WEST CENTRAL INTEGRATED TREATMENT FACILITY - Oct. 3, 2015

Set Captives Free Ministries worshiped with 25 amazing ladies. Bill Glass had been at the facility for the entire day, so they were quite tired, but still ready to worship, to praise God and to hear the Word! After praise and worship, Wayne ministered. He started out by saying "We are going to study a verse that the church seldom looks at." Then he asked, "May I see the hands of anyone who does not know John 3:16.
Set Captives Free Ministries worshiped with 25 amazing ladies. Bill Glass had been at the facility for the entire day, so they were quite tired, but still ready to worship, to praise God and to hear the Word! After praise and worship, Wayne ministered. He started out by saying "We are going to study a verse that the church seldom looks at." Then he asked, "May I see the hands of anyone who does not know John 3:16.

Don't ever assume you know everything about a verse .... even one you may have memorized as a child. Always go to Scripture with an open heart. What else can we learn from John 3:16?

Does anyone believe that the Bible contradicts itself? If there seems to be a contradiction, you need to look deeper because the Bible does not contradict itself.

John 3:16 makes us believe it is easy to just believe. Then we go to Matt. 7:13-14 and it tells us it id difficult. What is it? Is it easy or is it difficult?

John 3:3 says unless you are born again. John 3:36 says I have to obey. So is it believe or be born again; believe or obey?

We have to remember that the Scripture was written around 2,000 years ago in another language to another culture. Even today in our own country, if you travel much, you will find a differences in vernacular and its meaning. There is something we are missing in John 3:16.

Obviously this means more than just a mental believe. In America, 85% believe Jesus is the Messiah.

Did Adam and Eve believe in God? They walked and talked with God but did they really believe in God? What about the children of Israel? They saw so many miracles: brought out of Egypt, parting of the red sea, led by a cloud by day and fire by night; water from a rock; clothes that lasted 40 years; food rained down from heaven; etc. yet Psalms 78 tells us they were a rebellious people who did not believe in God.

They had a lack of trust and belief in God and did not live up to their part of the covenant. Because it has been watered down so much, we often miss what a covenant means. Marriage is a covenant. You give your terms of the covenant. In Bible days, they made covenants with neighbors such as a family of warriors went into covenant with a family of farmers making a promise of what they would do for each other. Our covenant with God is a marriage covenant. We are the bride and Christ is the groom. We have a Book of Promises, but we have our side also. Christ said, if you love me, keep my commandments.

A human trait is to always want more and more and more. We're never happy with what we have. The Israeli children complained. What God did for them was never enough. They didn't believe in His sufficiency.
On of the Greek words for believe is aman which means support. They didn't support Him or believe in Him or the way He was running their lives. They didn't trust His well being for their lives or support His provision for their lives.
Adam and Eve chose to believe the sufficiency of Satan of the sufficiency of God.

Christ says we should not lust. When we continue to imagine ourselves with other people what we are saying is "I don't believe what Christ says is right for my life."

He says let your yes be yes and your no be no, so when we continue to lie and cheat, we are saying we don't believe in God's sufficiency.

He says "love your enemy." When you strive for vengeance, what you're saying is "I don't believe Christ's will for my life to love my enemy is right."

We could go on and on. This is our side of this covenant.

Whoever believes in Him is NOT a mental believe. We believe in His Lordship. We often miss the meaning of Lord.
John 3:36 - The Greek word for these two words believe is different. The second believe means disobey. The Greek word is apeitheo and it is used 16 times in the NT and translates to disobey or obey not.
Matt. 7:31 says that when they went before God they said, "Lord, Lord, I did all of these things in Your name" but He tells them to depart, that He never knew them.

Galatians 6:7-9 - Don't be a sucker! Don't be easily deceived. The honesty is that we all fall or stumble. There is a difference between stumbling and living in sin. When we have an addiction, they try to come back and tempt you. Any time you fall, stop and go back to figure out what started it. Cut that out of your life whether it be something or somebody! We have to build strength. Habits are still there and have to be broken.

Wayne then started ministering to the ladies through the Holy Spirit and brought everything down to where they live. When he gave the altar call, 15 ladies came up front saying they wanted to do more than just believe. They wanted to truly be born again! Praise God!