Thursday, March 22, 2018
They Just Wouldn't Listen!
Yes, what an exciting day for Noah when he saw God fulfilling what He said He would do. Noah must have lost lots of family members in that flood, but he never invited them to come aboard or built the ark bigger to accommodate them. He merely obeyed God. He preached before the wrath of God came and accepted the fate of those who refused to repent.
Don't Live the Pigeon Life
I was listening to a video this morning on the principle of programming an animal to do something, in regard to how people can also be programmed.
B.F. Skinner did an experiment with pigeons. He allowed the pigeons to press a button and a treat would come out. When they pushed the button and nothing came out they would leave after several tries.
However if they pushed the button a few times and the treat came out randomly, every other time or after three pushes, the pigeon would remain pushing until a treat would come. They would stay there and continue to push even though they never knew how many times a treat would emerge.
This is the principle of the gambling industry, if they allow the customer to win at the slot machines a little in the beginning and randomly after, then the person will stay even when nothing is coming out. They will put in their coins continually as long as there is some reward at some time, even if its small because in their minds the next one might be the big one.
People at the gambling houses in front of the slot machines are "pigeons" because they have been programmed to keep trying even when nothing is coming out. "The Royal We"
This is the same with relationships, a narcissist can treat us very badly several times in a row, but if they sneak in a little niceness once in awhile, we remain hoping for the next time that they will show a little friendliness. They only display friendliness, not kindness, they are two different things. When they think our guard is down and they have sucked us back in, they will begin their dastardly actions and reactions all over again.
We don't have to be like pigeons, unless we were bird brains. We have enough thinking power to decide whether or not we want to be continually abused by those who get pleasure out of demeaning and mocking those they wish to dominate.
I promise, it is better to be alone with God than to remain with an abuser simply to keep from being lonely. But we don't have to be without people. Pray that the Lord will bring you to others who agree on important matter and value you, is the best course of action. There are plenty out there who would love and value you, even if only on facebook.
There is a wonderful place, that place is the place of peace dwelling with Christ. He will bring others into your life when He is ready for us to have human companions. One good friend is enough, crowds don't usually foster close relationships, it is best to hold out for the deeper relationships that help us grow and want what we have to offer too.
Proverbs 18:24 "A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
B.F. Skinner did an experiment with pigeons. He allowed the pigeons to press a button and a treat would come out. When they pushed the button and nothing came out they would leave after several tries.
However if they pushed the button a few times and the treat came out randomly, every other time or after three pushes, the pigeon would remain pushing until a treat would come. They would stay there and continue to push even though they never knew how many times a treat would emerge.
This is the principle of the gambling industry, if they allow the customer to win at the slot machines a little in the beginning and randomly after, then the person will stay even when nothing is coming out. They will put in their coins continually as long as there is some reward at some time, even if its small because in their minds the next one might be the big one.
People at the gambling houses in front of the slot machines are "pigeons" because they have been programmed to keep trying even when nothing is coming out. "The Royal We"
This is the same with relationships, a narcissist can treat us very badly several times in a row, but if they sneak in a little niceness once in awhile, we remain hoping for the next time that they will show a little friendliness. They only display friendliness, not kindness, they are two different things. When they think our guard is down and they have sucked us back in, they will begin their dastardly actions and reactions all over again.
We don't have to be like pigeons, unless we were bird brains. We have enough thinking power to decide whether or not we want to be continually abused by those who get pleasure out of demeaning and mocking those they wish to dominate.
I promise, it is better to be alone with God than to remain with an abuser simply to keep from being lonely. But we don't have to be without people. Pray that the Lord will bring you to others who agree on important matter and value you, is the best course of action. There are plenty out there who would love and value you, even if only on facebook.
There is a wonderful place, that place is the place of peace dwelling with Christ. He will bring others into your life when He is ready for us to have human companions. One good friend is enough, crowds don't usually foster close relationships, it is best to hold out for the deeper relationships that help us grow and want what we have to offer too.
Proverbs 18:24 "A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Find Christ Alone
Each person must find their own path. We will be judged on whether we follow Christ or man. If we obey Christ we will be blessed in our soul, if we obey man we will be in bondage to man's rules.
If your spouse is not obeying God, then we must even if we do that alone.
Revelation 14:12
"12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those[a] who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
If your spouse is not obeying God, then we must even if we do that alone.
Revelation 14:12
"12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those[a] who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
God's Fruit
The fruit of the Spirit are character qualities not actions. The character qualities will produce attitudes and actions pleasing to God, but the real fruit is in the character.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
May the Lord be the One doing all the work in us. What we do in our own flesh out of our own pride does not count and is not pleasing to our Lord.
He loves for us to trust in Him to work in us.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
May the Lord be the One doing all the work in us. What we do in our own flesh out of our own pride does not count and is not pleasing to our Lord.
He loves for us to trust in Him to work in us.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Go Along to Get Along
Our culture doesn't believe there should be divisions. We should all just learn to get along by accepting everything, there is no wrong and there is no right. In other words we ought to stand for everything and nothing at the same time. Sort of an oxymoron.
In another dear friends post she lamented the fact that we don't hear sermons on the division that happens between families, and that Christ said it would be so.
We are not only living in the 2 Timothy 3 times, but we are also living in the times of Luke 12.
Luke 12:51-53
"Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Matthew 10:35-37
"For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
2 Timothy 2:1-5
"1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules."
Irrational isn't all of it!!!!!
In another dear friends post she lamented the fact that we don't hear sermons on the division that happens between families, and that Christ said it would be so.
We are not only living in the 2 Timothy 3 times, but we are also living in the times of Luke 12.
Luke 12:51-53
"Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Matthew 10:35-37
"For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
2 Timothy 2:1-5
"1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules."
Irrational isn't all of it!!!!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
If You Love Him
Those who say it doesn't matter that they sin because they are saved by grace, are lying. Here's why....to say their sin doesn't matter is to deny the very words of Christ:
John 14:15 "15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
If you sin and enjoy it, unashamed of yourself for it, then you do not love Christ, you cannot be born again.
John 14:23-24 "23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.…"
John 14:15 "15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
If you sin and enjoy it, unashamed of yourself for it, then you do not love Christ, you cannot be born again.
John 14:23-24 "23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.…"
John 1:1-18
John 1
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
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