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Volume 7 ... #6
Entanglements Of This Life
Entanglements Of This Life
II Tim. 2:1-4 ... Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please HIM who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
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When we entangle ourselves with this present life, we are pulled away from the way of God. And when we try to pull back on God's road for us, often we find ourselves bound to parts of this life that restrict us and divert our minds to worldly matters.
Jesus said such things keep a person from producing from the seed of God.
Mk. 4 ... And HE taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in HIS doctrine,
Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And HE said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
... 14 The sower soweth the word.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
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We must understand there is nothing more important to us than the Word of God.
It is like treasure, like that pearl of great price ... spoken of by Jesus.
Mt. 13 ...Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
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My mother told me of the following dream she had about me. I came to visit and was driving a large white van. She said I was very protective of that vehicle. I kept walking around it, viewing it carefully from every perspective, allowing nothing to harm it.
I knew immediately that pertained to the ministry and the work to which God has called me for the church.
Through the years, I have avoided many people and circumstances which would interfere with my freedom to speak as I believed God wanted me to speak ... not perverting HIS word.
When I was on radio in Seattle, Washington, the radio station manager said to me:
"Joan, you have many good messages. Just speak those messages. If you keep speaking these judgment messages I don't know what will happen to you. We might have to put you off the air."
Instantly ... without any thought at all ... the Holy Spirit spoke the following words through me ...
"George ... if I don't speak the message I believe to be from God then I don't have a message and I may as well be off the air."
This has been a defining word for the remainder of my life.
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And often God has said to me, "Stay free and serve ME."
The apostle Paul said ...
Gal. 1 ... For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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We cannot allow any thing nor any person to interfere with that message that we believe to be from God.
Mt. 4 ... Again, the devil taketh HIM (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth HIM all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto HIM, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written,
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM ONLY shalt thou serve.
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