In recent months, I have posted a couple of videos of Schopenhauer, a philosopher from the 1800's. The subject of the videos was how readily people follow the crowd, while very few think for themselves and evaluate everything.
It is fair to say that most people follow others rather than thinking through subject matter, and worse, they do not compare what they hear with the Bible.
When I posted these videos, I think it was two, I did not know the basic philosophy of Schopenhauer, I only knew he was right about what he observed in people following others rather than being interested in the truth.
After looking into the life of Schopenhauer, I realized he hated God; his observations about mankind were right, but he did not know why mankind had these monstrous flaws. I deleted the videos, but forgot whether or not there were any more. I would hope that if you see them on my page, you would tell me in the comments so I can delete them.
I apologize for posting the videos, not because I thought the message was wrong but because it was spoken by a man who hated God. He never said he hated God, but was an open atheist.
It was not wise of me to post a video without knowing the basic philosophy of the man who asserted his findings. I am reminded of the seer that Paul rebuked. This seer was following the apostles around, telling people these men were from God. She wasn't saying anything wrong about the men, but because she was a seer, Paul didn't want even a small amount of truth coming from her mouth. He didn't want her influence to cause people to trust in her at all.
I want it to be known that I do not endorse Schopenhauer and his writings, and that I regret posting anything coming from his writings.
One lesson to be learned from this is that evil men can say right things, deceiving people into believing they have a handle on everything else.
Acts 16:17-19 "…17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” 18 She continued this for many days. Eventually, Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment. 19When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace."
Please forgive me for not being more diligent about vetting the works of someone before posting.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
If You Fear God more than Man Then Learn and Teach what you Know
I know how disheartening it can be to realize that most family members and even friends in the community who claim to be Christian have little interest in discussing Jesus Christ and His principles.
Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Most "Christians" walk in fear of offending others, more afraid of that than they are of losing fellowship with Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 "…18 Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt,"
Hebrews 5:11-13 "11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing. 12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food! 13 For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.…"
All born-again believers are to be teaching, sharing, correcting and encouraging one another to think Biblically. This equips one another to be confident, bold, and full of wisdom as they move about in the world as examples of Christ's love.
This does not have to be in a special building; it can be anywhere at any time without cultural mandates that have no basis in Scripture.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,"
1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,"
We grow the most when we have to study and share with others. When we live by clichés and mantras, we remain infants in our understanding and even believe things that are contrary to God's Word.
1 Corinthians 14:20 "Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature."
Ephesians 4:14 "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming."
2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Lastly, question all things and pray about everything you hear as you search the Bible to prove or disprove what is said. Never repeat a doctrine or idea that you have not personally prayed about and heard from the Lord about.
Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Most "Christians" walk in fear of offending others, more afraid of that than they are of losing fellowship with Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 "…18 Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt,"
Hebrews 5:11-13 "11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing. 12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food! 13 For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.…"
All born-again believers are to be teaching, sharing, correcting and encouraging one another to think Biblically. This equips one another to be confident, bold, and full of wisdom as they move about in the world as examples of Christ's love.
This does not have to be in a special building; it can be anywhere at any time without cultural mandates that have no basis in Scripture.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,"
1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,"
We grow the most when we have to study and share with others. When we live by clichés and mantras, we remain infants in our understanding and even believe things that are contrary to God's Word.
1 Corinthians 14:20 "Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature."
Ephesians 4:14 "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming."
2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Lastly, question all things and pray about everything you hear as you search the Bible to prove or disprove what is said. Never repeat a doctrine or idea that you have not personally prayed about and heard from the Lord about.
Monday, March 23, 2026
Why Church Seems Flat
How many of you have been wondering why "church" feels so rote, flat and lacking in Spiritual depth and maturity?
Perhaps those, like me and my husband, see how off track the formal institutional gatherings are from scripture and sense an emptiness and lack of love in those places people call church.
The freedom we felt when we left that system of rituals and strident patterns and cultural customs is the moment we felt a great weight lifted off of us.
God never intended the one-man pastor system nor did he intend for all the believers to sit remaining silent. That whole system is modeled after the Catholic church, not the description God gave in the Bible.
There are leaders in God's model of the gathering, but they are not authorities over; only the Holy Spirit is the Authority over every born-again believer. There were no long sermons in the gathering and the purpose of the gathering was for every believer to edify one another through participation in the Word.
When all the people are facing forward in the pews, denoting their total devotion to the one elevated at the front of the room, it sends the message that the exalted man is the one with authority. The people in the pews become lazy in their own prayer life and study of the word because that paid man up front does everything for them.
The people in the pews begin to lack confidence in the Holy Spirit in them because that man in the pulpit exudes a kind of dominance and power over those he deems "less than." He tells them what to believe and where and when to pray, which is in that building with him as the facilitator.
None of these principles of the organized church needs to be said or taught; they are inferred by the practices alone.
1 Corinthians 14:26 "What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification."
When every believer prays and studies at home on their own during the week they have something to say and share when they all come together. The purpose of edification in the word is to build up the faith and confidence of every believer as they impart to others what the Holy Spirit brought to them throughout the week.
Those in the gathering are to be led by the Holy Spirit as they pass their wisdom from the Holy Spirit to others in the group. Everyone is to communicate, and everyone becomes edified as they experience the oneness of the Holy Spirit in everyone else.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ". 11Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing."
Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Romans 14:19 "So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
All born-again believers are to be teaching, sharing, correcting and encouraging one another to think Biblically. This equips one another to be confident, bold, and full of wisdom as they move about in the world as examples of Christ's love.
This does not have to be in a special building; it can be anywhere at any time without cultural mandates that have no basis in Scripture.
Romans 14:1-12 "14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess[b] to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."
I am not saying someone who attends a church building with a pastor is sinning; I am only saying it is a deviation from the way God commanded and has many pitfalls. Whenever we add to God's word, making man's way the standard, we miss out on many blessings and even promote a lack of growth and understanding.
Whenever we depend on another human being to be our mentor, we are placing them above Christ and His Holy Spirit. Yes, listen to others, that is what edification is all about, but never place one man as superior to another. Listen to others but evaluate whatever is said according to the Bible, correct what is wrong, and hold onto what is true.
Perhaps those, like me and my husband, see how off track the formal institutional gatherings are from scripture and sense an emptiness and lack of love in those places people call church.
The freedom we felt when we left that system of rituals and strident patterns and cultural customs is the moment we felt a great weight lifted off of us.
God never intended the one-man pastor system nor did he intend for all the believers to sit remaining silent. That whole system is modeled after the Catholic church, not the description God gave in the Bible.
There are leaders in God's model of the gathering, but they are not authorities over; only the Holy Spirit is the Authority over every born-again believer. There were no long sermons in the gathering and the purpose of the gathering was for every believer to edify one another through participation in the Word.
When all the people are facing forward in the pews, denoting their total devotion to the one elevated at the front of the room, it sends the message that the exalted man is the one with authority. The people in the pews become lazy in their own prayer life and study of the word because that paid man up front does everything for them.
The people in the pews begin to lack confidence in the Holy Spirit in them because that man in the pulpit exudes a kind of dominance and power over those he deems "less than." He tells them what to believe and where and when to pray, which is in that building with him as the facilitator.
None of these principles of the organized church needs to be said or taught; they are inferred by the practices alone.
1 Corinthians 14:26 "What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification."
When every believer prays and studies at home on their own during the week they have something to say and share when they all come together. The purpose of edification in the word is to build up the faith and confidence of every believer as they impart to others what the Holy Spirit brought to them throughout the week.
Those in the gathering are to be led by the Holy Spirit as they pass their wisdom from the Holy Spirit to others in the group. Everyone is to communicate, and everyone becomes edified as they experience the oneness of the Holy Spirit in everyone else.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ". 11Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing."
Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Romans 14:19 "So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
All born-again believers are to be teaching, sharing, correcting and encouraging one another to think Biblically. This equips one another to be confident, bold, and full of wisdom as they move about in the world as examples of Christ's love.
This does not have to be in a special building; it can be anywhere at any time without cultural mandates that have no basis in Scripture.
Romans 14:1-12 "14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess[b] to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."
I am not saying someone who attends a church building with a pastor is sinning; I am only saying it is a deviation from the way God commanded and has many pitfalls. Whenever we add to God's word, making man's way the standard, we miss out on many blessings and even promote a lack of growth and understanding.
Whenever we depend on another human being to be our mentor, we are placing them above Christ and His Holy Spirit. Yes, listen to others, that is what edification is all about, but never place one man as superior to another. Listen to others but evaluate whatever is said according to the Bible, correct what is wrong, and hold onto what is true.
Exhortation and Discipline
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 are resistant to correction and angry at admonishment are very likely unsaved.
Revelation 3:19 "Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent."
Job 5:17 "Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty."
1 John 3::8-19 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
We live in confusing days when the wheat resembles tares, making it difficult to discern who is saved and who is unsaved. What do we do with this when interacting with both?
God said not to pull out the tares because we might be pulling up wheat. We must address sin in the body; we do not need to know if they are authentic or not, only that they claim to be Christians but live as if they have never been transformed by God.
God made it clear to me that I cannot always clearly discern who has been born again and who is not, but I can challenge someone who is living against God's principles to ask God if they have ever been transformed by God. If they become angry and refuse to ask God, that may be the answer, that they never trusted Christ.
Matthew 18:15-20 "15 "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
Those who live sinful lifestyles and say they are Christians may be unsaved, and we treat them as outsiders because of their rebellion. Whether or not they are true Christians is up to God. As long as they claim Christianity, they are under discipline.
Those who are resistant to correction and angry at admonishment are very likely unsaved.
Revelation 3:19 "Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent."
Job 5:17 "Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty."
1 John 3::8-19 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
We live in confusing days when the wheat resembles tares, making it difficult to discern who is saved and who is unsaved. What do we do with this when interacting with both?
God said not to pull out the tares because we might be pulling up wheat. We must address sin in the body; we do not need to know if they are authentic or not, only that they claim to be Christians but live as if they have never been transformed by God.
God made it clear to me that I cannot always clearly discern who has been born again and who is not, but I can challenge someone who is living against God's principles to ask God if they have ever been transformed by God. If they become angry and refuse to ask God, that may be the answer, that they never trusted Christ.
Matthew 18:15-20 "15 "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
Those who live sinful lifestyles and say they are Christians may be unsaved, and we treat them as outsiders because of their rebellion. Whether or not they are true Christians is up to God. As long as they claim Christianity, they are under discipline.
Friday, March 20, 2026
Idolizing People
I am astounded at how many people cannot be objective and Biblical about their assessment of people. Many people are idolizing famous people without knowing them personally. They hear what they think are good things but have not seen those things for themselves.
The best thing to do is stop idolizing people who are famous merely because of what others write about them.
Psalm 146:2-4 …2I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. 4When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish."
I see people defending people because of articles about them alone. They have no personal experience with those famous people.
I am convinced 90% of what is written on the internet about famous people is totally fabricated by those who want to have someone to worship.
Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD."
Look to the Lord Jesus Christ and you will not be fooled by fame. It has been my experience that the more popular a person is the less likely they are to be godly. The world loves fame and will pretend things that are not true.
The best thing to do is stop idolizing people who are famous merely because of what others write about them.
Psalm 146:2-4 …2I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. 4When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish."
I see people defending people because of articles about them alone. They have no personal experience with those famous people.
I am convinced 90% of what is written on the internet about famous people is totally fabricated by those who want to have someone to worship.
Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD."
Look to the Lord Jesus Christ and you will not be fooled by fame. It has been my experience that the more popular a person is the less likely they are to be godly. The world loves fame and will pretend things that are not true.
Praying in God's Will not Our Own
When you become weary at praying for the same things all the time for years on end, remember all your past prayers have been heard.
If we never uttered another prayer for the same person or the same things, the past prayers still count.
We are told to pray without ceasing, this does not mean we must pray the same things over and over again, it means that we are in constant communication with God all day long about everything.
Pray without ceasing means we are continually focused on God in an attitude of gratitude and wisdom from Him. We rejoice as we see Him work and we rejoice with others who have been blessed by God in some way. We weep with those who weep, upholding them as we walk through life with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer."
Psalm 32:11 "Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart."
Prayer is communication with God continually; it is not begging God for the same things until we wear Him down to do our will.
Sometimes God says no to us, as He did with Paul when he asked God three times to remove the thorn from his flesh. Paul stopped praying for his problem when He knew God had already answered, and the answer was that Paul would have to live with his infirmity for the rest of his life to keep him humble.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 "7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.…"
When someone tells you to never stop praying for the same things until you get what you want, they are not speaking biblically. Christ in us will tell us when to stop and when to continue.
God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the nation, He even told him He would not hear his prayers because God's will for the nation was discipline.
We must remember to pray in God's will, and often His will is not what we want.
Matthew 6:9-10 "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven".
If we never uttered another prayer for the same person or the same things, the past prayers still count.
We are told to pray without ceasing, this does not mean we must pray the same things over and over again, it means that we are in constant communication with God all day long about everything.
Pray without ceasing means we are continually focused on God in an attitude of gratitude and wisdom from Him. We rejoice as we see Him work and we rejoice with others who have been blessed by God in some way. We weep with those who weep, upholding them as we walk through life with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer."
Psalm 32:11 "Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart."
Prayer is communication with God continually; it is not begging God for the same things until we wear Him down to do our will.
Sometimes God says no to us, as He did with Paul when he asked God three times to remove the thorn from his flesh. Paul stopped praying for his problem when He knew God had already answered, and the answer was that Paul would have to live with his infirmity for the rest of his life to keep him humble.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 "7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.…"
When someone tells you to never stop praying for the same things until you get what you want, they are not speaking biblically. Christ in us will tell us when to stop and when to continue.
God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the nation, He even told him He would not hear his prayers because God's will for the nation was discipline.
We must remember to pray in God's will, and often His will is not what we want.
Matthew 6:9-10 "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven".
Biblical Gatherings Differ Greatly from the Man Made System
I am convinced, after watching some of these building projects emerge, intended to grow congregations, that they come from pride.
Rather than holding small gatherings in homes, which would spread across communities and influence the neighborhoods, they have people in the church building invite their friends to that place.
Rather than edifying the believers, they pander to the unsaved to keep them coming. It makes the believers lazy about sharing the gospel themselves; it then becomes the job of the paid pastor. It is backward from what God commanded in His word.
1 Corinthians 14:26 "What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,"
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
God never intended for one person to preach for an hour while all the others sit in the pews completely silent.
Romans 12:6-8 "We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; / if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; / if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
All born-again believers have gifts God gave them and jobs to do that enhance the working of the congregation within the gathering and also in the community.
,
Believers are to attend the gathering to edify one another, equipping each one to live out their calling in the community. And, yes, every believer has a calling.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 One Body with Many Members
"12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,
24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,
25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."
No one should be thought of as higher than anyone else and no one is paid to carry out their calling. Their calling is not given to them by a hierarchy system, but only by the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
May each born-again believer never be discouraged by systems that make their own rules. May each one lean completely on the Holy Spirit for their function in the body of Christ.
Rather than holding small gatherings in homes, which would spread across communities and influence the neighborhoods, they have people in the church building invite their friends to that place.
Rather than edifying the believers, they pander to the unsaved to keep them coming. It makes the believers lazy about sharing the gospel themselves; it then becomes the job of the paid pastor. It is backward from what God commanded in His word.
1 Corinthians 14:26 "What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,"
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
God never intended for one person to preach for an hour while all the others sit in the pews completely silent.
Romans 12:6-8 "We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; / if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; / if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
All born-again believers have gifts God gave them and jobs to do that enhance the working of the congregation within the gathering and also in the community.
,
Believers are to attend the gathering to edify one another, equipping each one to live out their calling in the community. And, yes, every believer has a calling.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 One Body with Many Members
"12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,
24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,
25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."
No one should be thought of as higher than anyone else and no one is paid to carry out their calling. Their calling is not given to them by a hierarchy system, but only by the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
May each born-again believer never be discouraged by systems that make their own rules. May each one lean completely on the Holy Spirit for their function in the body of Christ.
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