From the Pulpit ................................................................Pages

Owner/Publisher: Rob Wood

Matthew 10:3839 says, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

This month's His Grace Magazine marks our 4th Anniversary. I can't believe we have been putting this out for 4 years now. Donna and I have enjoyed every month and every year so far.

I'm working on getting rid of some clothes, as Donna and I are going through our old clothes and trying to figure out which ones to get rid of and which ones to keep. I find it hard sometimes because you think, I've had

The Danger Zone!

Do we love Jesus enough to give everything up and follow Him

this one a long time, or a family member may have bought that shirt or pants and you find it hard to part with. Then silly thing, maybe it just doesn't fit anymore, so why do we struggle with getting rid of them? A very good friend of mine has this saying, and it really fits this situation, and many other ones as well; he says, "Being sentimental will make you poor." I mean, how true is that?

Here is a short story on a hoarder who held onto things instead of letting them go.

Mia lost both parents in 1999 and 2000, and could not let things go of theirs because of the sentimental things that reminded her of both parents and better times. Mia said she felt crushed that her parents will not be around to see her married or have children. She started hoarding their things and her things from them so that when she had children, she would give her daughter things of her mother and her son things of her father.

Mia is 39 years old and has taken over her grandparents' and parents' large house. She is struggling to maintain the home and is filling it with tons of stuff. But first, she knows she has to start to clean it out and start the painful approach of giving things away. She still suffers from depression at times but she is hard at work cleaning up the home, removing garbage bag after garbage bag from the home. She said it's a painful process of removing things, but she knows if she is to have a family one day, she needs to clean up everything in her life to move forward.

Her parents' house is a large 14-room home, but instead of being filled with material stuff, she is filling it with love and the beautiful memories of her Mom and Dad.

So many people become hoarders because they can't let go of things; it's like they're sitting on a fence. They want to be free of the stuff they collect but they just can't let it go. That kind of reminds me of some Christians, where they're continually sitting on the fence when it comes to Jesus and His Word. They know the Word of God, but they don't want to offend or be attacked by the world because they stand by God's Word. So they will just sit back and not say anything, even though they know what the Bible says about a particular subject. They also know that God's Word never changes; it is the same yesterday, today and in the future. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

When Jesus talks about sitting on the fence and not choosing a side, this is meaning that they were not on fire for God, but were spiritually dead; this makes God very displeased. In other words, they were still Christians, but they were not good at being Christians; they didn't follow Jesus the way that we are supposed to follow Him.

In Revelations, Jesuswas talking to the church of Laodiceans at the time, but He is also talking to all Christians, when He said He knows when we are not cold nor hot for Him, and because of that, we are lukewarm and He will vomit us out of His mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. See then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."

To me, they are scary words spoken by Jesus; it should be a wake up call for all

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of us Christians, as we are not to just live life the way we think it should be lived, but we should be living life to the fullest by honouring Jesus' name and bringing God all the glory.

Some more terrifying scripture that was spoken by Jesus was in Matthew 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

These words spoken by Jesus are terrifying to hear, they are words you never want Jesus to say to you, If you are a Christian that is sitting on the fence right now, you need to rethink your life and your salvation, before it's too late.

What are the signs of a lukewarm Christian? • God is only a source to escape from the penalty of sin, but they still love living in their sin. 1 John 3:412 says, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor has known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you.

He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous." • They attend church and worship God as a religious activity, but their actions do not show the fruits of a transformed life. Matthew 7:16-20 says, "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their

fruits you will know them." • They don't enjoy praying or spending time in the presence of God and glorifying Him in everything they do. Jeremiah 11:14 says, "So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble." • They don't share their faith. Mark 8:38 says, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." • Their eyes are set on the things of this world. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." • They don't have much time for God. Jeremiah 2:32 says, "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number."

These were a few signs of a lukewarm Christian, and when you read these, you can see that they're not saved. This is in contrast to popular beliefs that lukewarmness is just a Christian who is not growing in the Lord.The reason they are not growing is because they are not with the Lord and never were saved. They are worldly and not spirit filled, but it's not hopeless at all, you still can repent and come to the Lord Jesus to be saved. Jesus is right there now; He is knocking on the door of your heart, just let Him in, Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

So it becomes so crucial that we become red hot Christians and stay there. Follow what the Bible says, not man. Listen to and read

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God's Word every day without fail, because that is what keeps us strong and moving forward in our walk with Jesus.

It is so important for us to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. This means to really get to know Him, dive deep into scripture, listen to worship music and pray without ceasing. This will help you feel peace and it will guard your heart and mind from all that the devil has to throw at you. Philippians 4:67 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Those who don't pick up Jesus' cross, but lives his or her life the way they want without God, will lose it, meaning you will not enter into the gates of heaven but head to hell, because you never knew the Lord. But he that picks it up and carries it and though he or she many lose their life for His sake will find it, meaning, they will be in His presence in the kingdom of Heaven.

WOOD Ministries

Publisher/Sales/Graphic Designer/Writer: Rob Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com Editor/Writer: Donna Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com Writer: Lynne Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com