Today I’d like to start off with a question: Who is your Lord?  Is it the Jesus who went to the cross to ransom you from your sins, or have you received “another” Jesus?  It is written in 2 Corinthians 11:4,  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
   What does the last part of that verse mean, ye might well bear with him?  That means if you agree with the deceiver, you might also bear the punishment alongside the deceiver.  We must beware, lest we be led astray by doctrines that Jesus didn’t preach.  The Apostle Paul focused on Jesus, and Him crucified.  Why? because without the finished work of the cross, we have no salvation and no healing.  And if no salvation, then no hope of eternal life, no citizenship in the Kingdom of heaven, and no hope of partaking in the blessings of God.
   Is there “another Jesus” being preached today?  The Bible warns us there are many Antichrists in the world today.  There are those who preach prosperity, and prosperity is good, but if that’s all you’re after, then get a job and work hard and use your money wisely.  Prosperity can become “another Jesus” if we aren’t careful.  Many are led astray by the deceitfulness of riches.  Even healing can become “another Jesus”, if we make it the focal point, casting aside what Jesus did on the cross.  Yes, there is a place for healing, and a place for prosperity, but let’s not forget that the most important thing is loving Christ Jesus and OBEYING Him.
1Jn 2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn 2:19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
1Jn 2:20  But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
1Jn 2:21  I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
1Jn 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
1Jn 2:24  Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1Jn 2:25  And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
1Jn 2:26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 
    What is an antichrist?  That is one who projects himself or his method or doctrine as the way to eternal life, taking the place of the true Christ, which results in confusion and every evil work.  And do we ever see a lot of that today!  Now there aren’t a lot of people proclaiming themselves to be Christ, and we are warned not to follow those who do, but there ARE many who pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for their own profit, turning it into satisfying the lusts of the flesh.  A whole generation is being taught to seek “the blessing”, but not the One who is the source of the blessing.
   I think of it like this: which would you rather have, money IN the bank, or the money OF the bank?  Anyone with any sense at all would choose the money OF the bank.  Yet people expend all their energy seeking the blessing, in other words, money IN the bank, instead of earnestly seeking God, who is the source of all blessings.  We need to keep our focus, especially in these last days, so we don’t get in the ditch.  If you get your eyes off of the Jesus of the cross, you WILL lose direction, and ultimately you will end up on a dead-end road.
   Something I see happening is the misuse of faith.  Do we have “faith in faith”, or do we have faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross?  Do we truly see that work as finished, or do we think we still have to add something to it?  Some even see their salvation depending what religious rituals they perform.  One can say, “I have faith”.  To that I ask, “In what?”  You see, you have to have a foundation that is strong and sure, else when troubles come, you will be swept away.  And troubles WILL come, Jesus said so.  There are people who have asked me to pray for their healing, who have faith in MY faith.  That is not enough to get them healed.  That’s why I spend so much time teaching about the finished work of Christ Jesus.  His work is DONE.  Healing is part of salvation according to Psalm 103:2-3, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, and others.
   Is it possible that “faith” can be used by the devil?  Sure!  He will get you so focused on “faith” that you will get your eyes completely off of Jesus and what He has done for you.  Do we need faith?  Sure, for it is impossible to please God without faith.  But he will get you busy “seeking the blessing”, and using your faith in an effort to get your grubby hands on whatsoever your heart lusts after, that you will no longer be seeking the Jesus who went to the cross for you, but seeking only after material blessings.  I see the faith of many shipwrecked because of this, and eventually they fall by the wayside and become unfruitful for the Kingdom of God.
   For example, some will train themselves to “speak the Word only” in the face of adversity, and that is GOOD, but that’s only one side of the coin.  Lacking a RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, the Word won’t work for them.  I’ve met many people who can speak the Word, but their lives show no trace of an “abiding in the Word”, or separating themselves from worldly living and applying themselves to obedience to Christ Jesus.  Helloooooo?
   I base my faith on the Jesus of the cross.  He went to the cross to pay my ransom.  He said “It is finished!”, and it is.  He is no longer on the cross.  He rose again and ascended to the right hand of his heavenly Father.  That was all done well before I was ever born, in fact I had nothing to do with it in any way, He did it all by Himself.  Today He intercedes for me, and has sent me the Holy Spirit as my helper to enable me to obey Him.  That’s why I’m still well after nearly nineteen years now.  I didn’t have to add anything to the work of Christ Jesus, as it was and is perfect and complete in itself.  We can say, “I believe, I added my faith, and by doing so, I receive.”  Well, yes, but you may be missing the point.  The truth is, you’ve brought NOTHING to the table whatsoever.  God furnished the blood of Jesus to pay for your sins.  Then He raised Jesus from the dead and brought Him to sit at His right hand in heaven.  He gave YOU the measure of faith to believe with.  And He gives us His Holy Spirit.  You furnished nothing.  Your part is just to believe and once you believe, your life will reflect that belief by the changes it will make in your life and the way you treat people.
Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments.”  That clearly means just one thing: If you love Him, you will obey Him, and if you don’t, you won’t obey Him.  What commandments?   Let’s have a look:
Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Joh 15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

   You see, it’s all about obedience to Christ Jesus.  What good is your faith if you don’t obey Him?  You can say you love Him, but we all know talk is cheap.  Obedience to Christ Jesus gets His attention every time.  Remember the ten lepers who were told to go to the priests and offer the offering commanded by Moses?  As they were going, they were healed.  What if they had decided to not go to the temple and give the offering?  What if they had just decided to say Thank You to Jesus and went about doing whatever they chose to?  Would they have been healed?  No.  Imagine this same scenario taking place today, someone comes to church for prayer and God heals them.  We will say they had lung cancer from smoking all their life.  So God healed them, and they go right back to smoking and abusing their body as before, would they stay healed?  Not very likely.  No, a change of heart will change behavior every time.
1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
   You see, if you’re busy pursuing the blessing instead of the One who blesses, you’re seeking “another Jesus”, and you won’t pay much attention to the “obey” part.  The truth is, obedience to Christ Jesus is the source of your blessings.  Don’t seek His Hand, because you’ll end up seeking “another Jesus”.  Seek His face, for it is written if you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him.  And if you find His face, you’ve also found His hand, along with everything else you will ever need.
   Don’t be led astray by “another Jesus”. The only Jesus that can save you is the One who went to the cross for you.  Make sure you know Him well.  Become His disciple.  That isn’t a “one-time” thing, it’s a daily lifestyle.  Love Him, honor His commandments, talk to Him often, and then just get quiet and LISTEN to Him.  You’d be amazed how many have told me they don’t know how to hear from God.  You have to LISTEN, and that means you stop talking and let HIM talk.  Ask Him for the baptism of the Holy Spirit so you can be led in the way you should go.  Read His Word daily, for that’s how He reveals Himself to you.  And if you don’t know Him, right now is the best time to begin your relationship with Him.