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Friday, July 18,
2008
What If?
Matthew 23:25-28 Woe unto you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of
the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (26) Thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter,
that the outside of them may be clean also. (27) Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed
appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of
all uncleanness. (28) Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men,
but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (KJV)
What if you woke up one day and asked
yourself honestly, are all these big religious groups all they say they are,
or is it more of a show than reality? What if you honestly looked in the
mirror and asked yourself, ‘am I really where God wants me to be in my walk
and cleansed in His sight, or am I just blindly, ritually following some
big name organization because people say it is the right thing to do?’ What
if I was more concerned with the inward than the outward, and the blessings
I am now partaking of are more spiritual in nature and not limited to just
the outward manifestation or what appears to look good?
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (KJV)
What if I realized that a church is not
just a building or some big name organization, but that I am the Church,
the temple of the living God, and that I can walk with the Lord and let His
word be my guide and not some big name hot shot preacher who is more
concerned with the love of money than the love of God?
2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement
hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God;
as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be
their God, and they shall be my people. (KJV)
What if there was something called living
waters, something that would cleanse me from the inside, would that be of
more value than some old ceremonial washing and other dead end carnal
ordinances?
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the
word which I have spoken unto you. (KJV)
What if I could live my life free from
guilt or sorrow, is this something that is available today, right now?
Ezekiel 36:25-27 Then will I sprinkle
clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and
from all your idols, will I cleanse you. (26) A new heart also will I give
you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (27) And I
will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye
shall keep my judgments, and do them. (KJV)
What if the majority of people don’t
believe in the simple truth of God’s word but rather make it more
complicated than it really is; would I be wrong for not following the
crowd?
Romans 3:3-4 For what if some did not
believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? (4) God
forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That
thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou
art judged. (KJV)
What if I am not just talking about a few
though, but rather a majority of people who don’t believe, does that make
me weird or as some say self righteous?
I John 5:19-20 And we know that we are of
God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (20) And we know that the Son
of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him
that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God, and eternal life. (KJV)
What if I am not as popular as before my
conversion in Christ, does that make me wrong if I don’t fit in with the
old crowd or even my family?
Matthew 10:34-37 Think not that I am come
to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (35) For I
am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against
her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (36) And a
man's foes shall be they of his own household. (37) He that loveth father
or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (KJV)
What if the Lord is asking me to move on
and is separating me from certain situations or certain people that are no
longer healthy and building me up, would that be something He would
actually be asking of me?
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (15) And
what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? (16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people. (17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (18) And
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty. (KJV)
What if every time a question came up or a
situation arose in my walk that I could go to the word of God and find the
answer, would I take the time to do it or would I keep looking in the
carnal realm for a spiritual answer?
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth. (KJV)
What if you knew the word of God and were
able to respond with the word every time the enemy would come against you,
who would that resemble?
Matthew 4:3-4 And when the tempter came
to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be
made bread. (4) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (KJV)
Instead of what if, how about what is?
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