½ Inch Off

Have you ever said these words "where did I go wrong?" It is easy to go wrong if we ever start getting our eyes off the Lord. I had the privilege of working with my father-n-law for a few years as he taught me about his carpenter trade. One day as he began to cut rafters I noticed he spent a lot of time measuring and making sure about this on rafter. I thought to myself we will be here when Jesus returns if he doesn't pick up some speed. After he had it right he put a big "P" on it in a few places; I had already put some two by sixes on the saw horses and was waiting on him. He places that two by six that had the "P" on it and marked everyone with it and then set it to the side. I asked him why marked all those "P's" on that one rafter and he told me that was the pattern and that he would use it to cut all the rafters with it. I said what difference would it make why use the same one? He then told me at first it wouldn't but as you keep using others rafters you might get a little off and the next one you might get a little off and before you know it you now ½ inch off and that will make a big difference. Here is what has happened over time in Christianity, new ideas and little by little with all the different denominations we have become more than a ½ inch off. I remember one night a man told me he was an electronic Christian; that was a first don't know what all that entailed but that's what he told me. So what is the pattern we should pattern our lives after? Our friend, Pastor, board of directors, someone we think or look like they know what's going on. No I think we should pattern our live after the one who has the big "P"

Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Acts 5:30
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Acts 5:31
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. When you and I pattern out lives after Jesus the Prince we can't get a ½ inch off. Remember the saying a few years back "What would Jesus Do." Do we ever ask ourselves that question or do we hear that other statement "Just Do It." Well I have discovered that when I just do it and worry about it later I find out that I wished later I would have never come. But you may ask how in the world could I know what Jesus would have done? Good question! The only way that you could know is know who Jesus is; I mean have a personal relationship with Him that means a daily relationship. We talk to Him in prayer and He talks to us when we read His word the Bible so if we aren't praying and reading His Word then who is our "Pattern?" it's not that guy who you just found out has been viewing wrong things on the internet is it? Oh no not the one who just ran off from their mate and busted up their marriage. There are two prince and you are following and patterning you life after one of them.

Prince #1-Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Prince #2-Ephesians 2:2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince(devil) of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: I guess that is why the Apostle Paul told us to examine ourselves

2Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Have you taken the exam?