"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."1 John 4:1

One of the more neglected commandments of the Lord among us is to test all things to see if they are of Him. In Revelation, John spoke of a number of churches that were influenced by the enemy. It's no mystery that Satan loves to infiltrate the body and spread confusion! Many of us don't realize that in this age, where spiritual deception is running rampant, we have actually been given the Spirit of Truth! But here's a question. Do we ask the Spirit of Truth to guide us? Brothers & Sisters, we need to be on guard! We need to test everything fervently! Let's ask our Friend, the Spirit of Truth, to guide us and keep us on the straight and narrow path. TIME FOR TESTING!

"Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people."Psalm 3:8

Jesus told His disciples to go into the deep waters and let down their nets for fish. When they did, their nets were filled up with fish to the point of breaking. Being fishermen and businessmen, they may have been tempted to start doing business. I mean, think how much they could make! But God had a different purpose. The disciples' occupation as fishermen was just a vehicle for God to demonstrate His great power and love. He wasn'tblessing them with fish so that they would get excited about fishing -- He was blessing them with fish so that they could get their eyes off their fishing and on to the greater call He had for them! Thankfully, they left the fishing business and went off with the Lord to do great and mighty things. Let's make sure we're not getting up wrapped up in fish! We seek the Lord for His blessings, prosperity, and success. But true discipleship is focusing not on the blessings of the Lord, but on the Lord of the blessings! Brothers & Sisters, we can rejoice in our blessings, but let's not dwell on them! Let's set our eyes on the Lord and the calling He has for us. When He sees that we have pure and willing hearts, He will be faithful to use us to accomplish His glorious plan! LOOK BEYOND THE BLESSING!

"All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Matthew 13:34-35

Once upon a time, Truth went about the streets as naked as the day he was born. As a result, no one would let him into their homes. Whenever people caught sight of him, they turned away and fled. One day when Truth was sadly wandering about, he came upon Parable. Now, Parable was dressed in splendid clothes of beautiful colors. And Parable, seeing Truth, said, "Tell me, neighbor, what makes you look so sad?" Truth replied bitterly, "Ah, brother, things are bad -- very bad. I'm old -- very old, and no one wants to acknowledge me. No one wants anything to do with me." Hearing that, Parable said, "People don't run away from you because you're old. I too am old -- very old. But the older I get, the better people like me. I'll tell you a secret: Everyone likes things disguised and prettied up a bit. Let me lend you some splendid clothes like mine, and you'll see that the very people who pushed you aside will invite you into their homes and be glad of your company." Truth took Parable's advice and put on the borrowed clothes. And from that time on, Truth and Parable have gone hand in hand together and everyone loves them. They make a happy pair.' Jesus told many truths with parables. We can see that as we read through the gospels. Jesus rarely (maybe even never) began with scripture when he was among commoners. It was only in the synagogue, among the scholars that he did so. Most of the time, Jesus told stories about everyday things in order to bring His strong message in a way that would keep his listeners attention! Brothers & Sisters, perhaps you've been sharing Scripture with someone and the message is just not getting across the way you'd hoped. Each person is different. There is no exact universal recipe for how to share our faith. We must sense where a person is -- ask the Lord to show us where to start -- try different approaches! Maybe try something different today. Tell a story -- maybe even your story! IT'S STORY TIME!

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."Acts 17:22-23

Several hundred years before Jesus was born, a plague broke out in Athens, Greece. In an effort to stop the plague and appease the 'gods', the Athenians sought counsel from a wise man named Epimenides from the island of Crete. When Epimenides arrived in Athens, he was amazed at the number of statues of gods the Athenians had erected, to which he stated, "Gods must be easier to find here then men!" The elders of Athens eagerly gathered on Mars Hill the following day to hear the wisdom of Epimendies and his recommendation for dealing with the plague. So the wise man instructed the Athenians to gather at Mars Hill, bringing with them a flock of sheep, a band of stonemasons and a large supply of stones and mortar. He also commanded that the sheep be prevented from grazing the entire night, so that when they arrived the following morning they would be hungry. The following morning, Epimenides stated, "Learned elders, you have already expended great effort in offering sacrifice to numerous gods, yet all has proved futile. I am now about to sacrifice based upon three assumptions rather different than yours." "The first assumption is that there is still another god concerned in this matter of the plague—a god whose name is unknown to us, and who is therefore not represented by any idol in your country. Secondly, I am going to assume also that this god is great enough—and good enough—to do something about the plague, if only we invoke his help. Thirdly, that any god great enough and good enough to do something about this plague is probably also great and good enough to smile upon us in our ignorance—if we acknowledge our ignorance and call upon him!" Next, Epimenides ordered the sheep to be released, and he prayed, "O thou unknown god! Behold the plague afflicting this city! And if indeed you feel compassion to forgive and help us, behold this flock of sheep! Reveal your willingness to respond, I plead, by causing any sheep that pleases you to lie down upon the grass instead of grazing. Choose white if white pleases, black if black delights. And those you choose we sacrifice to you—acknowledging our pitiful ignorance of your name!" As the sheep were released, the people were shocked when the sheep started lying down instead of grazing! Wherever they lay, an altar was erected and a sacrifice was made to the "unknown god!" The Athenians were freed from their plague, and the legend of their deliverance at the hands of the "unknown god" continued unto the time of Paul when he entered into Athens. This amazing event became Paul's point of departure for reaching the Athenians with the gospel of Jesus. God had laid an historical foundation to prepare their hearts for seeking and believing in a legendary "unknown god"; a god who had already demonstrated his saving power among them, but one whom the apostle had now come to identify.... and fully reveal to them! Brothers & Sisters, God continues even now, preparing souls in mysterious ways, throughout the world! He is looking for laborers to go into the harvest fields! And no matter where you are, there's a harvest field right outside your door…so go forth! THE HARVEST IS BEING PREPARED!

"And a woman having a flow of blood twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians, and could not be healed by anyone, Came up behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, "Who touched Me? When all denied it, Peter and those that were with Him said, "Master, the multitude are crowding and pressing on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me: for I perceive that power had gone out of Me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and fell down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people the reason she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed."Luke 8:43-47

Isn't it interesting that of the multitudes thronging and pressing toward Jesus, only one really touched Him? What made Jesus notice her among all the rest? This woman was desperate. She had reached the end of her rope. She had probably spent all her money visiting every doctor she could find and done all she could do to help herself in the natural realm. I think she finally realized that what she truly needed was a touch from the Lord. The word "power" in this passage, in Greek, is "dunamis". Dunamis is the word from which the word dynamite is derived. As she reached for Him, dynamite power flowed out of the Lord and radically healed and changed her! Somehow, the world has us convinced that the solution to all our problems come from it! We tend to look to people and material things to satisfy our earthly desires instead of looking to the Lord! Brothers & Sisters, do you need a touch from the Lord today? How much are you longing for Him? Let's abandon the ways we've been reaching out to the world for strength -- and determine to reach out to the Lord in faith and believe! REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE!

"Wherefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling."Php 2:12

One of the paradoxes of our walk is that God’s gifts often require work on our part. After He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, the Lord led them to the Promised land and told them He was going to "give" it to them. It wasn't long before they realized, however, that they were going to have to fight battles and overcome fortified cities in order to inhabit the land. God did promise that they would not have to fight the battles on their own, but even with this divine advantage the Israelites themselves would be required to destroy their enemies – they would still need to fight. They might have preferred that God just give them the land, without having to do anything; to just walk into already built cities and houses without any conflict or opposition. But this was not God’s plan. He desired and expected their full cooperation, expecting them to take serious responsibility for the destiny He had prepared for them, and to grow in faith, thereby. Our situation is similar. Though the gift of our salvation is free, the Lord requires us to work it out...with fear and trembling! [Phil. 2:12] We are not automatically or supernaturally filled with knowledge of the Bible, or faith to move mountains, or the power to pray without ceasing. Instead, we discover that we have to fight the fight of faith, taking serious responsibility for the destiny He has prepared for us. Brothers & Sisters, are you discouraged because the walk of a believer is more difficult than you imagined and the challenges greater than you expected? Don’t be! God is calling you to the simple responsibility of working out your faith and participating in your own destiny. You can be grateful that He doesn't treat you like a helpless infant who has no part in shaping his/her life, but as a growing adult who can rejoice in his/her participation with a loving and powerful Creator. WORK IT OUT!

" But they kept silent: for by the way they had disputed with one another, which one of them was the greatest. And He sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, "If any man desires to be first, he shall be the last of all and servant of all."Mark 9:34-35

Once there was a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, a large gathering took place in the palace courtyard and our finalists were brought forward. The first person was a wealthy philanthropist. This man was deserving of the king's honor because of his great humanitarian efforts. He had given much of his wealth to the poor, building orphanages, schools and hospitals throughout the land. The second was a celebrated physician. This outstanding doctor was deserving of honor for rendering his faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years and discovering medicines that saved many lives. The third was a distinguished judge. He was noted for his wisdom, his fairness and his many a brilliant decision. The last person presented before the king was an elderly woman. Her manner was quite humble, as was her dress. She hardly looked the part of someone who would be honored as the greatest subject in the kingdom. What chance could she possibly have, when compared to the other three, who had accomplished so very much? The king was intrigued, to say the least and was somewhat puzzled by her presence. He asked who she was. Then the answer came: "Well, my king, do you see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge over here? She was their teacher!" This woman had no wealth, no fortune, and no title, but countless lives were helped, healed and changed through her giving. We never know whose lives we're touching. I'm sure someone prayed -- someone gave -- someone shared the Gospel with some of the greatest evangelists, preachers and givers we know. Brothers & Sisters, let's serve the Lord by sowing unselfishly into the lives of the people he's put in our path --- so that they may become great in God's Kingdom! SOW INTO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE!