people speaking seemingly the right things in spiritual matters and gathering to worship Jesus. Yes that’s right, they worshipped Jesus, yet Jesus said they worshipped Him in vain. It was no more than something they did to only make "themselves" feel better about "themselves". At another place, Jesus tells others (John 5:39-40) who loved searching the scriptures (those who have a verse to quote for every situation) that they thought they had found eternal life in them, but they did not even know the scriptures were about JESUS.

We remain in bible days today with exactly the same scenario as was in the days of Jesus walking the earth. I would hate to know that I could be in the Word daily and be worshipping Jesus daily and with much sincerity, yet be sincerely doing it all in vain according to Him. What would cause all we do to be in vain? Matthew 15:8 reveals the answer. “Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” Don’t be deceived, men and the devil use the Word of God to make their own religious rules. Jesus calls them commandments of men. They are such as “you have to do…” This includes all doctrines that men teach can help him outside of what Christ did at Calvary. Please never forget that what Jesus did at Calvary IS WHO HE IS. Whenever we teach or sit under teaching that requires us to do anything other than to believe that what Christ did at the cross was sufficient for all of our needs, and I mean ALL, we worship in vain.

The Lord is pleading with His people to return to their first love. It is the place you first loved Him... At the cross!!!

Good respectable people in this community tried to speak on God’s behalf giving me council against starting CrossWay Church, but the Lord continued to lay on my heart that though there are eighty to ninety churches in this community, “almost none are preaching my gospel”. God’s gospel is Christ and Him crucified. We are seeing many come out of places of VAIN WORSHIP and brought back to a true relationship with the Lord. But know this, it will take for you what it took for me and all the others. It will take you being willing to put Jesus back on the throne of your heart which will result in you coming out from among them who refuse to.

Victory

2 Corinthians 2:14 proclaims there is never ending victory for the children of God even today and every today. This scripture not only convicts me due to the lack of victory I experience at times, but also encourages me, revealing to me there can be uninterrupted victory in my life. If I do not understand from where my victory comes, I’ll be found trying TO DO many things to find it. Let’s look at what the scripture says.

2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes

manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.

Notice where the triumph is found. In Christ. This exclusively speaks of faith in what Christ did at the cross. Not just Christ. If our faith in Christ is separated from His FINISHED WORK, we have a faith the Lord will not recognize. We can either believe this or continue to pretend. The Apostle Paul writes, “As you have received the LORD Jesus Christ, SO WALK YE ALSO IN HIM.” The Word of God reveals we can be in Christ, yet fail WALK IN HIM. (Rom. 8:1) Walking in Him SIMPLY means to keep our faith in what it was in when we were initially saved. The same FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST that Saved you from hell will also Save you from a gossiping tongue, lusting spirit, envy, strife, alcohol, drugs, terrible marriage etc… My bible says ALL principalities & powers were defeated by Christ as He triumphed over them, making an open show of them IN HIS CROSS. (Coloss. 2:14-16) Only a religious spirit would try to bring works in as part of deliverance. The only legitimate deliverance ministry is the ministry like that of the Apostle Paul, the preaching of Christ and Him crucified. For there is NO other way to be delivered from sin. So many with their lips say they know this, but their lives show they do not.

You can walk away from whatever it is holding you down, choking the life out of you simply by placing your faith back in the cross of Christ. If your faith is in what He did, you will be identified with His cross, and experiencing the victory that was provided you there. God bless.

Pastor Curtis Hutchinson

The LORD's Way

It is so awesome to know the same God who opened the Red Sea for His people to be able to escape,will do the same for His people today. Not only did the Lord make a way out right through what previously appeared to be their soon coming end (the Red Sea), but along with their deliverance through the sea, He destroyed the enemy utterly. Wow!!!

Exodus 14:22 says the waters they once viewed as their soon coming death were made walls for them so they could travel through on dry ground.

As everyone stood and watched Jesus on the cross and began to think this is the end, this is death, this is great loss, while the entire time the opposite was much True. It was NOT the end, BUT THE BEGINNING, not just death, but death that would bring LIFE, not loss, but the greatest gain one could ever know.

It is very refreshing to know the WORD of GOD proclaims that

"if God spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up (the cross) for us all,

how shall He not also

WITH HIM give us freely all things."

The key is WITH HIM. This is the knowing that we were crucified with Him and if we are planted together in the likeness of His death (identification with His cross) we will walk in newness of life. The reason so many Christians can't get past their problems is because they don't know they have been baptized into Christ's death, (Romans 6:3) NOT His glory, or anything else. His death is what justified and what brings newness of life that we all search for. Praise God.

God bless you and remember Revival is coming in a great way, but it will only be ushered in through One Way and that is the preaching of CHRIST and HIM crucified.

Pastor Curtis Hutchinson