A story about an encounter with a man at a fair we were working when we had an ice cream business.
Here goes:
The man would come by our booth and brag about all his ugly conquests, filthy habits and drunkenness. One day my husband asked him if he knew where he was going when he died. The man answered flippantly that he didn't care he had friends in both heaven and hell. Then the man asked my husband, "where do you think I am going?" My husband answered by saying "well, hell of course", the man became so angry he ran off before my husband could tell him more.
Here's the thing, why was he angry, he told my husband he didn't care because he had friends in both places. My educated guess is that he lied when he said he didn't care. He didn't want to go to hell and probably even thought he was going to heaven because he was a friendly guy.
So often when people respond flippantly about hell it has more to do with what they want to believe than what they really believe. They want to believe all the fun wild people are going to hell where there will be constant drinking and immorality.
When they are faced with the truth they get afraid like an angry dog and attack rather than facing the horrors they know in their heart are true.
Romans 1:19-21 "…19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts."
We don't know what happened to the man after that, we do know that God will use it and that perhaps someone else will come along in that man's life and water him a little more.
The man at the fair didn't want to believe he was bad enough to go to hell, but in his heart of hearts he knew it.
1 Corinthians 3:6-9
"6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building."
Don't fear that you were not able to tell the whole gospel to someone. Our job is to do what the Holy Spirit tells us and He will send the next person to finish the job.
Monday, June 17, 2019
We Cannot Dissolve the Glue of God
Christ was speaking to the Jewish custom of divorcing for unfaithfulness during the betrothal (engagement) here in the Matthew 5 passage. None of the other gospels speaks to this because they were written to Gentiles who had no such custom of divorcing from engagement. Christ did not address divorce and remarriage as an option for married couples.
In the Jewish culture the engagement was nearly as binding as the marriage except in unfaithfulness. The couple had not lived together nor had they had relations with one another. They were called "husband and wife" during the betrothal period even though they had never lived together as man and wife. There was required a certificate of divorce from an engagement for those who were Jewish.
Matthew 5:31-32
"31 “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity (fornication before marriage in the engagement period), makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
There is a provision in American law that allows for permanent separation in which a couple can apply for this so that there is allowance for financial responsibility but no liability in cases of taxes or debt.
There are very difficult situations in cases of abuse or danger from a spouse that allows for separation but never remarriage.
In the law to allow for a legal permanent separation the couple is still considered married but are not responsible to one another in anything else. There would be no allowance under this law for remarriage. This is much more in line with the Biblical mandate that one is not to remarry if there is a divorce, except there is no divorce here, only permanent separation.
Luke 16:18
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
God is very clear in the gospels that He does not allow for divorce and remarriage. The only exception we find does not pertain to marriage but the betrothal period as it was practiced by the Jewish law for unfaithfulness during the engagement.
For many years all Christians agreed that divorce and remarriage was not permitted by God. This is the reason the old law was on the books about legal separation.
So what changed? It was simple, the culture changed as the church began to attempt to fit with the culture rather than the Bible. Now we have angry "Christians" who refuse to accept that divorce and remarriage is not condoned or endorsed by God. They managed to snatch out of the context of the Bible a short verse that was misunderstood and assign it endorsement and acceptance of something that God said He hates.
Malachi 2:16
16 For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
It is an act of hopelessness and hatred that will endorse divorce and remarriage. It is not possible to throw away someone we love simply because they do not act perfectly. To do this is to believe we have no sin of our own that our spouse must endure.
Let's set aside all the extreme arguments of abuse and focus on those divorce situations that are the most common. Most of the people I know who have been divorced and remarried were not dealing with extreme abuse. These people were just adult human beings who refused to make the other spouse more important than themselves.
Instead of praying, fasting and enduring until the Lord worked on the marriage, the people involved bailed out to save their own skin with little regard to the impact on the children involved and the church as a whole. Yes I really said that.......everything we do impacts the family, the churches, the schools and every other human institution around us.
One of the reasons we have "fads" is because one person decides to make a show of something they like to do and another person is influenced and follows. Before we know it the entire community is endorsing the act even if not all are doing it.
We see this all the time, the media promotes things and it grows like wildfire, before we realize what has happened everyone around us is indulging in that practice, clothing or hairstyle.
Divorce and remarriage grew because many coming out of seminaries in recent years were taught wrong things about what God said. To make things worse those trained in seminaries were encouraged to focus on marketing techniques instead of truth. It makes a whole lot of sense that one would ignore or endorse the practice of divorce and remarriage when half the people attending the gathering were in this condition.
After all, its not profitable for a preacher to preach the truth when his salary would be threatened by fewer bodies in the pews. The seminaries for the most part now are ignoring scripture all together or twisting it to make is say something more palatable to the attendees, bringing the numbers up to fill the pews.
Now the culture has been so intensely indoctrinated to accept divorce and remarriage that those who know the truth are treated with contempt and minimized for their decision to follow Christ rather than false preachers.
Even if someone believes that divorce is allowed for special circumstances why would they want to allow for something they know God hates.
Instead of seeking prayer, fasting and Bible for truth to be able to get through rough situations the masses are rejecting the hard things that are the real fixes in favor of the easy way. But sadly the easy way of divorce does not show the love of Christ but rather destroys the institution of marriage created by God.
If God were a god who believed bailing out of trouble were the way of happiness He never would have gone to the cross to pay for the sins of others.
Next time anyone uses that silly phrase, "God wouldn't want me to go through that", just remind them what Christ went through for them. God the Father send His only Son to go through terrible things for others, perhaps we can learn from this!!!!
James 1:2-8
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
When a couple attempts to bail out of marriage, even though they are not able to undo the bond, they are saying they do not care what God thinks or who they ruin by their selfishness.
No man can undo the bond of "Oneness" God created in the two people in marriage. It was a spiritual bond created by God and no man can undo it.
When Christ makes us into a new creation we cannot undo that, its sealed permanently. The marriage bond is a picture of the bond we have with Christ when we become born again.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
Anything God does in us cannot be undone by us. Hallelujah!!!!
In the Jewish culture the engagement was nearly as binding as the marriage except in unfaithfulness. The couple had not lived together nor had they had relations with one another. They were called "husband and wife" during the betrothal period even though they had never lived together as man and wife. There was required a certificate of divorce from an engagement for those who were Jewish.
Matthew 5:31-32
"31 “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity (fornication before marriage in the engagement period), makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
There is a provision in American law that allows for permanent separation in which a couple can apply for this so that there is allowance for financial responsibility but no liability in cases of taxes or debt.
There are very difficult situations in cases of abuse or danger from a spouse that allows for separation but never remarriage.
In the law to allow for a legal permanent separation the couple is still considered married but are not responsible to one another in anything else. There would be no allowance under this law for remarriage. This is much more in line with the Biblical mandate that one is not to remarry if there is a divorce, except there is no divorce here, only permanent separation.
Luke 16:18
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
God is very clear in the gospels that He does not allow for divorce and remarriage. The only exception we find does not pertain to marriage but the betrothal period as it was practiced by the Jewish law for unfaithfulness during the engagement.
For many years all Christians agreed that divorce and remarriage was not permitted by God. This is the reason the old law was on the books about legal separation.
So what changed? It was simple, the culture changed as the church began to attempt to fit with the culture rather than the Bible. Now we have angry "Christians" who refuse to accept that divorce and remarriage is not condoned or endorsed by God. They managed to snatch out of the context of the Bible a short verse that was misunderstood and assign it endorsement and acceptance of something that God said He hates.
Malachi 2:16
16 For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
It is an act of hopelessness and hatred that will endorse divorce and remarriage. It is not possible to throw away someone we love simply because they do not act perfectly. To do this is to believe we have no sin of our own that our spouse must endure.
Let's set aside all the extreme arguments of abuse and focus on those divorce situations that are the most common. Most of the people I know who have been divorced and remarried were not dealing with extreme abuse. These people were just adult human beings who refused to make the other spouse more important than themselves.
Instead of praying, fasting and enduring until the Lord worked on the marriage, the people involved bailed out to save their own skin with little regard to the impact on the children involved and the church as a whole. Yes I really said that.......everything we do impacts the family, the churches, the schools and every other human institution around us.
One of the reasons we have "fads" is because one person decides to make a show of something they like to do and another person is influenced and follows. Before we know it the entire community is endorsing the act even if not all are doing it.
We see this all the time, the media promotes things and it grows like wildfire, before we realize what has happened everyone around us is indulging in that practice, clothing or hairstyle.
Divorce and remarriage grew because many coming out of seminaries in recent years were taught wrong things about what God said. To make things worse those trained in seminaries were encouraged to focus on marketing techniques instead of truth. It makes a whole lot of sense that one would ignore or endorse the practice of divorce and remarriage when half the people attending the gathering were in this condition.
After all, its not profitable for a preacher to preach the truth when his salary would be threatened by fewer bodies in the pews. The seminaries for the most part now are ignoring scripture all together or twisting it to make is say something more palatable to the attendees, bringing the numbers up to fill the pews.
Now the culture has been so intensely indoctrinated to accept divorce and remarriage that those who know the truth are treated with contempt and minimized for their decision to follow Christ rather than false preachers.
Even if someone believes that divorce is allowed for special circumstances why would they want to allow for something they know God hates.
Instead of seeking prayer, fasting and Bible for truth to be able to get through rough situations the masses are rejecting the hard things that are the real fixes in favor of the easy way. But sadly the easy way of divorce does not show the love of Christ but rather destroys the institution of marriage created by God.
If God were a god who believed bailing out of trouble were the way of happiness He never would have gone to the cross to pay for the sins of others.
Next time anyone uses that silly phrase, "God wouldn't want me to go through that", just remind them what Christ went through for them. God the Father send His only Son to go through terrible things for others, perhaps we can learn from this!!!!
James 1:2-8
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
When a couple attempts to bail out of marriage, even though they are not able to undo the bond, they are saying they do not care what God thinks or who they ruin by their selfishness.
No man can undo the bond of "Oneness" God created in the two people in marriage. It was a spiritual bond created by God and no man can undo it.
When Christ makes us into a new creation we cannot undo that, its sealed permanently. The marriage bond is a picture of the bond we have with Christ when we become born again.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
Anything God does in us cannot be undone by us. Hallelujah!!!!
The Helper to Every Believer is the Holy Spirit
John 14:14-16
14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Role of the Spirit
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [a]Helper, that He may be with you forever;
14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Role of the Spirit
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [a]Helper, that He may be with you forever;
The Dilemma in the Modern Christianity
Yes and in my case "Christian" extended family are irritated at Biblical truth. I was once told by a family member that "we should not tell others they are wrong" But interestingly, the person who was telling me I was wrong believed it was wrong for me to tell someone they were wrong. How does that work anyway? She was not wrong to tell me I was wrong, but I was wrong to tell someone else they were wrong. Sort of a double standard right? ROFL
The Lesson of the Water Bottle
When we trust Christ with all that happens to us we know He has the answers, nothing sticks to us it slides off to Him. He has a purpose, we can rest in Him. Hang on to Christ rather than anything that happens to us or those who harm us.
Follow the link to see the lesson of the water bottle. Even though the video was not about Christ, we can equate it to Christ and the Bible. Christ is the answer to letting go to Christ.
His Will or Our Will
God will not ignore our request when it is within His will.
1 John 5:13-15 "13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.…"
Psalm 145:19
"He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them."
John 14:13
"And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
We are given what we ask for when it glorifies God and is His desire for us.
However, He may give us what we want that is not good for us to teach us a lesson, when we are in stubborness. So then it is wise to seek God's will rather than begging Him to give us what we want, that might not be good for us.
Romans 12:2 " and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that of God, and acceptable, and perfect will of God,"
James 4:2-4 "…2 You crave what you do not have. You kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.…"
The most frightening place to be is out of the will of God to satisfy a personal desire. God often will allow us to have what we want that is not good for us. He will not override our free will. But know this, getting what we want without counsel from the Holy Spirit brings with it consequences that can be devastating and lifelong.
The best way to avoid unwanted consequences is to seek God's will before we act, while ignoring all intense feelings that do not match up with God's Word.
James 4:6-8 "6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.…"
1 John 2:15-17
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
Ephesians 2:1-22
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ..."
1 John 5:13-15 "13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.…"
Psalm 145:19
"He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them."
John 14:13
"And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
We are given what we ask for when it glorifies God and is His desire for us.
However, He may give us what we want that is not good for us to teach us a lesson, when we are in stubborness. So then it is wise to seek God's will rather than begging Him to give us what we want, that might not be good for us.
Romans 12:2 " and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that of God, and acceptable, and perfect will of God,"
James 4:2-4 "…2 You crave what you do not have. You kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.…"
The most frightening place to be is out of the will of God to satisfy a personal desire. God often will allow us to have what we want that is not good for us. He will not override our free will. But know this, getting what we want without counsel from the Holy Spirit brings with it consequences that can be devastating and lifelong.
The best way to avoid unwanted consequences is to seek God's will before we act, while ignoring all intense feelings that do not match up with God's Word.
James 4:6-8 "6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.…"
1 John 2:15-17
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
Ephesians 2:1-22
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ..."
How to Become Born Again
When we find a person who has been in an auto accident, a gaping wound on their arm is showing, do we rush to get them with an ice cream cone and put a band aide on it, or do we rush them to the hospital for the uncomfortable fix of stitches and antiseptics?
Our country has been destroyed for lack of instruction and even worse lack of desire for truth. Instruction and correction is rejected by nearly everyone because of the stubbornness of the heart. We are going to be destroyed, going down, I wonder if the smiles and head nodding will cease when there is nothing left to save and no one left to impress? Israel of the past found out what happens when a country gets to where we are right now!
Isaiah 1:2-6 “Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD speaks,
“Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.
3 “An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master’s manger,
But Israel does not know,
My people do not understand.”
4 Alas, sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who act corruptly!
They have abandoned the LORD,
They have despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away [c]from Him.
5 Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick
And the whole heart is faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, welts and raw wounds,
Not pressed out or bandaged,
Nor softened with oil.”
Israel is not the only nation who acts as they did back in the day. The whole world is acting this way now, one of the signs of the end of the end. There will not be many days now left before Christ takes out His church. There is not much faith left on the earth, not much love, kindness or diligence. 2 Timothy 3 has arrived as prophesied, but the hope is great in born again believers as they anticipate their home going. Hallelujah
The way of salvation for those who have not yet known Christ is to confess your sinfulness, believe on Christ, that He paid the price for your sin and will cleanse you if you want to be cleansed. Then He will send His Holy Spirit to live in you, the guarantee of our inheritance as His children. When He has done this you will no longer be the same person you were before. The WAY you think will be opposite of the way you once thought. Christ changes everything about us when we are born again and remains with us until He comes for us. Hallelujah
Acts 16:30 "…30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved....."
Our country has been destroyed for lack of instruction and even worse lack of desire for truth. Instruction and correction is rejected by nearly everyone because of the stubbornness of the heart. We are going to be destroyed, going down, I wonder if the smiles and head nodding will cease when there is nothing left to save and no one left to impress? Israel of the past found out what happens when a country gets to where we are right now!
Isaiah 1:2-6 “Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD speaks,
“Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.
3 “An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master’s manger,
But Israel does not know,
My people do not understand.”
4 Alas, sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who act corruptly!
They have abandoned the LORD,
They have despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away [c]from Him.
5 Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick
And the whole heart is faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, welts and raw wounds,
Not pressed out or bandaged,
Nor softened with oil.”
Israel is not the only nation who acts as they did back in the day. The whole world is acting this way now, one of the signs of the end of the end. There will not be many days now left before Christ takes out His church. There is not much faith left on the earth, not much love, kindness or diligence. 2 Timothy 3 has arrived as prophesied, but the hope is great in born again believers as they anticipate their home going. Hallelujah
The way of salvation for those who have not yet known Christ is to confess your sinfulness, believe on Christ, that He paid the price for your sin and will cleanse you if you want to be cleansed. Then He will send His Holy Spirit to live in you, the guarantee of our inheritance as His children. When He has done this you will no longer be the same person you were before. The WAY you think will be opposite of the way you once thought. Christ changes everything about us when we are born again and remains with us until He comes for us. Hallelujah
Acts 16:30 "…30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved....."
Aligning Ourselves With Christ
I copied and pasted this comment from another thread to help us keep perspective on the direction of this country as well as the cleverness of the devil's ploys. It is easy to see how the anti-christ will fool those who are wanting "good things" in their life, even more than they want God.
I have lived in this country all my life and have watched Trump's life over the years. He was chosen by God but that does not mean he is godly or a Christian.
I voted for him because he was not Hillary, but have no expectations that he will lead this country into repentance or morality.
I notice that he is surrounded by Pentecostals who buy into the "Health, Wealth and Prosperity" doctrine. They believe Trump got in because they spoke it into being.
Trump said his favorite preacher was Norman Vincent Peale, clearly a "power of the mind" preacher. Peale was an heretic whose writings have deeply influenced the Pentecostals. The Pentecostals of this country often focus on material things rather than spiritual matters. They believe making things happen by the power of their mind amounts to spirituality.
I don't hate Trump but I am a realist, in that I compare him to the godly leaders of the Bible and see how off base he is in many things.
I am glad God is using him to denounce abortion and to protect Israel but everything else he is doing does nothing to promote godliness or repentance.
I also notice that his involvement with Israel has more to do with peace than with their right to the land. I am convinced Trump will end up promoting a giveaway of the land to accomplish this peace. He often speaks out of both sides of his mouth. One moment declaring something and later when people have forgotten what he said he will say the opposite.
Also, I have known many pro-life people who were not Christians. There was a group many years ago when we were involved in the pro-life movement, called, "Homosexuals Against Abortion." These people were vile God haters who hated abortion. Their stand against abortion had nothing to do with righteousness, they just didn't like killing babies. I hate killing babies too, but God also hates the practice of homosexuality. These people needed to confess their sin and repent to be born again, I prayed that for them.
Being for or against particular causes is not the measure of a spiritual man or even a good man.
1 Corinthians 15:58 "58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
The work of the Lord is the gospel and all His other commands in the Bible. We can be led by Christ at any given time simply by confessing our need for His help.
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"
God can use anyone to accomplish His will but that does not mean those who are sinful who are used will be accepted by God. It does not mean that we should endorse the activities of those who hate God just because God is using them in spite of themselves.
It is always dangerous to align ourselves with wicked unsaved people to accomplish God's will. We have to work in this world and its good that we have a witness, but to join up with wicked men to accomplish a cause is not wise.
Many years ago we were in politics, it was a time that God sent and a miracle that my husband won. We had contact with believers and non-believers alike that was good. God used it in many ways in our lives, there comes a time when God tells us to work among them and other times He says no.
Thank the Lord we have the Holy Spirit to tell us "what and when."
Proverbs 3:5-6 "5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
I have lived in this country all my life and have watched Trump's life over the years. He was chosen by God but that does not mean he is godly or a Christian.
I voted for him because he was not Hillary, but have no expectations that he will lead this country into repentance or morality.
I notice that he is surrounded by Pentecostals who buy into the "Health, Wealth and Prosperity" doctrine. They believe Trump got in because they spoke it into being.
Trump said his favorite preacher was Norman Vincent Peale, clearly a "power of the mind" preacher. Peale was an heretic whose writings have deeply influenced the Pentecostals. The Pentecostals of this country often focus on material things rather than spiritual matters. They believe making things happen by the power of their mind amounts to spirituality.
I don't hate Trump but I am a realist, in that I compare him to the godly leaders of the Bible and see how off base he is in many things.
I am glad God is using him to denounce abortion and to protect Israel but everything else he is doing does nothing to promote godliness or repentance.
I also notice that his involvement with Israel has more to do with peace than with their right to the land. I am convinced Trump will end up promoting a giveaway of the land to accomplish this peace. He often speaks out of both sides of his mouth. One moment declaring something and later when people have forgotten what he said he will say the opposite.
Also, I have known many pro-life people who were not Christians. There was a group many years ago when we were involved in the pro-life movement, called, "Homosexuals Against Abortion." These people were vile God haters who hated abortion. Their stand against abortion had nothing to do with righteousness, they just didn't like killing babies. I hate killing babies too, but God also hates the practice of homosexuality. These people needed to confess their sin and repent to be born again, I prayed that for them.
Being for or against particular causes is not the measure of a spiritual man or even a good man.
1 Corinthians 15:58 "58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
The work of the Lord is the gospel and all His other commands in the Bible. We can be led by Christ at any given time simply by confessing our need for His help.
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"
God can use anyone to accomplish His will but that does not mean those who are sinful who are used will be accepted by God. It does not mean that we should endorse the activities of those who hate God just because God is using them in spite of themselves.
It is always dangerous to align ourselves with wicked unsaved people to accomplish God's will. We have to work in this world and its good that we have a witness, but to join up with wicked men to accomplish a cause is not wise.
Many years ago we were in politics, it was a time that God sent and a miracle that my husband won. We had contact with believers and non-believers alike that was good. God used it in many ways in our lives, there comes a time when God tells us to work among them and other times He says no.
Thank the Lord we have the Holy Spirit to tell us "what and when."
Proverbs 3:5-6 "5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Our Helper is the Holy Spirit!
John 14:14-16
14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Role of the Spirit
"16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;"
Notice that God said here that the Holy Spirit will "be with you FOREVER." God never takes back His promise to keep us until He comes for us.
Romans 8:14-15
"14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
When we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit at salvation we are sealed FOREVER.
Ephesians 1:12-14 "…12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth— the gospel of your salvation— you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
An important picture of this is the oneness that is given to us in marriage. That oneness is not of us but a work of God. He changes us from two people into one person. Each one in this marriage of two into one we have specific roles and responsibilities. The husband is to lead and the woman is to help. She is to help in all manners of his life, supporting him in his business as well as providing counsel when he is not able to see something that we can see.
As wives our best friend is God and our second best friend is our husband. We wish the best for our husbands, the reason we seek Christ continually for His guidance to our husbands. A wife who loves her husband will pray for him as well as counsel him when the Holy Spirit gives her insight about a matter.
The greatest hope and desire we can have for our husband is that he will seek the Lord for all matters of life. The Holy Spirit works in both husband and wife in this matter of marriage. To negate half of the union as unable to help with truth is to negate the roles of each in the marriage.
Men are to lead their wives, when the husband is having difficulty seeing something that is clear to the wife then the wife must speak truth to her husband. In a godly marriage both are praying, both are seeking the Holy Spirit and both are relying on the Holy Spirit together.
One half of the person in the oneness is not ignored only to have orders barked at them. Both are seeking Christ together while the wife seeks to help the husband become successful in his walk and mission with Christ.
1 Peter 5:3
"Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
1 Corinthians 11:1
"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
We are to follow our husbands as they follow Christ.
Titus 1:7
"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,"
14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Role of the Spirit
"16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;"
Notice that God said here that the Holy Spirit will "be with you FOREVER." God never takes back His promise to keep us until He comes for us.
Romans 8:14-15
"14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
When we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit at salvation we are sealed FOREVER.
Ephesians 1:12-14 "…12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth— the gospel of your salvation— you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
An important picture of this is the oneness that is given to us in marriage. That oneness is not of us but a work of God. He changes us from two people into one person. Each one in this marriage of two into one we have specific roles and responsibilities. The husband is to lead and the woman is to help. She is to help in all manners of his life, supporting him in his business as well as providing counsel when he is not able to see something that we can see.
As wives our best friend is God and our second best friend is our husband. We wish the best for our husbands, the reason we seek Christ continually for His guidance to our husbands. A wife who loves her husband will pray for him as well as counsel him when the Holy Spirit gives her insight about a matter.
The greatest hope and desire we can have for our husband is that he will seek the Lord for all matters of life. The Holy Spirit works in both husband and wife in this matter of marriage. To negate half of the union as unable to help with truth is to negate the roles of each in the marriage.
Men are to lead their wives, when the husband is having difficulty seeing something that is clear to the wife then the wife must speak truth to her husband. In a godly marriage both are praying, both are seeking the Holy Spirit and both are relying on the Holy Spirit together.
One half of the person in the oneness is not ignored only to have orders barked at them. Both are seeking Christ together while the wife seeks to help the husband become successful in his walk and mission with Christ.
1 Peter 5:3
"Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
1 Corinthians 11:1
"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
We are to follow our husbands as they follow Christ.
Titus 1:7
"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,"
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