1 John 5:1-3 (NLT) 1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3Loving God means keeping his commandments, and really, that isn't difficult.

        I was reading a sermon by an evangelist who is long dead now.  But the one thing I always notice about this man is that even though he has been dead for over 50 years his words still ring of the Holy Spirit.  You will never find a published word he preached that is not true to the Lord and His commandments.   We are told that we must be discerning.  We must judge those in the body to see if they are preaching the truth.  1 John 4:1 (NLT) 1Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.  Jesus said that one of the signs of the end times would be an exponential growth in the number of false prophets in the end days. Matthew 24:4-5 (NLT) 4Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you. 5For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah.' They will lead many astray.  The Greek here is vague and most likely means, "For many will come in my name, saying, I am from the Messiah" not I am the Messiah. In other words Jesus was speaking in the first person.  He meant that many will come in His name and will confess that Jesus is the Christ and lead many astray.  Jesus then goes on to say in verses 11 and 12 11And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. 12Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.  I could be wrong, but that sure seems to be what is happening. 
        John told us that if we love the Lord we would keep His commandments.  Let's just take a look at this.  We have over 3000 religions in the United States alone.  Each one has their own little interpretation of what the scriptures really say.  Each one believes they are right.  One religious group once told me that they "used to have a Christian school but did not now". It seemed that the local Baptist church had started a school that was growing and successful.  I asked this other group "why don't you work with them?  "  Their answer! "We have the "Spirit" they don't so we cannot work with them!"  They were so stuck in their religious dogma that they could not go forward. 
        Have you every heard the saying "Analysis Paralysis"? This is where we get so concerned about what to do that we examine something to the point we either miss the opportunity or we never get something done.  Our government is notorious for this.  I believe we in the world today suffer from religious paralysis.  We have so many different groups that have come up with so many man made rules and regulations that they no longer do what Jesus said. Matthew 24:14 (KJV) 14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 
        How can we get to the end if we cannot ever get to the beginning?  The Gospel is very simple but these religions have made it so difficult with their rules and regulations.  We must get back to the basics and call a sin a sin and not put walls up to keep people from being saved.  Jesus said it best.  Matthew 23:15 (NLT) 15Yes, how terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn him into twice the son of hell as you yourselves are.  Jesus knew when we take our eyes off the simple Gospel and create all these false doctrines we are not saving people but condemning them to Hell.  Harsh you say?  Study your Bible!
1 John 5:1-3 (NLT) 1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3Loving God means keeping his commandments, and really, that isn't difficult.  Let's just break this down.  First, everyone who truly believes Jesus it the Christ is a child of God! Second, this will be evident by everyone who loves the Father will also love His children.  What did Jesus say? John 13:34-35 (NLT) 34So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.   With all the religions of the world all claiming they have the right and true Gospel why would anyone want to become a Christian?  They spend more time trying to prove they have the truth than preaching the Gospel.  We have created these "mega" corporations instead of churches.  One church we worked with paid for all of its local big wigs to go to Alaska for a "spiritual retreat".  The Religious group paid for everything including airfare and rental cars.  I wonder how many could have heard the gospel with these funds?  I believe that if it weren't for the power of the Spirit, that no one could be saved because these religions are turning people "into twice the son of hell" as they are. 
        We need to get back to the simple basics of our Christian faith.  Finally, John tells us that "2We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3Loving God means keeping his commandments, and really, that isn't difficult."  This is where the Rubber Meets the Road!  How can we win converts to Christ if we cannot even keep the Word of God?  What James was saying here did not mean only the ten commandments of the old testament he meant the written word of God.  Let's just look at a few of the latest infractions of religious leaders in the recent news.  Assemblies of God published an article in the last few years saying that there was nothing wrong with Harry Potter books and witchcraft.  In fact they went so far as to say we should train our children to be tolerant of others views and not to push their beliefs on others.  It other words teach your children not to witness.  The Episcopalian church has endorsed pet blessings and pet communion.  Where in the Bible is there a scripture that we should give to the dogs the Lords Supper?  In fact Jesus said Matthew 7:6 (NASB) 6"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.  But then again does anyone who claims to be religious really believe the words of Jesus?  The Episcopalian, Methodists, and the United Church of Christ churches all have accepted gays into the Church.  So, it is obvious that in these groups that either no one believes the Word of God, or that none of their parishioners have the guts to stand up for what they believe.  The Methodist and others have made their hymnals generic so as not to offend anyone. We now have a politically correct Bible with no references to God as male, so again we will not offend someone.   
        Does all this bother anyone but me?  People we are in the end times.  Bible prophecy is being fulfilled faster than every before.  We are seeing things happen and things coming into place to bring us to the final chapter.  Are you a true worker for the Lord or are you following your religion?  Jesus told us  Matthew 25:32-46 (NLT) 32All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  33He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.  34Then the King will say to those on the right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  35For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  36I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me." 37"Then these righteous ones will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you  something to drink?  38Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  39When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?"  40And the King will tell them, "I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"  41"Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, "Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!  42For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink.  43I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me." 44"Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'  45And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'  46And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life. 
        It is your choice my friend.  Will you follow what some man tells you to in your safe religious group, or will you step out and follow the Words of God and make a difference in this world.  I will leave you with this thought.  The most popular Churches in the world today do not preach sin, the cross, or the blood of Christ.  The fastest growing religion in this world is the new "Emerging Church" which embraces everything including new age religions and eastern mysticism.  Are you a goat or one of Jesus' sheep? The choice it yours.
John 3:15-19 (KJV) 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.