Book of Enoch? Be careful.

I think I’m going to stick with keeping my eyes on Jesus, focusing on doing what the words of Jesus tell me to do, share who he is his death and Resurrection from the dead and his power over hell, I think I’m going to focus on obeying his commands to take care of the poor, both Old Testament and New, putting my time energy money and resources into the kingdom of heaven by the power of God to the best of my ability, looking to the Perfection of Jesus Christ when I completely fail. It’s really interesting because while it is a blessing that we have the Holy scriptures and most certainly they are sacred and Lives Many Lives have been spent and much blood has been shed so that we can hold a Bible in our hands, there is a danger in getting caught up in too much study too much debating about this that or the other thing when what God commanded us to do was Walk In Love. The Apostle Paul said he was a Pharisee among Pharisees, in regard to the legalistic law of his time he was faultless, but he counted all things as nothing compared to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What we need to know is without a shadow of a doubt we will stand before the living Christ and in that day every lie that we have covered ourselves with, every self-deception that we’ve done thinking we were important, every false judgment we’ve made, it will be gone the instantly stand before Jesus, who is truth in the flesh. The Apostle Paul also said not to let those who Focus on the worship of angels and talking about all the amazing things they know and have seen disqualify you for the prize. We aren’t called to know the names of demons. Nowhere did Jesus Christ, the one before whom wise men bowed, the one before whom the man born blood bowed down and worshiped, the one who the disciples after his resurrection bowed before and worshiped, so if he was not God, there is no greater blasphemy, because you are to Worship the Lord your God and serve him only, and it was because he claimed to be God that the Pharisees had him crucified. He literally said before Abraham was born I am. He literally called himself by the name of God so he most certainly is God, but no without a doubt that there is no amount of intelligence or intellect or knowledge that will bring us to The Knowing of God, because God is love. And we can have all faith and the knowledge in the world, we can give our lives, or we can feed the poor, but if we do not have love, it is nothing and we gain nothing. It is a horrible horrible evil in my eyes when people spend so much time and energy talking about angels and demons and so many things instead of Simply doing what Christ commanded us to do. We are the kings and queens of this world. Everybody take a look at our bank accounts, because that is probably the clearest example of where our worship lies, so perhaps we can step away from all of the foolish arguments, not worrying about Protestants or Catholics or Ethiopians and allowing each one group that is called to follow God to the best of their ability, and tell people that Jesus died on the cross for sinners such as we, that pride is an abomination according to proverbs 16:5, but that because of God’s great love and mercy even the rich can be saved, because nothing is impossible with God. We would do well to spend our time and worshiping God, in spirit and in truth because that’s the worship the father desires. So a quick look and we can see how we are doing. Love is patient. Are we patient with that person in front of us on the road and with our family and children? If not we need to get to the source of Love through the cross. Love is kind do we speak kind words even to our enemies. Jesus Christ on the cross in the midst of torture forgive those who killed him, forgiving us as well, do we do that? Love does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. Is not puffed up thinking that we are better than others or that we don’t desperately need God because our intelligence is definitely not going to be the way to heaven, but the cross and the blood of our savior is enough, love is not self-seeking. When we go to the store do we think about our slaves and servants across the world that makes so many beautiful things in hot factories for us? Do we even think about them let alone care? Or do we just Rejoice that we have so many beautiful things and fun things to have such nice clothes manufactured for us while the homeless suffer from want of meaningful work, and from the love that they should have received in a home. Do we obey Isaiah 58 or do we just read it and say how lovely it is? Do we need God’s words and Christ Jesus words at the Sermon on the Mount? Woe to You who are full now because you will be hungry. Do we take to heart the parable of the rich man and Lazarus considering that God in his love has opened the world hearing the Cry of the poor throughout the world so that we can follow him into the suffering of this world and answer their cries or do we just build bigger and bigger towers of Babel, cooler things to get closer to heaven while the poor did not have clean water or food? God never commanded us to be interested. The word comfortable was not a command of Christ. He didn’t command us to spend hours figuring out so many things, though yes there are people called to spend time in the word of God and to study but there are a lot of lies out there right now. I’m curious Pastor Wells, you do not answer to me you answer to the one who will remain long after every lie in his name is gone, and I too will answer to the living Christ, so we walk in the fear of the Lord, this is not a question for you to answer publicly, but privately between you and God on your knees.

Is Jesus Christ your Lord? If you look at your bank account how much goes to him and his kingdom, not for prideful purposes but simply the giving of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing, and how much of your bank account goes to you? I’m not talking about charitable giving because as we just said we can give all we have to the poor, but without love it is nothing. So we have nothing. Nothing to offer nothing to give and yet Christ gives it all. And the righteousness that comes by faith, trusting in God’s grace, that gift of righteousness, that is not earned but received, like a little child, are you there? Have you believed in the blood of Jesus Christ and the Salvation he offers freely? Because like the thief on the cross, we are doomed. But when you look at that other man on the cross, the one who cried out father forgive them because they do not know what they’re doing, but if we call on the name of your heart, we will be saved. In that place there is no education there is no wealth, there is no amount of good works that pleases God because it’s all as filthy rags, menstrual rags I believe was the original version. So then if our works do not attain anything then what does? Very simply, believing God. Allowing the destitute nature of our Humanity to penetrate and humbly coming and crying before God knowing that it’s not 90% Christ and 10% us, no it is 100% Christ, 100% his wisdom, his works for the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength, and so we are here desperately in need of a savior. And to one surrender turning over the trash of all of our knowledge and work all of the things we held so dear thinking they were of value but not understanding that God’s love is not based on what we do but on who he is. He is not willing that any should perish. For all have sinned. Ethiopians Catholics lutherans Baptists, satanists, Buddhists Hindus Muslims. Do we agree that the scripture says that all have sinned? And what does the second part say, and are Justified freely through his grace. Who has been Justified freely through his grace? All who have sinned. The power is full in the outlet. The lamp has no power within itself unless it plugs in. But Faith Works by love and so the wires must be working, but the lamp does not produce one iota of the power. 100% of the power comes from the source. That is the mercy and the grace of God through the blood of Christ. Faith believing in God is the lamp plugging into the outlet so we can shine, but faith without works is dead, so we are commanded to love. Because Faith Works by love. And again the works the father has required is to believe on the one who he sent. It is God who pours his love into us and the First Act of Faith is believing and receiving that love. There is a danger when we get caught up into so many intellectual things that have nothing to do with the actual commands Christ has told us that we are to do. We would spend better of our time, certainly myself included, getting our sleep, working our jobs picking up extra jobs if necessary Walking with God where he is placed us and spending our money and time and energy and resources, yes in promoting sound Doctrine going to church and pastors are called to be faithful in there are those calls to get into all of the doctrinal things and they must do so in the fear and humility before God, not denying the blood that saves them and that was shed for the sins of all Humanity but proclaiming the cross of Jesus Christ. But it is a dangerous thing to go to many directions. Unless we find we were so busy sitting on our bottoms with the interesting on our phones that we didn’t actually do the things that Christ commanded us to do, bring the homeless poor into the house Isaiah 58, turn the other cheek because that is what it means to be meek, Jesus. The Lord saves. Perhaps obey Christ command to the Rich Young Ruler to sell everything we have give to the poor and then pick up our cross, which is intense suffering, and follow Jesus. If the Rich Young Ruler was 20 years old he would have been 60 years old when Jerusalem was destroyed. If he had believed in Jesus his life and the life of his children would have been spared because he would have heated The Words of Christ and fled Jerusalem when the Army surrounded, but if he had not counted the knowledge of God worth retaining and had not believed in Christ, not followed him even if it was imperfectly, then what was left for him and for his children when Jerusalem was destroyed? It is not our reading of the Bible that brings us salvation. It is not a mental acknowledgment about Jesus death and Resurrection that is a Saving Faith though certainly it can play a part, but no it is when we come to Christ. When we are baptized in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit according to the command of Christ. Not names plural. The command was to be baptized in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. One God. Three in one. The demons believe Jesus Christ died and raised from the dead. A living faith is not just mental acknowledgment it is a heart open to Christ receiving his love and then growing in that love. An apple seed does not look like an apple tree and it is not bearing fruit yet but it will get there, but Salvation can never be earned it can only be received. Once it is received the works will come. The child in the womb can do no good works to convince the mother to give birth, but in a healthy relationship with a mother that is healthy and loved the labor pains are privilege and there is joy in suffering because the child is infinitely worth it. And as the child grows in love yes the child will learn over time, if the child is healthy, to do the works perhaps clean the house or do whatever it is the child is called to do, but the child does not do the works so that the mother can love the child. The mother loves the child and in a healthy relationship where there is love The Works are result of that love. And it is no wonder that it says that all of our righteousness is as rags! How dare we insult God and tell him he doesn’t love us unless we do good works? But because he loves us there is justice. Because he loves us there is discipline and even punishment, because a loving father will corrupt his children to keep them from greater harm. To keep them from death. So the greatest of these is love. And that. Was what Christ commanded us to do. So let us do it. An easy way to start is by giving the first 20% of your paycheck to care for the poor and the oppressed but don’t do it as a work to earn your father’s favor do it because you have your father’s favorite and you want to take care of the poor because they need it and you already have everything you need. You are a child of God. You are baptized in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. But if we do not believe him. If we turn away from the grace given, then what do we have when we passed through the Veil if we have not received the seed of eternal life within us that he has freely offered? God’s peace.