In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, God killed them both for lying to the Holy Spirit, but He never said they were not saved or that the Holy Spirit was removed from them.
If the couple had not been born again, He would not have disciplined them.
Hebrews 12:8 "If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
Also, God says this to believers who sin:
1 John 2:1-2 "1My 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. 2He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
And, 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?"
God never reneges on his promises; even when we fail, He does not take back His promise.
2 Timothy 2:12-13 "…12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."
Born-again believers may sin, but they do not deny Him. And God deals with them as He does with His children. They do not lose their family status.
Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights."
Revelation 3:19 "Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent."
Why do we repent as believers? We do it to grow in holiness because we love Christ Who lives in us. We are not able to live guilt free and cleansed of the sin if we do not confess it.
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If 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."
We know believers sin because we are trapped in this body of flesh that we must battle continually. The Spirit within us is sin-free, but the body is not. When we die, we go to God, but our flesh does not go because it is sinful.
Psalm 32:5 "Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah"
Proverbs 28:13 "He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy."
Galatians 5:16-17 " 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want."
1 Thessalonians 4:1 "Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more."
Sunday, September 6, 2026
It Could Be Today!
A brother asked me what I meant when I said; "It could be today." Here was my response to him.
In the old days, after the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, they had a saying in their hope of returning to their homeland: "next year in Jerusalem." Now I say, "It could be today," as we are approaching the final homegoing for believers.
Believers in Christ are looking every day for His return in the clouds and our homegoing.
Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 WAITING FOR OUR BLESSED HOPE, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."
I texted two friends, "It could be today", and they immediately knew what I meant because we discuss this expectation when we are together. What a joy we feel as we ponder going home to Jesus Christ our King.
In the old days, after the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, they had a saying in their hope of returning to their homeland: "next year in Jerusalem." Now I say, "It could be today," as we are approaching the final homegoing for believers.
Believers in Christ are looking every day for His return in the clouds and our homegoing.
Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 WAITING FOR OUR BLESSED HOPE, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."
I texted two friends, "It could be today", and they immediately knew what I meant because we discuss this expectation when we are together. What a joy we feel as we ponder going home to Jesus Christ our King.
Saturday, September 5, 2026
The Character of Christ in Us
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
The fruit is the character qualities of Christ, only seen clearly by other believers who have the fruit.
They are Spiritual qualities that dominate the believer's character and lead to good deeds.
We cannot judge by the good deeds alone because even bad people can have good deeds to impress others. The fruit is a Spiritual character that can be discerned by other believers.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Many people will think they are going to heaven and accepted by God for their good deeds, and will be sorely disappointed at the judgment.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
For those who think their good deeds saves them, you must know that only those who are transformed by Christ will see heaven. We are not transformed by our deeds, but by His power when we have trusted in Him.
Anyone who is attempting to change himself, fix himself, without Christ, will not be saved. It is only by believing Christ and desiring to be transformed by Him that He will do all the work in you.
Trust in Him, not in yourself!
The fruit is the character qualities of Christ, only seen clearly by other believers who have the fruit.
They are Spiritual qualities that dominate the believer's character and lead to good deeds.
We cannot judge by the good deeds alone because even bad people can have good deeds to impress others. The fruit is a Spiritual character that can be discerned by other believers.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Many people will think they are going to heaven and accepted by God for their good deeds, and will be sorely disappointed at the judgment.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
For those who think their good deeds saves them, you must know that only those who are transformed by Christ will see heaven. We are not transformed by our deeds, but by His power when we have trusted in Him.
Anyone who is attempting to change himself, fix himself, without Christ, will not be saved. It is only by believing Christ and desiring to be transformed by Him that He will do all the work in you.
Trust in Him, not in yourself!
A Trial Dominated by Devils
Probably most people don't know that Massachusetts is the state of witchcraft; it is a demonic stronghold.
There are over 2000 witches in Salem and many more thousands throughout the state. It is entirely possible that the 11 jurors who would not do the right thing in the murder trial of the demonized woman were influenced by demonic forces, even if they didn't realize it.
This is what demonic activity looks like: when excuses are made for evil done, and others cannot see the tricks of the devil, their eyes are blinded. Those who are innocent victims of the crimes will be treated with disregard and contempt while the criminal is elevated and promoted.
John 12:39-41 "…39 For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him."
God allows the devil to blind the eyes of those who love evil. Those who are blinded actually believe they are right while they defend and promote evil in the land.
2 Corinthians 4:4 "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
Acts 28:27 "For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’"
As the world grows darker in these last days, we are going to see much more injustice and persecution for speaking the truth. The victims are persecuted while the criminal is exalted.
So what do we do as we walk through this devilish mess?
Not so simple, but powerful and necessary: with the power of Jesus Christ living in born-again believers, we can keep speaking the truth, never shrinking back from the right thing even under intense pressure from those who do not love God.
It is better to be on God's side than to be loved by the hateful and rebellious masses.
Written to Israel but written for us too!
Ezekiel 18:30: "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall."
There are over 2000 witches in Salem and many more thousands throughout the state. It is entirely possible that the 11 jurors who would not do the right thing in the murder trial of the demonized woman were influenced by demonic forces, even if they didn't realize it.
This is what demonic activity looks like: when excuses are made for evil done, and others cannot see the tricks of the devil, their eyes are blinded. Those who are innocent victims of the crimes will be treated with disregard and contempt while the criminal is elevated and promoted.
John 12:39-41 "…39 For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him."
God allows the devil to blind the eyes of those who love evil. Those who are blinded actually believe they are right while they defend and promote evil in the land.
2 Corinthians 4:4 "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
Acts 28:27 "For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’"
As the world grows darker in these last days, we are going to see much more injustice and persecution for speaking the truth. The victims are persecuted while the criminal is exalted.
So what do we do as we walk through this devilish mess?
Not so simple, but powerful and necessary: with the power of Jesus Christ living in born-again believers, we can keep speaking the truth, never shrinking back from the right thing even under intense pressure from those who do not love God.
It is better to be on God's side than to be loved by the hateful and rebellious masses.
Written to Israel but written for us too!
Ezekiel 18:30: "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall."
He did it in the beginning and is still doing it!
At the beginning of creation, the devil approached Eve with a lie to come between her and God. He convinced her that God Who created her, was evil, withholding things from her.
This was the opposite of what was really happening. God created Eve and gave her perfect life in a perfect place so that she could enjoy the best of everything. She had no need of anything; it was all set before her. This was God's great love for mankind.
The devil's most effective tactic of ruining the relationship between God and His creation was to convince His creation that God was mean, evil and uncaring.
Genesis 3:1-5 "1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The devil is using the same tactic today against believers in Christ whose desire is to obey God because of their great love for Him.
He is convincing those who do not love God that the followers of Christ are rude and mean for expressing the principles and commands of God to help them find their way to Christ.
We are living in an epidemic of family destruction and community rebellion against God. The devil is delighted when he can incite rioting, irrational accusations, and claims that the people of God are the ones causing all of it with their standards and rules.
We see this in unreasonable, illogical, and absurd decisions making the good guys look bad and the raging, angry people look legitimate.
We see this in community decisions in government, in court cases, in family interactions, in churches, and in every venue of our culture.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."
It is not a good idea to dwell on all this continually but is hard to ignore because it affects our lives. we must not fill our minds with too many details about what is going on, but it is vitally important to recognize it when it crosses our path.
Why do we need to recognize the tactics of the devil? The reason is simple, if we do not know what is going on we will be sucked into the drama and plots in ways that diminish our walk with Christ.
In 2 Timothy 3:5 we are told to avoid people who have been walking with the devil, disrupting what is good, accusing followers of Christ of false things, and making those controlled by the devil think that believers are the problem, while those controlled by him are the ones causing all the trouble.
The devil has not changed his tactics since the beginning; we can recognize them now in our time.
1 Peter 5:7-9 …7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.…
When someone tries to convince us that someone else is evil because they are following the Bible, we know where that comes from: the devil Himself.
Those who use the Bible, twisting it to fit the culture, are being led by the devil. They use the Bible to negate God rather than speak truth that is helpful; they destroy it. They add their own words to God's, deceiving many.
When you are one person believing God and obeying Him, there will be many other people working against you to discredit you as though you are doing something wrong. At the very least these people will not back you up making you look completely unsupported by those who would claim to love you.
Don't let this discourage you. We do not always have the support of others when we trust in Christ, but we will always have Him. He lives in us, and He is all we need.
Proverbs 3:4-6 "…4 Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Keep looking up, we are going home soon!!!
This was the opposite of what was really happening. God created Eve and gave her perfect life in a perfect place so that she could enjoy the best of everything. She had no need of anything; it was all set before her. This was God's great love for mankind.
The devil's most effective tactic of ruining the relationship between God and His creation was to convince His creation that God was mean, evil and uncaring.
Genesis 3:1-5 "1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The devil is using the same tactic today against believers in Christ whose desire is to obey God because of their great love for Him.
He is convincing those who do not love God that the followers of Christ are rude and mean for expressing the principles and commands of God to help them find their way to Christ.
We are living in an epidemic of family destruction and community rebellion against God. The devil is delighted when he can incite rioting, irrational accusations, and claims that the people of God are the ones causing all of it with their standards and rules.
We see this in unreasonable, illogical, and absurd decisions making the good guys look bad and the raging, angry people look legitimate.
We see this in community decisions in government, in court cases, in family interactions, in churches, and in every venue of our culture.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."
It is not a good idea to dwell on all this continually but is hard to ignore because it affects our lives. we must not fill our minds with too many details about what is going on, but it is vitally important to recognize it when it crosses our path.
Why do we need to recognize the tactics of the devil? The reason is simple, if we do not know what is going on we will be sucked into the drama and plots in ways that diminish our walk with Christ.
In 2 Timothy 3:5 we are told to avoid people who have been walking with the devil, disrupting what is good, accusing followers of Christ of false things, and making those controlled by the devil think that believers are the problem, while those controlled by him are the ones causing all the trouble.
The devil has not changed his tactics since the beginning; we can recognize them now in our time.
1 Peter 5:7-9 …7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.…
When someone tries to convince us that someone else is evil because they are following the Bible, we know where that comes from: the devil Himself.
Those who use the Bible, twisting it to fit the culture, are being led by the devil. They use the Bible to negate God rather than speak truth that is helpful; they destroy it. They add their own words to God's, deceiving many.
When you are one person believing God and obeying Him, there will be many other people working against you to discredit you as though you are doing something wrong. At the very least these people will not back you up making you look completely unsupported by those who would claim to love you.
Don't let this discourage you. We do not always have the support of others when we trust in Christ, but we will always have Him. He lives in us, and He is all we need.
Proverbs 3:4-6 "…4 Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Keep looking up, we are going home soon!!!
Friday, September 4, 2026
Numbers 6:24-26
Numbers 6:24-26
"24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."
Those who have been born again are priests; all who have been transformed by Christ are a royal priesthood.
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."
1 Peter 2:9 "9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
We are created to share the message of Christ to the world; to intercede for others, and to offer worship, praise, and acts of love as well as mutual submission.
1 Peter 2:12 "12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
It matters very much our lifestyle, attitude and goals in life, they reflect the heart of God, or at least should.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Habakkuk 2:4 "4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith."
May each of us reflect the character of Christ today as we seek Him in all things.
"24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."
Those who have been born again are priests; all who have been transformed by Christ are a royal priesthood.
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."
1 Peter 2:9 "9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
We are created to share the message of Christ to the world; to intercede for others, and to offer worship, praise, and acts of love as well as mutual submission.
1 Peter 2:12 "12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
It matters very much our lifestyle, attitude and goals in life, they reflect the heart of God, or at least should.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Habakkuk 2:4 "4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith."
May each of us reflect the character of Christ today as we seek Him in all things.
Matthew 5:44-45
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children 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."
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