Only Christ Has a Word for Us!

I have been told a couple of times in my life that someone had a word from the Lord for me, and my response is this:

 
"There is only one mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ. If he wants me to know something, He tells me."

Those who wish to show off, demonstrating how spiritual they are by proclaiming things for other people, are fakers and liars.

 
It is one thing to approach someone who is violating Scripture using the scriptures to help them back on the road to obedience; it is not the same as claiming to hear special and specific information from God that is not in the Bible.

Those who walk in the Spirit can easily discern fakers who wish to convince others they are superior. They promote themselves instead of Christ. Fakers are elevating self not Christ!

Let's think logically, if something is going to happen to us in the future that God has ordained, we have no need to be told because we walk by faith, not by sight, trusting God every day for whatever He has for us. We have no need to know the future; we only need to trust in Him.

 
And, it is silly to think that Christ Who lives in me, would give someone else a message He has for me. We have no need to know the future beyond what God has already revealed in His Word for us.

 
Matthew 15:8-9
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
2 Peter 2:1-3 "Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them, the way of truth will be defamed. In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Influenced by the Culture or Influenced by Christ

God said in 2 Timothy three we are living in "perilous" times, that word perilous means "ragingly insane" times in which very little makes good sense, and there is rebellion all around us all the time.
Those of us who can discern things with the mind of Christ, because He lives in us, can see what most people cannot see.

Most people are influenced heavily by the culture around them, working feverishly to be accepted by the world.

Even Christians say things like, "We need to say things in a way that will be received by the hearer," rather than just speaking the truth with boldness as Christ did. They say these things because they are depending on themselves rather than the Holy Spirit.

Even the Holy Spirit prevented the apostles from going to certain places, we don't know exactly why, but some cultures have hardened their hearts, and it is a waste of time to go where God says not to go.

Acts 16:6-7 "6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them."

We are not called to manipulate people into believing the truth; we are commanded to speak it and leave all the results to God. We are not called to speak to every person, however, we are to obey when Christ in us leads us to speak to others. When we depend on the Holy Spirit to speak through us, we don't need formulas; He knows exactly what is needed for each person that we cannot know. The leading of the Holy Spirit knows the complexities of everyone's life, and His delivery is designed for the person we are speaking to. We cannot know like the Holy Spirit knows we must depend on Him.

It is not our fault if someone rejects the gospel; the fault belongs to them. Unbelievers will attempt to blame us by accusing our delivery or words, but it is a lie from the devil to intimidate us into silence, making us fearful that we might not do it right. Ignore the devil he is full of lies all the time in everything.

Psychology has determined that every person is an animal who was influenced and controlled by others around them, causing insecurities that were not their fault. This thinking comes from Darwinism, which teaches that men are only operating from instinct, like all other animals.

Because of this faulty and evil system of Darwinism, people are convinced that we are the problem when we hold people accountable or expect them to act better than they do. Instead, according to Darwinism, we should coddle everyone for the hurt inside of them that caused them to do evil.

The problem with this theory is that some people who have been hurt deeply do not hurt others because they know how it felt and don't want to do what was done to them.

This wicked theory leaves the victims unattended and ignored while the perpetrator of the evil is coddled.

Then there are those who were treated well and chose to dominate and control others because of their bent toward evil and selfishness.
It isn't about the way we were treated, it is about our choices when we are grown to either become like the abuser or to reject the ways of the abuser to be better than that.

Choices, it's all about choosing to be different because we want to be a loving person, or choosing to be the same as the abuser out of anger and bitterness. It is irrational to harm others who have never harmed us merely because a wicked person did evil to us in the past.

Mankind likes to make excuses for their behavior so they don't have to confess it or feel bad about themselves. What wicked people don't understand is that the temporary glee they feel from harming others does not dispel the continual anger they hang onto in their hearts; they are in bondage to their anger.

It is only in Christ that a wicked person can be transformed into the opposite of what comes naturally, from their fallen human nature to a person filled with love and kindness flowing from the heart of Christ Who lives in them.

When Christ transforms someone, they are no longer in bondage to their sinful feelings. They no longer have to follow what comes naturally to them; they can walk in "newness of life" full of joy and peace that only Christ can give.

Romans 6:3-5 "…3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection."
There is great hope for anyone who is willing to confess their sinfulness and trust in Christ Who died for them, that they would be freed from their sinful heart of bondage.

Colossians 2:12
"And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead."

Galatians 3:27
"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Those who have been transformed by Christ have the fruit of His Spirit. We don't need to work hard to pretend to have it; it comes naturally to us as much as breathing without thinking. It is who we are in essence.

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."

Discerning the Holy Spirits Leading

When we walk with Christ daily, we will discern when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us and when it is just our own thoughts; we can tell the difference.

 
This reminds me of the gatherings of Christians I have experienced in recent years, perhaps all my life. In social gatherings, I never hear them speak of Christ or the Holy Spirit. They speak about politics, their latest adventures in life, and their family, but never about Christ or the Holy Spirit.

 
In fact, they look at me strangely as if irritated when I say something like, "The Holy Spirit led me to do it" or "the Holy Spirit prevented me from doing it." It is as though they consider it arrogance to say we have heard from the Holy Spirit.

 
Acts 16:5-7 "5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 6 After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. 7 And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.…"

When we walk with Christ daily, we hear clearly the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and we know it is Him. If we are unsure because of the noise of the culture around us, we pray until Christ quiets the noise and makes it even more clear that He is speaking.

 
If something is not the will of the Holy Spirit, He will prevent it from happening, and it will become clear eventually why He didn't want it to happen.

Acts 13:2-4
"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” / And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. / So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus."

Acts 20:22-23
"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. / I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me."

Have you ever felt deeply compelled to do something, so intensely that the sense remained until you did what God told you to do? Then, after obeying, the feeling of urgency left, and peace was restored.

Peace comes when we have obeyed; however, when we do not obey immediately, the sense of urgency persists until we do what the Holy Spirit has called us to do. When we obey the urgency leaves and contentment returns.

 
There have been times when others did not understand that the Holy Spirit was guiding me, even coming against me for doing what God told me to do, but the urgency to obey God didn't leave, no matter how much pressure from the culture around me.

 
The culture we live in will not understand us, nor do they care to understand. Cultures are hard-wired to follow the flow of the crowd, without questioning where the crowd is going. They seem content to follow the multitude of people, the mob, because it seems safer to them to have others to lean on who prop them up, whether or not the herd is going in the right direction.

 
Very few people can stand alone boldly with powerful resolve to obey God without validation from the crowd. Only those who are in Christ, who seek His leading, will be able to stand alone.

 
Matthew 10:32-33:
"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my Father in heaven".

 
1 Peter 3:14-15:
"But even if you suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not be afraid of those who threaten you. But in your hearts, give honor to the Lord as your God". This verse encourages Christians to remain steadfast in their faith, even when facing persecution, and to honor Christ as Lord, regardless of the circumstances."

2 Timothy 1:7:
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-discipline."

Even when we are misunderstood, lied against, and devalued by the crowd, we can still remain strong, fully devoted to Christ Who lives in us!!! Hallelujah!!!

Believers do not Live a Lifestyle of Rudeness Toward Others

As Christians, Christ in us convicts us of sin even before we do something wrong to help us resist it.

Those who justify their sin against others, whether it be lies, covert rudeness, or out-and-out sin against someone, couldn't be saved because Christ in the believer will warn the one in whom He dwells before they commit the sin.

Even if a believer sins, they quickly feel the weight of conviction and confess it to be cleansed quickly. The sense that we have displeased God is stronger in us than the feelings to defend and justify ourselves.

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."

The born-again believer can't stand the separation from our Lord because of sin, we must confess and be restored to walk in His likeness.

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."

Those who live continually to harm others, dominate them and aggravate them, knowing what they are doing, cannot possibly have the Holy Spirit living in them.

The easy way to refute Calvinism and irresistible grace!!!!

I once heard it said that "our DNA is not our destiny." When we are born and grow into adulthood, somewhere around 12 years old, we make choices, and our choices determine the outcome of our lives.

To say that someone has no choice in their salvation would also imply that we have no choices in our lives pertaining to our behavior.

 
It is irrational to say that we have no choice for our salvation and we will be whatever we were born to be, and then teach a child to obey commands he has no ability to obey.

 
There is no chance I would ever tell a child just do whatever you feel like doing, whether or not it is evil or good, because you are going to be whatever God determined you to be without a choice anyway.

 
It is irrational to train a child to obey God if the child has no choice to obey God. God gave us commands that we would make a choice to obey or disobey Him and our parents.

I also have to wonder why those who believe they are one of the chosen by God think they are one of those chosen. Is it merely because they decided to believe that false doctrine? What evidence do they cling to that makes them believe they are one of the chosen ones?

Romans 10:12-14 "…12 For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?…"

Nothing in these passages indicates that "the chosen" are born to be saved and those not chosen born to go to hell. God clearly says that we become born again, saved from sin and hell by choosing Christ, all who want Christ will be saved.

Joshua 24:14-16 "14 Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!” 16 The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!"

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

If we were not given a choice to follow Christ, then it is irrational to say that we deserve hell for not choosing.

 
My God is not one who throws people into hell for His own pleasure, just to watch them burn. That would be the devil who would do such a thing.

 
My God placed Himself on the cross to pay for the sins of the world because of His great love, giving everyone a chance to repent and live forever with Him in paradise.

 
One thing is for sure: every one I have met who has been caught up in the doctrine of Calvinism's irresistible grace has been arrogant and unteachable. I say this not only because of the way they act but also because they have determined themselves to be one of the elect merely for saying so.

 
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."
What is the test? This is the test!

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."

This fruit can be discerned by those who have the Holy Spirit. The pretender and other unregenerate people cannot discern this fruit. In fact, they see the qualities and despise it as though it were weaknesses.

 
1 Corinthians 2:14 "But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Next time someone says to you, "I am one of the elect chosen by God to be saved", ask them why they think they are!

THE SIN CHRISTIANS REFUSE TO SEE : UNTIL JUDGMENT HITS || JOHN MACARTHUR...

The Remnant, the Rare Exception in these Days of Apostasy

Pride and arrogance, jealousy and envy, are all the deeply seeded traits of the devil that he fosters in the hearts of those who do not know Christ.

Pride is a deep satisfaction in one's own accomplishments, whether real or imagined.

 
Arrogance is haughtiness, the desire to be superior to others, whether real or imagined.

Envy is the desire to have what someone else has.

 
Jealousy is not wanting someone else to have what we don't have.
These traits are growing exponentially in this culture of the end times. Along with these traits comes intense hatred for those who have not offended anyone, requiring the one who is arrogant, prideful, envious, and jealous to concoct stories to validate their own loathing toward those who do not deserve the disrespect extended to them.

 
They did this to Christ and all the apostles and followers of Christ all down through the ages.

The devil did this in the garden with Adam and Eve. He lied to Eve to foster feelings of distrust in her toward God. The devil hated that God loved His creation and had given them everything good. He not only deceived Eve but also manipulated Eve to deceive her husband. Both people were at fault for accepting the lie of the devil to gratify their own pleasure.

 
This mentality, "no one tells me", was evident in the garden and rampant in society today.

It wasn't enough that God created them and then gave them every good thing needed for a lovely life; they had to ignore the goodness of God to take the one thing they knew God didn't want them to have, which would bring their downfall.
The devil wanted the first couple to disobey God, move into sin, causing trouble between them as a couple and worse between them and God.

 
Those who are manipulated by he devil to hate those who love God have all the traits listed above, the very attributes that got the devil thrown out of heaven.
Before a person is born again, they have no genuine love for God or others.

Everything an unsaved person does is based on gratifying and elevating oneself in one's own mind, just as the devil did when he was thrown out of heaven.
Since the devil was chastised by God, he wants to ruin human relationships by fostering pride, arrogance, envy, and jealousy in those who have no defense against him because they do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.

 
The goal of the devil is to destroy any possibility of a relationship between God and mankind in any way he can, and he does it through the four traits that began this article.

 
These four traits are the foundation of every other act of evil that mankind does against one another.

 
If the devil can cause a person to believe they deserve special treatment, they will not only lean into the evil traits of pride, arrogance, jealousy and envy, but rather than resist it, they will justify it. It is only in Christ that we can resist these character flaws that lead to destruction.

God told us the end times would be "perilous" (ragingly insane) with the very attributes of the devil that caused his downfall and eventual final existence in hell for eternity.

 
Thank the Lord for His provision of Facebook, that every believer who is led by the Spirit of Christ can warn the world about sin and hell from their own homes.
We are so close to the end of the church age that those who are looking for the coming of Christ have a sense of immanence that dwells in them every day, even a joy and hope that this will all be over soon and they will be going home, their eternal home.

 
They see with their eyes what God described in 2 Timothy 3 when the world will live continually dominated by the evil mentality of the devil. In these end times, people will be rude, mean, and destructive to relationships and think they are doing the right thing.

 
We see the departure from the things of God as people embrace lies using the scripture to appear righteous, but are defying God. Many people are changing God's word to meet their own fleshly desires while attacking those who are telling the truth about what is going on in the world.

 
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "1 But understand this: In the last days, terrible (ragingly insane) times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, 4traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!"

The churches are more interested in what is going on in politics than they are in obeying and glorifying God. They have, for the most part, become apostate. Few obscure and rare and hard-to-find gatherings are still following Christ and depending on His Word. The Authentic church is the rare exception now, the remnant God calls it.

 
My hope is that this will encourage believers to keep looking up. Their hope and joy will keep them from being emotionally and spiritually damaged by all that is going on around them. It will also help them maintain their confidence in Christ, no matter what others are doing against them.

 
Keep Looking Up!!!!!