From Bishop Robert E Smith, Sr.

“God and His Word are one (John 1:1,2).  "Our knowledge" of God, His Word, and Jesus Christ are the same (John 1:14; 2 Peter 1:2,3; Rev.19:11-13).”

“THE TRUTH!”

John 8:31-33                                             (ESV)

“THE TRUTH” Will Set You Free

“[31] So JESUS said to the Jews who had believed HIM, “IF you abide in MY WORD, you are truly MY disciples, [32] and you will know “THE TRUTH”, and “THE TRUTH” will set you free.” [33] They answered HIM, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?””

The Jews written about in the Scripture above were NOT “CHOSEN before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) to be HOLY and blameless before HIM.  As a matter of fact, JESUS plainly says in verse 33 above “You will become free”, meaning that they were still enslaved by sin.  “THE TRUTH” was the only WAY to be “set free” from the bondage of sin!

Recently I was reading about a well known pastor, someone who is known by many to be at the top of the hierarchy in “the church”.  It is very easy to be misled by a popular figure who doesn’t espouse “THE TRUTH”, because they won’t address difficult issues that require delineating “THE TRUTH” from a lie that will send people to hell!  The Jews above were singing the praises of being “offspring of Abraham” when FAITH IN GOD was “THE TRUTH” that would deliver them from their “captivity”!!!

JESUS (GOD IN FLESH) comes right out and tells “these Jews” in John 8:44-45 “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  But because I tell “THE TRUTH”, you do not believe ME,”   The Jews wound up picking up stones to throw at JESUS, but HE escaped from them, because HIS time had not yet come.  

We need to be VERY CAREFUL about what we accept as being “THE TRUTH”!  John 14:6 says “JESUS said to him, “I am the way, and ”THE TRUTH”, and the life.  No one comes to the FATHER except through ME.”  For someone searching for “THE TRUTH”, the best bet would be to look for “THE TRUTH” while searching for JESUS!!!

“BE SEPARATE!”

 2 Corinthians 6:16-18                    (ESV)

“[16] What agreement has the temple of GOD with idols? For we are the temple of the living GOD; as GOD said, 

    “I will make MY dwelling among them and walk among them,

        and I will be their GOD,

        and they shall be MY people. 

    [17] Therefore go out from their midst,

        and  “BE SEPARATE” from them, says the LORD,

    and TOUCH NO UNCLEAN THING;

        THEN I WILL WELCOME YOU, 

    [18] and I will be a FATHER to you,

        and you shall be sons and daughters to ME,

    says the LORD ALMIGHTY.””

Separate: to “keep apart” or “divide”, as by an intervening barrier or space:

A reminder to me: “BE SEPARATE” means that I should DIVIDE myself from the things of “this world”, permitting GOD ALMIGHTY ample opportunity to FILL me with HIMSELF!  

FATHER IN HEAVEN, it is my desire to have YOU making decisions in my life, not my will, but YOURS BE DONE!!  DIVIDE me from the things of “this world” causing me to “BE SEPARATE” for YOUR GLORY!!!

“The earth is the LORD’s!”

 Psalm 24:1-2                              (ESV)

The KING of Glory

A Psalm of David.

    “[1] The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,

        the world and those who dwell therein, 

    [2] for HE has founded it upon the seas

        and established it upon the rivers.”

“A CHOSEN RACE!”

 1 Peter 2:9-10                       (ESV)

“[9] But you are “A CHOSEN RACE”, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for HIS own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS into HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT. [10] Once YOU WERE NOT A PEOPLE, but now YOU ARE GOD’s PEOPLE; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Being “A CHOSEN RACE” might indicate that we are better than those who haven’t been CHOSEN by the ONE doing the CHOOSING?  JESUS CHOSE us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), long before we proven assets to the Kingdom of GOD. 

WHO determines fits into “A CHOSEN RACE”?  The phrase YOU ARE GOD’s PEOPLE sets us apart from others as we are CHOSEN doesn’t mean that we are wealthy, famous and beautiful to others!  

We are “A CHOSEN RACE” means that we have been selected by the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES to GLORIFY HIM for eternity, not to be the most popular and richest people in society.  

FATHER IN HEAVEN, cause me to live with YOU  and for YOU humbly, but to humbly KNOW that I am “A CHOSEN RACE” for YOUR GLORY!!!

“BE SEPARATE!”

 2 Corinthians 6:16-18                    (ESV)

“[16] What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 

    “I will make MY dwelling among them and walk among them,

        and I will be their GOD,

        and they shall be MY people. 

    [17] Therefore go out from their midst,

        and  “BE SEPARATE” from them, says the LORD,

    and TOUCH NO UNCLEAN THING;

        THEN I WILL WELCOME YOU, 

    [18] and I will be a FATHER to you,

        and you shall be sons and daughters to ME,

    says the LORD ALMIGHTY.””

Separate: to keep apart or divide, as by an intervening barrier or space:

A reminder to me: “BE SEPARATE” means that I should DIVIDE myself from the things of “this world”, permitting GOD ALMIGHTY ample opportunity to FILL me with HIMSELF!  

FATHER IN HEAVEN, it is my desire to have YOU making decisions in my life, not my will, but YOURS BE DONE!!  DIVIDE me from the things of “this world” causing me to “BE SEPARATE” for YOUR GLORY!!!

“DOING THE WORD!”

 James 1:19-25                   (ESV)

Hearing and “DOING THE WORD”

“[19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man DOES NOT produce the righteousness of GOD. [21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness AND RECEIVE with meekness the implanted WORD, which is able to save your souls.

[22] But be DOERS OF THE WORD, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the WORD and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25] But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but A DOER WHO ACTS, HE WILL BE BLESSED in his doing.”