I recall many years ago when Bundy was executed. He had confessed to raping and murdering 30 victims over a period of about four years.
I remember a crowd of people outside the prison on the day he was executed, cheering and mocking as he died.
It was rumored that Dr. Dobson led Bundy to Christ before his execution. We don't know how true that was or if the conversion was a legitimate expression of remorse; none of that matters.
God was very clear about our response to the demise of the wicked.
Proverbs 24:17-18
"17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him."
Now having said all this, keep in mind that many of the people outside the prison cheering were not born again. They were headed to the same place the murderer was going but considered themselves superior to him because they had not committed the same haenous crimes he did.
What they didn't know is that God does not look at the size of the crime or the offense; He looks at the wickedness of the heart. Many people who have never perpetrated "the big sins" will go to hell simply for not trusting in Christ.
It isn't the size of the offense or the magnitude of its effect that determines forgiveness through Christ; it is the repentance, the change of mind, that leads the offender to know his desperate state and his need for Christ to save him through the grace freely given to anyone who will trust in Him.
There are many good citizens who live wonderful lives and think highly of themselves for it, who will go to hell for trusting in their own goodness instead of admitting their sinful nature.
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
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.’"
Those who accuse others of what they did as an indictment against the person of their hate, do not understand that no one earns heaven by their good deeds or loses their salvation by their misdeeds. Those who are attempting to earn heaven by being good enough are missing the mark, full of pride that leads them to hell. God says no one is good enough and nothing they do is good enough to make up for their sinful nature.
Jeremiah 17:9 "9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick [or wicked]; who can understand it?"
Even the good deeds of the unsaved are done to glorify self. Those who do good deeds as directed by the Holy Spirit gloify God. All pride over good deeds is gone because they know only Christ is good.
There are many pretenders who elevate themselves in their hearts, even if there is false humility, humble bragging, going on in their heads over how well they are doing. Here is what God says to them if they pass into the next life without repentance over their pride.
Matthew 7:21-23 "I Never Knew You
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.’"
The will of the Father is for His children to be led by the Holy Spirit in their deeds, then He will get the glory.
Matthew 5:15-17 "15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them."
When we do good deeds to obey God, it will glorify Him. If we do good deeds to impress ourselves and others, it will glorify self and has no value in our relationship with Christ.
Matthew 6:1-2 "1“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.…"
Matthew 6:4-6 "4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 23:1-12 "23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,
3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
Good deed doers who like to be elevated choose for their friends those they think are above everyone else, a sort of specialness by association. They elevate others and so elevate themselves by proxy.
Exalting oneself based on education or skills or a perceived significance, whether real or imagined, will result in demeaning and disregarding the Bible. Everything that is evaluated by the prideful person will be interpreted according to what they wish to believe and not according to what God actually said.
It is true what God said: Proverbs 16:18 "18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Seek Christ and not self exaltation!!!!!
Friday, March 27, 2026
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Disagreements are not the Problem Hatred Is
I don't have a problem with people who disagree with me; I have a problem with those who treat me disrespectfully because of the disagreement. Not that I care that they were disrespectful, but there is a sense of annoyance that nothing will be able to be resolved. When someone does not respect you, they will be dedicated to twisting everything you say and do to cause you trouble.
They did this with Jesus Christ and all the apostles. They accused them of things that were not true to discredit them with others and to silence them entirely.
When someone treats you disrespectfully because you do not agree with them, they are showing you that their only aim is to win over you, manipulating and dominating your emotions. They do not care about you or the relationship; they only care that you are painted as the evil one.
These people do not care about truth or about building a relationship to reach common ground; they only care that you are seen as "less than" them.
There are certain things that are relationship destroyers, such as false modesty, insincere flattery, and intense anger when a disagreement arises. Jealousy is another relationship killer, there is no possible solution when jealousy is in play.
People who are this volatile and unable to discuss something rationally are deeply insecure, self-absorbed, and ruinous to Spiritual and emotional maturity. God tells us to avoid them; nothing good comes from this sort of competitiveness.
Proverbs 29:5 "A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet"
Titus 3:9-11 "9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless. 10 Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 Difficult Times Will Come
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."
We are encountering many of these people within the church system. They are rarely disciplined or corrected so their influence permeates through the rest of the gathering.
Galatians 5:9 "9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough."
Anyone who must feel superior and special will never make a good companion. There will always be the "eggshell dance", meaning you will sense that you must be abnormally careful around them because you never know when the next rage will emerge.
By the way, rage is not always loud, yelling, and demeaning; sometimes it comes in the form of passive aggression. Passive aggression is when someone does little irritating things to cause a reaction in you and then plays the victim when you call it out.
The best thing to do when we discover someone is a rager or a passive-aggressive type is to avoid them as much as possible.
When we have to be in the company with them, we avoid any conversation at all with them. Every word uttered with these kinds of people is designed to cause a reaction so they can claim something about us that is not true.
God has shown me to treat everyone with respect, even when they did not show respect toward me. What they do is on them; my goal is to walk in a Christlike manner, without the need to explain myself to anyone who will likely misuse my words against me.
It is sad that we have to address these matters of deliberate miscommunication and distressed relationships but it must be doen so that we learn what they look like and how to handle everything in the Spirit of Christ.
Christ experienced rebellious and hateful people and so will we.
Hebrews 12:2 "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
His shame is also our shame because we walk with Him.
Romans 1:18-32 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,"
Pray for those who walk in rebellion that their eyes would be opened, while at the same time avoiding becoming trapped in their cycle of manipulation.
They did this with Jesus Christ and all the apostles. They accused them of things that were not true to discredit them with others and to silence them entirely.
When someone treats you disrespectfully because you do not agree with them, they are showing you that their only aim is to win over you, manipulating and dominating your emotions. They do not care about you or the relationship; they only care that you are painted as the evil one.
These people do not care about truth or about building a relationship to reach common ground; they only care that you are seen as "less than" them.
There are certain things that are relationship destroyers, such as false modesty, insincere flattery, and intense anger when a disagreement arises. Jealousy is another relationship killer, there is no possible solution when jealousy is in play.
People who are this volatile and unable to discuss something rationally are deeply insecure, self-absorbed, and ruinous to Spiritual and emotional maturity. God tells us to avoid them; nothing good comes from this sort of competitiveness.
Proverbs 29:5 "A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet"
Titus 3:9-11 "9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless. 10 Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 Difficult Times Will Come
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."
We are encountering many of these people within the church system. They are rarely disciplined or corrected so their influence permeates through the rest of the gathering.
Galatians 5:9 "9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough."
Anyone who must feel superior and special will never make a good companion. There will always be the "eggshell dance", meaning you will sense that you must be abnormally careful around them because you never know when the next rage will emerge.
By the way, rage is not always loud, yelling, and demeaning; sometimes it comes in the form of passive aggression. Passive aggression is when someone does little irritating things to cause a reaction in you and then plays the victim when you call it out.
The best thing to do when we discover someone is a rager or a passive-aggressive type is to avoid them as much as possible.
When we have to be in the company with them, we avoid any conversation at all with them. Every word uttered with these kinds of people is designed to cause a reaction so they can claim something about us that is not true.
God has shown me to treat everyone with respect, even when they did not show respect toward me. What they do is on them; my goal is to walk in a Christlike manner, without the need to explain myself to anyone who will likely misuse my words against me.
It is sad that we have to address these matters of deliberate miscommunication and distressed relationships but it must be doen so that we learn what they look like and how to handle everything in the Spirit of Christ.
Christ experienced rebellious and hateful people and so will we.
Hebrews 12:2 "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
His shame is also our shame because we walk with Him.
Romans 1:18-32 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,"
Pray for those who walk in rebellion that their eyes would be opened, while at the same time avoiding becoming trapped in their cycle of manipulation.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
An Apology
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)