SORRY, JESUS GOT TO ME FIRST!
The Holy Scriptures say: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.”(Mark 1:6)- NIV
Note: John the Baptist lived in the dessert, his church was in the wilderness and he baptized all his followers in the Jordan River. John the Baptist was misunderstood by many in his time and if he was misunderstood in his day… What would he face in today’s churches? By today’s church standards John wouldn’t be let in through some church doors.
John the Baptist was ordained by God to be the Lord’s forerunner; he was set apart to GOD, a “Nazirite” (Luke 1:15-17, Isaiah 40:3/ Judges 13:7)
Note: The Bible says, John the Baptist was a “Nazirite” and as such he could not cut his beard or his long dread lock hair. Certain foods and wine he could not eat/drink. John wore clothing made of camel hair, he ate locusts and honey. The churches of today will probably say of John… I don’t know about this John the Baptist, He is not a member of any church, He's not properly dressed either, and he eats bugs… I think he is a total nut job. He can't possibly be a man of God!
How many blessings and opportunities we have missed in life for judging people in the wrong way… When GOD already says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART.” (1Samuel 16:7)
It’s not what people think or say about you that counts. It’s what the Lord says, that DOES! The Holy Scriptures says of John: “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins…” (Luke 1:76-77)
People said of John… “He has a demon” (Matthew 11:18) Jesus says of John, “I tell you, among those born of women there is NO ONE greater than John… (Luke 7:28)
Note: God is not looking at how you dress, if you wear earrings or not, if you’re wearing make-up or not, if you shave your legs or not, if your hair color is blue, green, orange, etc. Or if cut your hair or leave it long or if you’re wearing a suit to church or a pair of jeans. God does not care how big your house or bank account is, or what job or car you have… That’s not what is important to God! STOP this madness…Remember, God ONLY looks at the HEART! All these things are legalistic teachings and Jesus has nailed to the cross legalism and religion! (Colossians 2:14-15, 20-23)
If ANY church tries to tell you that you have to look a certain way or have certain things in order to get into Heaven… GET away from them as quick as possible! The Bible says: “FOR it is by GRACE you have been SAVED, through FAITH- AND this NOT from YOURSELVES (Watch This Don’t Miss It! --> ), It is the GIFT of GOD-NOT by works, so that NO ONE can boast.”(Ephesians 2:8-9) Study the word of God … So that you can recognize false teachings.
Note: Salvation is a FREE gift from GOD…. There is nothing you can do to get it….It’s FREE! And Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven! “SALVATION is found in NO ONE else, FOR there is NO other name (Jesus Christ) under heaven GIVEN to men by which WE must be SAVED." (Acts 4:12)
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees in Jesus day wore beautiful holy garments… You couldn’t look more holy than these men but watch what Jesus says of these men…. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15) Jesus also said of them… “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”(John 8:44)
Note: It’s not how we look on the outside that COUNTS or WHAT makes us holy… It’s what’s in our HEARTS that DOES! Jesus knew that there was nothing good inside the teachers of the law and the Pharisees hearts! Jesus knew these men were not men of God… That’s why Jesus said this to them: “He (Jesus) replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; THEIR teachings are but RULES taught by men.”(Mark 7: 6-7)
Jesus says: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’... (Matthew 15:19-20) These acts are the things that will keep us from the Kingdom of GOD; and NOT how we look on the outside!
Jesus in the other hand wasn’t restricted from drinking wine or eating certain foods like John had been, because John was a “Nazirite”. Just like John, Jesus was also misunderstood, for the Bible says: “The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) came eating and drinking, and they say, (People said of HIM) 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." (Matthew 11:19)
But the Holy Scriptures says of Jesus: “… And HE (Jesus Christ) will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Note: Jesus drank wine and of course He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners that’s WHO HE CAME TO SAVE! “For the Son of Man came TO SEEK and TO SAVE what was LOST." (Luke 19:10) Jesus was God in the flesh...“The Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) But people said of Him that He was a drunkard, a glutton, hanging around sinners, demon possessed and still others thought He was out of His mind! But thank God that Jesus wasn’t influence by what people, his family and the devil thought of Him! Jesus wasn’t going to lose His focus… Jesus knew where He came from; He knew who He was and what He needed to do to save humanity! (John 8:14, John 7:20, Mark 3:21, Matthew 4:3-11, Luke 4:43, John 3:16-18)-Amen!
We need to stay in the WORD of God and be lead by the Holy Spirit, so that we can tell the REAL from the FAKE… Truth from lies! Jesus came to set us free and if we focus on the outer appearance of each other… We will be putting ourselves in the same bondage that the Lord Jesus freed us from!
The Bible says: “This righteousness from God comes through FAITH in Jesus Christ to ALL WHO BELIEVE. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE, FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT of the glory of God, and are JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the "REDEMPTION" that came BY Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24)
Sorry, Jesus Got To Me First…You’re not going to put me in the bondage that Jesus died and freed me from! There is nothing humanly possible that I could do to make myself righteous before GOD! The Holy Scriptures says: “As it is written: "THERE IS NO ONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE." (Romans 3:10) My righteousness, my hope and my faith comes from Christ and in Christ ALONE it is! (Romans 5:17) I am dead to sin but ALIVE in Christ Jesus! I DO NOT live under law but under GRACE! (Romans 6:11, 14/ Romans 11:5-6). And I definitely DO NOT take advantage of God's amazing grace either...My life I live for Jesus! (Hebrews 10:29-31, Jude 1:4, Colossians 3:3, Galatians 2:20) Legalism and Religion DOES NOT interest me and it’s definitely not of GOD either! “FOR THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH” (Romans 1:17/ Galatians 3:11)
“So if the Son (Jesus Christ) sets you FREE, you WILL be FREE indeed.” (John 8:36)
GOD BLESS YOU NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
