Never Listen to a Future Teller!

I do not accept anyone telling me they have received a prophecy about the future for me or anyone else.

 
To do such a thing is to proclaim to be the mediator between me and God the Father. Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between me and God, as is true with all born-again believers who have the Holy Spirit.

 
We no longer need prophets who tell the future; we walk by faith according to the revealed word of God. If God wants me to know something, He tells me.

 
A persistent desire for special, supernatural signs to prove God's existence or power, instead of trusting in what God has already revealed, is a lack of faith.
Many people who look for miracles often neglect the commands and principles of God, even justifying disobedience because of the miracle.

 
I will not allow anyone to diminish my faith by playing the Holy Spirit on my behalf.

 
I have no need to know the future because I have faith, God will tell me what is needed when it is needed.

 
Matthew 16:3-4 "…3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away."

Those who continually seek signs and wonders will be fooled by the devil when he parades his false miracles that seem so right but are deceptive and detract from walking by faith in Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "…13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.…"

Satan comes as an angel of light, pretending to be from God, causing many people to place their trust in signs and wonders instead of Christ Himself.

 
Attempts to bolster faith by the need to "see" miracles diminishes faith, it does not build it. Paul trusted Christ through his infirmity, even when he was never healed of his physical problems.

 
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
"8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

The greatest faith occurs when we trust Christ even when things are hard. We know He goes through with us, often not bailing us out but building our faith because we remain trusting in Him when difficulties do not subside.

 
It is easy to trust Christ when things are easy and we are getting everything we want. True faith is tested when the trials come.

Matthew 5:45 "so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Our faith is seen by the world the best in our unwavering joy and peace through the trials.

 
Matthew 5:44-45 "…44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

No one escapes the trials or storms of life; how we respond to them is what reveals our character, whether we walk in the flesh or whether we walk in the Spirit.
The most foolish and mean-spirited thing one can say to another person in the middle of a trial is "you don't have enough faith", as though one must muster up faith and all their troubles will go away.

 
The greatest faith I have seen in people has been from those who lived a lifetime of trials and still remained faithful to God's Word. Their joy was present in the middle of their tears; they praised God even when it hurt. Perhaps a good account to read is that of Job, who suffered greatly and yet never was angry with God. He mourned and prayed, but never demonstrated anger or distrust in God.

 
Galatians 6:10 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith."

The best thing we can do for those who are suffering is to pray for the strength for them to endure through it. Because, after all, only God knows when to lift the suffering or if it will ever be lifted. Our kindness is in realizing we don't know God's will for someone else, and He can give them the strength necessary to endure.

 
We can pray for healing too for others, but we never want to pray against God's Will, and we don't know what His will is for someone else.

 
James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

The trials may be emotional persecution as one is rejected by those who do not love the truth, or they can be physical persecution from others for our faith. Or, they may simply be a lifelong illness that will keep us humble. There is no gain without pain and suffering builds confidence and perseverance.

 
Romans 5:3-5
"3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

May we stop looking for special miracles to boast about and begin trusting Christ every day for the small matters as well as the big ones and everything in between.
Our greatest witness to the world is our demeanor and faith through everything difficult.

 
Philippians 4:5-7 "…5 Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Be Transformed in Your Minds by Christ

1 Corinthians 14:20 "20 Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature." It's a command!

How do we become mature? We read the Bible and seek Christ to show us our blind spots and change our minds about the things that were taught to us that were not Biblical.

 
All of us were taught things that did not please God, even if they were well-meaning. It is human nature to add to God's Word our own interpretations unless we are asking Christ to open our eyes to everything that needs changing in our way of thinking.

 
It is human nature to interpret things according to the culture in which we live every day. It is easier, and we can keep our friends without losing anything.

 
When God changes our thinking, we will lose most people in our sphere of influence. Very few people want to know the truth that comes from God; they would rather maintain what is comfortable and familiar and more pleasurable.

 
Our way of thinking determines our attitudes and actions. Those who have wrong thinking will act disobediently, those who think with the mind of Christ will act righteously and be dedicated to what God shows them. This angers many people; we know this by what they did to the apostles and to Jesus Christ Himself. They murdered them and felt justified in doing so as they determined in their minds that those who followed Christ were troublemakers and blasphemers.

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

Those who think like the world are inwardly angry with those who follow Christ; even if we do not see it on the outside, it will emerge when we bring them the gospel.

 
Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

We are "living epistles", the mere practice of living for Christ will irritate the demons of those who do not know Him. They will show us who they are by their responses to us. Those who love Christ will love us, and those who hate Christ will hate us.

 
John 13:35 "35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”

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

We do not see in our country children putting parents to death, but we do see the angst and hatred that demonstrates they would if they could. Family members are hell bent on drama for no good reason, believing they have one, they deceive themselves into justification for their hatred.

 
This is the mentality of the end times, when the culture as a whole claims to have religion but has denied Christ in their attitudes that lead to lifestyle.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 Godlessness in the Last Days
"1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."

We must keep our minds focused on Christ so that we do not become like those around us. It is easier to fall into what we see all the time than do the hard work of prayer and dedication to Christ to avoid becoming like the world.

 
1 Corinthians 10:11-13 "11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. "12 Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall."

Salvation Depends Entirely on Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice

If salvation depended on our own efforts with good deeds then our salvation depends on us. Our salvation depends entirely on Jesus Christ, Who paid the price for our sin.
Ephesians 2:9-10 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."

2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"

Philippians 2:13
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose."

Titus 2:14
"He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

Colossians 1:10
"so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,"

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Present Your Bodies as a Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Brothers and Sisters, it is not what we do for God that counts it is what He does through us that demonstrates our Spiritual sacrifice. There is nothing we can do that would satisfy a holy God in terms of service to Him.

It is what He has already done on our behalf and how He works in everyone who trusts in Him, transforming each person into a new creation. From this transformation come the actions and attitudes of Christ as we obey Him.

Our worship is Spiritual and based on Truth, not outward rituals we do to satisfy our own need to placate or impress God.

When we realize our bodies are the temple, then there is no longer a need for a physical building or rituals to walk with Christ. We honor Him the best when we obey Him and live out our lives dedicated to Him in all our ways. When we fail because we battle the flesh which is perishing, He disciplines us to return to obedience.

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. 6For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"

Job 5:17
"Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"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; you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body."

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

We are living stones spiritually built up by God as a holy priesthood. Yes, we are priests as born-again believers. We do not offer animal sacrifices or any other kind of physical offering; we offer our bodies to be used and guided by Christ Who lives in us.

In the days before Christ, the priests offered animals on the altar to God; sacrificing them was a picture of Christ to come later as the final and real sacrifice that removed the stain of sin. Offering animals never took away the penalty of sin; it was an acknowledgment of Christ, Who was to come in the future and what He had to do, that is to die on our behalf.

Some priests believed in Christ when He came because they knew the scriptures, realizing why He came and that He would take the place of animal sacrifices.
Those animal sacrifices never took away the penalty of sin; they only offered a picture of what Christ would do in the future.

When Christ rose from the dead, He went into the paradise part of hell called Sheol to preach to the Old Testament saints who believed God and who lived by faith. They trusted Christ there, and then He took them out of there to heaven.
That place of paradise where the Old Testament saints were before the cross is empty.

Now, when believers trust in Christ, they go straight to heaven when they die.
2 Corinthians 5:8 "8 but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."

There is no longer a holding place for believers when we die, as there was with the Old Testament saints. There are also no rituals commanded in the Bible other than the Lord's supper, to remember Christ and what He did.

Praise God Christ did it all on the cross, when we trust in Him, He works in us. Too many people attempt to help God out by making up their own rituals God never commanded, even changing His Word to create a religion of their own that satisfies their pride.

I was amazed at how many activities in the church were a burden, when He opened my eyes, things that God never commanded. When those burdens were lifted, life was so much more peaceful and stress-free.

If God never told us to observe something, if He never gave a command to do it, then we are free to ignore it and even reject it as human fodder (hay and stubble for cattle) to elevate the ego, not at all useful in our walk with Christ; they only build pride and often replace obedience to His Word.

May we be diligent to walk in obedience to Christ through knowing His word and loving His principles and commands.

Our DNA Does Not Have to Define Us

Our DNA or our family environment does not determine our character or our course in life. Our choices are what determine our lives.

 
We can choose to follow the culture we were raised in, or we can turn to Christ so that He can do in us what He wants to do, and that is to change us into a new creation.

 
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose".

 
There are those who think their life would be too restrictive if they submitted to Christ in humility. They are dead wrong, trusting in Christ frees us from pride and foolishness that destroys character.

 
Those of us who have experienced the life-changing transformation by the hand of God because we know we are destitute of any good know very well the burden that was lifted when Christ came to live in us.

 
Romans 8:1-3 "1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,…"

I see so many people in the church struggling to appear good in their own strength to impress those around them who lack the joy of the Lord, as well as all the other fruit of the Spirit of Christ.

 
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 a born-again believer experiences the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit, the joy is greater than we can express.

The Way We Think Determines Our Attitudes and Actions

The way we think and what we think determines our attitudes and actions toward others.

When someone dislikes another person, they will interpret everything that person does as inferior, second-class, or unacceptable in some way.

To come to conclusions about a person who is disliked, one must make judgments without all the information. Often, these judgements are based on snippets of information and gossip without regard to facts and authenticity. They will assume the person is bad because they dislike them.

The same is true for someone who is loved and elevated above others. Those who love the elevated person will interpret everything that person does as always good without regard to the nuances surrounding their life. They will assume the person is good because they like them.

In both instances of favoritism or disfavor, the one who evaluates another based on their personal bias will not see things in truth but rather what they wish to believe about the person who is their target, either the favored one or the disfavored one.
When we love others, we do not base our relationship on whether or not we dislike them. We treat all people with respect, always operating from discernment to be able to see things in truth. Some people we will avoid because they are evil, and others we will embrace because they walk with Christ.

Our close friends will be those who think in the same way we do, for the most part. Those who cannot be our close friends are those who think entirely differently from us on important Spiritual matters.

Those who are destructive to us and others cannot be considered friends; they may be acquaintances we keep at arm's length, but not friends we can trust.

Romans 16:17
"17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them."

We must not act as the rebellious man does, that is, treat others disrespectfully, but we can ignore those who cause trouble, keep personal confidences to ourselves, and only trusted friends who have been proven to be godly and respectful of our privacy will be in our inner circle. Most of all, those who are respectful of our faith and our walk with Christ must be our close friends.

Those who do not walk with Christ as a lifestyle will influence us to walk in the manner they walk. The pressure to be like them is enormous, even if subtle.

Proverbs 13:14
"14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn aside from the snares of death."

Those who love ritualistic religion more than Christ will pressure us to follow their ways over the ways of Christ. They will judge things about us and things we do that are not accurate because they think with the mind of someone who evaluates all things based on their feelings and false teachings, not on the Word of God.

Galatians 6:12
"12 All who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ."

Proverbs 16:17
"17 The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
One who watches his way protects his life."

1 Peter 4:10–11
"10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Only friends who are walking with Christ will serve to the glory of God; those who are not born again serve their own glory.

Our friends must be those who love Christ as much as we do, walk in humility, and encourage and endorse what God loves.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Pray for discernment to be able to walk with Christ without the hindrance of evil companions who will attempt to drag you away from God's Word through manipulation, even the manipulation of twisted Scripture to make their argument sound good.

The devil's favorite tactic is to cause believers to feel ashamed of doing what is right. He will even use scripture out of context and add what is not in context to bring about doubt, humiliation, and embarrassment for obeying God.

1 John 4:1
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Romans 12:2
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."

May each one reading this pray for discernment and the strength to walk away from those who keep them debased and devalued, discouraging righteousness while promoting willfulness.