Sanctification is a Lifetime Experience

What so many Christians do not understand is that "sanctification is a lifetime" experience. The reason God allows what is in our hearts to come out of our mouths or in our actions during difficulties is to show us what still remains that needs cleansing.

The more we confess the more we can walk without guilt and the more we walk in holiness. Our Spiritual growth depends on confessing as the Holy Spirit warns us, always for our own cleansing and for His glory.

1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Bad Things for the Believer are not Bad, they are just Hard

Bad things that happen to the believer only seem bad because we don't like them. Every hard thing that happens to the believer is for our training, learning, and strengthening. That's why God says; "count it all joy when you endure various trials.

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

James 1:2-4

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

2 Timothy 3:16-17

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:17

"That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Brothers and Sisters we are in Spiritual boot camp, all that we go through God uses for our benefit and His glory.

Jesus Warned Us About This - "The Days of Noah Have Come"

One Mediator, Only Christ Jesus

There is only one mediator between God and man and that is Christ Jesus!

If you are looking to anyone at all for truth and counsel other than Christ you have an idol. Even though we share with one another and teach one another, as well as correct, rebuke and admonish one another daily, we do not hold someone in such high regard that they are our "go-to person" for truth. Only Christ is the One we go to for truth.

Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

When Jesus Christ lives in us He is the One we should consult before we consult with anyone else and only consult with another when Christ tells us to do so.

We are living in a world in which any person will be tainted by the culture and driven by emotions. There are those who are power-hungry, operating as narcissists enjoying power over others more than they serve Christ. We can consider what others say, while asking the Holy Spirit to expose what is not right and endorse what is from Him.

We must encourage others in the way of the Lord using Scripture. If someone is misusing scripture in false doctrine or advice we must discard it and continue obeying God.

Romans 3:3-4 "…3 What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Certainly not! Let God be TRUE and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”

No one is so "educated" they have all the answers, in fact, if someone is educated in the seminaries of our day they have a hindrance to their walk. Seminaries now are places where more psychology and marketing skills are taught than proper doctrine.

Preachers are taught in the seminaries to be arrogant, resisting correction from the brothers and sisters who are not "educated" in these places, to keep "their flock" under control.

Whenever there is a mentality of control over anyone there is no love and there will be false teaching. Nowhere in God's word does He teach anyone to control anyone else. We are to teach and preachers are to preach to help lead others to truth, not to control them.

We are to be Spirit-controlled, not man-controlled.

Romans 8:5-13

5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,

8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—

13 for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

John 16:13-14 " 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"

I see no place in Scripture where God said any man will lead us into all truth. It is the Holy Spirit Who is our guide and help. Also, I see no place where God said that we should look to man as our guide. Leaders in the church should be pointing us to Christ, not to their own ideas of righteousness.

Stubborn hearts will not listen to truth from God's Word, they are influenced and controlled by their traditions of men as taught to them over the generations. It takes an Holy Spirit controlled person to break away from the traditions of men to follow Christ.

Luke 12:53-55

53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

When we expect the Scripture to be the standard for teaching we will find ourselves with few friends as well as being rejected by family. People, in general, are more dedicated to their comfort and traditions than they are to God.

Thank the Lord that we do not have to be intimidated by those who love their traditions. As we lose friends and family God brings others who are like-minded and will encourage and enhance our walk with Christ.

Philippians 2:2-8

"2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others."

What a blessing it is to find people who want to know God's mind as we walk with them. We seek the Lord together, because of this we are not easily offended by correction nor are we intimidated by those who wish to control others.

Hallelujah!!!!

Thoughts From God's Word

Some thoughts the Lord gave me this morning as I was pondering His Word.

A fool chases after pleasure only to find emptiness at the end of their life. The pleasure only has comfort while doing it, after it is over there remains emptiness.

Proverbs 10:23

Wealth and fame are like addictions, the more we get the more we want and the less satisfied we become.

1 John 2:15-16

We forfeit what God made us in order to become like others. John 15:19

At the beginning of our lives, we have a whole future ahead of us, but as we age we realize how short our lives have been and how fast the years fly.

James 4:14

Those given to pleasures of life think about how they will spend their time, those who seek God want to use their time wisely. Psalm 39:4-5

Each person can only be completely what God made him when He does not look to the culture around him to influence who he becomes. Isaiah 45:22

For the born-again believer seeking God is a continual adventure of spiritual and emotional growth through all the experiences of life. We must take hard and easy circumstances, both grow us into what God meant for us to be. James 1:12

It is better to spend more time with God in silence than we do with people in conversation.

Proverbs 2:1-5

He who does not enjoy Christ does not have freedom. Even those who think they are free by doing things their own way are actually in bondage to themselves. It is Christ Who frees us from ourselves. Galatians 5:1

Intellectualism creates pride making the one who chases it unsociable and unusable for Christ.

1 Corinthians 8:1

Seeking happiness destroys emotional and spiritual growth. The more we grow the less we seek the pleasures of the world. Joy comes but happiness is based on circumstances and is fleeting. Psalm 16:11

Those who walk with Christ are never bored, even in the pain of life we have joy and hope. We are not focused on this world but on Christ. Psalm 16:11

When we fear loneliness we will be caught up in the trap of seeking people rather than Christ for our companionship. Romans 12:2

Those who have compassion for people and animals can only be this way if they have an inner spirit of kindness. Proverbs 12:10

The kindness resides in us before the actions take place. A cruel person, if only cruel to those they dislike but kind to those they like is a cruel person. A kind person is kind to everyone all the time. They cannot be cruel to anyone because there is only kindness on the inside. Mark 7:20

When we see things from God's perspective we get a much more spiritual and wise view of life that helps us evaluate things as they arise. 1 Corinthians 2:16

Those who spend more time on the things of this world are less oriented toward evangelism and encouraging believers in the way of righteousness.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Every single principle of life and every single circumstance in life have principles from God's Word to guide us. When something is not specific to our encounters then we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us the specifics that prove the Biblical principle. We ought never to violate God's word to do something right. If it is right then it will have a principle or life story in the Bible. The Bible is our map, Christ is the One with the map.

David Jeremiah Sermons 2022 | A Theological Prophecy, The Falling Away

God Knows Everything is Happening Stop Worrying! - David Jeremiah 2021

The Pandemic

Is He Worthy - Cover

In Christ Alone A cappella

The Holy Spirit Glorifies God

I shared my thoughts with brother Nick in the private messages today while discussing God's provision every day. Here were some of those thoughts:

I wonder how many people have been damaged by bad doctrine and accusations about lack of faith?

I see the sadness in the faces of those who "claim healing" when it does not happen. They seem to lack joy unless they are seeing a miracle. Every day is a miracle for me because God orders my day, nothing big and impressive just everyday situations.

The peace we have when we are content just to walk with Christ. We "walk with Him in the garden", everything we do we speak to Him and hear from Him. He has prevented things for me to do and redirected me many times and I could see why He did it.

If I told some Christians God directed my day, they wouldn't believe it because it wasn't big enough to "wow" them.

The Holy Spirit lives in us to glorify God. Every action and teaching coming from Him will glorify God.

Praying for Strength not just Healing

I am convinced the Holy Spirit leads us what to pray when we seek Him.

Romans 8:26-27

Our Victory in Christ

"26 Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

I trust this often because often I do not know how to pray.

So often believers think it is automatic that we pray for healing for people who are ill. I am not convinced that God wants every person who is ill to be healed.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh, after praying three times he stopped praying about it and accepted it. He knew it was God's way of keeping him humble.

God allows illness for many reasons in our lives, we don't always know the reasons but we can trust Him. Some reasons might be to reward the faithful believer by taking them home where they will never be ill again.

Another reason might be that a believer is speaking in error, spreading false teachings that deceive people. God will take them home to stop the false teaching.

It might be too that God allows illness to force us to turn more fully to Him, strengthening our faith as we endure while remaining joyful and peaceful in spite of our troubles, this is a witness to the world of our love for Christ.

There are many reasons the Lord allows illness and often He does not heal, or He uses doctors to aid in the healing that we might be a witness to the doctors and nurses around us.

It is simplistic to think that God wants everyone to be healed. This mentality is based on a couple of scriptures taken out of context to claim God does not want us to be ill. If that were true every faithful born again believer would still be alive.

2 Corinthians 11:21-31

"21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I am speaking in foolishness—I too am bold.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea.

26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;

27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying."

Our greatest witness to the unbeliever in our illnesses is not that we are healed but that we endure faithful to God in spite of them.

Healing from illness is wonderful when it is God Who has done it, however it takes greater faith to endure the hardship and illness remaining faithful to God than it does not be healed. Enduring over a long period of time builds faith. The greater healing is the healing of our soul as we depend on Christ to go through with us.

I can see more harm than good happening to the modern Christian pressure for people to seek healing when they assert that someone lacked faith when they are not healed.

I see people losing their faith and becoming discouraged because they were not healed.

The greater faith is built upon and strengthened when we know Christ goes through with us as we endure the pain and rejection. He then is glorified.

I say it this way because all too often I see people being praised for their faith when they are healed than I see Christ being glorified.

Those who always seek physical healing rarely see God's purposes in the hardships of life. They are constantly focused on getting out of the trouble rather than going through will gladness and joy accepting God's will. Rather, they fight against His will by demanding they be healed physically and becoming discouraged when they don't get their own way.

Can we glorify God in the blessing of illness as much as we would glorify Him if we were healed? Our soul is far more important than our bodies.

Can our soul endure the pain of this earthly body and remain focused on Christ, praising Him in the middle of hardship? I have my doubts about so many people who whine and complain about all that is going on in the world that barely affects their personal lives, how could they ever endure personal illness and difficulties remaining joyful, peaceful and encouraging to others when there is an attitude of complaining about minor inconveniences?

Something to think about!!!!

What They Don't Want You To Know About Demonic Doors !

The Narcissist in the Church Gathering

The narcissist tells on themselves by accusing others of what the narcissist is doing and the others are not.

When a narcissist accuses you of something they are revealing they are the ones doing that thing.

When a narcissist does not believe your account or story it's because when they tell a story it is either a lie or so embellished that it becomes a lie, in other words, a half-truth that makes a whole lie.

When a narcissist accuses you of being controlling they are describing themselves. They are deeply invested in controlling others. Even the slightest boundary of yours will be perceived as controlling. Narcissists hate the boundaries of others because it is a loss of control for them.

When a narcissist accuses you of not listening to them because you disagree with them, they are talking about themselves. Narcissists do not listen to understand, they listen to pull apart what you are saying to be superior to you.

When a narcissist accuses you of being selfish it's because they didn't get what they wanted from you. They have a tendency to use people and value things, when you have a boundary they interpret that as selfishness to deflect from their own entitled mentality.

In short, never take seriously what the narcissist says about you, it is always tainted with their own desire to control you while they never allow anyone else to tell them what to do. Narcissists are all about power and only power, they are hypocrites on a regular basis.

I have heard narcissists accuse others of being stubborn for not doing what the narcissists wanted. Accusation is a tool on their belt of lies. They use intimidation, rudeness, and shunning to control the emotions of others.

The key for us to remain Christlike in our walk is to see the antics of the narcissist for what it is, which is a tantrum by a person who displays the maturity of a bratty six-year-old, controlled by the devil.

When we remain calm ignoring their overt and even covert attacks we will not be drawn into a fight with them, which is their goal.

Satan loves to cause division and fighting.

Romans 16:17-18

"I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive."

Titus 3:9-11

"But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."

Narcissists love to argue, our marching orders from God are to avoid those who cause division. In order to avoid them, we are to be clear about how they operate and the results of their division.

Jude 1:16-19

"These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit."

We see the mentality of the narcissist described in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult (ragingly insane) times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, 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 people as these."

We notice that in verse 5 God said; "they have a form of godliness", meaning they are in the church, they may even be influencers in the church gathering who are narcissists attempting to control others through worldly means. They deny the power of God through their attitudes and actions while claiming to be a Christian. And, we are to avoid them, stripping them of power over us or others.

God tells us to get away from them. The danger of remaining with them is that eventually, our flesh will respond as they respond, in fleshly frustration we will become like them. Those who do not become like them will learn to remain silent, quenching the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-20 "…18 Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt,…"

We quench the Holy Spirit when we go silent out of fear of the retaliation or fighting the narcissist might cause. Many church gatherings today have been dominated by narcissists who have little interest in the Bible except to use it to further their own agendas. Many if not most churches today have become blatantly social gatherings to further political or social agendas rather than a desire to worship God and equip the saints for evangelism.

Notice too in 1 Thessalonians that we are to give thanks in everything. When we do this we do not allow the devil to turn us into angry frustrated control instruments that detract from Christ.

When we become angry and frustrated about the world around us we are distracted from the joy and peace that leads us to share the gospel with those who are perishing. The mentality of the narcissist in a politically driven gathering is an “us against them” mentality which has no place in the heart of someone who loves God and wants to share the gospel with the lost.

We ought never to have an “us against them” mentality when it comes to the brethren or the unsaved. When we love people we give them what they need, whether it be support for the brethren or the gospel to the lost.

The born-again believer ought never to have a spirit of contention over things that do not matter just to be superior.

Romans 14:19 “So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification. If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men.”

Romans 14:17,19

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Pride is at the root over everyone who fights to be superior or fights because they enjoy the battle. It is the same problem of pride that got the devil thrown out of heaven and that will cast most people into hell.

Think about it!!!!

The Control is in our Hands

Amen, Amen!!!! The bullies have no control over us if we do not respond. Their control comes when they can cause us to be upset, that's their goal.

I heard a saying; "they want to believe we are a bad person to justify all the mean things they did to us."