Sheep or Goat? - Bible Studies With Mark

 

 

 

The words of Jesus:

 

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

 

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 

 

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 

 

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' 

 

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 

 

Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." --[Mat 25:32-46 ESV]

 

Are you with the sheep, or are you with the goats?

The Wages of Sin - Bible Studies With Mark

 

 

 

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - [Rom 6:23 ESV]

 

At its core, sin is rebellion against God. Our sin separates us from God. When we sin and become separated from God, we become separated from true life -- we experience death. Sin does not necessarily result in physical death right away. Romans 6 is referring to spiritual death. When we are saved in Jesus Christ, we are rescued from ultimate spiritual death. We receive ultimate spiritual life. 

 

So, how are things between you and Jesus today?

The Power of Choice - Bible Studies With Mark

 

 

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, [Deu 30:19 ESV]

 

God did not create puppets. God gave us thoughts, feelings, and free will. God gave us the power of choice. God does not go against the free will He created. True love does not force you to do anything. True love involves choice. The Lord wants His creation to choose to love Him. The Lord wants obedience to His word to be our choice. That is how we show our love for Him. We have a choice: God or Satan. Even the angels have this choice. Choose wisely.

A Repentant Heart - Bible Studies With Mark

 

 

"I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. - [Amos 5:21-23 ESV]

 

God is not interested in the outward observation, or the outward observances. God is interested in a heart that is repentant towards Him. Amos makes no mention of a sin offering. That's the thing that God was interested in, that they be repentant for their sins; that they turn from their sin. Can a man really have fellowship with God while he's still walking in sin? The answer has to be, no! So all of the rest of the religious trappings are just so much wasted effort if your heart isn't truly repentant towards God.

There are too many people who are going through the motions of religion. They have no real heartfelt emotion towards God. God is looking for that heart that is filled with love, love towards Him, love towards good, love towards the people of God. He wants that emotional aspect. He doesn't want just religious trappings, and religious surroundings, and religious works, and religious forms, but He wants a heart that's on fire for Him.

Ultimate Warfare - Bible Studies With Mark

  

You are in a war, whether you acknowledge it or not. The war is over people’s souls, and ultimately over dominion in the earth. The war is spiritual, whether you believe in the spiritual or not. We cannot see all the warriors in the battle, nor can we see all of the weapons being wielded. The strategies are supernatural. The battlefields are in your mind and your heart. Battles take place in schools, government buildings, and at home. There are two armies in this war: the army of God, and the army of the Devil. Who is your commander? Choose wisely. The consequences of your choice are eternal.