Jesus Was An Outlaw...And So Am I!

FMH Children’s Club International
–– A Company Of Prophets ––
P.O. Box 640109
El Paso, TX 79904

The following letter-form was brought about as a means of teaching my children the Word of God through the mail. And of course, quite naturally so, that’s the reason I begin these letters with "Dear Children" and end them with "Love Dad". So for the rest of you who participate in these weekly messages, please keep their original intended purpose in mind.

19 September, 2004

Dear Children,

What an awesome adventure this has been! Here it is some five months later and I’m finally finishing-up this sermonet on “Jesus Was An Outlaw!” I mean would you believe I started writing this message way back in April of this year? And just in case you haven’t been told yet, the reason for my very long delay is due to the fact that I was momentarily detained at the Horry County Detention Center in Conway, South Carolina. In other words from the 29th of April until the 20th of August I was a prisoner for Christ, locked-up in jail for obeying the Word of God! And furthermore, seeing how I was incarcerated for doing “God’s Will” by not bowing-down to the demands of the Horry County Family Court system (see "A Christian’s Divorce! "), I can now truthfully re-title this sermonet “Jesus Was An Outlaw…And So Am I!”

So where do we start this long-awaited message? Well why not the place I planned on way back then! Because you see it was in our sermonet "Charles Neiman’s ‘Abundant Living Faith’ Is Dead! (7/27/03)" that we uncovered a few of the details on just how I became “homeless for Jesus” during the early part of 2002. And it was during this time of "No Job, No Money, But God Will Provide! " that the Lord taught me how very important it is for us Christians to “just do whatever God tells us to do and don’t worry about the law!”

In fact it was in January of 2003 that the Lord put me to the test on this “total obedience” thing when my truck insurance became due...and I didn’t have the money to pay it. You see I was always taught as a child to obey the law, and “the law” in the state of Texas demands that no one operates a motor vehicle without insurance. So in obedience to this law I was seriously considering parking my truck and walking. That’s what I wanted to do but Father God wouldn’t let me! Because what He told me was that in order for the FMHCCI ministry to continue doing the work it’s been called to do - saving lost and dying souls through the Precious Blood of Jesus - I was going to have to break “man’s law” by continuing to drive my truck.

Now you’ll just have to believe me when I say that I did what the Lord instructed me to do – I broke man’s law by driving without insurance – but I was really and truly scared spit-less when I did it. I mean in the beginning it was a real battle to say the least; my flesh commanded me “not to drive!” but the Lord encouraged me with “Just trust Me and drive!” In fact the Lord encouraged me daily with “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from both accidents and the police” until the day finally came when I overcame my fear of driving without insurance.

However, it was only about a year later that the Lord put me to an even bigger “test of obedience” when both my tags and inspection sticker expired too! And of course, as the Lord would have it, I didn’t have the money to renew them either. I mean go figure! If driving without insurance was a struggle, what do you think all this did to me! So there I was, once again, having to disobey the “laws of man” as God continued to encourage me to “Just keep on driving and I’ll protect you from the police.”

Well drive I did – in faith – until the day that Father God actually showed me His divine protection that was on both my truck and me. Because you see the way it all happened was I was on my way back from the El Paso Community College, after having used their library computers for the better part of the day, when I ran “smack dab” into an El Paso police road block. In fact it came on me so quickly that my first reaction was to do a “u” turn and just “get the heck out of Dodge!”...but I didn’t. And the reason I didn’t was because my Heavenly Father told me – just in the nick of time – to “Drive on through and everything will be all right!”

So there they were, four policemen standing in the four lanes of traffic and stopping each car as it passed by. I didn’t even have a clue as to how the Good Lord was going to get me through this one, but then it all happened. As I drove up to the policeman who was standing in my lane, he actually turned and walked away, allowing me to drive on through unchecked. Glory! How much easier could the Lord have made it? Without a doubt, Father God had proved to me that He could protect me from both accidents and the police!

Then, it was only a few months later that the Lord told my Messianic Jewish friend (Brother John) to pay my truck’s insurance, inspection, and license tags fees. And, being obedient to the Father’s Word, Brother John first took me to get insurance, then the inspection sticker, but for some strange reason the Lord wouldn’t let him pay for the tags just yet. In fact it was on our way back to Brother John’s apartment, after having purchased my insurance and inspection sticker, that an El Paso policeman pulled us over and gave me a ticket for expired tags. Go figure!

Well even though I was slightly shaken by the incident, Brother John busted out laughing as the “mean old policeman” slowly drove away. And the reason he was laughing was because it was only that morning when Brother John spoke a prophetic word about our impending doom. You see it was right about the time he purchased my insurance that he made the God-inspired comment of “Now that we’ve got insurance, wouldn’t it be funny if a cop pulled us over on the way home!” Well that’s what he said and that’s exactly what happened! Without a doubt, we had both just witnessed a very clear illustration of how God can either turn the police “off” or turn them “on”. And to further drive His point on home, it was the very next day (Saturday) that we got pulled over the second time for driving with expired tags. So for well over a year I drove illegally without a glitch, protected by God as He blinded the eyes of the police, until the day that He removed their blindfold.

(It was only a few months after this incident that I received an e-mail from John telling me how he had just been pulled by the police while driving my truck. Ha, ha, ha! Read all about John the outlaw at the end of this letter: John Gets Pulled!.)

Now this little incident that I’ve just described occurred on the 27th of February 2004. However, it was only a short time later – 29th of April to be exact – that I experienced the ultimate (thus far) in my dealings with the law. Because on that particular day I was not only pulled over by an El Paso policeman, but also handcuffed and promptly hauled off to jail. And you see all of this came about even though I had my insurance, inspection sticker/tags, and Texas driver’s license. Because it was right about the time the policeman ran my “nation-wide check” that the handcuffs went on!

And just what do you figure the problem was that caused such a radical reaction from the police? Well the best way I know to describe it is through the very special Scripture (Matthew 5) that the Lord gave me right about the time they were locking me behind the bars of holding cell #5:

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12 KJV)

So just who do you think it was that “reviled me, and persecuted me, and said all manner of evil against me falsely for the sake of God”? I mean just who do you think it was that had me thrown in the slammer? Well, would you believe my ex-wife Annie? I mean she’s not only the one who fabricated “lies and half-truths” in order to win her divorce case, but she’s also the one who issued a warrant for my arrest when I didn’t comply with the Horry County Family Court’s ruling for child support and alimony (see "A Christian’s Divorce! "). In fact it was back on the 27th of February, shortly after having been pulled for expired tags, that Hadassah, my youngest daughter in South Carolina, gave me the news that Annie had actually signed a warrant for my arrest. That was when I first heard about this “dastardly deed”, but then it was two months later (the 29th of April) that it finally became a very real and painful part of my life!

Now even though it was not “right” that I was locked up in the Horry County Detention Center for over three months, it is “right” that God allowed it all to happen. And seeing how my ex-wife Annie was used by Satan to carry out this evil plot against me, I pray that some day she will turn away from “Satan and sin” and likewise turn to God. I pray that one day her everlasting soul will be saved through the Blood of Jesus:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48 KJV)

Now, what do you say we get back to the issue of the “unpaid alimony and child support”. Because the way most folks would look at my situation (those who don’t know the whole story) is that anybody, such as me, who doesn’t obey the law by paying their “court ordered ” alimony and child support deserves to be put in the jailhouse if not under it! But, you see, I’ve got a very good excuse for my seemingly very un-Christ-like behavior: I was just doing what the Lord told me to do! I mean the truth of the matter is that God Almighty used my ex-wife Annie to “put me to the test” in my Christian walk. And the “one and only question” that I had to answer on this “big test from God” went something like this: “Are you really really willing to put Father God first in your life…even if it means breaking the law and going to Jail?”

That was the test, and, glory be to God, through His strength I passed it! Because you see this thing about being a Christian (follower of Jesus) is all about being totally committed to serving the Lord, and proving it through a walk of total obedience to His Word! And having said all that let’s proceed right on into this message of “Jesus Was An Outlaw...And So Am I!” through the following very powerful Words of Jesus:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20 KJV)

Now, after having read that, would anyone care to guess why I used that particular Scripture as a “proof text” in my message about “Jesus being an outlaw…and so am I”? I mean it seems pretty clear to me that Jesus is not encouraging Believers to “break” the law but to “satisfy” the law instead! In fact it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to interpret those Words of Jesus as meaning “law-breakers are going to end up in the burning fires of Hell!” But is that really what Jesus meant?

Well I’m glad you asked, and I’m also thankful for today’s “news brief” from the Cutting Edge Ministries. Because, believe it or not, it was there (http://cuttingedge.org/newsletters/) that I found the following very short outline on Tom Bruno’s book entitled “Jesus The Outlaw: Wanted, Dead or Alive”...and here it is:

“Few people think of the precious Son of God as an "outlaw"; yet, that is exactly what Jesus was because He lived in a land whose laws and customs had so changed from God's original plan. An "outlaw" is determined by the prevailing laws and customs of the day; when the religious views change, the concept of who is an "outlaw" is also changes. Jesus was an outlaw because Israel had drifted so very far from God's original plan. Today, our society has also drifted, so that genuine Christians will one day be considered "outlaws". The concepts within this book are excellent and should lead the reader into a deeper walk with the Savior, as well as to properly prepare your heart, soul, and mind for the difficulties lying directly ahead of us all.”

So as you can see, Tom Bruno is just one more Believer that believes Jesus was an outlaw…and even though Jesus Himself spoke very strongly against breaking the law (Matthew 5:17-20). But just how can that be?

Well in order to answer that question what do you say we check out a few of God’s laws (The Ten Commandments), one at a time, and then see how Jesus became an “outlaw” by “breaking” them:

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11 KJV)

OK, so that’s the first law we’re going to look at for today, and the following “Hand picked” Scripture from the Lord (Matthew 12:1-8) – the one that’s appropriately subtitled “Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath” – goes right along with it:

“At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.” (Matthew 12:1-8 KJV)

Now, you tell me: Did Jesus, in defense of His disciple’s actions, not say that David ate the shewbread that was not “lawful” for him to eat? In other words was not Jesus actually justifying this “unlawful” action of His disciples to the Pharisees? I mean after all, Jesus went on to say that He is not restrained or hampered in any way by the “Sabbath Law” because He is “Lord of the Sabbath”!

And taking that same principle just a little bit further, Jesus moves this “outlaw” thing into it’s highest level yet in the next six verses of that same Scripture:

“And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.” (Matthew 12:9-14 KJV)

So are you starting to see what I was talking about concerning Jesus pushing this “outlaw” thing to a new level? I mean if the Pharisees were looking for a reason to call Jesus an outlaw, it was this “healing of the man’s withered hand in the Synagogue on the Sabbath” that was the “broken law” that broke the camel’s back. Because you see it was immediately after Jesus “did what the Pharisees said the law said He couldn’t do” that they started printing up those “outlaw posters” of Jesus, complete with the words “wanted dead or alive” just below His picture!

Now everything that we’ve discussed so far focused on Jesus being the outlaw…but what about His disciples? Well seeing how they are His followers - followers of Jesus - it would seem only appropriate that they work in the “outlaw mode” too. In fact it’s through the following “thou shalt not” from The Ten Commandments, and the related Scripture from the book of Luke, that I’m going to show you how Jesus openly encouraging His disciples to break the law too:

“Thou shalt not steal.” (Exodus 20:15 KJV)

OK, so that’s the law concerning stealing, and now let’s see how Jesus had the disciples break it:

“And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he [Jesus] sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.” (Luke 19:29-35 KJV)

Now I don’t know about you, but that little incident with the two disciples really set off a few alarms in my head! I mean I’ve kinda like “been there and done that” when it comes to being an outlaw for Jesus, so I know exactly how it feels when He tells you to do something “wild and crazy” like that. In fact I’ve even got a pretty good idea of what was going through their minds at the time! But the question is, have you ever really thought about what Jesus commanded those two to do? Have you ever considered that Jesus told His disciples to go into the village and just take the colt they’d find when they got there...and do it without even asking the owner! Did you assume that Jesus cleared it with the owner first? Not a chance!

In fact in the state of Texas this simple act of taking someone’s four- legged animal without even asking is considered nothing less than “horse stealing”…a crime that used to be punishable by “hanging from the end of a rope until dead!” I mean horse stealing is a very serious offence!!! So can you imagine what was running through those two disciple’s heads as they boldly proceeded to take this colt that didn’t belong to them? Are you starting to see where we’re headed with this thing about “Jesus was an outlaw… and so am I”?

OK, now that we’ve shown you a few examples of Jesus and His disciples “breaking the law” it’s time to explain why they did it. I mean what gave Jesus and His followers the right to be outlaws when Jesus plainly said in Matthew 5:19, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven”!

That’s a good question, right? Well the answer to that question is found in verse 17 of that same chapter: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil”? Because you see in all actuality, when Jesus was “breaking” the law He was really only “fulfilling” it! Understand?

Well I realize that what I’ve just said could be a little confusing, so let’s clear it up with a few more Scriptures. In fact by reading from the 3rd chapter of Romans we can get a pretty good picture of God’s intended purpose for the law:

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20 KJV)

So why did God create the law? He did it in order to show all the world (everybody) that they (we) are sinners: for by the law is the knowledge (awareness) of sin. In other words if a person desires to do something that God’s laws strictly prohibits, then that person can understand it’s the “sin in them” (flesh) that creates the “desire” to do what God’s law identifies as “sin”. However, the ability to recognize this sinful nature (the flesh) that’s in us, through God’s laws, and thereby try not to do what our sinful nature tries to get us to do, does not make us justified (without sin - sinless) in the eyes of God. It’s only through our faith in (of) Jesus Christ that we can be justified (innocent or righteous) in the eyes of God:

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 KJV)

Now after having said all that we can head on into a deeper understanding (the specifics) of how a Believer might be justified through faith in (of) “Jesus Christ” instead of faith “in the law”. In other words Jesus fulfilled the law through His “outlaw” behavior, and it should be our never- ending desire to do the same:

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified …For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:19- 21 KJV)

OK, so according to the preceding Scripture (Word of God), it’s only through “faith in (of) Jesus Christ (the Son of God – the Outlaw)” that the Believer can live a “justified life” (innocent/righteous), that certifies them to enter Heaven, while yet living in the same “sin filled body” (flesh) that has been condemned by the “law” to burn in Hell forever. And, of course, the very complicated process by which all this takes place is best described by the very simple phrase “the grace of God”. So just what is “grace”, you might ask?

Well, seeing how the bottom line issue of this present life is all about our future everlasting life in Heaven or Hell, the best way to describe “grace” is that “this is what it takes to keep us out of Hell and get us into Heaven!” In other words it’s through grace that we can receive “salvation”:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5 KJV)

So according to the Scriptures, “grace” is God’s “mercy” (undeserving favor) for the lost and dying sinner that allows us (the sinners) to become one with Christ (quickened)…and of course the way we become “one with Christ” is through His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) living in us. Because now that Jesus has taken on the “sin of the world”, and likewise defeated it through His sinless Blood on the cross, it’s only through our faith in what Jesus did at the cross (believing in Him) that we can receive this “Holy Spirit and Power” to overcome whatever sin nature resides in us (the flesh):

“Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:44-50 KJV)

OK, so we’re talking about being “saved” through God’s “grace” by “believing in” Jesus...Jesus the outlaw that is! In fact Jesus cried and said, “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.”Now that’s a powerful statement! I mean in order to benefit from God’s saving “grace” we must believe in Jesus, the Father’s Son, so that we might become one with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. But yet as we put our faith in Jesus (believing in Him), we are really believing in the One who sent Him – His Father in Heaven – because He is the Originator of it all.

And now that I’ve said all that are you thoroughly confused? Well let me see if I can help you understand this very important truth. You see God is actually One who’s made up of Three; it’s called the “Three in One” or the “Godhead”. He is the Father (the Soul of the Godhead), the Son Jesus (the Body of the Godhead), and the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of the Godhead). Now it was during the time that Father God was preparing His “grace” for a world full of sinners – “lost and dying world” – that His Son, Jesus, gave up His position in Heaven in order to become a “man” on earth. He was born a baby and grew up just like any other human...with the exception that He was born completely sinless (without sin).

That was the beginning of God’s plan to make “saving grace” not only possible but also available to every human on the face of this earth. That was “in the beginning” of God’s “saving grace plan”. However, in order for Jesus’ mission to be accomplished here on earth – the mission to actually produce God’s “saving grace” – Jesus would not only have to live out His entire thirty-three (33) years of life on earth without ever having committed a single sin, but He would also have to “take on” the sin of the world (in His own Body) and defeat it through His suffering on the cross.

Now just how did Jesus accomplish this “impossible task” of defeating sin through His very own Body? Well the answer to that question can be summed up in seven little words: He obeyed the Father in all things! You see it was through His life-long “total dependency on the Father’s Word” (as communicated by the Holy Spirit) that Jesus prepared His Body to overcome all sin through His flesh. He didn’t do anything or say anything that Father God didn’t first tell Him to do or say. Jesus prepared Himself for His “battle with sin” through His walk of obedience to the Father’s Word...and then, when His suffering on the cross was completed, He said “It is finished” and it was finished! The battle was over; not one trace of sin remained in His human body! (See "How Do You Want Your Fire...Now Or Later? (6/25/00)", for more on this topic.)

So it was because of what Jesus did on the cross, through His own Body, that sin was finally defeated and God’s “grace” became available for all to receive:

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:14-16 KJV)

Obedience to the Father was how Jesus did it, and He did it so that we might be able to do the same. Because now that “grace” has been provided through the Precious Blood of Jesus, the Believer can be “free of sin” and “free from sin” by walking in obedience to the Father’s Word. We can all be justified and righteous in the Eyes of God by walking in obedience to His Word. But, of course, in the process of doing all this, we will probably have to break a few laws along the way! I mean Jesus had to openly defy (get in the face of) all those who used the law to try and stop Him from doing what the Father had commanded Him to do, and it certainly won't be any different for the rest of us! (See "A Christian Marriage Outside The Law! (12/28/03)"), for more on “religious legalism” in the apostate church.)

Now, after having said all that, it should be a little easier to understand the fact that when we “put our faith in Jesus” (believe) we are really believing in His Father as well: “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me”. Because you see even though it was Father God that brought about the law to “convict” the sinner of their sin, it was His Son Jesus that fulfilled the law by making the way possible (grace) to have the sin “removed” from the sinner. And of course the way He did it was by obeying every Word that proceedeth from the Mouth of His Father. In other words it was Jesus’ obedience to His Father Word that required Him to break the same laws that His Father had put in place...but it was likewise through this act of obedience that He fulfilled the law by not sinning!

So do you really want to overcome sin in your life? Do you really want to spend all of eternity in Heaven and not in Hell?

If you’ve answered “yes” to those two questions, then you must be willing to answer “yes” to three more: Are you ready to follow Christ wherever He might lead you? Are you ready to hear Him and obey Him without compromise? Are you ready to become an outlaw for Jesus?

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I [Jesus] speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63 KJV)

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16-18 KJV)

What we have just discussed today has everything to do with the Cross of Christ and salvation for the sinner. Jesus overcame sin through both His walk of obedience and the suffering that resulted because of it! It will be no different for us:

"…As one accepts or rejects the Cross [of Jesus Christ], such will decide one's eternal Salvation...the Holy Spirit is going to make this Message so clear and plain that there will be absolutely no doubt as to what is being said. In other words, each and every Believer is going to have to take a stand." (Jimmy Swaggart - The Evangelist - January 2002)

[See "Jimmy Swaggart's Spiritual Adultery!" for details on what Brother Swaggart is missing in the Cross of Christ.]

So will you be an outlaw for Jesus, or will you let the laws of man rob you of your salvation?

“...do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-10 KJV)

Keep on keeping the faith in Jesus!

Love,

Dad (Bruce Hallman)

**************************

John (Johannes) Gets Pulled:

From: johannes hiram (Web address: http://www.cheruthinzion.org)
To: bruce@fmh-child.org
Sent: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:21:34 -0700(PDT)
Subject: thus saith the L-rd

Shalom Bruce!

Remember this?

"As to what you need to pray over the truck, it all goes back to what I said originally:"...anoint it with oil and pray the Lord's blessings on it for the remainder of your journey as you use it for His glory...and do it ASAP (thus saith the Lord!)."

Well this is what happened! Before and during the trip I had this feeling that I was going to get a ticket. Then I got the e-mail from you to anoint the truck. Well I did not have oil so I went out and prayed over the truck. Then I said L-rd you know I have very little money right if you want me to anoint the truck with oil help me get it. Well I had promised Michael I would take him and Cortney to the movies which turned out to include 2 other friends so I had to completely clean out the truck. There on the floor was some olive oil so I anointed the truck and prayed for the truck and safety along the way and not to have any trouble with the police.

I was being especially careful on the way home and just like before I was setting the cruise control. I figured if I got stopped that I would have trouble because Mom set me back with boxes of books that were mine as a kid wrapped in plastic. I assumed if I was stopped that I would be searched. Anyway, I was almost to Garden City on my return trip. I was behind schedule because of construction and Choli and her kids were waiting for me. I was passing through Kingsley when the police passed the opposite direction. The speed limit was 30 mph. I was good to go, then I saw the sign to increase my speed and I accelerated, then the next sign to increase my speed. I was setting the cruise control on 65 at this point and looked in the mirror and there was the cop behind me with his lights on.

I remember saying "Oh no!" I pulled over to the side hoping he would go around but no he followed me. Suddenly a peace came over me and the anger I normally feel in dealing with someone in authority was not there. I rolled down the window and handed him my license. I was about to give him my travel permit too but I heard the L-rd say wait till he ask for it. He said who he was and that he was stopping me for speeding. He asked did I realize I was speeding. I said no that I had the cruise control set. He said well I clocked you doing 30 in the center of town and 41 as I was leaving. He said do you remember accelerating. I said yes, because I saw the sign raising the speed limit. He said well you accelerated a block too early, you have to pass the sign before you can speed up. Then he asked do you have insurance. I said no officer I have none. I borrowed this truck from a friend to make this trip. He asked where I was heading I said I was going to Garden City to stay the night with some friends and heading back to El Paso tomorrow. He asked where I went to I told to my brother's wedding in Ohio. Then he came back to the insurance. I told him my friend has a policy but I have none, furthermore the card is expired. I showed him the June card I had put in the glove box, something else the L-rd told me to do before I left.

Ticket Well I shut the truck off and was watching in the mirror. I watched his expression change and I thought well he must have heard my arrest record. He answered back got out of the car and came over. He said, I am not going to give you an insurance ticket just tell your friend to make sure to put an updated card in the truck. Then he said and I am going to give you a warning ticket for speeding. Then I told him thank you sir and G-d Bless you. He turned around and said what? Like I had said something bad. Then I said, sir I said thank you and G-d Bless you. He looked at me and smiled and said thank you and drive careful.

I know G-d was in that, but it does not end there. I suddenly realized I was low on gas and it had been miles since I had seen a gas station. I kept hoping and praying L-rd just let me get to the next town. Then out there in the middle of no where I see an airport but no town and the truck runs out of gas. I push in the clutch and took it out of gear and said L-rd you know I am in no condition to push this truck or to walk to the next town. Then I see a sign as I am coasting by Garden City 3 miles. The truck rolled down a hill up another and I coasted the truck 3 miles into the first gas station in Garden City where I filled up and went another mile to Choli's house where everyone was waiting for me. Now if that is not Devine intervention I do not know what is. I got home to night around 8:00 called everyone and unloaded the truck. I went into the house and found the computer had crashed and now I have to take it in again. Over all I had a great trip.

Well I hope eveything is going fine for you too. Write soon!

Johannes

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