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Saturday, May 31, 2014
The Thief on the Cross had a Work
The Thief on the Cross Had a Work
Those who think the thief on the cross had no works, might have to rethink it, I did. I have always thought of the thief on the cross as having no works until I the light bulb went on this morning as I pondered it all. The thief on the cross had one very important work as he hung there, he witnessed to the other thief.
Luke 23:39-43
"39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “LORD, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Those who think the thief on the cross had no works, might have to rethink it, I did. I have always thought of the thief on the cross as having no works until I the light bulb went on this morning as I pondered it all. The thief on the cross had one very important work as he hung there, he witnessed to the other thief.
Luke 23:39-43
"39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “LORD, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Friday, May 30, 2014
Images Can Lie To Us
Images Can Lie To Us!
It is a violation of God's Word to make any artistic images of Christ, so the artists in past centuries who did this were disobeying God on two counts.
Acts 17:29 "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device."
2 mins · Like
Since we are commanded not to make images of God, then we should never have a picture of a man pretending to be Christ.
My husband would be angry with me if I put a picture on the wall of another man, not him, and called that man by his name.
God is a jealous God, He does not want us to worship, by admiration, a picture of a man, but He wants us to worship in Spirit and in truth. If truth is important, then calling a depiction of Christ, that is not Him, is the same as lying.
John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
If there is a picture on the wall of a man depicting Christ, all we have to do is to ask one question; "is that man in the picture really a picture of Him." If the answer is no, because no one took one of Him, then we are lying in claiming he reminds us of our Lord.
When we yearn to look at a picture, to have something we can see with our eyes, to have faith or to fall in love with Christ, then we lack faith.
2 Corinthians 5:7 "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"
I love my Lord, I have never seen Him, but I know of Him by His Holy Word. That is good enough for me.
It is a violation of God's Word to make any artistic images of Christ, so the artists in past centuries who did this were disobeying God on two counts.
Acts 17:29 "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device."
2 mins · Like
Since we are commanded not to make images of God, then we should never have a picture of a man pretending to be Christ.
My husband would be angry with me if I put a picture on the wall of another man, not him, and called that man by his name.
God is a jealous God, He does not want us to worship, by admiration, a picture of a man, but He wants us to worship in Spirit and in truth. If truth is important, then calling a depiction of Christ, that is not Him, is the same as lying.
John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
If there is a picture on the wall of a man depicting Christ, all we have to do is to ask one question; "is that man in the picture really a picture of Him." If the answer is no, because no one took one of Him, then we are lying in claiming he reminds us of our Lord.
When we yearn to look at a picture, to have something we can see with our eyes, to have faith or to fall in love with Christ, then we lack faith.
2 Corinthians 5:7 "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"
I love my Lord, I have never seen Him, but I know of Him by His Holy Word. That is good enough for me.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
When An Arguer Entices You To Fight
A person who is continually angry in discussion is one who
has bitterness in their heart. We have probably all met people who cannot
calmly discuss a matter unless they are the center of attention or everyone in
the room agrees with them.
These people will use harsh tones of voice while speaking so
long that no one else can interject into the conversation. When someone
attempts to voice their side or opinion, this person will cut them off raising
their voice to be in control.
"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a
furious man thou shalt not go:" Proverbs 22:24
I have encountered this a lot with certain people, when it
happens I excuse myself from the conversation and begin to pray that the person
will see their own bitter heart. Confrontation does not work with controllers,
they get louder and meaner when they cannot have the floor.
God has called us to peace, when we encounter this, we don't
have to stay friends with these people, we can walk away and begin to pray for
them.
If the Lord has ordained that they be in our lives, out of
our control, then we can choose not to engage in conversation with them while
serving them as any slave would be expected to do with a master.
The hardest lesson I had to learn in my life, has been that
I don't have to make anyone else listen or understand. God can take care of
teaching the unteachable. He can give us peace in the midst of a war.
Let the manipulative person talk, we do not have to engage,
often these people are looking to cause a fight, don't indulge them by entering
into the battle.
In a way, the arguer and fighter is attempting to draw us
into a battle, it makes them feel superior if they can cause us to do or say
something ungodly.
Proverbs 1:10
"10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou
not."
The subtlety of the enticement is covert, but it nonetheless
just as damaging as following a sinner into an ambush of the innocent as the
following verses speak of in Proverbs 1. May the Lord give us discernment, when
to engage in conversation and when to walk away, when to pray and when to
speak.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Ignore the Foolishness of the Liberals
God told parents to take care of their own children, we as a culture should encourage and teach parents to do the right things. If they want to indulge in an activity that can produce a child, then they need to be ready to raise that child.
Don't let any liberal tell you that if you are not adopting children then you should accept abortion. That is the silliest thing I have ever heard.
Don't let any liberal tell you that if you are not adopting children then you should accept abortion. That is the silliest thing I have ever heard.
Parents Are Responsible For Their Own Children
There is a form of manipulation among the liberals that is diabolical. They want abortion, the right to murder children, so they attempt to guilt others into accepting abortion by making them feel responsible for the child if it is not aborted.
No one else is responsible for someone else's children. We are a culture that kills them because their parents don't want them, but they refuse to take on the responsibility of their own actions.
We have adopted children, but they were not our responsibility, we wanted to help, but we were not obligated to do so. To manipulate others into accepting abortion by trying to make them feel responsible for the actions of others, is irrational.
Every parent needs to care for the children they produce. If someone wants to indulge in immoral activity, then they should be ready to be responsible for their actions when a baby is the result.
Killing people is not the answer to a situation that is created by those who cannot control themselves.
God meant for babies to be the result of a loving marriage relationship, dedicated to life long commitment, not only to one another but also to that child. We must teach the highest standard, not the lowest.
No one else is responsible for someone else's children. We are a culture that kills them because their parents don't want them, but they refuse to take on the responsibility of their own actions.
We have adopted children, but they were not our responsibility, we wanted to help, but we were not obligated to do so. To manipulate others into accepting abortion by trying to make them feel responsible for the actions of others, is irrational.
Every parent needs to care for the children they produce. If someone wants to indulge in immoral activity, then they should be ready to be responsible for their actions when a baby is the result.
Killing people is not the answer to a situation that is created by those who cannot control themselves.
God meant for babies to be the result of a loving marriage relationship, dedicated to life long commitment, not only to one another but also to that child. We must teach the highest standard, not the lowest.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
God Calls Divorce Violence
God Calls Divorce Violence
To believers on Divorce and Remarriage;
We have to do more than teach the "rules." We have to show the reason Christ told us not to divorce and remarry, the first reason is that He said not to, and the second reason is what happens when we reject God's ways, the consequences, are staggering for the family and for the society.
When Christ declares a matter in His Word, then we need to trust Him. He knows the consequences of unforgiveness, brutality and revenge.
Malachi 2:16 "For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously."
There is always a deep element of anger and unforgiveness in the act of divorce. There is also an element of revenge in the heart of one who remarries after divorce. We can always point to severe cases of abuse and try to justify divorce, however, most cases are not abuse, but rather two people who refuse to compromise their rights for the sake of another.
One person cannot fight all by themselves, it takes two to make a fight. When one party refuses to fight back, relinquishing their rights for the sake of peace in the house, most things could be resolved quickly.
I used to hear the excuse that it is better to divorce than to fight all the time. My answer would always be, "why don't YOU stop fighting." We have been so trained in our culture to "fight for our freedoms", that the mentality used to justify war for national freedom, unfortunately slops over into nearly every other area of our lives.
Our children have learned to defy authority when they see a good reason, even if they don't have all the wisdom and facts to make such a judgement. It is about what I want, much more than what is good for everyone.
God has provided many verses to guide us on the subject of divorce and remarriage.
If we are determined to obey God no matter what, then we will experience power to do what we should do and the blessing of a clear conscience, even greater than that is the reward we will see when we reach our eternal home.
Everything we do is an example for our children. There is an old saying, "more is caught than taught." I have seen this many times, even the children who fight with their parents, as though they hate them, will in many cases be just like the parent they disrespect.
Mark 10:2-12
"2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."
Luke 16:18
"18 “Everyone who [a]divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is [b]divorced from a husband commits adultery."
1 Corinthians 7:39
"39 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband [a]is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord."
Ephesians 5:33
"33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she [a]respects her husband."
Matthew 19:6-7
"6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 7 They *said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
Romans 7:2-3
"2 For the married woman is bound by law to her [a]husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law [b]concerning the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man."
To summarize divorce and remarriage God says;
We are not to divorce for any reason.
We are not to remarry unless a spouse is dead.
We commit adultery if we remarry while we have a living spouse.
Divorce is a violent act against a spouse.
There is no provision for divorce because of adultery, the passage that is always sited as a reason for divorce in Matthew, "except for fornication", is misunderstood by most preachers. They have been taught in seminary that there is an exception for divorce but it is only because they have not been taught correctly.
The passage in Matthew that says except for fornication was written to the Jews who had a custom of requiring a certificate of divorcement from a betrothal or what we call an engagement. Notice that that same clause is not mentioned in the other gospels, but only in Matthew.
In Matthew 1:19 Joseph is referred to as Mary's husband even though they were not formally living together and no ceremony had been performed yet.
"19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly."
Joseph thought Mary had been unfaithful to their engagement, so he, being a kind man didn't want her to be stoned, was going to quietly put her away from him. After he realized that it was from the Lord that she became pregnant, he then married her after all.
The Jews had the custom of referring to the betrothed couple as husband and wife before the marriage.
We can twist the Bible every which way to say what we want it to, if we are determined to sin against God.
God allowed for walking away from an engagement if there was unfaithfulness before the marriage. But He did not allow for human beings to dissolve the union of two people who have been made one by God. A spiritual glue has been applied when God makes two people one, and no piece of paper by the law of a land, can dissolve that glue.
Any discussion on this arguing for the exception clause will be deleted. The answer has been given on this matter, there is no need for argument. If someone disagrees, then take it to the Lord, not here.
To believers on Divorce and Remarriage;
We have to do more than teach the "rules." We have to show the reason Christ told us not to divorce and remarry, the first reason is that He said not to, and the second reason is what happens when we reject God's ways, the consequences, are staggering for the family and for the society.
When Christ declares a matter in His Word, then we need to trust Him. He knows the consequences of unforgiveness, brutality and revenge.
Malachi 2:16 "For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously."
There is always a deep element of anger and unforgiveness in the act of divorce. There is also an element of revenge in the heart of one who remarries after divorce. We can always point to severe cases of abuse and try to justify divorce, however, most cases are not abuse, but rather two people who refuse to compromise their rights for the sake of another.
One person cannot fight all by themselves, it takes two to make a fight. When one party refuses to fight back, relinquishing their rights for the sake of peace in the house, most things could be resolved quickly.
I used to hear the excuse that it is better to divorce than to fight all the time. My answer would always be, "why don't YOU stop fighting." We have been so trained in our culture to "fight for our freedoms", that the mentality used to justify war for national freedom, unfortunately slops over into nearly every other area of our lives.
Our children have learned to defy authority when they see a good reason, even if they don't have all the wisdom and facts to make such a judgement. It is about what I want, much more than what is good for everyone.
God has provided many verses to guide us on the subject of divorce and remarriage.
If we are determined to obey God no matter what, then we will experience power to do what we should do and the blessing of a clear conscience, even greater than that is the reward we will see when we reach our eternal home.
Everything we do is an example for our children. There is an old saying, "more is caught than taught." I have seen this many times, even the children who fight with their parents, as though they hate them, will in many cases be just like the parent they disrespect.
Mark 10:2-12
"2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."
Luke 16:18
"18 “Everyone who [a]divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is [b]divorced from a husband commits adultery."
1 Corinthians 7:39
"39 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband [a]is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord."
Ephesians 5:33
"33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she [a]respects her husband."
Matthew 19:6-7
"6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 7 They *said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
Romans 7:2-3
"2 For the married woman is bound by law to her [a]husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law [b]concerning the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man."
To summarize divorce and remarriage God says;
We are not to divorce for any reason.
We are not to remarry unless a spouse is dead.
We commit adultery if we remarry while we have a living spouse.
Divorce is a violent act against a spouse.
There is no provision for divorce because of adultery, the passage that is always sited as a reason for divorce in Matthew, "except for fornication", is misunderstood by most preachers. They have been taught in seminary that there is an exception for divorce but it is only because they have not been taught correctly.
The passage in Matthew that says except for fornication was written to the Jews who had a custom of requiring a certificate of divorcement from a betrothal or what we call an engagement. Notice that that same clause is not mentioned in the other gospels, but only in Matthew.
In Matthew 1:19 Joseph is referred to as Mary's husband even though they were not formally living together and no ceremony had been performed yet.
"19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly."
Joseph thought Mary had been unfaithful to their engagement, so he, being a kind man didn't want her to be stoned, was going to quietly put her away from him. After he realized that it was from the Lord that she became pregnant, he then married her after all.
The Jews had the custom of referring to the betrothed couple as husband and wife before the marriage.
We can twist the Bible every which way to say what we want it to, if we are determined to sin against God.
God allowed for walking away from an engagement if there was unfaithfulness before the marriage. But He did not allow for human beings to dissolve the union of two people who have been made one by God. A spiritual glue has been applied when God makes two people one, and no piece of paper by the law of a land, can dissolve that glue.
Any discussion on this arguing for the exception clause will be deleted. The answer has been given on this matter, there is no need for argument. If someone disagrees, then take it to the Lord, not here.
Inside Out or Outside Only?
Inside Out or Outside Only?
Often our Christianity is a form of "verbalism",
it is based on what we say rather who Christ made us or what we are committed
to.
I see this more times than I can count, people who will
agree with all the principles of Christ, but their life experience shows that
they are merely making a mental ascent, the power of God is not in their life.
Recently I have encountered, several times, those who say
what they want to believe, rather than what is real. They don't like to think
negatively so they believe the best about everything they see, even making up
evidence that does not exist to maintain a "happy story."
If we cannot handle the truth, so much so that we must tell
a lie to feel better about a matter, then we are of no use to our brothers and
sisters. We must tell the truth and allow God to do His work.
Are we so fragile that we can only see life through rose
colored glasses in order to feel happy?
My joy never leaves me, grief does come often when facing
this world and all the deceptions of the devil, that are ruining the lives of
many . My grief over what I see does not remove my joy, nor does it take away
my faith.
Honesty in all things, makes us stronger and more
discerning. Those who wear rose colored glasses cannot be discerning,
everything they see will be interpreted in terms of how they want to feel.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
"21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil."
Our culture has brain washed us into thinking we cannot have
joy if we are sad, so we frame everything in terms of personal happiness rather
than truth.
2 Peter 1:3
"3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us
everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him
who called us by His own glory and excellence."
When we cannot see things in truth, we make unbiblical and
even damaging decisions to protect our emotional high.
Ephesians 4:14
"14 As a result, we are no longer to be children,
tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by
the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;"
Our culture is becoming more and more committed to personal
happiness and fulfillment above the principles of God. It is easier to do what
makes us happy, than it is to do that which brings difficulty, but obeys God.
In an attempt to maintain our superficial facade, we quench
any discussion on the principles of Christ, even accusing the brethren of
things to silence them, if their delivery or message is not pleasing to us.
1 John 4:1
"4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone
out into the world."
Evaluating things is a big part of the believer life,
everything must be filtered through the Bible, prayed over and hearing the Holy
Spirit for the truth.
Monday, May 26, 2014
God's Blessing!
God's Blessing!
Numbers 6:24-26
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’
I was reflecting upon this verse today, pondering it's deeper meaning. The verse is clearly showing that the Lord is the one working in us giving us what we need.
"Lord lift up HIS countenance upon you, giving you peace."
If we are to be cleansed and changed it will only be through the power of Christ in us, anything we attempt on our own is fleshly and will fall short of God's true change, a change deeply transformed by Him in our spirit.
As our spirit is changed, then too will our mind follow after.
Romans 8:28
"28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Again in the Romans verse we see that God works things in us as well as in the world. He will not work in those who resist Him, but He will work mightily in those who want to be changed by Him.
Jeremiah 33:3 "'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'"
James 4:3
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”
Isaiah 59:1-2
“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that He will not hear."
Hebrews 13:20-22
"20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
He brought us up from the dead, He created the eternal covenant with us through His blood, He is working in us and He gets all the glory.
Ephesians 2:8-10
"8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
We are not saved by our works, nor are we kept by our works! We are saved by grace and kept by His grace.
Hallelujah!
Numbers 6:24-26
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’
I was reflecting upon this verse today, pondering it's deeper meaning. The verse is clearly showing that the Lord is the one working in us giving us what we need.
"Lord lift up HIS countenance upon you, giving you peace."
If we are to be cleansed and changed it will only be through the power of Christ in us, anything we attempt on our own is fleshly and will fall short of God's true change, a change deeply transformed by Him in our spirit.
As our spirit is changed, then too will our mind follow after.
Romans 8:28
"28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Again in the Romans verse we see that God works things in us as well as in the world. He will not work in those who resist Him, but He will work mightily in those who want to be changed by Him.
Jeremiah 33:3 "'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'"
James 4:3
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”
Isaiah 59:1-2
“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that He will not hear."
Hebrews 13:20-22
"20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
He brought us up from the dead, He created the eternal covenant with us through His blood, He is working in us and He gets all the glory.
Ephesians 2:8-10
"8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
We are not saved by our works, nor are we kept by our works! We are saved by grace and kept by His grace.
Hallelujah!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
We Are Not Alone, What We See Really Is Happening
Don't be discouraged when in company of people who claim to be believers, show little Christ like love for one another. This is the state of the apostate church. Matthew 7:21-23
As a believer, have you wondered why you are ignored or tolerated in the company of others, whether in the church or among family members?
It is because the self indulgence of this culture does not allow room for others, unless those others enhance their personal experience.
Do not worry when those who are in your presence show little or no interest in the things you have to say or what you are doing in your life, this is normal for our society. It does not mean that you have nothing to offer, it only means that everyone, as a whole, is focused on the enhancement of their own life experience.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
I have encountered many believers in our day who will say the right thing when asked or prompted to respond, but have little desire to speak of the Lord unless induced. I have to believe, that a person who has to be induced or prompted, is walking superficially, really has little or no interest in the things of the Lord, but responds in a way that they think will please the one who introduces the subjects of Christ and His principles.
I am convinced that many believers have been drawn to facebook and other social media for two reasons, one is to bring the gospel to the lost and the other is to connect with other believers who are feeling the dearth of fellowship and acceptance.
As believers we know what real love looks like, we feel a sense of the absence of it, but because it is so rare, we tend to question whether or not we are not seeing things correctly.
2 Timothy 3 helps us to remember that we are living in the times that are described there, we are not seeing things incorrectly, we are just having a hard time believing we are actually living in the times described there.
May the Lord comfort each one who seeks the Lord with His words. Yes love is rare, yes true Christianity is rare and yes we are not alone, there are others who are seeing what we see!
As a believer, have you wondered why you are ignored or tolerated in the company of others, whether in the church or among family members?
It is because the self indulgence of this culture does not allow room for others, unless those others enhance their personal experience.
Do not worry when those who are in your presence show little or no interest in the things you have to say or what you are doing in your life, this is normal for our society. It does not mean that you have nothing to offer, it only means that everyone, as a whole, is focused on the enhancement of their own life experience.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
I have encountered many believers in our day who will say the right thing when asked or prompted to respond, but have little desire to speak of the Lord unless induced. I have to believe, that a person who has to be induced or prompted, is walking superficially, really has little or no interest in the things of the Lord, but responds in a way that they think will please the one who introduces the subjects of Christ and His principles.
I am convinced that many believers have been drawn to facebook and other social media for two reasons, one is to bring the gospel to the lost and the other is to connect with other believers who are feeling the dearth of fellowship and acceptance.
As believers we know what real love looks like, we feel a sense of the absence of it, but because it is so rare, we tend to question whether or not we are not seeing things correctly.
2 Timothy 3 helps us to remember that we are living in the times that are described there, we are not seeing things incorrectly, we are just having a hard time believing we are actually living in the times described there.
May the Lord comfort each one who seeks the Lord with His words. Yes love is rare, yes true Christianity is rare and yes we are not alone, there are others who are seeing what we see!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Wanting To Be Changed By Christ Brings Growth
How do we become born again?
I am born again because when I realized I was a desperately wicked person on my way to hell, I began to become ashamed of myself. I asked the Lord to save me, however as a new believer I learned later, through the reading of God's Word and asking God to show me things in it, that He had to do the changing in me.
As time went on I also realized that all my efforts to change myself were as water running through a sieve, I became frustrated at myself. It was during all this that the Lord showed me the futility of trying to effect my own change, and He made it clear that I must pray and ask, only then would change me.
My heart became joyful, if became easier and easier to confess, because I knew the more I confessed the more I would grow. What a blessing it was when I realized that Christ does all the work in me. I don't do and say the things I used to when I was a new believer, He still works in me on other things that need to fall off.
Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
Luke 6:45
"45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."
Hebrews 10:22
"let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Our spiritual growth will be in direct proportions to how much time we spend in the Word while seeking God's heart for truth.
May people read the Bible every day, some even teach their children, but if they do not do so asking for wisdom and desiring to be changed, they will not progress past infancy in their walk.
Our walk is not about knowing what the truth is, it is about knowing and being changed continually.....growing through it.
1 Corinthians 8:1
"Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies."
I am born again because when I realized I was a desperately wicked person on my way to hell, I began to become ashamed of myself. I asked the Lord to save me, however as a new believer I learned later, through the reading of God's Word and asking God to show me things in it, that He had to do the changing in me.
As time went on I also realized that all my efforts to change myself were as water running through a sieve, I became frustrated at myself. It was during all this that the Lord showed me the futility of trying to effect my own change, and He made it clear that I must pray and ask, only then would change me.
My heart became joyful, if became easier and easier to confess, because I knew the more I confessed the more I would grow. What a blessing it was when I realized that Christ does all the work in me. I don't do and say the things I used to when I was a new believer, He still works in me on other things that need to fall off.
Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
Luke 6:45
"45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."
Hebrews 10:22
"let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Our spiritual growth will be in direct proportions to how much time we spend in the Word while seeking God's heart for truth.
May people read the Bible every day, some even teach their children, but if they do not do so asking for wisdom and desiring to be changed, they will not progress past infancy in their walk.
Our walk is not about knowing what the truth is, it is about knowing and being changed continually.....growing through it.
1 Corinthians 8:1
"Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies."
There Is No Formula or Mantra For Prayer
Christ gave us one model for prayer to teach us how to pray, only one and it was not complicated. Here it is: Matthew 6:9-13
"9 “Pray, then, in this way:
"‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’"
God never intended for us to have a mantra or formula to pray. If we put into practice the elements He gave us in Matthew 6, then we will have Holy Spirit led variety in our words with passion in our hearts, nothing else is needed.
"9 “Pray, then, in this way:
"‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’"
God never intended for us to have a mantra or formula to pray. If we put into practice the elements He gave us in Matthew 6, then we will have Holy Spirit led variety in our words with passion in our hearts, nothing else is needed.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Changed from the inside out!
Changed from the inside out!
Often we hear the phrase "so and so converted to
Christianity." This is an inaccurate phrase, in terms of true
Christianity, many can convert to Christianity without becoming born again. In
fact this is the state of our apostate church today.
When we become born again, Christ transforms us into a new
creation, we are no longer the old and will never return to it......it is done
away with entirely.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have
come."
We no longer think as we used to think. What used to be
attractive to us before becomes ugly and unappealing to us. The things that
used to embarrass us, such as righteousness and holiness, become desirable to
us.
Our thoughts continually gravitate toward the Lord
throughout the day. When a dilemma or situation arises we are compelled to ask
the Lord about it. When we have had a blessing of any kind our senses thank Him
for it.
Being Christians is not a club or church we join, it is a
state of being brought on by the Lord in response to our desire to be free of
our sin and pleasing to Him. He changes our spirit, something no man can do for
himself.
The gratefulness we feel because of what He did for us leads
us to want to obey His principles. When we disobey them, we are grieved and
must confess them quickly to restore the lost fellowship with Him.
When will those who are pretenders realize that becoming
born again is not a club we join or lifestyle we embrace? Being born again is
something Christ does to us that completely changes us from the inside out.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
God Created The Differences
When we accept one another with all our warts and personality flaws, then is when we can truly love.
Those who accept and even embrace the differences in the genders as enhancing one another are those with good marriages.
God made the genders different for a reason, they are complimentary to one another as long as neither spouse considers their gender better than the other.
We can even tease one another about our differences, enjoying them, as colorfully adding to our life experience.
When no one takes themselves too seriously, then we can be free of all pretense and fakery.
When we realize we have warts even admitting them, we will not be inclined to elevate ourselves above anyone else.
This is not a discussion about sin, but about personality and gender variety.
God made such beauty in the world, the flowers are all different shapes and colors. So too, He made all manner of personality and two very different genders, when we mix with one another, we have a richer life experience than if everyone were the same.
Perhaps humility is the element that allows us to accept one another!
Definition of Humility : "a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness."
Those who accept and even embrace the differences in the genders as enhancing one another are those with good marriages.
God made the genders different for a reason, they are complimentary to one another as long as neither spouse considers their gender better than the other.
We can even tease one another about our differences, enjoying them, as colorfully adding to our life experience.
When no one takes themselves too seriously, then we can be free of all pretense and fakery.
When we realize we have warts even admitting them, we will not be inclined to elevate ourselves above anyone else.
This is not a discussion about sin, but about personality and gender variety.
God made such beauty in the world, the flowers are all different shapes and colors. So too, He made all manner of personality and two very different genders, when we mix with one another, we have a richer life experience than if everyone were the same.
Perhaps humility is the element that allows us to accept one another!
Definition of Humility : "a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness."
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Pretending To Be Born Again!
Pretending to be Born Again
One cannot be saved by grace through faith alone and be working to keep what they did not earn by work.
The problem comes when those who think they can lose their salvation don't understand that Christ does all the work in us. We have no ability to be what we should be. God never forces anyone to become saved, nor does He force us to obey the Holy Spirit Who lives in us.
When He seals us with the Holy Spirit we become born again never to be lost again.
We have been changed into a new creation, the old man of sin in our spirit is gone and has been replaced by the new Holy Spirit.
Our flesh is not perfect, but our Spirit has been regenerated.
Romans 7:4-12
"4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.
9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good"
When Christ changes us into a new creation, we then become His child and His project in continual sanctification (cleansing).
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
Hebrews 10:14 "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are (being) sanctified (cleansed)."
We must understand that we do not keep ourselves. Christ saves us, cleanses us and keeps us.
Those who would say that we still have a free will to walk away, do not understand that we don't want to walk away. When we chose to confess our sinfulness and trust Christ for all things, He then began to give us what we want, and that is to be changed into a new creation, never to return to the old.
When someone walks away from Christ they were never born again. They came to Christ on their own terms, not choosing to be changed by Him, but wanting all the perks they think He has for them, without thought of wanting to be controlled by Him.
Those who still want to hold onto their own power, are operating in the flesh rather than the Spirit.
There are those who believe one can lose their salvation but don't think they will ever walk away, they are so in love with Christ. To these people I say, perhaps in your heart of hearts you know you cannot walk away because of Christ Who lives in you, but you have been listening to the teachings of men rather than seeking Christ for the answer to this dilemma.
A born again blood bought believer will never excuse their sin as under grace, they will be ashamed and eventually flee it.
1 John 3:9 "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
Proverbs 8:13 ""The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate."
Those who do not confess and turn the other way, who live in sin without conscience even defending their sin, are not born again. They are pretenders and rebellious in their hearts. They fall under the category of Matthew 7, if they do not repent and turn.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"
God says to these pretenders "I NEVER knew you."
If there is no desire within your heart to be under the control of the Holy Spirit or to be changed and growing, then you are probably not saved and need to ask the Lord to save you.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
43 Years And Still Going!
43 Years and Still Going
My husband and I just celebrated our 43rd Wedding
Anniversary. We went to Sizzler for dinner and spend a quiet evening together.
Thankfully we have both grown leaps and bounds in all those
years.
I was 18 and he was 22 when we tied the knot. I praise God
that He orchestrated things in our life that no human could have concocted. We
were not believers when we married, over time the Lord presented us with many
challenges that showed us our need for Him.
I became born again first and ten years later my husband did
too. We did not always lives as we should, nor did we understand give and take
in the beginning. Our love was emotional and dependent, after we became born
again the basis for our love changed, it became deeper and more Christ like
after our salvation.
For those who think that a couple must be madly emotionally
in love to make a marriage work, do not understand God's kind of love or human
nature.
It is impossible to "feel" gooy toward anyone
forever. There comes a time when the challenges appear, children, illness and
other things that divert our attentions, making us tired, irritable and selfish
if we let them. We become "accustomed to the other spouse", the
fantasy wears off and real life begins.
If a couple goes into marriage knowing that there is no way
out, that this union is for life, then they are more likely to work out the
troubles rather than bail out of them.
Our marriage has been wonderful, not because it was perfect
or without challenges, but because we walked through them with Christ. Before
we were believers it was very hard, we were taught all the wrong attitudes
about marriage, and focused on useless things.
After becoming born again our perspective changed entirely
from those useless things to the deeper purposes of God. It took spankings from
God and broken hearts to see our need for change.
I feel sorry for those who claim their marriage has always
been wonderful, they are not helping the young people who need to be taught to
expect difficulties and how to address them.
Christ is the answer to all of life!
Even if one of the spouses is not born again the one who is
saved, can live at peace in a marriage such as this, when they are continually
in God's Word and resolving to confess their own things while seeking to be
transformed into whatever God wants them to be.
Of course there is the warning God gives not to marry
unequally, however there are many marriages such as our, where one person
becomes saved after marriage while the other spouse remains unsaved.
A believing spouse cannot expect anything from an
unbeliever, they don't have the power to live as they should. Those who are
born again must focus on God cleansing themselves, and pray for God to do His
Work on their unsaved spouse.
AND, no, I did not do all the right things after I became
born again! I pushed, shoved, badgered and prayed. One day I gave up and
confessed to the Lord that I was trying to do the job of saving my husband
myself, and that I was going to let go and let Christ.
Shortly after I prayed these things, God saved my husband.
Christ in me, was saying to me, "When you are ready to stop playing God,
then I will begin My work." What an amazing lesson and blessing that was.
God is a wonderful God and will never leave an earnest
humble prayer go unanswered, when we pray in His Will.
Hallelujah!!!
I must share how deeply God worked in my husband and myself
over the years.
One night we were sleeping lightly because it was a warm
night. My husband turned to me in a half dazzed state shocked and excited and
said, "listen, listen." I began to wake up and tried to hear what he
had, and I did. It was a sound much like a trumpet.
Rodger said to me, "is that the trump of the Lord, are
we going up now."
I turned to him with excitement, he grabbed my hand and we
laid there with anticipation of what might be coming next. He wanted to be sure
we were going up together.
We realized after a few minutes that it was the sound of the
fog horns from the ships on the river. After realizing what we were hearing we
were silent a few minutes and then we laughed. We were so disappointed that it
wasn't the rapture, but reveled that we believed it so completely that we were
ready to go!!!
I guess that's when you really know you believe in
something!
Let God Be Our Defender
Let God Be Our Defender
Those who hold bitterness and anger in their hearts, develop vengeful spirits that eat away at their soul until there is no joy left. They clamor after happiness and business in an attempt to overpower the lack of joy, but the pleasure is only for a moment, it is not lasting and ends in sadness.
There is nothing to gain by falling into the trap of hate that only brings continual misery.
When we choose love, determining to act in loving ways in spite of how we feel we have been wronged, then we gain the joy that comes from obedience to God and even begin to care for others as we should.
The world is full of misery, hate and injustice, we see it all around us. Those who have trusted Christ and choose not to return evil for evil, have learned the valuable lesson of trusting God to see all that happens to us, we have no need of revenge, He is our protector.
Our bodies and emotions may be ravaged, but our spirit and our soul cannot be harmed. The greater the resolve to obey God in His sort of love, the greater joy and peace we experience.
Our emotions tell us to withhold love from those who harm us, but God says this;
Romans 12:14 "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."
Our emotions tell us to seek revenge to teach the wrong doer a lesson, but God says this; Romans 12:19 "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord."
Our emotions want to hang onto anger, keep the fires of malice burning, but God says; Ephesians 4:26 "BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,"
We cannot be what we should in our own power, we must seek God in all situations to work in us the attitudes and actions that He wants us to have. Then we will be victorious, not because we are so good, but because Christ will work it in us when it is needed.
Psalm 9:10 "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You."
Time Passes So Quickly!
Fools Folly
The Fools Folly
One way to know a person to find the fruit, is to challenge
them on something they are wrong about and watch what comes out. A calm loving
Spirit controlled person will not lash out and attack, but will ponder while
answering with reasonable contemplation.
Those who lash out and attack because they are challenged
walk in serious pride.
One of the next steps that occur when a prideful person is
challenged is the tactic of manipulation through personal attacks, bringing
into question our character when our character was not the subject addressed.
Ignore those who are ignorant, do not answer a fool
according to their folly, but expose their evil and move on.
1 Corinthians 13:28 "But if any man be ignorant, let
him be ignored."
Proverbs 26:4 "Do not answer a fool according to his
folly, Or you will also be like him."
John 3:20 ""For everyone who does evil hates the
Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
Friday, May 16, 2014
God Will Keep Every Promise!
God Will Keep Every Promise
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Final Admonition
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”
2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
3 You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Fear of Man Brings A Snare
Most believers don't know what it feels like to be controlled by Christ Who lives in them. When it is the Holy Spirit speaking we know it, it is far different from when we are concocting our own answers and conversation.
Those who are used to hearing the promptings of the Holy Spirit know what it feels like, the strong sense of driveness to say or do something. The results are not very important, it is personal obedience that takes center stage.
When someone reacts badly to our warning or teaching, it doesn't change our resolve, intimidate us or make us feel guilty, because it is the Holy Spirit handling things, not us.
Those who have figure out effective ways to their deliveries, are trusting in their own ingenuity and flesh rather than the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit speaks it is spontaneous, no need to figure anything out. The reaction of the hearer is irrelevant, obedience is paramount.
God tells us often in His Word that we are to obey the Holy Spirit, even that the people hearing will not listen or heed our warnings or teachings, but we are to speak anyway.
Ezekiel 2-3
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Prophet’s Call
"12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!”
2 As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.
3 Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
4 I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’
5 As for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.
6 And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.
7 But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious."
Those who are used to hearing the promptings of the Holy Spirit know what it feels like, the strong sense of driveness to say or do something. The results are not very important, it is personal obedience that takes center stage.
When someone reacts badly to our warning or teaching, it doesn't change our resolve, intimidate us or make us feel guilty, because it is the Holy Spirit handling things, not us.
Those who have figure out effective ways to their deliveries, are trusting in their own ingenuity and flesh rather than the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit speaks it is spontaneous, no need to figure anything out. The reaction of the hearer is irrelevant, obedience is paramount.
God tells us often in His Word that we are to obey the Holy Spirit, even that the people hearing will not listen or heed our warnings or teachings, but we are to speak anyway.
Ezekiel 2-3
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Prophet’s Call
"12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!”
2 As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.
3 Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
4 I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’
5 As for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.
6 And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.
7 But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious."
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Happy 66th Birthday Israel
Happy Birthday Israel, 66 years ago today the 14th day of May 1948, she was born as a nation for the first time in 2000 years. Prophesy was fulfilled one more time that day just as God said it would. A nation was born in one day then.
Isaiah 66:8 ""Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons."
Isaiah 66:8 ""Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons."
Children Shall Rule Them
Children Shall Rule Them
Has anyone noticed that children seem to rule this nation and their families, in various ways?
How many families have we met in which the children call all the shots. When they don't get their way they have a tantrum and the parents immediately give them what they want to stop the tantrum, instead of disciplining them to teach them respect rather than self indulgence.
We see the consequences of this mentality of lack of training in our culture every day. We see young children slapping their own parents in the face while the parent giggles in embarrassment.
We see children who are never content with what they have, they lack gratefulness, manners and kindness, nothing seems to satisfy them except temporarily while they are getting a new present or toy.
The parents of these children are frustrated all the time, using yelling as their method in an attempt to get their children to obey, but it doesn't work. The parents of these children do not enjoy their children, they are wanting to leave them with baby sitters and Grandmas often to escape the little monsters.
God spoke of this in His Word. These children grow to be the leaders of companies and nations. They love themselves with little regard for others, this is the plight of our nation and many families right now.
Isaiah 3:11-13
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
"11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths. God Will Judge
13 The Lord arises to contend, And stands to judge the people."
Has anyone noticed that children seem to rule this nation and their families, in various ways?
How many families have we met in which the children call all the shots. When they don't get their way they have a tantrum and the parents immediately give them what they want to stop the tantrum, instead of disciplining them to teach them respect rather than self indulgence.
We see the consequences of this mentality of lack of training in our culture every day. We see young children slapping their own parents in the face while the parent giggles in embarrassment.
We see children who are never content with what they have, they lack gratefulness, manners and kindness, nothing seems to satisfy them except temporarily while they are getting a new present or toy.
The parents of these children are frustrated all the time, using yelling as their method in an attempt to get their children to obey, but it doesn't work. The parents of these children do not enjoy their children, they are wanting to leave them with baby sitters and Grandmas often to escape the little monsters.
God spoke of this in His Word. These children grow to be the leaders of companies and nations. They love themselves with little regard for others, this is the plight of our nation and many families right now.
Isaiah 3:11-13
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
"11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths. God Will Judge
13 The Lord arises to contend, And stands to judge the people."
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Atheists Are Lying
Atheists Are Lying
I don't believe atheists, when they say they don't believe
in God.. They are lying, they know there is a God but they refuse to confess He
exists.
"For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The fool has
said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have
committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good." Psalm 14:1
God said, "only the fool says in his
heart....NO....God!" The atheist knows but refuses.
"For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being
understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."
Romans 1:20
God said "you have no excuse because you have seen my
handiwork in nature." If the atheist really didn't believe in a God, then
they would not be upset when others want to pray to Him.
They would treat God like another ferry story like Santa
Clause or the Tooth Ferry. We don't see atheists bothering to become enraged
when our culture puts a Santa in the public squares. We don't see these people
attempting to take Santa out of the public places. We don't see the atheists
angry with the Easter bunny or other ferry personalities.
The reason atheists are so angry and quick to condemn any
form of Christian expression of the works of Christ, is because they know He is
the truth and want no accountability to Him.
For the atheist God is an affront to their freedome, He has
authority, one thing the atheists hate more than anything else, is authority
that would demand compliance.
Santa and the Easter bunny never require anything from their
followers, they simply give them what they want, indulging mankind in fantasy,
any way one chooses to express themselves.
Christ, even though He gave His all, expects us to confess
our wrong, these other fantasy figures merely indulge us in personal freedom
and happy thoughts, without accountability or shame over sin.
Christ offers a much greater blessing and eventual existence
than the imaginary personalities. These personalities focus on happiness and
fun for the moment, while Christ offers and eternity in a pure and perfect
relationship with a loving God.
Which will you choose? Difficulty for a time on this earth
to follow Christ with an eternity filled with perfection and love, or the
fantasy that lasts for one day, gives temporary fun and happiness, after which
it leads to a fiery eternity in darkness without hope?
I have chosen Christ, He died for me, He continually
cleanses and grows me, and one day He will come for me to take me to my perfect
and eternal home full of the love that could not be found on this earth, except
through Christ Who lives in us.
We may not have much time left to choose!
Joshua 24:14-15
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“We Will Serve the Lord”
14 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity
and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and
in Egypt ,
and serve the Lord. 15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord,
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your
fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in
whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Monday, May 12, 2014
Feelings Are Neither Here Nor There
Feelings are fleshly and do not help us. It is best to think rationally to evaluate our feelings, whether they are truth or godly. If they are not, then ignore them and do the right thing.
Waiting On God!
Arabs have been a continual problem to the Jews, in attempts to expunge them from the face of the earth.
Ishmael is the father of this rebel nation of Islam, they claim parentage through Abraham. They are the children of Abraham, but they are the illegitimate children of a slave girl. Praise the Lord that God can save them just as He can save us, but their nation as a whole, will always be a problem to Israel.
Notice what happened when Abraham went ahead of God to fulfill God's promise his own way rather than believing God and waiting on Him.
Do we want God to perform His miracles and promises to us, or do we set out to do them our own way and reap the terrible consequences of our willfulness?
Ishmael is the father of this rebel nation of Islam, they claim parentage through Abraham. They are the children of Abraham, but they are the illegitimate children of a slave girl. Praise the Lord that God can save them just as He can save us, but their nation as a whole, will always be a problem to Israel.
Notice what happened when Abraham went ahead of God to fulfill God's promise his own way rather than believing God and waiting on Him.
Do we want God to perform His miracles and promises to us, or do we set out to do them our own way and reap the terrible consequences of our willfulness?
Dinosaurs Walked With Man
Dinosaurs Walked With Man
The true science has been documented in the Bible! All that we have been taught in the public institutions about the big bang theory has been nothing more than pure perverted imagination, ferry stories developed by men who set out to destroy the faith of many, to disprove the existence of God.
God describes in His Word how the world was formed and even mentions in some detail the creatures that lived and walked on the earth during the time of man.
One of the creatures we were raised to believe was a cartoon character was that of the dragon. The Leviathan was a creature such as this.
God speaking in Job about the Leviathan, a dinosaur dragon that walk when Job walked:
Job 41
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
God’s Power Shown in Creatures
"41 “[a]Can you draw out [b]Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 “Can you put a [c]rope in his nose
Or pierce his jaw with a [d]hook?
3 “Will he make many supplications to you,
Or will he speak to you soft words?
4 “Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him for a servant forever?
5 “Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you bind him for your maidens?
6 “Will the [e]traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him among the merchants?
7 “Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8 “Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle; [f]you will not do it again!
9 “[g]Behold, [h]your expectation is false;
Will [i]you be laid low even at the sight of him?
10 “No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him;
Who then is he that can stand before Me?
11 “Who has [j]given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.
12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Or his mighty strength, or his [k]orderly frame.
13 “Who can [l]strip off his outer armor?
Who can come within his double [m]mail?
14 “Who can open the doors of his face?
Around his teeth there is terror.
15 “His [n]strong scales are his pride,
Shut up as with a tight seal.
16 “One is so near to another
That no air can come between them.
17 “They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 “His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 “Out of his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.
20 “Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 “His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
22 “In his neck lodges strength,
And dismay leaps before him.
23 “The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm on him and immovable.
24 “His heart is as hard as a stone,
Even as hard as a lower millstone.
25 “When he raises himself up, the [o]mighty fear;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
26 “The sword that reaches him cannot avail,
Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.
27 “He regards iron as straw,
Bronze as rotten wood."
The true science has been documented in the Bible! All that we have been taught in the public institutions about the big bang theory has been nothing more than pure perverted imagination, ferry stories developed by men who set out to destroy the faith of many, to disprove the existence of God.
God describes in His Word how the world was formed and even mentions in some detail the creatures that lived and walked on the earth during the time of man.
One of the creatures we were raised to believe was a cartoon character was that of the dragon. The Leviathan was a creature such as this.
God speaking in Job about the Leviathan, a dinosaur dragon that walk when Job walked:
Job 41
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
God’s Power Shown in Creatures
"41 “[a]Can you draw out [b]Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 “Can you put a [c]rope in his nose
Or pierce his jaw with a [d]hook?
3 “Will he make many supplications to you,
Or will he speak to you soft words?
4 “Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him for a servant forever?
5 “Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you bind him for your maidens?
6 “Will the [e]traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him among the merchants?
7 “Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8 “Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle; [f]you will not do it again!
9 “[g]Behold, [h]your expectation is false;
Will [i]you be laid low even at the sight of him?
10 “No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him;
Who then is he that can stand before Me?
11 “Who has [j]given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.
12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Or his mighty strength, or his [k]orderly frame.
13 “Who can [l]strip off his outer armor?
Who can come within his double [m]mail?
14 “Who can open the doors of his face?
Around his teeth there is terror.
15 “His [n]strong scales are his pride,
Shut up as with a tight seal.
16 “One is so near to another
That no air can come between them.
17 “They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 “His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 “Out of his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.
20 “Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 “His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
22 “In his neck lodges strength,
And dismay leaps before him.
23 “The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm on him and immovable.
24 “His heart is as hard as a stone,
Even as hard as a lower millstone.
25 “When he raises himself up, the [o]mighty fear;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
26 “The sword that reaches him cannot avail,
Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.
27 “He regards iron as straw,
Bronze as rotten wood."
Fighting With God?
Fighting With God?
I was once accused of giving too much scripture. What was amusing to me is that I thought I wasn't giving enough.
The one who accused me said she wanted to hear my thoughts, that I didn't seem to be able to think for myself.
I knew the real reason for her complaint, she wanted to argue with me about "my opinion", while being uncomfortable with arguing with God.
She had nothing to say against me when it was God I was quoting. The only criticism she had against me was to quote too much of God's Word. LOL!
There are times when we need to be silent and just let God speak through His Word. Let the rebellious fight with God, He can handle it.
I was once accused of giving too much scripture. What was amusing to me is that I thought I wasn't giving enough.
The one who accused me said she wanted to hear my thoughts, that I didn't seem to be able to think for myself.
I knew the real reason for her complaint, she wanted to argue with me about "my opinion", while being uncomfortable with arguing with God.
She had nothing to say against me when it was God I was quoting. The only criticism she had against me was to quote too much of God's Word. LOL!
There are times when we need to be silent and just let God speak through His Word. Let the rebellious fight with God, He can handle it.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
God Hates Idolatry
I have just been in conversation with someone who told me
that it does not matter what we do, because God looks at the heart.
The problem with this mentality is that God never gave us
principles to follow because they didn't matter, He gave them expecting us to
obey.
I grow weary of those that think that sin and disobedience
to God's principles are unimportant as long as we are born again. God says, if
we are born again then we hate sin, we love to obey.
Those who refuse to be corrected, hanging onto their idols
with tenacity while claiming to love that which offends God, places a question
in my mind, how could it be that someone who has been made into a new creation,
kicks against the goad when challenged with Scripture to evaluate their actions
and attitudes.
Having come out of a religious system that encouraged idol
worship, I can no longer tolerate any form of idolatry.
Romans 6
King James Version (KJV)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that
grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 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.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of
his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 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.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall
also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no
more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that
he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto
sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye
should obey it in the lusts thereof.
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