"Whom the Son Sets Free is Free Indeed"

Naaman’s Rescue from Blind Pride | God’s Ways Higher Than Ours

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Isaiah 55:8-9: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
• He is a God that is above all of our thoughts and wildest imaginations
• We are foolish when we try to fit God into our little mold
• To make his plans and purposes conform to ours
• We must seek to fit into his plans

Proverbs 14:12: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
• Most times in our minds, our way seems to be the right way
• The way of human reasoning
• But God may have a different way
• A way that we may not be used to
Proverbs 21:2: Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
• The Lord has to give us spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear
• Then we can understand the ways of God
• And recognize the ways of God
o Which are above our ways
o What we are used to doing
o How we have always reacted

WE CAN LOOK AT THE STORY OF NAAMAN
AND SEE AN EXAMPLE OF MAN’S WAY IS NOT BETTER THAN GODS WAY
God is merciful and kind even to people don’t belong to him yet

Naaman – was General in the Syrian Army (He was not a believer) (He followed the cult Rimmon or we know as Baal)
• He had climbed to the highest level in his profession
• But he had an issue, “he was a leper.”
• Leprosy was considered a curse that was caused by sin. (in that day)
Lev. 13:44-46: 44 He is a leprous man; he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him, he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
• This scripture was Naaman’s Destiny
• He had climbed to the height of his profession
• His position, power, or Money could save him
• His false gods could not save him
• His worldly authority was not his hope
• Only God was His only hope
o Unless God could touch Him and Heal him

Kings 5: 1- 5 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and she waited on Naaman’s wife.3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. (about $20,000 in silver, $60,000 in gold in today’s money)
• The Little servant maid that loved Jehovah God tried to tell Naaman
• But he had too much pride to listen to a little maid
o Status in the world is not status with God
o This little maid was in better shape spiritually than Naaman was

 IN 2 KINGS 5: 13
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
• Naaman almost missed his blessing
• Naaman listened to “wise counsel” and was HEALED

2 Kings 5:15: Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel:


NAAMAN EVEN EARNED A PLACE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Luke 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

THERE IS NO OTHER GOD THAT CAN HELP US
WE NEED TO LET HIM BE GOD IN OUR LIVES:
NOT OUR WAY BUT GOD’S WAY
WHEN WE DO IT OUR WAY, WE MAY MISS GOD’S BLESS (LIKE NAAMAN ALMOST DID)
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
GET PRIDE OUT OF THE WAY!
• Often the proud don’t know they are prideful
• and they won’t listen because their arrogance blinds them.
PRIDE STOPS YOU FROM HEARING THE TRUTH EVEN IF THERE IS CLEAR EVIDENCE.
• Naaman couldn’t hear the servant girl

THE BIBLE DESCRIBES HUMILITY AS MEEKNESS, LOWLINESS, AND ABSENCE OF SELF.
Colossians 3:12-13: Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

DON’T GET MAD AT GOD OR PEOPLE: HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE THE LORD
HE HAS THE ANSWERS TO YOUR LIFE
JESUS IS THE ONE THAT CAN FIX IT.

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:


Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

Arise Faint in Heart | He Gives Power to the Faint

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WE KEEP PRESSING FORWARD AND NOT FAINT.
FAINT: TO QUIT, LOSE HEART, GROW WEARY AND TIRED WITH WEARINESS AND EXHAUSTION.
DON’T QUIT! DON’T Give up.
THOUGH WE MAY THINK WE ARE AT THE END OF OUR ROPE, WE ARE NEVER AT THE END OF HOPE.
JESUS ENCOURAGED THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS TO “FAINT NOT”
Rev 2:2-3: I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Ecclesiasticus 24:24: Faint not to be strong in the Lord; that he may confirm you, cleave unto him: for the Lord Almighty is God alone, and beside him, there is no other Saviour.”

WE WILL NOT FAINT WHEN OUR CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IS IN GOD AND NOT OURSELVES OR ANYONE ELSE
2 Samuel 22: 7 David said In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.


DAVID WAS A MAN THAT PUT HIS CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD:

DAVID wrote PSALM 36:
WHICH SPEAKS OF THE FAITHFULNESS AND MERCY OF GOD
Psalm 36: 5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
• In contrast to our weakness and frailty
o God’s mercy and Faithfulness is limitless and unchanging
o The Lord never forgets, never fails, and never falters
o He is stable, steadfast, unwavering, and dependable
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man, and beast.7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore, the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

Pulpit and Pew Surrender to Jesus | Submit Yourselves to God

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Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Matthew 8:16-17: When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

BELIEVERS DEPART FROM THE FAITH

1 Tim 4:1-2: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

GALATIANS BEWITCHED BY SPIRITS

Galatians 3:1: O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

SATAN GETTING ADVANTAGE OF BELIEVER

II Cor. 2:10-11: To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

OUR DECISION WAS THE START OF A NEW LIFE BUT ALSO A NEW WAR WITH THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS
John 10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
• Unfortunately, we have to contend with the enemy of our salvation
• When we make ungodly, sinful decisions
o we can open a spiritual gateway to the demonic realm.

NO CHRISTIAN WILL WALK THROUGH THIS LIFE WITHOUT SINNING, BUT WHEN WE TURN TO GOD AND TRULY REPENT, WE RECEIVE HIS GRACIOUS FORGIVENESS.

No two peoples walk with Jesus is alike
Deliverance is a process.
• Like an onion has layers
• Deliverance comes off in layers

BEFORE RECEIVING DELIVERANCE, WE: REPENT AND THEN
1. Repent of all sin.
2. Renounce the sin
Repenting: is asking forgiveness and changing your ways to not behave in that way anymore.
• Renouncing/Denouncing is stating that you no longer want to be associated with it and cutting all ties with the sin.
o Denouncing: Public recognition that you know that sin is wrong

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

Pitfall of Passivity | Work While There Is Light

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Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

WHAT IS PASSIVITY OR BEING PASSIVE

Someone passive: is without active response or resistance
• Passivity is a characteristic of someone who holds back and lets others act.
o When they should also be acting
• To be passive is to have no resistance and yield to external influences.
• Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern
• Lacking energy, drive, motivation, or emotion
• Accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance

THERE IS GOOD PASSIVITY PASSIVITY IS APPROPRIATE WHEN WE ARE BEING SUBMISSIVE TO THE WILL OF GOD THIS KIND WAS SHOWN BY JESUS ON THE NIGHT OF HIS ARREST

He submitted to the abuse of his captors,
• Rather than allow his disciple to fight for him
1 Peter 2:23: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
• Jesus Christ, did nothing to stop those that bound him in ropes, mock him and beat him
But he had also told his disciples that he could have called twelve legions of Angels
Matthew 26:53: Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
• Jesus sought to do the will of the Father
• Submitted Himself willing to the cross

PASSIVITY BECAME DESTRUCTIVE TO DAVID A MIGHTY MAN OF GOD

2 Samuel 11:1: And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
• David did not answer his call to duty
• He did not take care of his responsibilities
o He was not where he was supposed to be
o He was supposed to be on the battlefield leading his troops
• He stayed in the comfort zone of the palace
• As a result, he had TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS

THE INSTRUCTIONS THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE DON’T REQUIRE PASSIVITY.
THEY CALL US TO TAKE ACTION. WE ARE COMMANDED TO PUT AWAY PASSIVITY AND DO THESE THINGS:
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
1 Thessalonians 5:17: Pray without ceasing.
PREACH THE WORD
2 Timothy 4:2: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER
Hebrews 3:13: But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
1 Peter 1:22: 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
FLEE FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND LUSTFUL SEXUAL THINGS TO EYES AND EAR
1 Corinthians 6:18: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
HONOR PARENTS
Ephesians 6:2: Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
PUT TO DEATH . . . THE COMPONENTS OF YOUR EARTHLY NATURE: SEXUAL IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, LUST, EVIL DESIRES, AND GREED, WHICH IS IDOLATRY
Colossians 3:5: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
HONOR THE LORD IN YOUR BODY AND SPIRIT WHICH BELONG TO HIM
1 Corinthians 6:20: For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s

Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.