Brother John Moffeit, Athol Youth Revival, Thursday night 7/26/12

Brother John Moffeit, Athol Youth Revival, Thursday night 7/26/12

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.

If you saw someone walking toward a cliff in the dark, you would warn them.  Wouldn’t you like to be warned in the same situation?

Tonight, if you are going the wrong direction toward eternity, I want to warn you.

Pro 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Tonight, I would like to address the question of salvation, the examination of salvation, and the person of salvation. 

The question of salvation:  Paul wrote this latter passage to the Corinthians because their disobedience, attitude, and the fruit displayed made him question, “Are you saved?”

People can assume they are saved when they are not.  Examine yourself and don’t just assume and make assumption that since you went through a form or got saved at one time that you are saved. 

I worked with a man that had a testimony that he was saved since he was twelve, for 25 years.  Yet when he was crossed he had a temper like a bulldog and he would display an attitude and cuss.  It was clear that there was no walk with God. 

Examination of salvation:  the word ‘examine’ means to take a close look and figure it out, take time to inspect carefully with a view to discover the true condition of a thing, explore.  There was a time that I thought I was saved yet I was really not. 

I’m going to explain what my life was like before salvation, when I thought I was saved, and what my life was like after salvation, when I was saved.  I want you to examine yourself and ask yourself this question, “Does my life resemble the before salvation picture or the after salvation picture?”

Before salvation: I grew up in church but never paid attention really.  If asked I would have said that I was a Christian because I believed in Jesus.  I was going down a sinful path and had many sins in my life.  I thought I was good enough to get to heaven. 

I had a habit of cussing and I loved the habit and I listened to ungodly music with terrible words.  I was rebellious and had a bad attitude, but because I believed in Jesus, I thought I was ok. 

In Junior High I went to church camp and went forward.  I don’t know what I was thinking at the time, but I felt spiritual and later was baptized.  My life was the same afterwards as it had been before.  I had things in my life, but I still thought I was good.  

In high school there was a moment when I came to the question, “If I died, would I go to heaven?”  I thought I would.  I started reading some Occult readings and endeavored to practice some of it with a few results, but not complete success.  There was a question in my mind that maybe it was evil and it opened doors to the enemy. 

At this time my dad gave me a book written by a woman with the same experience that had gotten saved.   This caused me to question again if what I was practicing was evil.  I asked God that if it was evil that He would help nothing to come the next two times that I made the attempt.  He answered my prayer and nothing happened the next two times.  So I stopped. 

After that I woke up to an evil presence in the room that froze me stiff.  I knew that I had to get up and turn on the light.  When I did I saw nothing and the presence left. 

I went through a hard time in life at this point and God used it to get me alone and away from friends.  At this time I generally prayed a little prayer before I went to bed.  I started reading a New Testament; I read one chapter a day.  Sometimes I would miss a day and the next day I would try to read two chapters. 

I was lost and as I read God began to open my eyes.  Here are some of the scriptures that I read:

Luk 13:3  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luk 13:5  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Unless you repent, turn from sin, you will perish.  I knew that I was living in sin and that I had never repented. 

God commands all men everywhere to repent.  You must be willing to turn from sin and ask Jesus to cleanse you from sin.  For the first time I really understood why Jesus came. 

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

I was going down this path, MY WAY.  To repent is to turn from our own way to the path that Jesus wants us to walk.  Jesus died for me and was willing to save me if I would repent and turn from my sin. 

There was a prayer at the end of the New Testament.  I prayed this prayer.  God saw my heart and didn’t care about the words.  I believed and God heard me. 

I woke up with my desires changed.  I suddenly had no desire to cuss.  I had a hunger for the Word.  The Bible was a new and living book.  I was born again shown by a change of desires and purpose.  This is what salvation is all about. 

Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Eze 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

A change took place inside of me.  I was excited about reading the Bible and excited about church.  At this time I read a book that said that if you’ve done occult things then you need to renounce it.  I did.  That night the same evil presence came to me.  There was a difference this time though, I was not afraid.  I knew that the Lord would protect me.  “Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.”

I tried to rebuke that presence and there was a pressure over my neck and body so that I could say nothing and I could not get up.  I called upon God to rescue me.  Then the pressure began to lessen and I was able to get up and rebuke it in Jesus’ name. 

The great difference this time from the time before was that there was no fear.  It confirmed in my mind what had happened, I was saved. 

Be careful what you open yourself up to.

As my heart became inclined to God He showed me things.  I used to play video games and He spoke to my heart: “Is this the best way to spend your time?  Will this matter in eternity?”  There has been a lot of growth; the Lord has blessed and changed my life.  I look at my family and my home and realize that the only reason that we have what we have is because of God. 

Psa 119:97  MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

I wouldn’t give up my relationship with God for anything. 

People think that just because they believe and have head knowledge then they are saved; yet they walk in their own way and do not have the desires that I have described. 

You ask me what made the difference and I answer you that it is not What but Who. 

The person of salvation: 

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Except you be reprobates: unless you fail the test. 

Salvation is more than getting a ticket and holding onto it.  When you get saved, the Lord comes to dwell in your heart.  You are not moved to a new position, but a person comes to live in your life.

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Jesus does something new on the inside.  You gain a love for God, a love for the things of God, a love for the Word of God, and a love for the people of God.  From there you Him in loving obedience. 

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

If you don’t love then you don’t keep His commandments. 

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

1Jn 3:11  For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1Jn 3:12  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

1Jn 3:13  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Don’t rob yourself in settling for head knowledge or a prayer prayed long ago.  If your life resembles mine before salvation then you are headed for that cliff and you need to turn around. 

Psa 86:5  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

God is good and is not willing that any perish.  You can be saved tonight.  God is plenteous in mercy unto all that call upon Him.  You can call upon the Lord tonight and He will wash all your sin away.  He will cast your sin from you as far as the east is from the west never to be remembered against you again. 

You can be saved tonight; don’t keep heading for that cliff.

Sister Sunny Sunday Evening 7/22/12

Who is on the Lord’s Side?

Exo 32:26  Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

Moses asked the question, “Who is on the Lord’s side?”  There is no such thing as neutrality in this warfare that is being waged of light versus darkness and righteousness versus iniquity.  Whose side are we on? 

Mat 12:30  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

We cannot be on both sides with a foot in each camp, one in the camp of the Lord and the other in the camp of the army of darkness.  Whose side are we on?

The following song has been a challenge to me to be on the Lord's side:

Army of the Lord

CHORUS:
Are we walking into the enemy’s camp, laying our weapons down?

Shedding our armor as we go, Leaving it on the ground?

We’ve got to be strong in the power of His might.

Prove to the enemy: We are the army of the Lord and we’ve won the victory.

VERSE 1:
All around us the war is going on, between the wrong and the right.

We’ve got to choose which side we’re on, the darkness or the light.

Some of the soldiers of the Lord just don’t realize:

That the captain of the army of darkness is come to blind their eyes.

VERSE 2:
Can’t you see that we’re in a battle; there’s no place to hide.

The shields of faith are full of darts, shooting from every side.

Just shake out the darts and run right at ‘em and remember who you’re fighting for.

Don’t fall asleep cause if they catch you they’ll tag you prisoner of war.

What is in the enemies camp that we are interested in?  A bad attitude?  Bitterness?  The acceptance of an associate?  The praise of men?  Are we walking into the enemy’s camp? 

Are we laying our weapons down?  Would we be willing to set aside any of our armor: The helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the preparation of the gospel of peace, truth, righteousness, or the Word of God?  Is there anything of more value?

The enemy is a liar and the father of liars, what he is offering is never quite what it seems.  If we are strong in the Lord’s might then we will be victorious.  He is the white horse rider, conquering and to conquer. 

Which side are we on?  The enemy will try to blind our eyes to the battle that we are waging.  He will try to get us to set aside the shield of faith, the truth, the Word of God, righteousness, or the helmet of salvation and try to blind our eyes to their value.  The enemy will try to have us see the armor as worthless or outdated. 

There is no place to hide; there is no middle ground where you can rest neither fighting for what is right nor being in the enemy’s camp.  You cannot serve God and mammon. 

Keep your eyes open, remember who and what you are fighting for.  Remember whose side you are on.  Take the offensive.  Fight.  Stay awake.  Watch and pray.  Stay out of the camp of the enemy. 

There are two camps.  We are either in the camp of the Lord or we are in the enemy’s camp.  The battle ground is the hearts of men and women.  It is the battle of light versus darkness and right versus wrong.   

There is no common middle ground.  It is impossible to serve two masters.  Whose side are you on?

2Co 6:15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

2Co 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.

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Whose side are you on?  God asks that we be separate from the world and the things of the world.  If we allow a sympathy in our heart for the things of the world, a longing for acceptance, or a fear of their faces, it will cause us to be confounded, awkward, and unable to stand as we should.  The friendship of the world is enmity with God:

Jas 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Jer 1:16  And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Jer 1:17  Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

Jer 1:18  For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

Jer 1:19  And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

Whose side are you on?  It is only the Lord that we are to hold in a hallowed position in our estimation.  We need not be timid before any other.  If He is our fear, then He will be our refuge and we need fear no other.   

If we have ourselves or anyone else in a lifted up position then it will cause us to be awkward and unable to speak the word that the Lord may give us that would be a help to someone else in this battle that we are in. 

Isa 8:11  For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,

Isa 8:12  Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

Isa 8:13  Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Isa 8:14  And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

There are two camps; we are either in the Lord’s camp or the camp of the enemy. 

1. In the Lord’s camp, Jesus is captain, the victorious lord of hosts: 

Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

2. In this camp, there are the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  These are not inherent to us as humans but are ours only by the grace of God and the influence of the Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit are not in the enemy’s camp.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

3. In this camp, we are given two tasks that are above the rest.  The first: Love the Lord with all our heart and the second: to love our neighbor as ourselves.  If we are saved and follow these two commands, with God in first place, then we will be in position to be used of God in this battle.

Mar 12:29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

4. In this camp, we are a member of the Kingdom of the Lord: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Rom 14:18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

We need to be courageous in this battle as Joshua when he led the Children of Israel over the Jordan River into Canaan.

Jos 5:13  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

Jos 5:14  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

Our captain is the Lord of hosts, of armies plural.  He is almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.  Joshua was going into a very real and literal battle and he needed to know who was leading and what the character of the Captain was so that he could be strong and very courageous. 

Isa 55:4  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

We are in a battle that is not a literal battle against flesh and blood as the battle that Joshua was facing when he met the captain of the host of the Lord.  It is a battle against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places.  We must also be strong and very courageous. 

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

There are principalities, in this world that we are living in, that are contrary to all that is right:  Mothers that don’t take care of their children, Fathers that refuse to take responsibility, Children that have no boundaries taught them that would protect and direct their lives.  When people don’t follow godly principals in their lives, there will always be heartache, heart break, mistreatment of others, and bitterness.

In the Word of God we are taught godly principals that will protect and direct us in this battle.  Part of the battle is against the distractions of the enemy in our own soul so that we can follow these principals, and part of the battle is standing for what is right and witnessing to others so that they too can come to join the battle for the Lord and right.

We choose our hearts position in this battle many times daily through various small choices.  Will we think on things that are lovely… or will we allow negative thoughts to have preeminence?  Whose side are we on? 

Will we stand for what is right?  Will we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding?  Will we have faith?  Will we keep our heart with all diligence?  Will we cast down imaginations and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God?  Whose side are we on?

In the camp of the enemy: There is unbelief.  There are idols.  There is pride, strife, discontent, bitterness, evil imaginations, and every evil work.

When we let any of these work on us then we are walking into the enemy’s camp and laying our weapons down.  Our weapons are not carnal but mighty:

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Thank God we can be used of Him to pull down strongholds of the enemy.  Let God use whatever He has given you for His honor and glory.  Don’t let the enemy either make you embarrassed or make you prideful.   

Either is a trick of the enemy that will make it so that God cannot use you. 

Whose side are you on?  Be on that side with your whole heart, without embarrassment and without pride.

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Our armor is truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God.  We are to operate this armor with prayer in the Spirit, with watching, and with perseverance.

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If God be for us who can be against us?