Zeal for Christ and His truth is not optional for the Christian. As those who have been redeemed by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to be a people who are -zealous of good works- -Titus 2-14-. Zeal is a hot passion for Christ as opposed to a complacent lukewarmness for Him. When the Lord Jesus -early in His ministry- found the merchandisers and money changers in the Temple, He manifested a zeal -a holy and hot passion- for His House by making a whip of sorts and literally chasing these men and animals out of the Temple. After witnessing this incident, His Disciples remembered that it was written, -The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up- -John 2-17-.-Is a holy and passionate zeal for Christ consuming your heart and life, or has rather a lukewarmness -or coolness- taken up residence there due to your preoccupation with so many things in this life that leave you little to no time for Jesus- Is spending time with Jesus in private worship been crowded out by forgetfulness, neglect, busyness, procrastination, or lack of desire- Has Christ become just a part of your life, or is He your life and reason for living every day- Is a former zeal for Christ now only a faint memory of the past- Now is the time to repent of that lukewarmness for Christ and to renew that first love you once had for Him, and to be consumed with a holy zeal for the Lord and His Word.

How easily people are offended by the truth. Jesus said that the world hates the light of truth, but loves the darkness of sin and error. The light of God's truth reveals their sins and errors and they seek to destroy the light. The world is not offended by the grossest of sin and error, but they hate Jesus and those promoting -the truth-, not your truth or mine -e.g. God's commands as summarized in the Ten Commandments are His universal moral law- all people have broken them and are sinners condemned by God under His perfect justice- there is only one way to heaven and that is though Jesus Christ and yet there are many ways to hell- God not only loves what is righteous, but hates what is wicked etc.-.--The biblical injunction is to speak the truth in love -Ephesians 4-15-, and yet not to take offense when you are--corrected -Proverbs 15-12,32-, but to be easily entreated -James 3-17-. If people are offended by us as Christians, let it be the truth of Jesus Christ that offends and not our foolish pride, anger, or foul speech. As Christians, we need to have a very thick skin when it comes to not taking offense from others, but a very--tender heart in not giving offense to others by our sinful words-actions.--Jesus teaches us from our text that we are not to give offense to one another. Others may take offense at what is faithful and true, but let us not give offense by our own sin or error. The main points are- -1- Be Not Stumbling Blocks to Christ's Little Ones -Matthew 18-1-7-- -2- Be Not Stumbling Blocks to Yourself -Matthew--18-8-11-.

Warning against False Teachers

In building a house, the contractor must first make plans for the house and from the plans then evaluate what it will to cost to complete it, so that he doesn't begin a project that he cannot finish because he didn't accurately count the cost -Luke 14-28-30-.--Likewise, before Jesus began building His elect Church in time, from eternity the Son of God covenanted and planned with His Father to save His elect, and then agreed upon the cost to build the Church. Before the first living stone was laid upon Jesus the Rock, the righteousness of Christ was determined to be the Church's only merit and the sacrifice of Christ determined to remove all of the Church's demerit. This was the infinite price to purchase the salvation of undeserving sinners chosen in Christ.--And though Jesus has once and for all paid the price for the eternal salvation of all His elect, it is a mistake to think that there is no cost to the Christian in following Christ. We pay nothing for our salvation, but we must be willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus even if means losing our dreams, our jobs, our homes, our family, our friends, our freedom, or even our lives. That is the cost to us in seeing the Church built.--Faith is the means. Loving sacrifice is the evidence of faith.--The main points from our text are- -1- The Cost to Christ -Matthew 16-21-23-- -2- The Cost to Every Christian -Matthew 16-24-27-.

Warning against False Teachers

Disbelieving God is a sin that leads to all manner of other sins. To not believe God and His truth is -in effect- to-tell God that you have a better plan, or that He is not worthy of your trust, or that He is a liar -even though He-knows all, sees all, governs all, and cannot lie-. The path down the road of unbelief is scattered with broken-lives, homes, churches, and nations. To disbelieve the God of truth is to choose to believe a lie which only-leads to destruction, fear, discontentment, rebellion, and ultimately to hell.Even for true believers, there yet remains the temptation in your life not to trust Christ's wisdom, truth, love,-and power in very dark days. Your growth in Christ will only come as you die to unbelief and grow in trusting-the Lord Jesus. Each time you fall into a sin it is due in some way to having taken the eye of faith off of Christ-and His Word. If you would overcome the besetting sins in your life, you must grow in trusting Christ and in-applying His Word -both promises and commands- to your life.

The Accusing Conscience -1

It may be difficult at times to realize in this wilderness of temptation, heartache, trials, and affliction in which we daily travel that God is preparing you daily for events that you will face down the road. He has a purpose for your life and mine, and every day prepares you for that divine plan. Will you be ready to face those events that lie ahead of you -whether you consider them trials or blessings-- That depends to a large extent upon whether you are leaning upon the Lord and being faithful in the little things -as well as in the big things- right now in these days of preparation. With all of the chaos in our nation, what is the Lord preparing for you who trust Him- I do not know, but I am confident that the Lord knows and is working out His plan -Jeremiah 29-11-.

The root of being misled and deceived by others even being deceived by yourself is leaning upon your own understanding rather than leaning upon the Lord Jesus and His Word -Proverbs 3-5-7-. Whereas the world in all of its conceit proclaims its false gospel of trusting in yourself to know what is right and wrong and what is truth and error -following your own heart and your own truth-, the God of the Bible is truth itself -John 14-6- and every man a liar -Romans 3-4-. God declares we are setting ourselves up to be misled and deceived- in fact, He says we are fools to put our complete trust in corruptible and changeable man-whether in ourselves -Proverbs 28-26- or in leaders-experts -Psalm 118-8-9-.

The Accusing Conscience -2