The Problem of Mental Illness is not Recognized for what it really is in Our World Today

I find it interesting that "mental illness" is always negative and destructive. Why do we not see people who are mentally ill acting more kindly and lovingly than before? I think it's a good question.

The reason medication often does not help, or only helps for a short time, in cases of mental illness is because the problem is not physical.

The medications don't help because it is not physical or "mental"; it is demonic.

This is the case with mental illness; many people on meds keep changing meds because they only work for a short time.

When someone is demonically possessed, they listen to the voices instead of their own good sense. I am grieved that our culture does not recognize demonic activity because they don't believe in the Bible or in God.

Demonic influence is clearly stated in the Bible; if we would recognize it, we would be casting out demons instead of putting people on meds that do not work.

Matthew 12:43–45
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

In these last days there is increased demonic influence and less ability of the culture to recognize it for what it is.

Notice recently a jury of 12 people in which only one person had the good sense to make the right decision while the other 11 were demonically inspired to protect the murderer while completely ignoring the victims. This is irrational and unreasonable even for unbelievers in Christ. Human nature recoils at murdering innocent children. Even the animals protect their young.

Human nature without Christ can be more easily influenced by demons to go against their God-given sense of right and wrong. However, there are non-believers who have a good sense of right and wrong even if they do not know Christ.

Matthew 7:21-23 shows us that unsaved human beings can know the right things to do even if they are not yet saved.

Matthew 7:21-23 "21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

There are things that go beyond human sinfulness into the realm of the demonic, spiritual, deep wickedness. All the wicked rulers of the world who did horrific things to their people were demonically inspired.

Matthew 7:11: "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Jesus Christ is the answer to this problem of human sin; He saves us from it and cleanses us when we trust in Him.

Obedience to the Scriptures is the Clue Someone has been Transformed

Most Christians do not understand the transformation that happens when we trust in Christ because that transformation never happened to them; they chose to pretend to be Christians without ever desiring to be cleansed of their sin and changed by Christ.

God said: "If you love me, you will follow my commands."

So the question is: "Why do so many people who say they are Christians refuse to obey the Scriptures", often picking and choosing only those things they like and ignoring what they don't like. And worse, angry at those who correct them with the Word.

It is a lie to say you are "a Bible believer", if you only choose what you like and disregard what Christ said in His Word- those things you don't like.

You are not trusting in Christ if you negate any of His Word. Also, anyone who hates a believer for using God's Word to bring someone to the truth is negating what God said in the following verses.

John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

We will bear much fruit if we belong to Christ!

John 15:8 "This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples."

Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-26 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, we will also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

1 Peter 2:12 "Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us."

1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death."

When we are loving with Christlike love, we will be loving and kind all the time to everyone. We will not treat people differently based on our own expectations of them. Love is full of truth and the desire to be an asset and encouragement to others. We tell the truth because of our love to help others grow in wisdom; we never use the truth to pound others over the head to make ourselves look special or superior.

1 John 4:12 "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us."

Harsh rebukes are for those who claim to be Christians but act in rebellion against God's Word.

1 Timothy 5:20-21 "20 But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin. 21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality."

Never hold a friend more important than Christ, but love the friend so much you are willing to risk his hatred for telling the truth.

1 John 3:6-8 "No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil."

May we love Christ more than any person, and may we love a person so much that we tell the truth to restore them to righteousness.

Sending Hugs to All My Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Sending hugs to each of my Facebook friends here whom I have never met in person and those I have met! I yearn to meet you in person, but I know it is not possible, so I will wait until the Marriage Supper of the Lamb to hug each one of you.

It was a great blessing when I was able to meet a few of you in person. The fellowship was sweet; it was hard when it was time to go back home.

I have been mocked for thinking of my Facebook friends as real people and true friends. I know where this is coming from; those who mock do not understand the moving of the Holy Spirit in every believer and the ability to connect Spiritually because of Christ in each one of us.

Paul the apostle wrote letters to those he never met and felt a sense of missing them. Our connection is not physical proximity; it is Spiritual and transcends miles across the world. We are one in Spirit even while we are many miles away from one another.

Romans 1:8-17 "8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—
12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

I am eager to meet you all one day at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, I think about it all the time with great excitement!!!!

Hallelujah, Maranatha!!!!

Isaiah 5:20-25
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
And clever in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine,
And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe,
And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!
24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble,
And dry grass collapses in the flame,
So their root will become like rot, and their blossom blow away like dust;
For they have rejected the Law of the Lord of armies,
And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 For this reason the anger of the Lord has burned against His people,
And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them.
And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets.
Despite all this, His anger is not spent,
But His hand is still stretched out."

We are living in the days just like those of Noah and Lot. In the days of Lot, God destroyed several cities of the plain, He saved one family of Sodom because of the evil in them. In the days of Noah, God destroyed everyone in the world except one family.

In the end times, before the second coming of Christ to the earth, He will remove one family, His family, the family of Christ, and destroy the wicked upon the earth one more time. Only this time, there will be left only those who have trusted in Christ during the tribulation. These are the saints who will enter the Millennium.

Those who were raptured out in safety from His wrath will come back with Christ at the end of the tribulation while Christ destroys evil.

While the tribulation is occurring, the raptured believers will be celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb. We will ride with HIm on horses as He destroys evil and sets up His kingdom on earth.

It is aggravating to us to watch all the injustice on the earth occurring with no way to stop it. Our words are nothing to those who live in rebellion against Christ, and many who call themselves Christians enjoy their traditions of men more than they love Christ. We are abandoned by fellow believers, if they are true believers, as well as hated by the world, which hates Christ.

Our great hope is the strength of Christ Who lives in us and the rapture to come, when we will be taken out, spending those seven years celebrating our marriage to Christ, and after seven years we will come back with Christ to destroy wickedness and set up His Kingdom.

Some of you are my brothers and sisters; we are family because of Christ Who lives in each of us. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance and the promise that we will go to the marriage supper together. We are our family!!!!

Hallelujah, Maranatha!!!!

When Evil is Called Good and Good Called Evil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BtTtGCTo3A

Look to the Light of the World

How many people see God shining the light of Truth (Jesus Christ) through believers who want to snatch people from the jaws of hell and bring them to a place where they can have eternity with Christ in paradise, and yet are met with anger, hatred, and hostility for their efforts?

In our day, often believers are reviled for their love of warning to help someone see their need for Christ. Those who respond in anger at correction within the church system of today do not consider that love as love; they see it as a personal attack to be rejected and punished.

The world will interpret kindness as allowing each person to make destructive choices without admonishment. Imagine Christ, our God, dying to pay the penalty for our sin because of His great love and being hated by mankind for it.

An event that gave this example to my husband when he was out hunting many years ago. He was with his father and brothers in the woods. They each took their stand in the forest, not far from one another but out of sight of each other.

The night was beginning to fall, the clouds were moving in, and a light mist was enveloping the forest where they were. The brothers and his father were already on the road below while my husband was still disoriented in the woods.

Anyone who knows our region knows that when the light begins to fade and the mist is coming down, there is no visibility at all out there.

My husband realized he should go to the road. He walked in the forest a few feet, saw a large stump and began walking in the direction of the road.

After several minutes of walking, he came upon another stump that looked exactly like the stump he passed earlier. He began to walk again, and again another identical stump appeared in the fog. He realized then that he was walking in circles, and panic began to set in.

In our woods out here, people become lost all the time amongst the 300-foot-tall trees; it is very easy, in the dark with misting rain, to lose one's sense of direction.

He sat down for a moment to ponder what to do next, realizing he may have to spend the night in the woods until morning to find his way out.

Then out of the mist came a light rolling back and forth across the forest ceiling. He realized then that his father knew he was lost and began to shine his flashlight into the forest to give my husband a sense of direction. My husband followed that light and was able to find his way to the road where his family was waiting for him.

He never forgot what happened and has told many people about it because it was an example of Christ and His light. He knew if he had not followed that light, he might have been in danger of being lost in the cold without protection until morning or he might have wandered so far he would never find his way out.

Some people die in the forest in this region because of the vast forest. One can wander many miles and never find their way out. Some people are never found, and others are found having lost their lives.

This account in the woods left my husband with a profound sense of what it is like for believers when Christ shines the light of HIs love on mankind.

Some follow the light, trust in Christ, and are saved for an eternity from the terrible death of hell. And, sadly, others ignore the light, wander around until the end of their lives refusing it, and end up in the terrible fires of hell because they were going to live their own life their own way without regard to where it leads.

Many people see the light of Truth in believers and resent them for warnings of what is to come if they do not trust in Christ.

Would it have made any sense for my husband to be angry with his father for shining the light into the forest to help him find his way out? Of course not, just as it makes no sense for people to be angry with born-again Christians for their warnings that Christ is coming soon and they must trust in Him if they are to be transformed and saved from hell.

Stubbornness against warning is immature and irrational. Only a child would throw a fit, a tantrum, when he was not allowed to do something that will harm them.

Matthew 10:22 "22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."

Matthew 10:21-23 "…21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next."

I have encountered many people in my life who act like spoiled children when they are corrected about something that will help them improve and grow into mature adults. They are focused on the correction and completely ignore the message, as though how they feel is far more important than the lesson that is needful.

We are living in an irrational world now, one almost entirely focused on self-exaltation without regard for the consequences of disregarding the truth, and worse reviling Christ Who died for them so they could one day be walking with Him in paradise.

May those we have spoken to and prayed for who have not yet trusted in Christ see their need for Christ and repent to be saved.

Acts 16:31 "And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-a7fn_aq5E

Bonhoeffer Had It Right

Yes, people are getting dummer by their own choice.

 
2 Timothy 3:1-5 Difficult Times Will Come "3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult 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."

Follow the Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT3AipiG_v0

Christ Who Died for Us

Psalms 34:19-22 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned."

If You Need to Control Others You are Insecure in Need of a Savior

Anyone who treats people differently based on their popularity is playing a role for those they manipulate with kindness; it isn't kindness at all; it's maneuvering.

The real them is the one who is mean to those they don't care about impressing. Anyone who is kind and loving in their basic character is that way all the time with everyone. They don't change based on who they are with and they do not flatter to gain advantage.

If someone is kind to everyone else and rude to you when no one is looking, you have just experienced their true character. There is no kindness in the character of those who love those who can provide something for them, even if it is only flattering them to gain their approval.

Matthew 5:44: "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you".

1 Peter 3:9: "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called".

Our basic character is revealed during hardship or difficulties. Those who respond in rudeness at the slightest challenge have bitterness in their hearts.

Those who follow Christ have no need to manipulate or exert power over others because they are secure in Christ. Insecure people know they have no power so they pretend to have it over those they think are weaker than they.

Psalm 91 shows us that when we are secure in Christ, we have no need to have power over others through intimidation, manipulation, and mockery.

Psalm 91 "1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

The New Covenant Replaced the Old

Those Biblical traditions in the Old Testament were given to the Jews as signs of the Messiah to come.

As a Gentile, I am not commanded to follow them, but to follow the Messiah Who has died and risen from the dead for the sake of paying for our sins.

I do not celebrate any of the man-made holidays: Christmas (which was Catholic, based on their "mass"), Halloween, which is clearly pagan, Easter, which was based on false gods, which were also pagan.

None of these holidays were given by God, and all of them mixed paganism with Christianity.

Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

When Christ came and fulfilled His mission, we no longer need the holidays of the Old Testament; they were wonderful teaching tools given by God until He fulfilled the promise of His coming, and they remain wonderful teaching tools today, but there is no obligation to follow them.

Now we celebrate what He has given us based on that fulfillment; that is the Lord's Supper. Before the cross, the Jews celebrated the Messiah to come. Now all those who have trusted in Christ celebrate that He has already come in the Lord's Supper that Jesus Christ commanded.

Now we remember what has been finished on the cross on our behalf.

1 Corinthians 14:26 "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church."

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 "Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

Luke 22:19-20 "And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you."

Matthew 26:26-28 "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

All of the symbols of the Old Testament spoke to the Messiah to come.

The symbols of the Lord's Supper speak to the fulfillment of that promise of the Messiah, and now we celebrate that He has come and rose from the dead, awaiting the direction from the Father to come and gather His children in the rapture.

Hallelujah!!!! We are not burdened with man-made holidays or past promises; we are full of the blessing of promises fulfilled and future promises yet to be fulfilled!!!

The Escalation of Evil in our World Today is Leading Us into the End of the End

Back in 1973, when Roe v. Wade occurred, a couple of years later, when we were active in the pro-life movement, we were mocked for saying that murdering babies in the womb would increase, as well as hatred toward children, because of the "killing mentality" that resides in women who do not love their children.

Now, infanticide is going to become popular as long as women think they can make an excuse for their actions.

Here we are today, battling the liberals and family haters, about how women will excuse themselves for murdering their children.

The venom coming from these women is intense and demonic. Bullying those who will not stand with them in their mentality of murder is increasing.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
Difficult Times Will Come
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult 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 must speak out against this evil, but the tide cannot be turned back now as long as God-hating, rebellious liberals remain in control, and they will, when the entire country has basically denied Christ either in words or in practice.

The end of the end is very near now; the church will be going home soon, and all hell will literally be unleashed when the Holy Spirit is removed.

The only way to avoid the terrible 7 year tribulation is to admit your sinful heart, confess your need for a Savior, and ask God to change you into a new creation. When He transforms you, He does it completely and forever; then you can look forward to the rapture, or, when you die, you will see Him face to face and live forever with Him.

Nothing has disturbed my soul more than this latest trial of a mother who wants an excuse to murder her children and, worse yet, thousands of wicked women supporting her. You would never have seen this incredible insanity 70 years ago.

Infanticide is an indication of the derrangement of a nation!

Does anyone believe a nurse would not be able to know exactly which wrist and neck veins to cut to commit suicide?

Jumping off a roof only 20 feet high does not kill people. The murderer pretended to kill herself. Those who want to die succeed, especially a nurse who knows where the veins are.

Why is no one talking about this? This woman didn't want to kill herself; she just wanted it to look that way to garner sympathy to avoid the penalty of her multiple murders.

It is not hard to discern that the murder of children is not acceptable, no matter the state of mind.

It is astounding to me that this is even a debate, let alone a huge debate on the internet. There should be no question that brutally murdering children is horrendous and deserves the death penalty.

Also, this woman should have been charged with husband abuse; there is no greater abuse than a wife killing her husband's children.

I have been asking myself and God for days why I am so agitated by this whole trial of a woman who savagely ended the lives of her children. God's answer to me was that the culture that surrounds this monster, defending her, is promoting the murder of children to satisfy their rage while distressed.

It is an indictment on our country when thousands of women can come out boldly defending the reprehensible.

I am blessed that so many people are coming against these monsters who refuse to speak the name of the children murdered. Those who applaud the murderer, even raising money for her, is beyond lunacy and derangement; it is demonic.

However, I have to wonder why these demonically inspired women felt so free to express their hate in public.

In the past, no one would have dared defend a serial murderer, but now these demons have come out freely and without shame as though society belongs to them.

Perhaps this is what disturbs me the most! If this is where our "freedom of speech" has led this country, then something is seriously wrong.

Jeremiah 6:15
"15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord."

There will be justice at the end of it all, not on this earth but in eternity. This is the great expectation of believers: that those who were murdered and abused will be dealt with by God.

Once Christ Changes You There is no Going Back

God never tells us when He writes our names in the book of life, only when He blots them out. I believe this is because Christ died for the sins of the whole world, and everyone's names were there in the book until they reject Him.

He said He wished that none would perish, even knowing most would not receive Him. It isn't a matter of when our names were written in the book; it is a matter of whether or not they are blotted out when we refuse to trust in Him, perhaps determined at our death.

Revelation 3:5 "The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels."

All born-again believers are overcomers, because of Christ in them. Those who are not overcomers are those who trusted in themselves and not in Christ. They attempted to "be a Christian" without any desire to be one with Christ.

 
Everyone is in the book of life until those who reject Christ are blotted out.

 
Romans 12:2 "2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Psalms 128:1 "1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!"
When Christ transforms us into a new creation, there is no going back; it is eternal. Hallelujah!!!!

God Gives Choice

God gives mankind a choice; if the choice is evil, then there are eternal consequences unless there is repentance.

Those people who blame God for what people do would be the same people who are angry at God's commands not to do evil.

The same people who hate God for His commands and principles blame Him for the actions of people. It is irrational to desire the choice to do what you want and then blame someone else for letting you do it.

John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commands."1

Samuel 15:22 "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Acts 5:29 "Peter and the other apostles replied: 'We must obey God rather than human beings!'"

Isaiah 1:19 "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land."

1 John 5:3 "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome."

Luke 6:46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"

God gives us commands and principles to live by to protect us; it isn't His fault if you choose to deny Him, slander Him, and disrespect Him. You cannot expect to defy God without consequences.

There are great blessings from following Christ; His commands protect us when we follow them. However, just obeying Him is not enough; first you must repent, hate your sin, and ask Him to transform you into a new creation.

Attempting to be good without God does not save you from hell. Christ died to pay for our sin, but we have to want Him to cleanse us from it. We cannot cleanse ourselves; those who think they can will not be saved.

Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

May those who think they are earning their salvation through their own effort repent of their pride and trust only in Christ and not in themselves.

Those Who Enjoy Sin are not Born Again

Those who enjoy disobeying God or defend it to feel no guilt have never been born again.

1 John 3:9 "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God."

If a believer sins they are miserable until they confess to be cleansed.

1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

As long as we remain in sin, we will endure the chastisement of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"

God does not throw His children back; He works on them to become like Him.

Ephesians 2:9-11 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life. 11Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)"

It is our character Christ transforms when He saves us, not our deeds, although they come later because of our new character.

Remember this: We are HIS workmanship not our own!

A Nation on its Way Down

A nation is on its way down when the country does not protect its most vulnerable citizens, whether in the womb or the elderly in a nursing home.

Compassion and reverence for those who cannot take care of themselves are the hallmarks of a godly nation.

James 1:27: "True religion means caring for orphans and widows in their trouble."

Isaiah 1:17: "Learn to do right. Seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless."

Psalm 82:3-4: "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless. Rescue the needy from the wicked."

Matthew 25:40: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Those who protect the wicked and ignore the victims are themselves wicked.

Proverbs 21:10 "10The soul of the wicked man craves evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. 11When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; and when a wise man is instructed, he acquires knowledge."

Psalm 10:3 "For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD."

Micah 2:1 "Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands."

Genesis 6:5 "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time."

We are living in a culture now in which the wicked feel so free and empowered that they no longer even hide the level of their vile character. They flaunt it and proudly parade it in the streets, thumbing their noses at God and anyone who despises their depravity.

We are living in times when there is barely any faith upon the earth, a time when Christ will return to remove His children before His terrible wrath is poured out on the earth.

Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."

To avoid the wrath of God before He comes one must be born again by placing their trust in Christ for His sacrifice on the cross for their sin. No one will be able to save themselves by being better people. Only Christ can transform their character, change their heart and clean them up.

Libertas, the False god!

The statue of Liberty is a representation of Libertas, the ancient goddess of freedom. Sadly, freedom to do and be anything
America wants is being worshiped and has been since the beginning of this country. Like everything else in "Christian America," many pagan and false ideas have been worshiped while adding God to them to make us sound Christian.

Why do Americans love that statue so much? My guess is that Freedom has become their god, above Jesus Christ.

Those of us who are free in Christ are free in our Spirits even when we are imprisoned. Freedom for believers isn't about physical freedom; it is about Spiritual freedom that no one can take from us.

We have been set free from the guilt and power of sin because Christ lives in us. These are things we cannot see with our physical eyes but are seen by believers with Spiritual eyes.

Have you ever felt the sense that someone was "off" who claimed to be a Christian? Your Spirit was just not connecting with them; no matter how much they do that sounds Christian, you just had no bond or relationship with them?

Have you ever felt the sense that someone you are meeting for the first time connected with you so fully that you believed they must be a Christian, and later you found out they were?

I have experienced both of these things, and it is undeniable that when we meet with an authentic believer, the same Spirit that is in them is the One Who lives in us too.

I experience this much more rarely now than ever before because most people are living a superficial, feelings-oriented religion rather than an authentic walk with Christ.

Many came to the Christian church to marry someone or to join a club that made them feel better about themselves, but they have never had a born-again experience.

Matthew 7:21-23 "I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

Sadly, many people in our day who attend churches are going to hear these frightening words, even those who don't think they pertain to them.

Luke 13:25-27 "After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’"

John 6:40 "For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Saying we believe is far different from having been transformed by Christ because of our brokenness, knowing we need a Savior and can do nothing ourselves that will gain us heaven.

Even the devil knows the Bible and will quote it out of context to justify His disobedience, while fostering this in others.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 " 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you— unless you actually fail the test? 6 And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test."

Examine yourself!!!! If you have trusted in Christ fully, you will not follow the traditions of men, but love the Word of God.

The Claim is not the same as Doing

Christians today in all the churches are violating more of Scripture than they obey while saying, "I am a Bible believer." One cannot claim that unless they seek to obey God's Word, but they claim it anyway.

The Rituals of Man are a Distraction From God

Can you tell me one good Biblical reason for Christians to hold hands when they pray collectively? Where did this practice come from? Why do so many people do it?

The only place I see this practice is in paganism, when pagans "complete the ring" in order to summon the spirits.

Has modern Christianity once again added to its thinking one more practice from paganism?

The only rituals God gave born-again believers were baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the head covering for women and no head covering for the men.

Why must believers add rituals to God's Word that He never endorsed- traditions that man brought with them from paganism when they converted to Christianity?

The answer is that man always seems to think they can make up their own practices that they ultimately end up trusting in but have no value in their walk with Christ. And even more frustrating, expecting others to do it under penalty of judgment if they refuse to participate.

The hand-holding ritual is so entrenched now that if you decline to do it, others will judge you as petty and picky; after all, they are convinced it is harmless. If it is harmless, then why judge others who choose not to do it?

If it is harmless, then why are some people not allowed to choose not to do it without pressure from the group?

There were also no collective prayer meetings mentioned in the Bible except the Lord's Supper gathering, when everyone is there to edify one another with the Word of God. Their prayer is led by the Holy Spirit, their singing is led by the Holy Spirit, when they speak it is from the Holy Spirit.

Man-made rituals tend to place undue pressure on people, causing them to think something is wrong with their walk with God if they do not do what man has devised.

Because man judges those of us who do not practice these man-made rituals, we are avoided and judged because our decision to not follow them causes them to feel like we are judging them. Group-think has always placed pressure on those who don't obey the collective.

Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

Notice God said, "And you do so in many such matters." There are many things Christians practice and require of others that God never commanded, endorsed, or even practiced Himself.

Isaiah 29:13 "Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men."

When I pray, I want my prayers to be entirely focused on Christ, not on those around me in the room.

Matthew 6:5-6 The Lord's Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Many years ago, I questioned this practice of collective prayer because it distracted me from God. It focused me on what others were saying, with the expectation that I would agree with the words of others. But what if I didn't agree with the words of others? Was I then supposed to interrupt the prayer of another to correct them?

When the disciples asked Jesus Christ how to pray, He never once told them to be sure and be with others in a collective setting. We do pray in the gathering when we edify one another in the word. But this is not a command to make sure we gather with others when we pray. There is also no mention whatever in Christianity of holding hands as though there is some sort of special power in it.

Notice something interesting: when we pray in a group setting, we are allowing others to pray on our behalf rather than speaking to God ourselves. The ritual has become that only the pastor prays for you as a mediator. He knows how to do it, and you must agree with whatever he says.

Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."

Luke 11:1 "One day, in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Matthew 6:9-13
9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father 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 lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

I know that down through the centuries, many pagan practices and traditions were adopted by Christians as though they were necessary to be heard by God. The idea that our prayers are seen as more powerful when holding hands than if we obey God in our private closets is a ritual, but worse may actually be pagan in nature, adopted from ungodly practices.

When we place pressure on others to do what God never commanded, we are adding to His Word, frustrating those who see no need or cannot bring themselves to do something concocted by man and his own idea to summon demons.

When we question all things as God commanded, we are going to be pressured and judged as stubborn for not taking on something that does not make sense to us, and perhaps worse, may be emulating what the pagans do.

Modern Christianity is full of unbiblical traditions that people cling to as though anyone not doing them is rebellious and superior acting if they do not go along.

One thing God has done for me in the past 30 years is expose all the rituals in Christianity that God never commanded and that people have made a standard for judging others if they do not practice them.

I was once asked what I was doing for Christmas this year. My reply was, "I don't observe it because I am a Christian." There was shock on the person's face because have been convinced by man's tradition that this holiday was all about Christ, when in fact it is not about Him at all. It's all about the rituals, decorations, and practices man devised to add to Christianity what the pagans do.

Notice something important about the holidays that people say are Christian? The seculars love them too. Wouldn't it bring us to pause and ponder why secular people would love anything that elevated God and Jesus Christ?

Every year I hear the same rhetoric from Christians: "put Christ back in Christmas", but what they don't understand is that the Christ of Christmas is not Jesus Christ of the Bible; it is a different Jesus entirely.

The same is true of Easter, Halloween; all of it was human traditions that promote rituals God never commanded and ideas that the Bible never speaks about, distracting the people from the real Christ. Notice, too, that many people who hold fast to these human traditions never speak of the Lord's supper that He did give and command.

Luke 22:19-20 "19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood."

1 Corinthians 10:16 "Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?"

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 "and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

John 6:53-58 "53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

God's symbolism in the Bible that He commanded us to do is all about Him only! The rituals man does is a mixture of the desires and pleasures of man, ultimately making them almost entirely about man.

I don't tell others what to do when I choose not to follow these rituals; I just want the freedom to follow my heart concerning obedience to God's Word and being careful not to practice things that came out of paganism.

When our focus becomes the ritual to such an extent that it becomes a benchmark for our devotion to God, then perhaps it is the ritual that is the problem, not the one who chooses not to indulge.

Share with those who love Christ

Be careful with whom you share your joys; not everyone is on your side or the side of the Lord. Some hate your peace and freedom.

Anger at Correction is Irrational and Unproductive

What are you angry at: that you sinned against God, or that someone told you you were sinning against God?

Galatians 4:16-17 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them."

Psalm 55:12-14 "For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God."

John 8:45-46 "But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me! / Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?"

Amos 5:10 "There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity."

Our desire is to help others find the peace God has given us; the only way that is possible is through facing the truth, repenting and trusting in Christ.

We had to do it; everyone has to do it. Only pride makes it seem hard. When we remove the pride from our hearts through trusting in Christ, then we can be free, truly free. Pride is bondage! Humility and confession release that arrogance, freeing our spirit.

From Webster's Dictionary:
Arrogance: enslavement to an unearned sense of superiority.
Vanity: Excessive pride in your appearance or achievements.
Hubris: Extreme and dangerous pride or self-confidence.
Conceit: An excessively high opinion of yourself.

These character flaws keep people in bondage and a lack of inner peace. When we trust in Christ, He cleanses us of this, replacing it with great joy and purpose. His love is greater than we can ever explain.

Looking Forward to Our Homegoing

Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 "1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth. 2 It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart."

I doubt that I could count the number of times, over the years after becoming born again, I thought about my homegoing. The day that I leave this life and find myself in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, where I will spend eternity.

All the cares and trials of this life are gone, experiencing perfect love with the Lord Jesus Christ in a place I cannot even imagine, which has been promised to me because of His sacrifice on that cruel cross. I have a touch of this sense in this new and flawless life because He lives in me, but it is not fully realized until He takes me from this body and carries me to my eternal home.

Several of my Facebook friends have left this life and gone on to glory; I miss them but know one day soon I will meet them for the first time at my home going.

Proverbs 10:7: "The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. And yet I sense excitement that one day I will see them. I have not met them in this life, but I will know them when I see them for the first time in eternity.

Philippians 1:21-23 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.

A part of me envies those I love who have passed from this life into the glory of God's presence. They are already where I want to be, looking into the Face of Jesus Christ, knowing blessed perfection and love beyond measure.

1 Peter 1:3-12 "1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look."

There is no greater joy than knowing that God has a purpose in all that we encounter and endure in this life, not only for us but for all those in our lives who love Him as we do.

1 Peter 1:23-25 "…23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you."

Our hope and joy is beyond human understanding and inexpressible; too great or intense to put into words. Only those who have been transformed by Christ into a new creation can understand this, and yet anyone who wants to place their trust in Christ can have it.

May those who are trusting in themselves, proud of how good they think they are, repent of their vanity, knowing that they will never have what it takes to save themselves without Christ.

It is Christ Who saves without our works; it is He Who keeps us, guides us, and eventually takes us home when He decides.

Ephesians 2:9-10 …9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."

Demonic Activity on the Rise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg7XxivnWXo

Trust the Holy Spirit not Translations

Translations do not do the original language justice in many cases. The world has believed wrong things because the translations were interpreted in terms of a Western mindset, not in the Jewish mindset in which they were written.

In the KJV the word Easter is used where "Passover" should have been.

In Genesis where God said; "the woman's desire would be for her husband but he will rule over her", should have said, as in the original languge; "a woman's desire would be to rule over her husband but he would rule over her." It was describing the conflict between husband and wife after the fall, this should not be present in Christian marriages.

Because of psychology, the principle of forgiveness has been perverted by modern thinking. People are now convinced we should forgive when someone is not sorry so we won't become bitter. It also says if we do not forgive unrepentant people we will not be forgiven.

The bible never teaches these things. We are to forgive the way God forgives, when someone is sorry and does not want to repeat what they have done.

Luke 17:4 "and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

We do not become bitter because we do not forgive the unrepentant; we have not reconciled the relationship but we are not bitter. We pray for them, treat them with the respect they never gave us when in company but they cannot be our friends until there is confession of sin.

James 5:16 "16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Someone who thinks there was nothing wrong with offending you will not change and will continue to offend.

There are many more things just like this because of our English translations. So the question remains: how can we trust any translation? The answer is, you cannot trust them entirely; you must ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding as you study "to show yourselves approved."

When something doesn't fit with other Scripture, we know that there are no contradictions in the word of God, so God needs to tell us how it fits.

Wrong doctrine and abuse have come from misunderstanding God's Word. In our day we must pray for God to guide us. He will bring others who have learned good things to help explain, and God can lead us to them. But we must not believe every preacher on the internet. Ask God to show you who is correct and who is not; He will warn you about some and bless you with others.

Unfortunately, now we live in an age when most will be making up their own doctrine and adding it to Scripture. God will warn us about them so that we will avoid them.

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."

There were things I asked God many years ago that went against what the churches were teaching because the Holy Spirit warned me something was wrong about them.. Then He showed me, not always right away but eventually, that was exciting; it confirmed that He was answering me.

Trust the Holy Spirit He really will lead you into all truth if you want to know.

Those Who Secretly Hate You

Social exclusion is one of the most used tactics of the devil as he attempts to remove all support from Christ followers. This video is a good example of how Christians will be treated regularly as they remain steady and dedicated to Christ in their walk. Follow the Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaU1gED2468

Christians Sin and Must Confess to be Cleansed

In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, God killed them both for lying to the Holy Spirit, but He never said they were not saved or that the Holy Spirit was removed from them.

If the couple had not been born again, He would not have disciplined them.

Hebrews 12:8 "If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."

Also, God says this to believers who sin:

1 John 2:1-2 "1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

And, Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"

God never reneges on his promises; even when we fail, He does not take back His promise.

2 Timothy 2:12-13 "…12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."

Born-again believers may sin, but they do not deny Him. And God deals with them as He does with His children. They do not lose their family status.

Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights."

Revelation 3:19 "Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent."

Why do we repent as believers? We do it to grow in holiness because we love Christ Who lives in us. We are not able to live guilt free and cleansed of the sin if we do not confess it.

1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."

We know believers sin because we are trapped in this body of flesh that we must battle continually. The Spirit within us is sin-free, but the body is not. When we die, we go to God, but our flesh does not go because it is sinful.

Psalm 32:5 "Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah"

Proverbs 28:13 "He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy."

Galatians 5:16-17 " 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want."

1 Thessalonians 4:1 "Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more."

It Could Be Today!

A brother asked me what I meant when I said; "It could be today." Here was my response to him.

In the old days, after the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, they had a saying in their hope of returning to their homeland: "next year in Jerusalem." Now I say, "It could be today," as we are approaching the final homegoing for believers.

Believers in Christ are looking every day for His return in the clouds and our homegoing.

Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 WAITING FOR OUR BLESSED HOPE, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."

I texted two friends, "It could be today", and they immediately knew what I meant because we discuss this expectation when we are together. What a joy we feel as we ponder going home to Jesus Christ our King.

The Character of Christ in Us

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

The fruit is the character qualities of Christ, only seen clearly by other believers who have the fruit.

They are Spiritual qualities that dominate the believer's character and lead to good deeds.

We cannot judge by the good deeds alone because even bad people can have good deeds to impress others. The fruit is a Spiritual character that can be discerned by other believers.

John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."

Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."

Many people will think they are going to heaven and accepted by God for their good deeds, and will be sorely disappointed at the judgment.

Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

For those who think their good deeds saves them, you must know that only those who are transformed by Christ will see heaven. We are not transformed by our deeds, but by His power when we have trusted in Him.

Anyone who is attempting to change himself, fix himself, without Christ, will not be saved. It is only by believing Christ and desiring to be transformed by Him that He will do all the work in you.

Trust in Him, not in yourself!

A Trial Dominated by Devils

Probably most people don't know that Massachusetts is the state of witchcraft; it is a demonic stronghold.

There are over 2000 witches in Salem and many more thousands throughout the state. It is entirely possible that the 11 jurors who would not do the right thing in the murder trial of the demonized woman were influenced by demonic forces, even if they didn't realize it.

This is what demonic activity looks like: when excuses are made for evil done, and others cannot see the tricks of the devil, their eyes are blinded. Those who are innocent victims of the crimes will be treated with disregard and contempt while the criminal is elevated and promoted.

John 12:39-41 "…39 For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him."

God allows the devil to blind the eyes of those who love evil. Those who are blinded actually believe they are right while they defend and promote evil in the land.

2 Corinthians 4:4 "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Acts 28:27 "For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’"

As the world grows darker in these last days, we are going to see much more injustice and persecution for speaking the truth. The victims are persecuted while the criminal is exalted.

So what do we do as we walk through this devilish mess?

Not so simple, but powerful and necessary: with the power of Jesus Christ living in born-again believers, we can keep speaking the truth, never shrinking back from the right thing even under intense pressure from those who do not love God.

It is better to be on God's side than to be loved by the hateful and rebellious masses.

Written to Israel but written for us too!

Ezekiel 18:30: "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall."

He did it in the beginning and is still doing it!

At the beginning of creation, the devil approached Eve with a lie to come between her and God. He convinced her that God Who created her, was evil, withholding things from her.

This was the opposite of what was really happening. God created Eve and gave her perfect life in a perfect place so that she could enjoy the best of everything. She had no need of anything; it was all set before her. This was God's great love for mankind.

The devil's most effective tactic of ruining the relationship between God and His creation was to convince His creation that God was mean, evil and uncaring.

Genesis 3:1-5 "1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The devil is using the same tactic today against believers in Christ whose desire is to obey God because of their great love for Him.
He is convincing those who do not love God that the followers of Christ are rude and mean for expressing the principles and commands of God to help them find their way to Christ.

We are living in an epidemic of family destruction and community rebellion against God. The devil is delighted when he can incite rioting, irrational accusations, and claims that the people of God are the ones causing all of it with their standards and rules.

We see this in unreasonable, illogical, and absurd decisions making the good guys look bad and the raging, angry people look legitimate.

We see this in community decisions in government, in court cases, in family interactions, in churches, and in every venue of our culture.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult 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."

It is not a good idea to dwell on all this continually but is hard to ignore because it affects our lives. we must not fill our minds with too many details about what is going on, but it is vitally important to recognize it when it crosses our path.

Why do we need to recognize the tactics of the devil? The reason is simple, if we do not know what is going on we will be sucked into the drama and plots in ways that diminish our walk with Christ.

In 2 Timothy 3:5 we are told to avoid people who have been walking with the devil, disrupting what is good, accusing followers of Christ of false things, and making those controlled by the devil think that believers are the problem, while those controlled by him are the ones causing all the trouble.

The devil has not changed his tactics since the beginning; we can recognize them now in our time.

1 Peter 5:7-9 …7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.…

When someone tries to convince us that someone else is evil because they are following the Bible, we know where that comes from: the devil Himself.

Those who use the Bible, twisting it to fit the culture, are being led by the devil. They use the Bible to negate God rather than speak truth that is helpful; they destroy it. They add their own words to God's, deceiving many.

When you are one person believing God and obeying Him, there will be many other people working against you to discredit you as though you are doing something wrong. At the very least these people will not back you up making you look completely unsupported by those who would claim to love you.

Don't let this discourage you. We do not always have the support of others when we trust in Christ, but we will always have Him. He lives in us, and He is all we need.

Proverbs 3:4-6 "…4 Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Keep looking up, we are going home soon!!!

Numbers 6:24-26

Numbers 6:24-26
"24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

Those who have been born again are priests; all who have been transformed by Christ are a royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:5 "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 2:9 "9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

We are created to share the message of Christ to the world; to intercede for others, and to offer worship, praise, and acts of love as well as mutual submission.

1 Peter 2:12 "12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."

It matters very much our lifestyle, attitude and goals in life, they reflect the heart of God, or at least should.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Habakkuk 2:4 "4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith."

May each of us reflect the character of Christ today as we seek Him in all things.