Head
Knowledge vs. Heart
Knowledge
By Mike Taylor
The United States was founded upon Christian principles.” I have heard that said many times in my 60 plus years on this earth and have to agree in part. It is true that we were founded on principles of Judeo-Christian traditions found in our Bibles. But in the past 200 plus years of this nation’s existence and rise to be the lone super-power in the world, can we still say that? I recall our “Usurper in Chief” proclaiming that we are no longer a Christian nation, but a mixture of all religions, with Islam as a major contributor. Oh, really? I looked up what percentage of the American people identify with the Christian religion, or claim to believe in a power higher than our selves.
When I did an online
search of
Christianity in
America, I found
these results via
Wikipedia:
“Religion in the
United States is
characterized by
both a wide
diversity in
religious beliefs
and practices, and
by a high adherence
level. According to
recent surveys, 83
percent of Americans
claim to belong to a
religious
denomination, 40
percent claim to
attend services
nearly every week or
more, and 58 percent
claim to pray at
least weekly. A
majority of
Americans report
that religion plays
a “very important”
role in their lives,
a proportion unusual
among developed
nations.”
That’s impressive on
the surface, but I
would like to
dissect what it
means to be a
Christian. Are we
still a Christian
country or has that
changed? By the
statistics, it
appears that many
attend a local
church, some
regularly, but does
that identify what a
Christian is? Many
belong to that
church, but does
that identify who is
Christian and who is
not? What about
tithing, or prayer,
and how about
reading the Word of
God found in their
Bibles?
How many put into
practice what the
words found in your
Bible, say into
their daily lives?
Do these same folks
put in an hour on
Sunday because it’s
fashionable and then
depart to do
whatever it is they
wish to be doing for
the rest of the
week? In other
words, they give an
obligatory hour of
being present before
God, once a week.
What do they do the
other six, twenty-
four hour periods or
for that matter, the
rest of the day on
Sunday?
FALSELY BELIEVING IN
AN ORGANIZATIONAL
CHURCH
Many people feel
that if they attend
services on Sunday
(some rarely, if
ever), except on
Easter or Christmas,
or give a few bucks
into the offering
plate, or behave
like a good person,
then they are right
with God (or their
definition of God).
But during the time
that they are in
front of the rest of
the world, they
exhibit none of the
fruits of the
Spirit. Paul speaks
of this in Romans
6:21-22 and shows
fruit as a product
in both a bad and
good sense:
“What fruit did you
have then in the
things of which you
are now ashamed? For
the end of those
things is death. But
now having been set
free from sin, and
having become slaves
of God, you have
your fruit to
holiness and the
end, everlasting
life.”
What is that fruit
Paul speaks of?
Galatians 5:22-25:
“But the fruit of
the Spirit is love,
joy, peace,
longsuffering,
gentleness,
goodness, faith,
Meekness,
temperance: against
such there is no
law. And they that
are Christ's have
crucified the flesh
with the affections
and lusts. If we
live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in
the Spirit.”
As a plum tree
produces plums and
not some other crop
like hedge apples,
these are the fruits
that come from the
true Christians that
believe in their
hearts. Those that
are playing the
Christian role in
name only, they
produce maybe the
aforementioned hedge
apples, not of plums
and the fruits of
the spirit, but
instead the fruits
of the flesh.
Then all the
while they are
professing a
different Jesus
Christ, not the one
of the Bible. They
believe they are
saved. Are they?
Galatians 5:19-21:
“Now the works of
the flesh are
manifest, which are
these; Adultery,
fornication,
uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred,
variance,
emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions,
heresies, envyings,
murders,
drunkenness,
revellings, and such
like: of the which I
tell you before, as
I have also told you
in time past, that
they which do such
things shall not
inherit the kingdom
of God.”
As a people, on
either side of this
equation of good and
bad fruit, do we
battle these? If you
live in this world,
you bet you do. But
the glory of the
Christian who has
faith and relies on
the Holy Spirit for
strength and
comfort, they are
the ones who
persevere and in the
end, will win. For
the truly called out
Christian, plunged
beneath the blood of
Calvary is “BORN TO
WIN” for the glory
of God the Father.
Some would have you
believe that being a
Christian is an
emotional
experience. You are
told about Jesus
Christ and express
elation that you
understand that
Jesus Christ is the
Son of God. You get
excited, express joy
and forget about it
all in a few days.
Is that all there is
to being a
Christian? I get
pretty excited when
the Missouri Tigers
win an invitation to
the SEC
championships to
play against Auborn,
and it truly is
emotional and
exciting, but that
knowledge does not
save me. Head
knowledge of Jesus
Christ or the
Missouri Tigers at
Columbia, being a
good football team
will last only a
short while in 2013.
Let me explain.
There is a
difference between
believing with your
head (your brain)
and believing with
your heart,
(internalizing His
sacrifice on the
cross). And how do
we internalize that
we have believed in
the only begotten
Son of God? A
brother of mine,
proposed on our
forum, “Christian
Disciples” this
question: “What do
you say to the young
child who accepts
Jesus in their mind,
by repeating the
sinner’s prayer and
then falls back into
the worldly living
of an adult. Are
they still saved?
What do you say to
someone who has made
a profession of
believing Jesus is
God, but lives an
ungodly life,
thereafter?” James
said it best in
James chapter
2:14-20:
“What doth it
profit, my brethren,
though a man say he
hath faith, and have
not works? can faith
save him? If a
brother or sister be
naked, and destitute
of daily food, and
one of you say unto
them, Depart in
peace, be ye warmed
and filled;
notwithstanding ye
give them not those
things which are
needful to the body;
what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it
hath not works, is
dead, being alone,
Yea, a man may say,
Thou hast faith, and
I have works: shew
me thy faith without
thy works, and I
will shew thee my
faith by my works.
Thou believest that
there is one God;
thou doest well: the
devils also believe,
and tremble.
But wilt thou know,
O vain man, that
faith without works
is dead?”
GRACE VS. WORKS
Let me make one
thing perfectly
clear to all who
have read thus far.
Works by themselves
will not save you.
This is not one
thing you can do in
this life by keeping
every aspect of the
law of God, although
imperfectly, and
think you are saved.
Let’s look at
Ephesians chapter
2:8-9:
“For by grace are ye
saved through faith;
and that not of
yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any
man should boast.”
A lot of Christians,
and I hope you’re
not one of them,
stop right there and
say, “See, all you
need is Jesus.”
Truer words were
ever spoken, but
what do the next
verses say?
Ephesians 2:10-13:
“For we are his
workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which
God hath before
ordained that we
should walk in them.
Wherefore remember,
that ye being in
time past Gentiles
in the flesh, who
are called
Uncircumcision by
that which is called
the Circumcision in
the flesh made by
hands; that at that
time ye were without
Christ, being aliens
from the
commonwealth of
Israel, and
strangers from the
covenants of
promise, having no
hope, and without
God in the world:
But now in Christ
Jesus ye who
sometimes were far
off are made nigh by
the blood of
Christ.”
In Old Testament
times, there was a
wall separating the
Jews from the
Gentiles in the
Temple courtyard,
but now Jesus has
broken down that
wall that all may
come to Him. We are
His workmanship and
we have been bought
with a price, namely
His blood and broken
body. As anyone that
comes into an
exclusive club will
tell you, there are
certain requirements
of entering into
that club. This is
an exclusive
organism, called the
Kingdom of God and
has its requirements
of entering in. But
in coming to Him, He
has a high
expectation of what
you are in this
life, and what you
will become. And
what is that?
OUR INHERITANCE
When Nicodemus came
to Jesus by night,
he asked the same
questions that I ask
you. How can a
person be born
again?
John 3:3-8:
“Jesus answered and
said unto him,
Verily, verily, I
say unto thee,
Except a man be born
again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto
him, ‘How can a man
be born when he is
old? Can he enter
the second time into
his mother's womb,
and be born?’ Jesus
answered, ‘Verily,
verily, I say unto
thee, except a man
be born of water and
of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into
the kingdom of God.
That which is born
of the flesh is
flesh; and that
which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I
said unto thee, ye
must be born again.
The wind bloweth
where it listeth,
and thou hearest the
sound thereof, but
canst not tell
whence it cometh,
and whither it
goeth: so is every
one that is born of
the Spirit.’”
What was Jesus
saying here? It
appears almost in
conflict until you
understand the
message that Jesus
was conveying here.
There is an old
saying in Christian
circles that you
must be “born-
again.” So true it
is. Being born of
the water and of the
Spirit, there are
different
interpretations, but
what does this mean?
In the first part,
Jesus speaks of
water. He is
speaking of
baptismal waters as
He was also
baptized. The act of
being immersed into
the water is a
symbol of the grave.
By doing so in our
hearts we are to
understand that. We
are buried with
Jesus Christ and
raised to newness of
life, hence the term
“born -again” is
applicable here, but
it goes much further
in it’s description
that Jesus told
Nicodemus. Romans
chapter 6, Paul
explains this
concept:
Romans 6:4-7:
“Therefore we are
buried with him by
baptism into death:
that like as Christ
was raised up from
the dead by the
glory of the Father,
even so we also
should walk in
newness of life. For
if we have been
planted together in
the likeness of his
death, we shall be
also in the likeness
of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that
our old man is
crucified with him,
that the body of sin
might be destroyed,
that henceforth we
should not serve
sin. For he that is
dead is freed from
sin.”
We who have been
immersed in
baptismal waters,
solely out of
obedience to the
command of Jesus
Christ, is an act of
total understanding
and surrender to the
power of God and
leaving this sinful
life we had behind
us, as humanly
possible. We follow
a new Master, a new
Teacher who showed
us how to live a
sinless life.
What about the
second part of what
Jesus said in John
3? Born of the
Spirit? As you are
reading this message
from scripture, can
you walk into the
Kingdom of God as
you are, as a
mortal? He says
flesh cannot inherit
the kingdom of God.
What is Jesus saying
here? Let me let
Paul explain it to
you, as he is a
better teacher than
I. Again, let’s go
to Ephesians chapter
one:
Ephesians 1:7-14:
“In whom we have
redemption through
his blood, the
forgiveness of sins,
according to the
riches of his grace;
wherein he hath
abounded toward us
in all wisdom and
prudence; having
made known unto us
the mystery of his
will, according to
his good pleasure
which he hath
purposed in himself:
That in the
dispensation of the
fulness of times he
might gather
together in one all
things in Christ,
both which are in
heaven, and which
are on earth; even
in him: In whom also
we have obtained an
inheritance, being
predestinated
according to the
purpose of him who
worketh all things
after the counsel of
his own will:
That we should be to
the praise of his
glory, who first
trusted in Christ.
In whom ye also
trusted, after that
ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of
your salvation: in
whom also after that
ye believed, ye were
sealed with that
Holy Spirit of
promise, which is
the earnest
[translated deposit]
of our inheritance
until the redemption
of the purchased
possession, unto the
praise of his
glory.”
We, as believers in
Jesus Christ were
given a deposit of
that future
inheritance. As an
example, I envision
it as a seed of God
delivered to the
womb of a mother,
which grows into a
fully developed
baby, ready to BE
BORN. We are now, as
children of God,
growing in the womb
of God’s heavenly
Jerusalem that
awaits our full
adoption upon our
birth into the
kingdom of God. When
will this happen?
When Jesus calls us
out of our graves,
or changes us in the
twinkling of an eye,
then we will be
changed into
spiritual beings
that come and go,
much as the wind
does in the trees.
Reread Jesus
explanation to
Nicodemus. Ponder
that for a moment
and turn with me to
1 John 3:2-3:
“Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and
it doth not yet
appear what we shall
be: but we know
that, when he shall
appear, we shall be
like him; for we
shall see him as he
is. And every man
that hath this hope
in him purifieth
himself, even as he
is pure.”
Jesus gave us the
perfect example of
what it is to be
called a Christian.
What example was
that? His life was
the example. From
explaining what it
meant His Sermon on
the Mount of the
intent of the Law He
wrote with His own
finger on Mt. Sinai,
to the acts of love
and mercy to all His
fellow men, to
teachings of
righteous living
based on His own
life and the intent
of His commandments
in their spiritual
application.
Jesus kept the Law
that He wrote
perfectly all of His
years on earth, but
God in His infinite
wisdom knew that man
could not. So God
became a man born of
woman, fully man,
and fully God to do
what man could
not...save himself.
God in the form of
Jesus Christ made
the ultimate
sacrifice of His
death on the cross
and the emptying of
the blood from His
body on the altar of
sacrifice.
John 3:16-18:
“For God so loved
the world, that he
gave his only
begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth
in him should not
perish, but have
everlasting life.
For God sent not his
Son into the world
to condemn the
world; but that the
world through him
might be saved. He
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.”
But remember what I
said in the
beginning of this
message? Head
knowledge must be
heart knowledge.
This is where the
seed is planted. The
Spirit of God
mingles with your
own. It is not
implanted in your
head that a person
forgets in a few
days and the
excitement wears
off. No, reader, it
begins in your
spiritual heart.
It’s the first day
of the rest of your
eternal life and you
become a new
creature.
2 Corinthians
5:18-20:
“And all things are
of God, who hath
reconciled us to
himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath
given to us the
ministry of
reconciliation; to
wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling
the world unto
himself, not
imputing their
trespasses unto
them; and hath
committed unto us
the word of
reconciliation. Now
then we are
ambassadors for
Christ, as though
God did beseech you
by us: we pray you
in Christ’s stead,
be ye reconciled to
God.”
Then if reconciled
to God, we have a
job to do, out of
sheer obedience as
Paul speaks of in
Ephesians chapter
4:25-32:
“Wherefore putting
away lying, speak
every man truth with
his neighbour: for
we are members one
of another. Be ye
angry, and sin not:
let not the sun go
down upon your
wrath: Neither give
place to the devil.
Let him that stole
steal no more: but
rather let him
labour, working with
his hands the thing
which is good, that
he may have to give
to him that needeth.
Let no corrupt
communication
proceed out of your
mouth, but that
which is good to the
use of edifying,
that it may minister
grace unto the
hearers.
And grieve not the
holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are
sealed unto the day
of redemption. Let
all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger,
and clamour, and
evil speaking, be
put away from you,
with all malice: And
be ye kind one to
another,
tenderhearted,
forgiving one
another, even as God
for Christ’s sake
hath forgiven you.”
NOW BACK TO AMERICA
Now that we have
given a summary of
what a Christian is,
what we should be
doing, and what the
future is in store
for those truly
born-again? Let’s
return to the 83% of
American citizens
who call themselves
“Christians.” Look
around this nation.
Does the landscape
look like we are a
Christian nation? Is
the “old time
religion” still
reigning in our
land, namely Jesus
Christ and Him
crucified?
Do the principles
that made this
country great still
exist? Nobody wants
to take
responsibility for
what is going on in
this country, and in
the majority it may
well be so. You can
make a difference in
your own life and
reach out to others
to help them find
out who and what a
Christian really is.
Ask yourself these
further questions:
Do you fit the
definition of the
negative side of
this equation, of
what is a Christian
in name only? Do you
stand in the light
of a true Christian,
washed in the blood
of the Lamb working
hard to be obedient
to the One who gave
you eternal life?
Don’t be fooled into
thinking that the
trappings of
organized religion
will do anything for
your spiritual
condition, just by
belonging to
organized religion
or the latest
emotional false
prophet or pied
piper who leads away
men and women to
their destruction by
following their
false doctrines. You
can’t buy your way
into heaven, you
can’t be good
enough, and you
can’t rely on
anyone, but yourself
and the answering
the conviction given
by the Holy Spirit.
John 6:44-45:
“No man can come to
me, except the
Father which hath
sent me draw him:
and I will raise him
up at the last day.
It is written in the
prophets, and they
shall be all taught
of God. Every man
therefore that hath
heard, and hath
learned of the
Father, cometh unto
me.”
Paul said in
Philippians 2:12:
“Wherefore, my
beloved, as ye have
always obeyed, not
as in my presence
only, but now much
more in my absence,
work out your own
salvation with fear
and trembling.”
You just might be
part of that skewed
statistic that tells
you, “Hey, I’m all
right. I said the
“sinner’s prayer”
and all will be well
just because I live
in America,” and
“Hey, this is a
godly nation.”
Really?
Many are beginning
to believe that it
is just not so and
the nation that
became the
superpower in this
world is destined,
in my humble
opinion, for a very
hard fall. Many are
beginning to worry
about revolution in
this country, as
they look at
Obamacare, NSA
wiretappings,
predator drones, and
laws designed to
take away your
God-given rights of
free speech,
assembly, and to
bear arms.
Can you see this
nation becoming so
caught up in its
anger at our former
way of life and
capitalism that made
this country grow
beyond our wildest
dreams, and wish to
pitch it out the
window, because of
evil bankers and
wall street
lobbyist? Oh, I know
I can...I’ll bet you
can, too. I’ve even
read comments of how
the beginning of the
Russian revolution
started, and worse,
the bloody French
Revolution that
spared almost no
one.
Heaven help us, but
the winds of unrest
are brewing. All it
will take is for
evil to be
unfettered by the
removal of good in
this country. Only
thing that is
keeping a lid on
this brewing pot of
sinful lust are true
Christians. I
quantify that by
meaning true,
born-again, washed
in the blood
Christians still
present on this
earth. What will be
the result when even
that hindrance is
removed?
2 Thessalonians
2:7-10:
“For the mystery of
iniquity doth
already work: only
he who now letteth
will let, until he
be taken out of the
way. And then shall
that Wicked be
revealed, whom the
Lord shall consume
with the spirit of
his mouth, and shall
destroy with the
brightness of his
coming:
Even him, whose
coming is after the
working of Satan
with all power and
signs and lying
wonders, and with
all deceivableness
of unrighteousness
in them that perish;
because they
received not the
love of the truth,
that they might be
saved.”
When He, (speaking
of the Holy Spirit),
that letteth will
let, until HE be
taken out of the
way, is the only
thing that is
keeping the lid on
the brewing kettle
of sin and
debauchery being God
Himself and the
presence of His
Spirit in His
people. When that
hindrance is
removed, it won’t be
the 83% that
professes their
recipe of being
“lukewarm
Christians” in name
only. No, my friend,
I fear that number
will be much, much
smaller. I fear it
will be but a
remnant of those who
truly profess Jesus
Christ and believe
in their hearts and
live like He’s
coming today or
tomorrow. If Jesus
would come on any
Sunday morning, I
envision half the
congregation being
left behind, as they
have only been
warming a pew for
most of their lives.
Will you be caught
in the snare of an
evil generation that
lives only for
pleasure? Will you
delude yourself to
think that the
statistics listed in
the first part of
this message makes
you ready to meet
Almighty God? Will
you be deluded to
think that you once
said the “sinner’s
prayer” as a child
and all is good,
even though you live
like the devil? Only
the things of God
will stand.
Everything else will
be burned up by
fire. There is a
time coming when
Satan will cover
this earth with his
forces of demonic
spirits to unleash
his anger for he has
been thrown from the
halls of heaven. In
other words, the
devil has come down
to Georgia, and the
devil must be paid.
He wants your life,
he wants your soul,
and he wants you to
spend eternity with
him…in torment.
Revelation 12:7-12:
“And there was war
in heaven: Michael
and his angels
fought against the
dragon; and the
dragon fought and
his angels, and
prevailed not;
neither was their
place found any more
in heaven.
And the great dragon
was cast out, that
old serpent, called
the Devil, and
Satan, which
deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast
out into the earth,
and his angels were
cast out with him.
And I heard a loud
voice saying in
heaven, Now is come
salvation, and
strength, and the
kingdom of our God,
and the power of his
Christ: for the
accuser of our
brethren is cast
down, which accused
them before our God
day and night.
And they overcame
him by the blood of
the Lamb, and by the
word of their
testimony; and they
loved not their
lives unto the
death. Therefore
rejoice, ye heavens,
and ye that dwell in
them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the
earth and of the
sea! For the devil
is come down unto
you, having great
wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath
but a short time.”
Whoever belongs to
Jesus Christ will be
with Him for all
eternity and the
hordes of demons
commanded by Satan
will destroy all who
remain, if allowed.
If you are of the
number who relies on
your church, your
priest, your shaman,
or God forbid, your
self or anything
else besides a true
relationship with
Jesus Christ, and
cannot
wholeheartedly
embrace the
description of a
believer, A TRUE
BELIEVER, in Jesus
Christ, then get
ready for a sudden
thrust into an
environment that
beckons to the fires
of hell on earth.
Because my friend,
in all honesty, it
ain’t head knowledge
that will save you,
but heart knowledge.
Prepare to meet thy
God.
This is Pastor Mike
Taylor praying for
your salvation and
God’s mercy on your
life. If there is
anything I can pray
with you about,
counsel you on, or
share Scripture of
God’s plan for Man,
then drop me a line
at
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net,
or visit me online
at
www.churchofgod-usa.org,
for more biblical
instructions to
prepare you for the
return of our Lord
and Savior Jesus
Christ. God bless
you,
till we meet at
Jesus’ feet.