THE SABBATH!

MARK 2 : 27

"THE SABBATH was made to meet the needs of the people, and not people to meet the requirements of the sabbath!"

THE SABBATH was made for man, not man for the sabbath. Do you remember how the Lord rested on the seventh day from His creation. The Word tells us that man was made in the image of God. Why did God labor for six days in His creations, and then rest on the seventh day? God is omnipotent and does not even need rest. What was the reason for the seventh day of rest? God is also Omniscient, and being the creator of man, He knew the limitations of man. THE SABBATH was made to meet the needs of man. The second part of the One Truth Today is that man was not made to meet any requirements on the Sabbath. Man is not to be burdened by the traditions or admonitions of men. No matter what day one decides is their sabbath, it is for their needs. There is only one Lord of the Sabbath and that is Jesus Christ the Lord God, remember Him.

What are the needs of the people? Unlike God we are not all powerful, all knowing and anything like God. We have limitations and they are both physical and mental. The sabbath is to be a day of rest. We are not expected to work continuously without some respite. It is a time to meet the requirements of man and religion. When questioned about the actions of David on the sabbath, when his men ate the consecrated bread, the Lord made it clear that He is the Lord of the Sabbath and He was not offended. Jesus enlarged the topic when He asked the priests if it was proper to do a good deed on the Sabbath. Was it all right to save a person or an animal? Did man have to serve the traditions of the priests or serve God? God made the Sabbath for man.

Even today many questions arise about what you can or can not do on the Sabbath. What is prohibited by man is not always prohibited by God. The One Truth Today is that God created the Sabbath for man and did not expect them to meet any requirements on that day. The correct answer would be to be spiritual and not fleshly. It is a gift of the Lord to give us a day of rest, peace and refreshment. It is meant to be a day to honor God and do what is righteous. Do not focus on traditions and requirements of man. Do not destroy the intent of God. The Sabbath was made for you to enjoy and take time to be Holy, refresh yourself and seek righteousness. THE SABBATH, was made for man, not man for the Sabbath!

THOSE WHO KNOW THEY ARE SINNERS!

MARK 2: 17

"I have not come to call those who think they are righteous, but, THOSE WHO KNOW THEY ARE SINNERS!"

Healthy people do not think that they need a doctor. "Good people", do not think that they need a Saviour? If a person believes that they are righteous, and therefore not a sinner they will not likely hear the call of the Lord Jesus Christ. They need to hear the Word that "no one is good, no not one. They need to remember that, "all have come short of the Glory of God". Everyone is included in the group, no one and all in the above scriptures. Our One Truth Today is that the Lord Jesus Christ has come to call THOSE WHO KNOW THEY ARE SINNERS! Are you in that group? Remember the prayer of the sinner in the temple who said, "God have mercy on me for I am a sinner"? Jesus did not come to call those who think they are righteous,
does that include you?

Many people, like the Pharisee in Luke 18:13 think that they are righteous and therefore not in need of a Saviour. Worse than that they hold others in contempt that do not meet their standards and traditions. It is the Pharisee who needed a spiritual doctor, not the publican. The tax collector in the temple assumed a position of humility and even beat his chest in contrition. He asked for the mercy of God and recognized that he was a sinner. He did not think and in fact knew that he was not righteous. THOSE WHO KNOW THEY ARE SINNERS are called by the Lord! Jesus Christ did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners. Jesus Saves Sinners!

Our prayer is that all people will come to a knowledge that they are sinners and in need of a Saviour. Our prayer is that all will come to a knowledge that they are unrighteous. We need the help of the Word and the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and knowledge. Help us to know that we are not better than others. Thank the Lord for his mercies that begin anew every morning. We must remain faithful to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. They are then forgiven and forgotten by the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that I am a sinner, do you?

PEOPLE SHOULD BE BAPTIZED!

MARK 1: 4

"John the Baptist preached that the PEOPLE SHOULD BE BAPTIZED to show that they had turned to God, to receive forgiveness for their sins."

Our One Truth Today, from John the Baptist, tells us that all people who have turned to God to receive forgiveness for their sins should be Baptized. It does not say that you have to be Baptized in order to receive the forgiveness of God for your sins. Why then should we listen and hear what John's message really is? This shows that Baptism is not for anyone and everyone. It is only for those that have turned to God and received forgiveness of their sins. It is the outward expression of your inward belief. We also know that the symbolic act of Baptism is not done in only one certain way. It is a spiritual act of contrition to God and expresses your true feelings and the condition of your heart. The attitude is everything, while the act can be done in a number of ways. How do you feel about this? John said," PEOPLE SHOULD BE BAPTIZED!"

John was sent with a specific message to prepare the way for the Lord. John was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah about the Messiah and His coming. John expected people to respond to his invitation knowing that it symbolized the dying to sin in the water and rising up a new person in the spirit. The Baptism was for those that asked God to forgive them of their sins, and help them to die to the old flesh nature of man and become a new spiritual person. You would only do this if you believed the Word of God. It was a way to demonstrate the Salvation of the Lord!
John also preached that the kingdom of God was close at hand, as it always is! With the coming of the Lord Jesus the kingdom of God had not only come, but was present and at hand!

John only Baptized those who confessed their sin to God. Not all people could or should be baptized by John or any other. The prerequisite is that the person has turned to God for the forgiveness of their sins and received the Lord into their heart. Baptism is the outward expression of your inner belief's. If you belief God, you will want to be Baptized and be born of the water and the spirit as also expressed by the Lord to Nicodemus. The fact that the Lord was Baptized, as the right thing to do, is all the evidence anyone needs to understand its importance!
If you are a follower of Jesus, then follow Him and be Baptized! It is important to know that Baptism is not how you are saved, it merely shows God that you have turned from your sins and received His forgiveness. PEOPLE SHOULD BE BAPTIZED, if they love the Lord God.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

MATTHEW 28: 20

"Be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Have you ever felt alone, with nobody else to turn to? Have there been times in your life when you felt distanced from your spouse or family? Have you ever lost a close personal friend that you could always rely on? When you go through difficult times and the world seems to be crashing down on you, who can you turn to that will always be there for you? If you have lost your parents, do you wish you could turn to them? Are you sometimes filled with fear and anxiety over you future? Then you need to comprehend what Jesus Christ the Lord God is saying to you in our One Truth Today. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. As a believer, you can be sure of this, "I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF AGE!" This is the promise of the the Lord to you!

In this scripture Jesus was teaching His disciples something important that He wanted them to know and remember. The Lord wanted them to be sure that wherever they were and whatever they were doing, the Lord would be right there with them. He will never leave us or forsake us in this life and in the new life to come. This is His eternal promise to all those that believe in Him. So even if you lose a parent or a spouse, or a friend and confidant, you will never be without the Holy Spirit and the Lord God will be with you until the end of the age. Since the Lord had no beginning and He has no end that means YOU ARE NOT ALONE, for eternity!

We can derive a great deal of comfort and security when we come to a knowledge of this truth!
You can feel your fears and anxieties melt away with the knowledge that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. This assurance of God is never ending and a permanent promise to you personally.
You do not have to have the feeling that you are on your own and alone any more. Your relationship with the Lord will grow even stronger the more you learn and understand His Word! Our life in this world may end but our life with the Lord will live eternally. Remember that the Lord said, "you can be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age".
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

HATE EVIL!

PROVERBS 8: 12-13

"I wisdom, live together with good judgement. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who fear the Lord, HATE EVIL! Therefore I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech."

Is it ever OK to hate? Do you hate someone or something? It seems the whole world is filled with hate, evil, arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. We live in an R rated culture that seems to get more perverse every passing day. Many attempt to portray alternate life styles as and acceptable alternative to morality and righteousness. The word sin is considered passe' and unacceptable to so many. The One Truth Today is to point out the if you want wisdom and good judgement, if you want knowledge and discernment, then if you fear the Lord, you will HATE EVIL! God hates pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech and He HATES EVIL!
It is OK to hate evil!

The beginning of wisdom is the "fear of the Lord". If the Lord hates evil then we must do the same. That is the beginning of wisdom to know, love and fear God. As His children we should desire good judgement, knowledge and discernment. The Reverent Fear of God, causes us to have enmity with evil, perversion, pride, arrogance and perverse speech. That is a gift of God, to give us these positive attributes. That is what allows us to make good choices and to receive good consequences. We are very uncomfortable around a perverted mouth, full of twisted speech, arrogance and pride. In short it is OK when we HATE EVIL!

Is it possible to love our neighbor and at the same time to HATE EVIL? If your neighbor is sinning, you can hate the evil but still love your neighbor. The Lord loved us while we were still in sin. God wants us to separate the evil acts from the soul that can be redeemed and saved! Remember we have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God, no one of us is good, no not one! We need to see and treat others as we want to be treated by God and others. We need to HATE EVIL, but love the person. Use God's knowledge to show your wisdom and understanding that allows the separation of the person from the act. God is Love and we are to Love One another. We can see evil for what it is and how it corrupts and like God we can also
HATE EVIL!

TELL US IF YOU ARE THE MESSIAH!

MATTHEW 26: 63

"The chief priest said to Jesus, I demand in the name of the living God, TELL US IF YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, the Son of the living God!"

This is the question above all questions, the most important one in any ones life. Have you asked the question and has it been answered for you? Is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God? Every person has to ask the same question and our One Truth Today will confirm that in fact Jesus Christ is the Lord God! The Jewish priests then and those of today continue to ask if Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the son of the living God. The answer to this question has eternal consequences and the correct answer will determine where your soul spends its new life. The wrong answer separates you from the Lord forever. The right answer, and your Salvation, leads to heaven and eternal bliss. This is a question that demands an answer.

There are people even today who say that Jesus never said or claimed that He was the Messiah.

They take this position because they know that to say He was the Messiah included the fact that He was the Son of God. In fact it leads to the inevitable conclusion that Jesus Christ is the Lord God! These scriptures in Matthew should put to rest any false claims about what Jesus said! In direct answer to the High Priest, Jesus replied, you have said it! Then Jesus continued and told Caiaphas, that he would see Jesus seated in the place of power at God's right hand. Caiaphas understood exactly what Jesus had said, he knew that Jesus had plainly said that He was the Messiah, the Son of God! That is why Caiaphas tore his robe and cried out "blasphemy" There was no ambiguity and there was no doubt about the answer to the question, TELL US IF YOU ARE THE MESSIAH? Jesus affirmed it and claimed it!

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Lord God and the Word tells us this Truth throughout the Scripture. It is the most important Truth Today or any other day. Jesus was and is the Salvation of all mankind. People have been looking for Him their whole life and when they find Him and accept His Salvation they are Saved. All you have to do is hear the "Good News", and then believe in Jesus Christ, invite him into your heart and life.

The choice to believe is individual and is answered one person at a time. Are you like the priest who rejected the Lord and blasphemed Him? If you reject your Messiah, Saviour and Lord, then He will say He never knew you at the time of judgement. What more could He have done,

when He was asked, TELL US IF YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, He confirmed it and claimed it!

JUSTICE, MERCY, AND FAITH!

MATTHEW 23: 23

"You ignore the important aspects of the law, JUSTICE, MERCY, AND FAITH.

You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things!"

Many churches carry on their traditions at the expense of the more important teachings of the Lord! In our One Truth Today, the Lord used tithing as a way to illustrate how some can focus on the minor aspects of the Law at the expense of the most important things. Even if you tithe down to the last herbs in your garden, you have to remember not to neglect the more important things of God's Law. JUSTICE, MERCY AND FAITH are more important in your Christian life than the legalistic approach to tithing. We have to guard against being a hypocrite by keeping some laws and traditions at the expense of the whole law and some of the most important things. If you ignore the most important aspects of God's law that is not pleasing to the Lord.

That is why it is so important to know and implement all of God's Law and not just to choose the ones we want to obey. Without being just we will not deserve Justice. Without being merciful, we do not deserve Mercy. With out having true and abiding Faith we will not receive the gifts of God. Without Faith we can never achieve Righteousness. All aspects of the Law are there to teach us and protect us from harm. The more we respect and obey the Law's of God the more favorable we will be seen in God's eyes. Do not ignore the important aspects of God's Law, JUSTICE, MERCY, AND FAITH!

How should this apply to us today? Never stop doing the things that are right in God's sight and according to His Word. Do not neglect any of the Law but especially the important aspects! Do not replace the Law with traditions that your church implements. Be merciful to others. Treat others with the same kind of Justice that you want for yourself. You must act justly toward others, if you expect to receive Mercy from the Lord. Keep the first things first and allow your Faith to grow on a daily basis. The best way to worship the Lord is to be sure that you implement JUSTICE, MERCY, AND FAITH! Obey all of God's Laws!