Spending Time in the Word

Notes: Spending Time in the Word
Cornerstone Community Church
Pastor Raul Ries
9-2-2014

Pastor Raul is speaking about the Old Testament and sacrifices.

Pastor Raul is saying the Christian way is not for everyone, the road to Heaven is narrow.

When your spiritual house is not built on the rock of Jesus Christ then it can be washed away. Like a sand castle on the beach, you wouldn't build your actual house on the sand.

If Christ is your rock then you should not be moved in any way.

Pastor Raul is talking about how they killed lambs and cleaned them as sacrifice. They would blow a rams horn and the people would know the sacrifice would be made.

Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
[21] "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. [22] 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?' [23] And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Jesus wants these people to understand that the entrance to Heaven is hard to reach that you don't get there by what you do. It's the grace of God that gets you into Heaven and we must recognize that.

Pastor Raul says if you don't have Jesus Christ and don't know God, then where you spend the most time is your God. He says to get a piece of paper and track what you do for a week and you will be shocked to find the truth about yourself. What do you do with all your time in a week? The answer to that is who your God really is.

Pastor Raul says he starts and ends his days in the word of God. You should not spend time with people who only spend time in this world, we need to focus on Heaven. Eternity is where we should look to.

If you trip in this world, the Holy Spirit will convict you. That is a way that you know God is working in your life.

Hebrews 12:7-8 NKJV
[7] If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? [8] But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

You need to know the word of God, if you need three meals a day to be physically healthy, then how much spiritual food do you need? Your are the temple of the living God. God says he will destroy the person that defiles His temple. Spending time in the word of God is the only way to feed yourself spiritually.

If you take Gods permissive will and abuse it, He gives you freedom but He makes you pay for what you do.

If God can trust you, then He will give you more to do. If you don't live the gospel then you can make others stumble. You are the only gospel many people may see.

Salt in the days of Jesus was a preservative. If the salt is no longer any good, then they would throw it away. As a Christian, we are called the salt of the earth.

Raul is speaking of tithing. Today you are to give out of your heart, you don't have to give ten percent. You have to give what you are happy giving God. We need Gods help He doesn't need our help.

The NIV bible has had 5000 words deleted from it. Raul prefers the New King James. He suggest the NKJV for reading.

Genesis 22:8 NKJV
[8] And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.

Genesis 22:8 NIV
[8] Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

Raul is talking about the different versions of the Bible. He used the verse above to show differences.

John the Baptist says Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Every time Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus rebuked by saying it is written. You don't  have to yell at the devil, you use Gods word. Know your Bible verses.

God said to the devil, have you tried my servant Job. The devil killed a Jobs children. Job did not curse God, he even rebuked his wife for telling him to curse God. God taught us in the book of Job what patience is and to keep your eyes focused on God.

When you keep your eyes on The Lord, things happen. Like when Moses parted the Red Sea, it was when he looked up is when God gave him the power to part it.

Matthew 7:21 NKJV
[21] "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.

Pray without ceasing, keep your eyes on Jesus when you do everything. Faithful in the little things. Are you listening to The Lord?

In Revelation "has an ear to hear" is used seven times in two chapters.

Revelation 2:7,11,17 NKJV
[7] "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."' [11] "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."' [17] "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."'

Revelation 3:13,22 NKJV
[13] "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."' [22] "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'"

Is the world listening? Do you have "ears to hear".

Is God affecting my life? Do I hear God, am I noticing His work?

Why did God work with Moses, Noah and Abraham? Because they submitted to God.

The world was ruling me before I came to Jesus. Now the Holy Spirit is in my life, the Holy Spirit provides you Peace!

You know you are in the good will of God when you experience peace in your life.

Even Jesus prayed to be spared by His Father, but always finished with "Your will be done!"

Matthew 12:31 NKJV
[31] "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

This is the only sin that is not forgiven! The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! All other sins can be forgiven.

Only the Holy Spirit can convert someone! The best way to witness is with your life!

Don't push yourself on people, just throw the seeds out. Jesus is the only one who can make those seeds grow.

Stay faithful.

Matthew 16:24 NKJV
[24] Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

You want Jesus in your life then do two things:
1. Deny yourself.
2. Follow Jesus

Raul reads the word of God before he goes to bed, to protect himself.

Pastor Raul ask God every night before he goes to bed if he will wake up in the morning.

We are all only one breath away from death!

2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV
[8] We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

If you take your last breath will you be in the presence of God?