Understanding

In Acts chapter 8, we have a man from Ethiopia who had traveled to Jerusalem to worship. As he is returning home from his worship we find him reading the Word of God along the way. The problem is that he doesn’t even know Who he is reading about until Philip shows up to tell him. He is found reading Isaiah 53:7-8, the prophetic story given to Isaiah concerning a coming Savior to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading. His answer was basically, "no, how can I unless a man tell me?" Right there you have the reason God sent Philip to the eunuch, just as God has sent Son Life Radio and CrossWay Church to this region, that the people might UNDERSTAND what it is they are reading.
Gods Word says understanding will keep you (Proverbs 2:11), but it also says that we are kept by the Power of God through Faith (1 Peter 1:5). Of course the common ground here and the ability to rightly divide Scripture comes only with our knowledge and faith in what Jesus did at Calvary. Understanding is the knowledge of the Holy (Proverbs 9:10) (knowing God) and the only way one can Know God is by Knowing Christ and the only way one can Know Christ is to accept His Finished Work on the cross by faith. That is the understanding that will keep you, because that is The Power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The Word of God tells us we are to learn and be comforted by the scriptures (Romans 15:4), and that can take place only if we UNDERSTAND what we are reading. Jesus opened the UNDERSTANDING of His disciples by Revealing to them that the Law of Moses, the prophets, and Psalms were all about Him and what He came to do. (Luke 24:45-46) This is the only Light we can come to Know Truth as it is written. Satan also is busy teaching Christians the Word of God, but always AWAY from the context in which it was written, which crushed his head. The context of the Word of God is Christ and Him crucified. Believe that or keep pretending and playing church and allowing the enemy to teach you doctrines of devils with the power of seducing spirits. You have a choice. Come out from among them.

We are praying for you,
Pastor Curtis

The Purchase of Desolation

Acts 1:17-20

For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: And his bishoprick let another take. (Psalms 69:25)
Judas did not directly purchase anything, but by what he did with Jesus (Matthew 27:3-7). He actually “purchased” his place of habitation which was, and is… desolation. Judas did not realize what he was buying for himself, but what you do with Jesus is EVERYTHING. You are purchasing something RIGHT NOW. What you do with Jesus determines what you are purchasing, and be assured, you are purchasing something.
You can start out with Jesus, walk with Him, learn of Him, witness of Him, and glorify Him, but unless you STAY WITH Jesus, The Jesus, The Christ of The Holy Scriptures, you are purchasing something for yourself you’re NOT going to want. Judas “had obtained”, he had “received part” of “THIS MINISTRY”. This ministry was The Ministry of The Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 9:1-6; Matthew 10:1-15; Mark 6:7-9) Judas did not continue IN Believing. Judas allowed his selfish purposes to be taken over by Satan instead of continuing to Believe that Jesus came to die for sins. Yes, he did know that. John The Baptist prophesied of Who Jesus was, and all Israel knew of Whom He claimed to be. Jesus told them over and over that He would go to Jerusalem to suffer and die. If we are in this thing called Christianity with our Faith anywhere other than In Who Jesus IS, and that means faith in what He did (bear His cross), we will not make it.
The only unforgivable sin, the Bible teaches, is that of the blasphemy of The Holy Spirit, but not contradictory, Jesus also teaches that we must repent. Before True repentance can even take place there must be faith. The “repentance” of Judas in the Greek is only that of regret, not the True repentance that he once preached (Mark 6:12).
When the father of the demon possessed boy spoke the words to Jesus, "if you can do anything", and when he cried out "Help my unbelief", Judas was there (Mark 9:14-29). If Judas would have asked The Lord to Help him to Believe again, The Lord would have answered him in the same way he answered the father… and a True Repentance could have taken place.
Examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5) right now to see if you are IN THE Faith. Not whether or not your IN church, IN your Bible, IN the choir, or IN the pulpit... but rather, IN The Faith.

Ye Shall Go Out With Joy And Be Led Forth With Peace

We have all too often memorized scripture without scripture ever becoming more than something we quote in a time of need. One illustration of what I mean is when we quote what the prophet Isaiah spoke in chapter 55 verses ten and eleven:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

We memorize, quote, and hear these verses preached, yet never fully realize the meaning as we could if our faith were exclusively in the cross of Christ so the Holy Spirit could teach us and cause us to truly grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.Verse 12 should be added to your memory verse selection, because it gives the result of the prosperity that God’s Word brings.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

For those who have ears to hear we know the joy of the Lord is our strength and that Jesus endured the cross for the joy (our strength) that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2). We also know that He made our peace through the blood of His cross (Coloss. 1:20). Therefore for God’s people to go out with joy (strength) and to be led forth with peace, it will not come about by quoting the written Word, but by keeping your faith exclusively in the Living Word that became flesh and died for the sins of the world, so the written Word can have its true flourishing purpose in you. Hallelujah!! You can continue to pretend if you’d like, but the Lord doesn’t grant peace & strength just because you ask for it. The Holy Spirit will strengthen and bring the peace you need when you fight the good fight of faith, which is to keep your faith exclusively in what Jesus did for you at Calvary.

The apostate church is prevalent in every community in America today. They are easily identified. They do not preach what the Apostle Paul preached, therefore though they remain in the congregation, it’s the congregation of the dead, and the Lord calls them accursed (Prov. 21:16 – Gal. 1:8-9). We’ve been desensitized through the traditions and philosophies of men in whom Satan is behind, to beguile, deceive, and to steal our crown. We’re praying for you that you will exalt Truth (Jesus) once again over your husbands, wives, children, self, and return to your first love which is faith in Christ and His cross.