* How does it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our own soul?

Joan Boney ... apostle and prophet of Jesus Christ according to Ephesians 4:11-12.

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Matthew 16   Jesus says:

26  Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

(We deny our own fleshly desires and preferences to follow scripture, giving up the ungodly religious people and their ungodly ways.)

25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for MY sake (for the sake of the Word) shall find it.

26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

According to his works:  Our works must be authored by God

Matthew 7  Jesus says:

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

We are rewarded according to our works ... but our works must be authored by God.

Matthew 23   Jesus says:

15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

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Unless God called us to this ministry, we will be turned away by Jesus at the day of judgment.

If the ministry is our own idea and the work is our own idea, and not from God, then we will be turned away at the day of judgment.

Many will be turned away by Jesus at the day of judgment for their works which they say they did in Jesus' name were not authored by God.  Their works were their own ideas.

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Recently a man came to me telling me about "his" ministry.

I said to him, "How did God show you that you were to do that ministry?"

He couldn't tell me "how".  

His ministry was not authored by God.  He couldn't even tell me any message God had given to him.

Many today are like that.

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So you go to visit the sick.  Did God put it into your heart to do this or did you just sign up to do this on the church bulletin board?

You think you are going to reach your religious relatives with truth from God.  So you share scriptures with them and you share godly concepts with them.  And they stare blankly at you ... and they go their own way.

What do you do then?  keep sharing?  keep being around them when they reject the doctrines of Christ and approve all manner of divorce and remarriage in their churches?

II John 

 

8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 

 

9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 

 

10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 

 

(It is not a matter of saying "Jesus is Lord" but it is a matter of doing the doctrines of Christ.) 

 

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

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We lay down our lives and our reputations with them refusing to abide with them and refusing to wish them well.

Acts 2:40   Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

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