Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Choosing Your Battles? What Does that Mean?
I used to hear people say "we need to choose our battles to be able to fight less" in terms of raising children. This is modern thinking, we are to train our children on everything. Leaving some things alone because they seem less important is like ignoring a small leak until it becomes a big flood.
We are to teach the principles of God continually as the children are growing up.
Deuteronomy 6:7-9
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
In a war if we ignore any battles we will lose the entire war. We see how true this has become in the lack of respect children have for their parents due to the inconsistency in their growing-up years.
Its sort of the "broken-window" policy we have heard about, if there is an abandoned house in the neighborhood and one person is allowed to throw a rock breaking a window without any consequences others will do the same since there are no consequences. The same principle holds for raising children.
The more lenient a parent is with a child the less likely that child will have honor and respect for any authority or regard for any rules.
Our culture as a whole has trained the children to disregard anyone or any rule they dislike. Now we have raging insanity ruling every aspect of our lives and the culture pressuring those who enjoy freedom with boundaries being mocked and rejected for their wisdom.
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.…"
Isaiah 30:10
"They say to the seers, "Stop seeing visions!" and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions."
2 Timothy 1:13
"Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."
Times are hard now for many people but know this, they will get worse, the runaway train will not stop it will increase in speed and eventually fall off the cliff. It is almost to the cliff now.
Demonic Activity is Increasing
Have you wondered if the demonic activity has been increasing in these modern times? I began to wonder about it when I learned many years ago through Bible study that demons are active on the earth all down through history.
It is amazing how many people will believe in aliens from outer space but will not believe in demons that God told us were roaming the earth.
1 Timothy 4:1 "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,"
This is a time of demonic influence on everyone. Even believers can be deceived if they are not well-read in the Words of God in the Bible. And, obviously anyone who is not born-again falls prey to the demonic forces because they have no protection from God at all.
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."
The book of Revelation tells us about the "stinging locusts" who will torment people for five months. They were said to have come from the abyss, hell is another name for it.
These scorpions will be allowed to torment people but not kill for this period of time. The people will want to die but will not be able to because these are spiritual demonic attacks that will not touch the believers who became born-again after the rapture. The attacks are entirely spiritual affecting the mind just as powerfully as if it were a physical attack.
Since they are spiritual entities everything happening to the victims is in their own minds.
I recall the "abduction" accounts of people who claim to be abducted by aliens. They were clearly attacked by something but it was not physical it was an attack on their spirit by devils in their own minds. They never left their beds, notice it was always at night.
I also recall the reports many years ago of the "bad trips" some people experienced while on LSD. These people were so tormented by the biting spiders that were crawling all over them that they screamed out in pain and flailed about in panic trying to get the spiders off of them. There were no biting spiders and yet they could see them, feel them and even feel the bites in great pain.
There were no spiders, bites or pain except in the mind of those who were experiencing the attacks of demonic forces through the use of LSD.
I am convinced by the description of the stinging locusts that they were tormenting people in their minds not in their bodies.
Revelation 9 "The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads, they wore things that looked like crowns of gold. Their faces looked like human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. Their chests looked like iron breastplates. The sound their wings made was like the noise of many horses and chariots hurrying into battle. The locusts had tails with stingers like scorpions. The power they had to hurt people for five months was in their tails. The locusts had a king who was the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in the Hebrew language is Abaddon. In the Greek language, his name is Apollyon."
There is no doubt that these were spirit beings revealed only to those who were being tormented by them. The believers are protected from these beings by God. In my opinion, they may not even be able to see them since they are evil spirits, perhaps only those who are not born again will be attacked by them. Also, believers are not allowed to see demons generally, we are protected from the fierceness of their appearance.
We know that the devil is moving around from place to place and his minions the demons have been strategically placed all over the world to influence the minds of people who have no defense against him. This is why we see the increase in irrational thinking and antagonism in families and communities. We are living in "ragingly insane"
God has given us an escape from this horrid time of intense chaos, murder and mayhem. The way to escape it is to become born-again and be taken out in the rapture or to die in Christ when He takes us home.
The way of salvation is very simple, confess your sinfulness, ask Christ to change you into a new creation. If you want to be changed by Him and become a completely different person He will change you, clean you up and protect your soul until the day He takes you.
Life and the devil will throw at you many hardships and the loss of friends and family is inevitable when we trust in Christ, but the joy is immense, and our inheritance is assured. All we endure here are lessons for eternity and have a purpose to make us stronger. Do not fear these lessons and hateful people who want you to remain lost like them. They have no power over a born-again believer fully trusting Christ and heaven awaits.
The fruit of the Spirit is waiting for all those who trust in 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."
The picture is an artist's rendition of what the locusts could look like based on the Biblical description. Only those who reject Christ will see them.
It is amazing how many people will believe in aliens from outer space but will not believe in demons that God told us were roaming the earth.
1 Timothy 4:1 "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,"
This is a time of demonic influence on everyone. Even believers can be deceived if they are not well-read in the Words of God in the Bible. And, obviously anyone who is not born-again falls prey to the demonic forces because they have no protection from God at all.
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."
The book of Revelation tells us about the "stinging locusts" who will torment people for five months. They were said to have come from the abyss, hell is another name for it.
These scorpions will be allowed to torment people but not kill for this period of time. The people will want to die but will not be able to because these are spiritual demonic attacks that will not touch the believers who became born-again after the rapture. The attacks are entirely spiritual affecting the mind just as powerfully as if it were a physical attack.
Since they are spiritual entities everything happening to the victims is in their own minds.
I recall the "abduction" accounts of people who claim to be abducted by aliens. They were clearly attacked by something but it was not physical it was an attack on their spirit by devils in their own minds. They never left their beds, notice it was always at night.
I also recall the reports many years ago of the "bad trips" some people experienced while on LSD. These people were so tormented by the biting spiders that were crawling all over them that they screamed out in pain and flailed about in panic trying to get the spiders off of them. There were no biting spiders and yet they could see them, feel them and even feel the bites in great pain.
There were no spiders, bites or pain except in the mind of those who were experiencing the attacks of demonic forces through the use of LSD.
I am convinced by the description of the stinging locusts that they were tormenting people in their minds not in their bodies.
Revelation 9 "The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads, they wore things that looked like crowns of gold. Their faces looked like human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. Their chests looked like iron breastplates. The sound their wings made was like the noise of many horses and chariots hurrying into battle. The locusts had tails with stingers like scorpions. The power they had to hurt people for five months was in their tails. The locusts had a king who was the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in the Hebrew language is Abaddon. In the Greek language, his name is Apollyon."
There is no doubt that these were spirit beings revealed only to those who were being tormented by them. The believers are protected from these beings by God. In my opinion, they may not even be able to see them since they are evil spirits, perhaps only those who are not born again will be attacked by them. Also, believers are not allowed to see demons generally, we are protected from the fierceness of their appearance.
We know that the devil is moving around from place to place and his minions the demons have been strategically placed all over the world to influence the minds of people who have no defense against him. This is why we see the increase in irrational thinking and antagonism in families and communities. We are living in "ragingly insane"
times in which all good sense is being attacked while insanity is being embraced.
God has given us an escape from this horrid time of intense chaos, murder and mayhem. The way to escape it is to become born-again and be taken out in the rapture or to die in Christ when He takes us home.
The way of salvation is very simple, confess your sinfulness, ask Christ to change you into a new creation. If you want to be changed by Him and become a completely different person He will change you, clean you up and protect your soul until the day He takes you.
Life and the devil will throw at you many hardships and the loss of friends and family is inevitable when we trust in Christ, but the joy is immense, and our inheritance is assured. All we endure here are lessons for eternity and have a purpose to make us stronger. Do not fear these lessons and hateful people who want you to remain lost like them. They have no power over a born-again believer fully trusting Christ and heaven awaits.
The fruit of the Spirit is waiting for all those who trust in 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."
The picture is an artist's rendition of what the locusts could look like based on the Biblical description. Only those who reject Christ will see them.
Monday, January 8, 2024
Knowledge Alone without Wisdom Produces Pride
The more I grew in my Christianity and the more Christ moved in my life the less I cared if anyone else liked me.
I love people as He loves but do not have a NEED to be loved by any other human being.
I am more concerned now about becoming the person Christ wants me to be than i am about how others treat me. After all, Christ answered not a word when He was placed on that cross. Only those who trust in Him will have a relationship with Him and spend eternity with Him. When Christ loves us no one else could love us the way He does.
John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Love is not based on performance it is based on the love of Christ in those of us who have been born again. Love takes many forms, it is demonstrated in the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
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."
Love includes rebuke, correction and admonishment when necessary. It always exhibits a desire to help not to hurt or dominate. The purpose of the corrective forms of love is to bring someone to repentance either to save them from hell or if they are born again already to encourage Spiritual growth.
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."
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?…"
Those who will not confess their sin to be cleansed will remain spiritual and emotional babies if they are born again. Born-again believers grow in direct proportion to how often they confess their sins. I have met many people who are as immature at 70 as they were at 20 because they would not admit the sin of pride. They had head knowledge but very little wisdom.
We must admit our failures, and monitor our attitudes by learning the Word of God, while asking for wisdom, to do what God tells us to do. Knowing is not enough, impressing others with knowledge is useless and even delays or prevents wisdom. The purpose of gaining knowledge is to grow in wisdom, it ought never to be used to self-aggrandize.
Those who seek knowledge for its own sake to appear superior will not gain wisdom, they will only think they have.
1 Corinthians 8:1 "Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes one conceited, but love edifies people."
Proverbs 4:5-9
"5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Those who will not confess to become born again are headed for hell if they do not repent before their death.
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