Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Faith does not come by an emotional high!
Thursday, July 3, 2025
The Foolishness of Modern Christianity
Amos 5:23 "Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen."
Matthew 6:6-8 "…6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…"
Notice the pagans use mantras and vain repetition in their worship of false gods. We are not to do as the pagans do.
Matthew 6:7
7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words."
Songs are a form of prayer, repeating the same words over and over again, while creating a state of euphoria that is fleshly and not pleasing to God. This focuses on the flesh and the feelings, not on Christ.
The goal of the modern church service is to keep the people
manipulated and entertained so they will come back.
When is the last time you saw the following expression happen in a church gathering?
James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
The element of worshipful repentance and surrender to Christ is absent from gatherings where the music is the central theme.
The result of this focus on entertainment is elevated levels of pride, a sort of showing off to those around you, and attempts to fit in rather than focusing on Christ.
These displays of entertainment focus on mantras without depth and are absent of the the Word of God.
Nowhere in scripture are we told that a "leader" is to determine what we pray or sing. In God's gathering, each person, as led by the Holy Spirit, in spontaneity calls for a song or prayer, and others join in.
We are a culture that wants everything to be planned and manipulated by men so that it all turns out the way we wish to see it; it has nothing to do with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The services in our day are man-made and man-centered. The people in the pews focus on and obey the leader up front, never once hearing from the Holy Spirit because of the noise of those who expect obedience to them.
It is astounding to me that so many Christians have a wrong view of the gathering of believers. God intended all members to participate in sharing the Word, prayer, and song. No one sits facing forward, unresponsive to what others are saying.
When we participate, we have to think, ponder, and come to the gathering prepared with Bible truth to be able to engage with others as we edify one another, pointing all to Christ. Those who practice this form of gathering read and study their Bibles regularly at home before they enter the gathering. When we are filled with the Spirit of God and know His Word we will always have something from Him to share.
I remember many years ago my mother telling me she attended a particular church because she liked the music. I never once heard the name of Jesus Christ roll from her tongue. This was and is the state of modern Christianity.
I once heard a "pastor" tell his congregation that he was raised that "going to church" was the decent thing to do, nothing about Christ, everything about being a responsible citizen in society. I grieved when I heard it, but he didn't even know what he said was not Christ-centered but society-centered.
I have been asked "which church I attend", never "have you been changed by Christ into a new creation?" or something equivalent to "are you born-again?"
I have asked people if they were born again, and their answer came back, which church they were a member of, and they didn't even know what I was talking about, or worse, acted embarrassed at the term "born-again" because it seemed radical to them.
Is it any wonder why our country has been declining in everything in recent years? I don't mean finances or safety, I mean morally and spiritually. Our generation does not know what respect looks like, even though they were more respectful than their children have been; they still tolerate the disrespect from their children as though it is normal communication.
I am in my 70s now and can look back at the superficial cultural Christianity that I was raised in, but thought it was Christianity when I was too young to know better.
My admonition to all believers is to ask God to show them from His Word what God's Christianity looks like, with the willingness to discard everything they were taught that was wrong and begin again afresh learning the Way of Christ.
to the melody of your harps I will not listen."
Matthew 6:6-8 "…6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…"
Ecclesiastes 5:2
"Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few."
"Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few."
Notice the pagans use mantras and vain repetition in their worship of false gods. We are not to do as the pagans do.
Matthew 6:7
7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words."
Songs are a form of prayer, repeating the same words over and over again, while creating a state of euphoria that is fleshly and not pleasing to God. This focuses on the flesh and the feelings, not on Christ.
The goal of the modern church service is to keep the people
manipulated and entertained so they will come back.
When is the last time you saw the following expression happen in a church gathering?
James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
The element of worshipful repentance and surrender to Christ is absent from gatherings where the music is the central theme.
The result of this focus on entertainment is elevated levels of pride, a sort of showing off to those around you, and attempts to fit in rather than focusing on Christ.
These displays of entertainment focus on mantras without depth and are absent of the the Word of God.
Nowhere in scripture are we told that a "leader" is to determine what we pray or sing. In God's gathering, each person, as led by the Holy Spirit, in spontaneity calls for a song or prayer, and others join in.
We are a culture that wants everything to be planned and manipulated by men so that it all turns out the way we wish to see it; it has nothing to do with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The services in our day are man-made and man-centered. The people in the pews focus on and obey the leader up front, never once hearing from the Holy Spirit because of the noise of those who expect obedience to them.
It is astounding to me that so many Christians have a wrong view of the gathering of believers. God intended all members to participate in sharing the Word, prayer, and song. No one sits facing forward, unresponsive to what others are saying.
When we participate, we have to think, ponder, and come to the gathering prepared with Bible truth to be able to engage with others as we edify one another, pointing all to Christ. Those who practice this form of gathering read and study their Bibles regularly at home before they enter the gathering. When we are filled with the Spirit of God and know His Word we will always have something from Him to share.
I remember many years ago my mother telling me she attended a particular church because she liked the music. I never once heard the name of Jesus Christ roll from her tongue. This was and is the state of modern Christianity.
I once heard a "pastor" tell his congregation that he was raised that "going to church" was the decent thing to do, nothing about Christ, everything about being a responsible citizen in society. I grieved when I heard it, but he didn't even know what he said was not Christ-centered but society-centered.
I have been asked "which church I attend", never "have you been changed by Christ into a new creation?" or something equivalent to "are you born-again?"
I have asked people if they were born again, and their answer came back, which church they were a member of, and they didn't even know what I was talking about, or worse, acted embarrassed at the term "born-again" because it seemed radical to them.
Is it any wonder why our country has been declining in everything in recent years? I don't mean finances or safety, I mean morally and spiritually. Our generation does not know what respect looks like, even though they were more respectful than their children have been; they still tolerate the disrespect from their children as though it is normal communication.
I am in my 70s now and can look back at the superficial cultural Christianity that I was raised in, but thought it was Christianity when I was too young to know better.
My admonition to all believers is to ask God to show them from His Word what God's Christianity looks like, with the willingness to discard everything they were taught that was wrong and begin again afresh learning the Way of Christ.
What Does it Mean to be Perfect
Jesus Christ told us to "be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect." What does it mean?
Matthew 5:48 "Therefore, you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
If you tell your child to walk to grandma's house so the child walks out the door to obey that command. Is the child obeying that command by just walking out the door to obey or is the child only obeying once they arrive at grandma's house? (My husband's analogy)
I think the child is obeying in the pursuit of walking toward Grandma's. That when God told us to "be perfect", as we read it in context with the rest of the Bible, we are to pursue His perfection, but we will never arrive in this life until God changes our bodies.
As long as we are trapped in these bodies of death, we will battle temptation continually to keep from sinning. We repent when we fail, and we start again. As we mature in the Lord, our sins are confessed to Him before they become actions. Sin begins in the mind, even if there are no actions.
Many people make the mistake of thinking they have not sinned because there have been no action has been taken, but the sin is in their heart; they hide it to be acceptable to the culture.
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." Written to Christians
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?…"
When we become saved, we don't automatically become perfect; we strive through confession and trusting Christ to change us as we move through life. This process of learning and changing as believers is called sanctification ( a continual cleansing) until the day we leave this life.
In this life because of our imperfection, we are given an advocate with the Father, which is Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit moves into us to help us confess, teaching us throughout this life.
Psalm 94:12
"Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law,"
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My 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. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
Praise God that He does not leave us orphans without instruction or direction. He is the Perfect Father Who always loves us and wants the best for us. Not our idea of best, but His!!!
Matthew 5:48 "Therefore, you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
If you tell your child to walk to grandma's house so the child walks out the door to obey that command. Is the child obeying that command by just walking out the door to obey or is the child only obeying once they arrive at grandma's house? (My husband's analogy)
I think the child is obeying in the pursuit of walking toward Grandma's. That when God told us to "be perfect", as we read it in context with the rest of the Bible, we are to pursue His perfection, but we will never arrive in this life until God changes our bodies.
As long as we are trapped in these bodies of death, we will battle temptation continually to keep from sinning. We repent when we fail, and we start again. As we mature in the Lord, our sins are confessed to Him before they become actions. Sin begins in the mind, even if there are no actions.
Many people make the mistake of thinking they have not sinned because there have been no action has been taken, but the sin is in their heart; they hide it to be acceptable to the culture.
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." Written to Christians
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?…"
When we become saved, we don't automatically become perfect; we strive through confession and trusting Christ to change us as we move through life. This process of learning and changing as believers is called sanctification ( a continual cleansing) until the day we leave this life.
In this life because of our imperfection, we are given an advocate with the Father, which is Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit moves into us to help us confess, teaching us throughout this life.
Psalm 94:12
"Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law,"
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My 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. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
Praise God that He does not leave us orphans without instruction or direction. He is the Perfect Father Who always loves us and wants the best for us. Not our idea of best, but His!!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
All Believers are Commanded to Speak the Truth of the Gospel
The more you want to know the heart of God, the more you search His word and depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you, the more you will experience opposition from "religious" people.
The Pharisees were those who wanted to have power over people. They were not interested in being led by God, only that they were seen as special and superior to others.
Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…"
Luke 20:46-47
“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
If you think we don't have Pharisee types in our day, think again. The very way church gatherings are conducted today, with hierlings who are viewed as the authority over the gatherings, is Pharisaical.
We have many Pharisee types today who cannot "feel" religious unless they have a following who are elevating them above others.
Whenever someone makes rules and rituals God never commanded, often, even using scripture out of context to prove their point, we are watching ungodly people who care about dominating and ruling over others without concern for knowing God.
When someone is judged as less spiritual because they do not practice the rituals of the gathering, there is a false faith based on appearances and pretense.
The world is full of these types today, whose biggest concern is their elevated status; they care little if their preaching is accurate according to the Word of God. And, worse, they require the praise and adulation of the congregation. We know this because of the pulpit elevated above the congregation and the pews all facing the preferred preacher. The early church had no such hirelings, pulpits, or pews facing the speaker. This model of gathering was added later by those who perverted the nature of the gathering to be able to have power over the people.
God made it clear that leaders in the gathering were no more special than anyone else, it was their calling not a title or a position. Leaders who love Christ will lead by example and teaching not by "authority over."
Some godly men today use those pulpits and pews because it is what always has been for most people. To come against it would disrupt the faith of some, so they leave it alone and go with whatever the culture is doing. This is not wrong to use these things to avoid controversy. Sometimes we have to accept things that are not the best but are not sin.
God made it clear that a believer may eat meat from the market place that was offered to idols because it means nothing to them. However, if they knew another believer had a weak conscience, they were not to eat it in front of the other believer or offer it to them. 1 Corinthians 8
I see the pulpit and the pews this way too, if someone does not know the better way and is accustomed to the pews and the pulpit it is better not to make an issue of it. Sadly, though, most gatherings where there is a special building, pews, and a pulpit, there is also much false doctrine based on human wisdom.
Much of what is done in the modern church was adopted from the Catholic model of a hierarchy, where the authority was the priest, not the Holy Spirit.
Some people, a small number, are leaving the organized church system to remain in the home with other believers because of all the other things within those buildings that are not Biblical and even devastating to the people who attend.
I am astounded when I meet people who pressure others to go to those buildings to meet when there is no biblical mandate to do it. The command is not to forsake the gathering; this has nothing to do with meeting in designated buildings, which are viewed as the "meeting place of God." When the veil was torn from top to bottom in the temple and Christ rose from the dead, the gathering of believers was not a place, but a state of being able to meet anywhere at any time on any day. There was no longer a temple shaped like a building. The Temple was now the body of every believer.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.…"
The idea that we must meet in a large building made by men for the purpose of worship is not Biblical. We can meet in a building like this, but it has become the "rule" for everyone, even placing pressure on people who don't attend those places as though they are not obeying God in "not forsaking the gathering." The people have believed for a long time that the gathering had to be in those places with a paid-pastor.
God said that there would come a time when we would worship in "Spirit and in Truth"; that time has come. We gather to edify one another in Christ so that we will all go out from that gathering, living our lives for Christ, speaking the truth to our neighbors and anyone else the Holy Spirit leads us.
Many are meeting online these days due to a lack of Biblical teaching in the modern buildings. Every time we meet with believers on the internet we are fulfilling the mandate not to forsake the gathering. This principle is telling us to connect with one another as much as we can to be able to encourage and support Spiritually and emotionally our brothers and sisters in the Lord wherever they are in the world and whatever God has called them to do.
Those who have a very narrow view of "how we should meet" based on what they have been accustomed to all their lives are missing out on so much. The way it has always been done the past few hundred years has managed to silence the congregations when they should all be participating. It has left the brothers and sisters lacking in fellowship. Every born-again believer needs an outlet for their faith, a way to connect with others through Jesus Christ while expressing themselves as led by the Holy Spirit.
And YES, the Holy Spirit moves in everyone who is born-again. We ought never to silence someone who is on fire for Christ.
Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."
Satan loves that the people in the pews remain silent while one man tells them what to believe. The people look to that man for their direction and wisdom not to the Holy Spirit. This was devised by the devil to quench the Holy Spirit in those sitting in the pews.
Colossians 2:16-17
"Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. / These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ."
1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
1 Peter 5:3 "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
Only the Holy Spirit has authority over every believer who is indwelt by Him.
1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
Do not ignore the last part of this verse, "as I am of Christ." Paul was not telling us to follow Him no matter what he said or did. He was telling us to follow him when he followed Christ. In other words, we are to follow Christ, not a man.
1 Peter 5:2 "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;"
Shepherds are to protect the flock through teaching, example and encouragement to continue obeying the Word. It is the Holy Spirit Who guides each believer in specific ways. The Shepherds are to support believers as they fulfil their personal callings from Christ, not dictate to them what their callings will be.
2 Timothy 4:3
"3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"
Mark 12:38-40
"In His teaching, Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, / and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show, make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
These are those who make rules using Scripture out of context, who can speak openly about God, and who can not. Ofte,n they raise up those who are educated by men above those who have been educated by the Holy Spirit. Depending on a seminary degree from a man-accredited institution, they demean and exclude those who walk in obedience to Christ but have no formal credentials from those institutions favored by the establishment.
My heart grieves every time I meet a woman who has been trained by a husband to never speak the things of the Lord to anyone because of their gender. It sounds like an exaggeration that anyone like this exists but they do, I have met them.
These men have convinced their wives that it is a sin to speak of things of the Lord because it is the job of the men to do this. They have been taught through control and intimidation that they are not called to speak of the Lord.
The Samaritan woman at the well was the first woman evangelist. When she had met Jesus and become born again she rushed to town to share her experience and the news of His identity to others. She did not lead a gathering but she spoke to others about who Christ was and what He did for her. John 4
Mary Magdaline was another woman who was the first at the open tomb of Christ who shared the news of His resurrection. John 20
Pricilla and Aquilla worked together as a husband and wife team to share the gospel to others.
A person is not a women's libber or rebellious one because she believes the Bible about the calling of women to speak the truth of the Bible to others. Some leaders have trained their congregations that women are never allowed to speak the gospel to people they meet outside the gathering. They are to remain silent all the time in all cases when it comes to the gospel or Scriptural principles.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
Every born again believer is commanded to speak the truth to anyone as led by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:25
"25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another."
The Pharisees were those who wanted to have power over people. They were not interested in being led by God, only that they were seen as special and superior to others.
Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…"
Luke 20:46-47
“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
If you think we don't have Pharisee types in our day, think again. The very way church gatherings are conducted today, with hierlings who are viewed as the authority over the gatherings, is Pharisaical.
We have many Pharisee types today who cannot "feel" religious unless they have a following who are elevating them above others.
Whenever someone makes rules and rituals God never commanded, often, even using scripture out of context to prove their point, we are watching ungodly people who care about dominating and ruling over others without concern for knowing God.
When someone is judged as less spiritual because they do not practice the rituals of the gathering, there is a false faith based on appearances and pretense.
The world is full of these types today, whose biggest concern is their elevated status; they care little if their preaching is accurate according to the Word of God. And, worse, they require the praise and adulation of the congregation. We know this because of the pulpit elevated above the congregation and the pews all facing the preferred preacher. The early church had no such hirelings, pulpits, or pews facing the speaker. This model of gathering was added later by those who perverted the nature of the gathering to be able to have power over the people.
God made it clear that leaders in the gathering were no more special than anyone else, it was their calling not a title or a position. Leaders who love Christ will lead by example and teaching not by "authority over."
Some godly men today use those pulpits and pews because it is what always has been for most people. To come against it would disrupt the faith of some, so they leave it alone and go with whatever the culture is doing. This is not wrong to use these things to avoid controversy. Sometimes we have to accept things that are not the best but are not sin.
God made it clear that a believer may eat meat from the market place that was offered to idols because it means nothing to them. However, if they knew another believer had a weak conscience, they were not to eat it in front of the other believer or offer it to them. 1 Corinthians 8
I see the pulpit and the pews this way too, if someone does not know the better way and is accustomed to the pews and the pulpit it is better not to make an issue of it. Sadly, though, most gatherings where there is a special building, pews, and a pulpit, there is also much false doctrine based on human wisdom.
Much of what is done in the modern church was adopted from the Catholic model of a hierarchy, where the authority was the priest, not the Holy Spirit.
Some people, a small number, are leaving the organized church system to remain in the home with other believers because of all the other things within those buildings that are not Biblical and even devastating to the people who attend.
I am astounded when I meet people who pressure others to go to those buildings to meet when there is no biblical mandate to do it. The command is not to forsake the gathering; this has nothing to do with meeting in designated buildings, which are viewed as the "meeting place of God." When the veil was torn from top to bottom in the temple and Christ rose from the dead, the gathering of believers was not a place, but a state of being able to meet anywhere at any time on any day. There was no longer a temple shaped like a building. The Temple was now the body of every believer.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.…"
The idea that we must meet in a large building made by men for the purpose of worship is not Biblical. We can meet in a building like this, but it has become the "rule" for everyone, even placing pressure on people who don't attend those places as though they are not obeying God in "not forsaking the gathering." The people have believed for a long time that the gathering had to be in those places with a paid-pastor.
God said that there would come a time when we would worship in "Spirit and in Truth"; that time has come. We gather to edify one another in Christ so that we will all go out from that gathering, living our lives for Christ, speaking the truth to our neighbors and anyone else the Holy Spirit leads us.
Many are meeting online these days due to a lack of Biblical teaching in the modern buildings. Every time we meet with believers on the internet we are fulfilling the mandate not to forsake the gathering. This principle is telling us to connect with one another as much as we can to be able to encourage and support Spiritually and emotionally our brothers and sisters in the Lord wherever they are in the world and whatever God has called them to do.
Those who have a very narrow view of "how we should meet" based on what they have been accustomed to all their lives are missing out on so much. The way it has always been done the past few hundred years has managed to silence the congregations when they should all be participating. It has left the brothers and sisters lacking in fellowship. Every born-again believer needs an outlet for their faith, a way to connect with others through Jesus Christ while expressing themselves as led by the Holy Spirit.
And YES, the Holy Spirit moves in everyone who is born-again. We ought never to silence someone who is on fire for Christ.
Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."
Satan loves that the people in the pews remain silent while one man tells them what to believe. The people look to that man for their direction and wisdom not to the Holy Spirit. This was devised by the devil to quench the Holy Spirit in those sitting in the pews.
Colossians 2:16-17
"Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. / These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ."
1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
1 Peter 5:3 "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
Only the Holy Spirit has authority over every believer who is indwelt by Him.
1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
Do not ignore the last part of this verse, "as I am of Christ." Paul was not telling us to follow Him no matter what he said or did. He was telling us to follow him when he followed Christ. In other words, we are to follow Christ, not a man.
1 Peter 5:2 "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;"
Shepherds are to protect the flock through teaching, example and encouragement to continue obeying the Word. It is the Holy Spirit Who guides each believer in specific ways. The Shepherds are to support believers as they fulfil their personal callings from Christ, not dictate to them what their callings will be.
2 Timothy 4:3
"3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"
Mark 12:38-40
"In His teaching, Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, / and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show, make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
These are those who make rules using Scripture out of context, who can speak openly about God, and who can not. Ofte,n they raise up those who are educated by men above those who have been educated by the Holy Spirit. Depending on a seminary degree from a man-accredited institution, they demean and exclude those who walk in obedience to Christ but have no formal credentials from those institutions favored by the establishment.
My heart grieves every time I meet a woman who has been trained by a husband to never speak the things of the Lord to anyone because of their gender. It sounds like an exaggeration that anyone like this exists but they do, I have met them.
These men have convinced their wives that it is a sin to speak of things of the Lord because it is the job of the men to do this. They have been taught through control and intimidation that they are not called to speak of the Lord.
The Samaritan woman at the well was the first woman evangelist. When she had met Jesus and become born again she rushed to town to share her experience and the news of His identity to others. She did not lead a gathering but she spoke to others about who Christ was and what He did for her. John 4
Mary Magdaline was another woman who was the first at the open tomb of Christ who shared the news of His resurrection. John 20
Pricilla and Aquilla worked together as a husband and wife team to share the gospel to others.
A person is not a women's libber or rebellious one because she believes the Bible about the calling of women to speak the truth of the Bible to others. Some leaders have trained their congregations that women are never allowed to speak the gospel to people they meet outside the gathering. They are to remain silent all the time in all cases when it comes to the gospel or Scriptural principles.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
Every born again believer is commanded to speak the truth to anyone as led by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:25
"25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another."
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Making Rules While Judging Others
When someone who says they are a Christian brings a "rule" they think we should follow, go to the Scriptures and prove it. If it cannot be seen in the Scriptures, then you are free to discard it.
Mankind always thinks it can make up rules to help God monitor His people. When we look at the mentality behind making unbiblical rules, we see that these rules are based on man's desire to be superior to others.
We don't need to make our own rules to make sure people will obey the Bible; those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit will be what they should be because of the Holy Spirit who lives in them. Man's rules are never helpful or better than God's Word.
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."
When the Holy Spirit lives in us we need no extra laws God never gave to intimidate people into making sure they are "doing just right."
I was once told by Christians that it was a sin to drink coffee because it was a stimulant. Since I saw no command in scripture that told me this, I dismissed it as foolishness, since food is a stimulant, we have more energy when we eat it than if we didn't eat it. Some things just get silly when people make rules God never made and intimidate others into following their rules.
A Christian woman once gave me a bottle of apple juice that was a gift to her. I asked her why she didn't want it, and she told me it was because the bottle looked like a wine bottle and she was concerned that anyone seeing it would think that she drinks wine. I thanked her for the juice and gladly drank it.
The scripture that was used to justify this thinking was that we are to "avoid the appearance of evil." As I pondered this, it occurred to me that she didn't mind giving that "appearance of evil" to another believer but was fearful of her own reputation. I felt a little sad for her because what a burden it would be to have to continually worry about "appearances" when we are not doing anything wrong.
Superficial Christians are often more worried about how they appear than the substance of their character. If we are not doing anything wrong and someone else judges it, then that is on that other person who judges, not on us.
When I went back to the scripture and studied further, I realized the verse should have been translated, "avoid evil," rather than anything having to do with appearances.
Christ was judged by appearances when He ate and drank with sinners. Should He have avoided sinners to avoid being judged? His mission was to bring the gospel to them.
If we had to continually worry about how others are judging us, we wouldn't be seen in public at all, since everything could be judged as bad by those who are self-righteous, looking for things to monitor in others.
There are many people who will choose to judge innocent matters because of their angst toward us.
One Saturday, many years ago, my husband and I wanted to go to a flea market. The parking lot of the market was full, so we had to go across the street to the closed tavern. Our car was the only car in that lot when we arrived. We parked and walked across the street to the market.
A few days later, we were at a family gathering, and a relative loudly proclaimed that my husband and I were at the bar on a Saturday morning, drinking. We don't go to bars, but because we were known to be Christians, this person wanted to "expose" us by tattling on us. It was quite amusing because we explained to the people in the room that the bar was closed, we parked there to go to the flea market across the street, and she looked silly for her tattling.
Should we not have parked in that lot for fear of how it would look? No, we cannot worry about every little thing that we do that may be misinterpreted by onlookers.
It has been my experience that if someone doesn't like you, they will deliberately misinterpret what you do because their desire is to harm you in some way.
This is what the devil did in the garden with Eve. He smeared the reputation of God because of his hatred toward God. He wanted Eve to think mean things about God so that she would turn on Him and follow the devil, the one who gossiped and lied.
I have even heard people judge a person wearing torn jeans to a Christian gathering, being judged for it, and even a man wearing a suit judged for it because he was said to be too concerned about clothing style. Here's the thing: why would we see the man wearing the suit as being too concerned about clothing, but not the man in the torn jeans as too concerned about clothing?
One man once said he thought the old timers were too worried about dressing up for church, so he dressed down because he liked it. It is possible that the young man was the one too concerned about clothing, or he wouldn't even mention it.
I don't notice clothing much when in a gathering, unless it is immoral and distracting. I do think clothing style can reflect disrespect for others. I do have to ask why someone would come to a gathering in a tank top and jeans but go to the office Christmas party dressed to the nines. Just saying!
Perhaps if someone does have decent clothing, they should choose that over the clothes they wear when they mow the grass, merely out of respect for the others.
The only passage I see in Scripture about the Christian gathering was that no one should be treated better because of their financial status, which was reflected in their clothing. In other words, we are not to prefer the wealthy person over the poor person. It didn't have to do with clothing; it had to do with highly valuing someone or devaluing them based on their wealth.
James 2:2-4 "2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,
3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”
We must judge sin, call it out, and attempt to restore the one who has sinned when there is confession and forgiveness extended. But we have no business judging things that God did not clearly state were sins.
Mankind always thinks it can make up rules to help God monitor His people. When we look at the mentality behind making unbiblical rules, we see that these rules are based on man's desire to be superior to others.
We don't need to make our own rules to make sure people will obey the Bible; those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit will be what they should be because of the Holy Spirit who lives in them. Man's rules are never helpful or better than God's Word.
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."
When the Holy Spirit lives in us we need no extra laws God never gave to intimidate people into making sure they are "doing just right."
I was once told by Christians that it was a sin to drink coffee because it was a stimulant. Since I saw no command in scripture that told me this, I dismissed it as foolishness, since food is a stimulant, we have more energy when we eat it than if we didn't eat it. Some things just get silly when people make rules God never made and intimidate others into following their rules.
A Christian woman once gave me a bottle of apple juice that was a gift to her. I asked her why she didn't want it, and she told me it was because the bottle looked like a wine bottle and she was concerned that anyone seeing it would think that she drinks wine. I thanked her for the juice and gladly drank it.
The scripture that was used to justify this thinking was that we are to "avoid the appearance of evil." As I pondered this, it occurred to me that she didn't mind giving that "appearance of evil" to another believer but was fearful of her own reputation. I felt a little sad for her because what a burden it would be to have to continually worry about "appearances" when we are not doing anything wrong.
Superficial Christians are often more worried about how they appear than the substance of their character. If we are not doing anything wrong and someone else judges it, then that is on that other person who judges, not on us.
When I went back to the scripture and studied further, I realized the verse should have been translated, "avoid evil," rather than anything having to do with appearances.
Christ was judged by appearances when He ate and drank with sinners. Should He have avoided sinners to avoid being judged? His mission was to bring the gospel to them.
If we had to continually worry about how others are judging us, we wouldn't be seen in public at all, since everything could be judged as bad by those who are self-righteous, looking for things to monitor in others.
There are many people who will choose to judge innocent matters because of their angst toward us.
One Saturday, many years ago, my husband and I wanted to go to a flea market. The parking lot of the market was full, so we had to go across the street to the closed tavern. Our car was the only car in that lot when we arrived. We parked and walked across the street to the market.
A few days later, we were at a family gathering, and a relative loudly proclaimed that my husband and I were at the bar on a Saturday morning, drinking. We don't go to bars, but because we were known to be Christians, this person wanted to "expose" us by tattling on us. It was quite amusing because we explained to the people in the room that the bar was closed, we parked there to go to the flea market across the street, and she looked silly for her tattling.
Should we not have parked in that lot for fear of how it would look? No, we cannot worry about every little thing that we do that may be misinterpreted by onlookers.
It has been my experience that if someone doesn't like you, they will deliberately misinterpret what you do because their desire is to harm you in some way.
This is what the devil did in the garden with Eve. He smeared the reputation of God because of his hatred toward God. He wanted Eve to think mean things about God so that she would turn on Him and follow the devil, the one who gossiped and lied.
I have even heard people judge a person wearing torn jeans to a Christian gathering, being judged for it, and even a man wearing a suit judged for it because he was said to be too concerned about clothing style. Here's the thing: why would we see the man wearing the suit as being too concerned about clothing, but not the man in the torn jeans as too concerned about clothing?
One man once said he thought the old timers were too worried about dressing up for church, so he dressed down because he liked it. It is possible that the young man was the one too concerned about clothing, or he wouldn't even mention it.
I don't notice clothing much when in a gathering, unless it is immoral and distracting. I do think clothing style can reflect disrespect for others. I do have to ask why someone would come to a gathering in a tank top and jeans but go to the office Christmas party dressed to the nines. Just saying!
Perhaps if someone does have decent clothing, they should choose that over the clothes they wear when they mow the grass, merely out of respect for the others.
The only passage I see in Scripture about the Christian gathering was that no one should be treated better because of their financial status, which was reflected in their clothing. In other words, we are not to prefer the wealthy person over the poor person. It didn't have to do with clothing; it had to do with highly valuing someone or devaluing them based on their wealth.
James 2:2-4 "2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,
3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”
4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? "
We must judge sin, call it out, and attempt to restore the one who has sinned when there is confession and forgiveness extended. But we have no business judging things that God did not clearly state were sins.
Rules Man Made But God Did Not
I have been told by some Christians that we should memorize the Scriptures. I never found a Bible verse that says "memorize anything," but I have found Scriptures that say "hide My word away in your heart."
I know this cannot be memorization because God never instructed us to memorize a specific language. God's meaning in "hide my word away in your heart" was that we should know Him and His principles so well that they come to mind quickly in any situation.
We can memorize if we wish, but my mind does not think in the words of others; it thinks in principles and commands. We can memorize Scripture and still not live by those principles and commands. The principles and commands should become so much a part of our being that we don't even need words on a page to love and live them. We learn from reading His Word from whichever translation we have, and God translates it into His mind so that we are not misled by errors in translation.
When we seek the Holy Spirit for His Mind, we can read the words on the page, and God will enlighten them so we are not misled by a language barrier.
Often, modern Christianity makes rules out of concepts that God never spoke. Because some people think we must be accurate about the words. They forget that our English words are a translation. God must give us the understanding, no matter what language of the Bible we read.
To know Christ is to know His principles so that we can live them and convey them to others; the exact words are not important, but the truth of God must be accurate.
There have been too many situations in my life in which Christians quote a verse from the Bible out of context, not realizing the rest of the Scriptures negate their understanding. They think just knowing exact words is more important than the idea or meaning God intends to impart.
Our culture imposes upon the text its own Western mindset that is very different from the Jewish mindset of Christ's day. Many things Westerners believe about the Bible are not true, but their own interpretations are based on how their mind works, not on what God actually said.
And, more disturbing than this is the propensity for Christians to read a verse, leaving out something God said to camp on what they wish to believe, using only the part that pleases them.
An example of this problem is the mantra, "don't judge", leading everyone to believe we should never judge, when reading the rest of the passage, where these words are stated, shows us that the command was to judge without hypocrisy. We are not to judge another person for something we are also doing. And, we are commanded to judge righteously according to God's Word. So God commanded us to judge.
Those who don't want to be judged will leave out the part of the passage they don't like.
Matthew 7:1-6
Judging Others
7 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.
2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!"
The "don't judge" mantra comes from psychology that says we can't know what is causing a person to act as they do, they might be going through something difficult, as though difficulty gives someone a license to act badly toward others.
It doesn't matter what someone is going through, we still need to judge the behavior as good or bad. And, when we judge a behavior as bad does not mean we don't love the person who needs correction.
Our culture is based more on "feelings" than on rational thinking. This is the reason people will hate you for doing good, because your good makes them look bad. They are not able to judge the act on its own merit, they will judge based on how they feel, and they will even say, "you made me feel" as though we have power over their feelings and they do not.
Another wrong teaching in our culture is that we should forgive those who are not repentant. God said clearly to forgive "when they come and say 'I repent'". They leave out the part of the passage that proves one must repent to be forgiven.
Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
In the context of the entire Bible, this verse tells us that to be reconciled in a relationship, there must be both confession of sin and forgiveness extended; both are necessary to restore what was lost in the relationship. When we know this, we understand better the salvation message in which God tells us to be reconciled to Him; we must confess our sinful nature and desire to be forgiven and cleansed by Him.
1 John 1:8-10
…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If 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."
No one will change their character if they do not admit their sin. Character is only changed when someone is grieved over their sin and truly hates what they did and wants it to change.
This is what repentance is all about: the repentance that brings healing to the soul and reconciliation with God. Then He will send His Holy Spirit to come and live in those who desire Him, His righteousness, and a completely changed heart.
When we do not understand confession of sin, forgiveness, and reconciliation, we will miss the way of salvation. Many people come to God with the wrong attitude, still hanging onto their pride and rebelliousness, thinking that just claiming to be Christian gets them in the door to heaven. They come with an entitlement mentality, believing that God has to save them no matter what their attitude.
It is only through brokenness over our own sinful condition that God is motivated to change us and cleanse us with His Holy Spirit.
It is all His Word in us; this means it is all His work and not our own effort.
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."
Salvation is so easy and yet the pride of mankind thanks it is too easy because it involves submitting to God. Submission to anyone is not something most people want. So they turn down salvation through Christ merely because they want to have their own way.
We must stop listening to the culture around us based on psychology and Darwinism and embrace God's truth in His Word, enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
I know this cannot be memorization because God never instructed us to memorize a specific language. God's meaning in "hide my word away in your heart" was that we should know Him and His principles so well that they come to mind quickly in any situation.
We can memorize if we wish, but my mind does not think in the words of others; it thinks in principles and commands. We can memorize Scripture and still not live by those principles and commands. The principles and commands should become so much a part of our being that we don't even need words on a page to love and live them. We learn from reading His Word from whichever translation we have, and God translates it into His mind so that we are not misled by errors in translation.
When we seek the Holy Spirit for His Mind, we can read the words on the page, and God will enlighten them so we are not misled by a language barrier.
Often, modern Christianity makes rules out of concepts that God never spoke. Because some people think we must be accurate about the words. They forget that our English words are a translation. God must give us the understanding, no matter what language of the Bible we read.
To know Christ is to know His principles so that we can live them and convey them to others; the exact words are not important, but the truth of God must be accurate.
There have been too many situations in my life in which Christians quote a verse from the Bible out of context, not realizing the rest of the Scriptures negate their understanding. They think just knowing exact words is more important than the idea or meaning God intends to impart.
Our culture imposes upon the text its own Western mindset that is very different from the Jewish mindset of Christ's day. Many things Westerners believe about the Bible are not true, but their own interpretations are based on how their mind works, not on what God actually said.
And, more disturbing than this is the propensity for Christians to read a verse, leaving out something God said to camp on what they wish to believe, using only the part that pleases them.
An example of this problem is the mantra, "don't judge", leading everyone to believe we should never judge, when reading the rest of the passage, where these words are stated, shows us that the command was to judge without hypocrisy. We are not to judge another person for something we are also doing. And, we are commanded to judge righteously according to God's Word. So God commanded us to judge.
Those who don't want to be judged will leave out the part of the passage they don't like.
Matthew 7:1-6
Judging Others
7 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.
2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!"
The "don't judge" mantra comes from psychology that says we can't know what is causing a person to act as they do, they might be going through something difficult, as though difficulty gives someone a license to act badly toward others.
It doesn't matter what someone is going through, we still need to judge the behavior as good or bad. And, when we judge a behavior as bad does not mean we don't love the person who needs correction.
Our culture is based more on "feelings" than on rational thinking. This is the reason people will hate you for doing good, because your good makes them look bad. They are not able to judge the act on its own merit, they will judge based on how they feel, and they will even say, "you made me feel" as though we have power over their feelings and they do not.
Another wrong teaching in our culture is that we should forgive those who are not repentant. God said clearly to forgive "when they come and say 'I repent'". They leave out the part of the passage that proves one must repent to be forgiven.
Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
In the context of the entire Bible, this verse tells us that to be reconciled in a relationship, there must be both confession of sin and forgiveness extended; both are necessary to restore what was lost in the relationship. When we know this, we understand better the salvation message in which God tells us to be reconciled to Him; we must confess our sinful nature and desire to be forgiven and cleansed by Him.
1 John 1:8-10
…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If 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."
No one will change their character if they do not admit their sin. Character is only changed when someone is grieved over their sin and truly hates what they did and wants it to change.
This is what repentance is all about: the repentance that brings healing to the soul and reconciliation with God. Then He will send His Holy Spirit to come and live in those who desire Him, His righteousness, and a completely changed heart.
When we do not understand confession of sin, forgiveness, and reconciliation, we will miss the way of salvation. Many people come to God with the wrong attitude, still hanging onto their pride and rebelliousness, thinking that just claiming to be Christian gets them in the door to heaven. They come with an entitlement mentality, believing that God has to save them no matter what their attitude.
It is only through brokenness over our own sinful condition that God is motivated to change us and cleanse us with His Holy Spirit.
It is all His Word in us; this means it is all His work and not our own effort.
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."
Salvation is so easy and yet the pride of mankind thanks it is too easy because it involves submitting to God. Submission to anyone is not something most people want. So they turn down salvation through Christ merely because they want to have their own way.
We must stop listening to the culture around us based on psychology and Darwinism and embrace God's truth in His Word, enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Monday, June 30, 2025
Christ Always Comes First
Because we love Christ, we love our families, but we do not live according to the expectations of family. Christ is always first.
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