Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Do not allow the Devil to take control over your heart!
The devil wants believers to be caught up in emotions so we will not think clearly. Knowing the Word of God keeps us from following our emotions. Our natural man tends to place more emphasis on how we feel momentarily than we do no truth.
As we speak the word of God to ourselves in our hearts the emotions dissipate and are left powerless.
The devil often uses half-truths and whole lies which are both full lies, to cause us to believe things that are not true, igniting our emotions like gasoline on a fire.
Those who have Jesus Christ and are seeking Him will not be fooled by the irrational emotions, by doing this they will avoid the consequences of unreasonable and ridiculous actions that destroy relationships.
The devil is all about relationship destruction, using emotions full of lies more than anything else to motivate the words and actions that lead to hate and misery.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
When we meet petty, angry and irrational people who twist the truth to appear superior to others, we know the devil is at work in their hearts.
Born-again believers who walk but the Spirit of Christ in them, have His love dwelling in them and enjoy blessing and loving others His way.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "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.
8 Love never fails;"
When someone walks in love they do not look for the worst in others, they never consider themselves superior to anyone because they know they are not perfect themselves. Those who love others seek to edify one another, bless others with wisdom and come alongside to be support to them when they are in need.
Born-again believers love to edify, share their life experiences with one another showing empathy and joy as they walk together in agreement.
Galatians 6:2
"2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Romans 12:15
"15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."
It is not love to demean and mock what others are experiencing, it is self exaltation and of the devil.
May every believer enjoy the peace that comes from sharing with one another in life's pains and joys.
I love a quote my husband uses: "Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow" ( A Swedish Proverb)
When we share with others their situations in life we are demonstrating the love of Christ. Our focus is off of self and onto those we love.
As we speak the word of God to ourselves in our hearts the emotions dissipate and are left powerless.
The devil often uses half-truths and whole lies which are both full lies, to cause us to believe things that are not true, igniting our emotions like gasoline on a fire.
Those who have Jesus Christ and are seeking Him will not be fooled by the irrational emotions, by doing this they will avoid the consequences of unreasonable and ridiculous actions that destroy relationships.
The devil is all about relationship destruction, using emotions full of lies more than anything else to motivate the words and actions that lead to hate and misery.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
When we meet petty, angry and irrational people who twist the truth to appear superior to others, we know the devil is at work in their hearts.
Born-again believers who walk but the Spirit of Christ in them, have His love dwelling in them and enjoy blessing and loving others His way.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "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.
8 Love never fails;"
When someone walks in love they do not look for the worst in others, they never consider themselves superior to anyone because they know they are not perfect themselves. Those who love others seek to edify one another, bless others with wisdom and come alongside to be support to them when they are in need.
Born-again believers love to edify, share their life experiences with one another showing empathy and joy as they walk together in agreement.
Galatians 6:2
"2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Romans 12:15
"15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."
It is not love to demean and mock what others are experiencing, it is self exaltation and of the devil.
May every believer enjoy the peace that comes from sharing with one another in life's pains and joys.
I love a quote my husband uses: "Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow" ( A Swedish Proverb)
When we share with others their situations in life we are demonstrating the love of Christ. Our focus is off of self and onto those we love.
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
One Must Repent to be Born Again
When Jesus Christ while He was on the cross, asked His Father to "forgive them they know not what they do" it was not a prayer to forgive individuals, it was a prayer to extend forgiveness to the world because of His sacrifice on the cross.
When Christ forgave people who were repentant when He walked the earth He said; "your sins are forgiven", but when He prayed to the Father He asked the Father to count His sacrifice as a substitute penalty for all those who would repent and trust in Him.
Christ never forgave the thief on the cross who was not sorry, but He did forgive the one who defended Christ. He said; "this day you will be in paradise with me."
No one is forgiven by God who does not repent.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Remember: "if we confess" are the key words that so many exclude from this passage.
2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."
When Christ forgave people who were repentant when He walked the earth He said; "your sins are forgiven", but when He prayed to the Father He asked the Father to count His sacrifice as a substitute penalty for all those who would repent and trust in Him.
Christ never forgave the thief on the cross who was not sorry, but He did forgive the one who defended Christ. He said; "this day you will be in paradise with me."
No one is forgiven by God who does not repent.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Remember: "if we confess" are the key words that so many exclude from this passage.
2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."
Facebook Friends Are Real Friends
There are those who mock our friends on Facebook saying they are not real friends. Others are saying they have heard this too and with the same exact verbiage I have heard by people who don't know each other.
We are living in the last days of apostasy, and there are few believers within our community that we have to reach outside our community to find them. God has given us the internet to connect with one another.
I have heard too that Facebook friends are not real friends. Only those who are jealous that we are connecting with people we love and who love us are saying these things.
They say, "but you have never met them in person", and I say; "I have never met Christ in person either but He lives in me."
Some of these people are involved in genealogy on the internet to find their relatives but no one is saying it is foolish because they have never met them. I have little interest in dead relatives that I have never met, they are just names on a page to me, I have no evidence of whether or not they loved Christ and I cannot communicate with them so I have no fascination with it.
Paul connected by letters that we are reading right now in our Bibles. Many believers he never met person to person but had a tender and loving heart for them because the same Christ that lived in him lived in them too.
The same people who say we should stay in long-distance communication with family because they are family will deny the wonderful connection of believers one to another on the internet.
I have to believe the purpose of those who attempt to discourage believers from connecting on the internet is being influenced by the devil to break our hearts, but it won't work because greater is God in us than Satan in them.
Believers I have connected with on the internet have encouraged and enhanced my walk with Christ while those who are family nearby have worked to undermine my walk with Christ.
I choose long-distance love, kindness, and edification through the saints on the internet over nearby mean-spirited relatives who do not love Christ, any day.
The Fool Says No to God
The fool is not denying God, he is just saying no to Him.
1 For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.
Here is another case in which the words "there is" have been added making the meaning incorrect.
The fool doesn't believe there is no God, He knows there is a God and deliberately says no to Him.
The correct rendering should say; "the fool says in his heart "no God."
Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
There is no reason to "hate" what you do not believe exists. The fool, as we say; the atheist, knows God and hates Him, deliberately denies Him, knowing full well He not only exists but does not want God to control his life.
1 For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.
Here is another case in which the words "there is" have been added making the meaning incorrect.
The fool doesn't believe there is no God, He knows there is a God and deliberately says no to Him.
The correct rendering should say; "the fool says in his heart "no God."
Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
There is no reason to "hate" what you do not believe exists. The fool, as we say; the atheist, knows God and hates Him, deliberately denies Him, knowing full well He not only exists but does not want God to control his life.
Loving Christ and Truth More than Self
Weeping is God's natural stress reliever, it is there for a reason. Only pride says we should not cry, good sense says it is necessary at times.
Christ wept, and we do too!
Those who say; "don't cry" don't want to be bothered with our pain, they don't like to see it so they tell us not to do it, it's selfish!
God said this:
Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.…"
Those who lack empathy and kindness cannot share in the joys or trials of others, they will disappear as soon as they perceive we are doing better than they or we have a trial to endure when we need someone to stand beside us.
Harmony means to live without contentiousness, conflict and strife. It means living in agreement with those around us not compromising truth but elevating above all else.
It is God's will that we live in cooperation with one another. Where there is no cooperation there is no friendship.
When two people resolve to be an asset to one another there is joy and peace. These are those who can be lovely lifelong and eternal friends.
1 Corinthians 12:26 "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
1 Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble."
Galatians 6:2 "Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, / who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
Such a blessing when we find a friend who loves Christ and truth more than they love themselves.!
Christ wept, and we do too!
Those who say; "don't cry" don't want to be bothered with our pain, they don't like to see it so they tell us not to do it, it's selfish!
God said this:
Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.…"
Those who lack empathy and kindness cannot share in the joys or trials of others, they will disappear as soon as they perceive we are doing better than they or we have a trial to endure when we need someone to stand beside us.
Harmony means to live without contentiousness, conflict and strife. It means living in agreement with those around us not compromising truth but elevating above all else.
It is God's will that we live in cooperation with one another. Where there is no cooperation there is no friendship.
When two people resolve to be an asset to one another there is joy and peace. These are those who can be lovely lifelong and eternal friends.
1 Corinthians 12:26 "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
1 Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble."
Galatians 6:2 "Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, / who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
Such a blessing when we find a friend who loves Christ and truth more than they love themselves.!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)