Someone once said to me, "It seems like you talk so much about chastising people, more than you do about praising them for good things.
My answer was: "Good things do not need correcting; they should just be normal, expected, and appreciated.
Bad things need continual correcting because the culture as a whole does not follow Jesus Christ. Someone has to do it, and most people will not, so I guess it will be me."
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"
Since most of the world rejects Jesus Christ, either by words or in the case of those who attend church, by deeds, lack of obedience while punishing those who speak the truth, we live in a negative world.
I notice that Christ followers are chastised for being negative, but those doing the negative are left alone and even coddled and protected.
In these last days, bad is called good and good is called bad on a massive scale, even in the gatherings that claim to be Christian. Those who speak the truth from the Bible are disparaged as though they did something mean or rude. While those who are rude and mean are shielded.
2 Peter 3:3-4 "Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
Remember this, brothers and sisters; soon we will be leaving this corrupted and vile world to attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, where everyone there will love Jesus Christ and support all that we stood for here on earth.
It is hard now at times, even though our joy and peace never leave us. And we know that existence here is very temporary. Our brothers and sisters all agree with God, and they are our family. Rejoice in this!!!! Hallelujah!!!
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Divorce and Remarriage Offends God
Almost all my family members have gossiped about me and treated me with disrespect for not attending the second marriages of divorced people. Love is remaining faithful to God so that others will repent or avoid sin.
Are we helpers to those who are faltering on the edge of a cliff if we stand by and watch them jump, or are we loving by trying to prevent them from harming themselves?
Interesting, too, that we are expected to do what they want us to do and are punished for not doing what they want us to do. If they loved us, they would have respect for our decisions for ourselves. They are supported in sin, and we are punished for not supporting the sin of others. Welcome to the end times.
Perhaps the passage applies here when Jesus said, "let the dead bury the dead; you come and follow me." I understand this is talking about not waiting for your father to die to follow Christ. But could it also apply to letting the dead attend pagan things, but you do not?
Are we helpers to those who are faltering on the edge of a cliff if we stand by and watch them jump, or are we loving by trying to prevent them from harming themselves?
Interesting, too, that we are expected to do what they want us to do and are punished for not doing what they want us to do. If they loved us, they would have respect for our decisions for ourselves. They are supported in sin, and we are punished for not supporting the sin of others. Welcome to the end times.
Perhaps the passage applies here when Jesus said, "let the dead bury the dead; you come and follow me." I understand this is talking about not waiting for your father to die to follow Christ. But could it also apply to letting the dead attend pagan things, but you do not?
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Friday, August 21, 2026
Christ Transforms Us, We do not Change Anyone Else
Our enemies teach us things about ourselves. Our response to them shows what might need work in ourselves.
In the times when I left my enemies to God, even if nothing changed the offenders, I learned to act like Christ.
There is no exercise without workouts. Our emotional and mental state must be "boot camp" at times to be able to learn how Christ would act.
Matthew 27:14: "But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed."
When the gossip flies unjustly, ignore it; do not try to fix it. God has our back, and He knows how to reach people better than we do.
My prayer for my enemies is that they will hear God and repent. Anything other than that is up to Him.
Romans 12:19: "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Romans 12:18-20 "…18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
We do not do good to heap hot coals; the hot coals may be a result of our kindnesses, but if it is our goal to cause guilt, then we are guilty of subtle revenge.
Leviticus 19:18: "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."
When we attempt to do God's work for Him, we are playing god ourselves.
Our goal, no matter what anyone else is doing, is to remain in the will of Christ. Our goal is not to change others; our goal is to share information that can help others seek Christ for change in themselves.
2 Thessalonians 1:6 "After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you."
1 Thessalonians 4:6 "and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you."
Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Luke 6:27-28 "But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, / bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
The most important thing is that we follow Christ ourselves; we are not in charge of changing the character of others only informing them so they can seek Christ to transform them.
Proverbs 20:22 "Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you."
In the times when I left my enemies to God, even if nothing changed the offenders, I learned to act like Christ.
There is no exercise without workouts. Our emotional and mental state must be "boot camp" at times to be able to learn how Christ would act.
Matthew 27:14: "But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed."
When the gossip flies unjustly, ignore it; do not try to fix it. God has our back, and He knows how to reach people better than we do.
My prayer for my enemies is that they will hear God and repent. Anything other than that is up to Him.
Romans 12:19: "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Romans 12:18-20 "…18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
We do not do good to heap hot coals; the hot coals may be a result of our kindnesses, but if it is our goal to cause guilt, then we are guilty of subtle revenge.
Leviticus 19:18: "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."
When we attempt to do God's work for Him, we are playing god ourselves.
Our goal, no matter what anyone else is doing, is to remain in the will of Christ. Our goal is not to change others; our goal is to share information that can help others seek Christ for change in themselves.
2 Thessalonians 1:6 "After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you."
1 Thessalonians 4:6 "and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you."
Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Luke 6:27-28 "But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, / bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
The most important thing is that we follow Christ ourselves; we are not in charge of changing the character of others only informing them so they can seek Christ to transform them.
Proverbs 20:22 "Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you."
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Friends should be those who encourage us to follow Scripture not man's rules God never commanded
I can be friends with someone who thinks differently from me about a Sabbath or not eating certain foods. However, when they start judging someone as unsaved because they do not follow Old Testament dietary laws and special days, we have to part friends.
Colossians 2:16-17 " 16 Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ."
Romans 14:3-4 "The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."
Those who make rules about abstaining from marriage are disobeying God. One can choose not to be married to more fully serve the Lord, but no one else can dictate whether or not someone marries. We are speaking about marriage between a man and a woman for the first time. It is sad in our day that we have to even say this because our culture is so distorted and perverted we now have to say it.
1 Timothy 4:3-5 "They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."
When we are presented with a rule made by men that God never made we are free to ignore it. If those who demand these manmade rules punish you, isolate you and gossip against you for not complying to them, then you are free to leave that group and only join with a group that is following only the Bible.
Matthew 23:1-34 "23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be 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 do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
Matthew 23: 20-27
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Matthew 23:33
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town."
The religious leaders of Jesus' day on earth rejected Him, and the religious leaders of our day will reject us. Those who follow rules God never commanded and pressure others to do the same are not worthy of our attention.
When someone has an expectation of us we must always seek Christ and His Word to see if it is from God. Do not follow what God never commanded.
Colossians 2:16-17 " 16 Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ."
Romans 14:3-4 "The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."
Those who make rules about abstaining from marriage are disobeying God. One can choose not to be married to more fully serve the Lord, but no one else can dictate whether or not someone marries. We are speaking about marriage between a man and a woman for the first time. It is sad in our day that we have to even say this because our culture is so distorted and perverted we now have to say it.
1 Timothy 4:3-5 "They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."
When we are presented with a rule made by men that God never made we are free to ignore it. If those who demand these manmade rules punish you, isolate you and gossip against you for not complying to them, then you are free to leave that group and only join with a group that is following only the Bible.
Matthew 23:1-34 "23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be 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 do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
Matthew 23: 20-27
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Matthew 23:33
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town."
The religious leaders of Jesus' day on earth rejected Him, and the religious leaders of our day will reject us. Those who follow rules God never commanded and pressure others to do the same are not worthy of our attention.
When someone has an expectation of us we must always seek Christ and His Word to see if it is from God. Do not follow what God never commanded.
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Putting Your Best Foot Forward Leaves You on Your Back Foot
Nowhere in Scripture does God say, "mankind must do its part too in order to be saved.
If any part of salvation depended on us, then none of it would have depended on Christ. A man who is desperately wicked cannot change His character; only Christ can do that!
Only the Perfect Lamb of God could pay for the sin of mankind. No person is perfect; therefore, they could have no part in their own salvation.
Luke 5:21 "And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Even the Pharisees recognized that only God could forgive sins. This is why they considered it blasphemy that Christ claimed He could forgive sin because He was the Son of God and one with God the Father.
Anyone who thinks they are saving themselves by being good enough is denying Jesus Christ as the only One Who can save mankind from sin and hell.
Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Mankind cannot lay upon itself the iniquity of itself in payment for its own sin; it is desperately wicked and without remedy, as God clearly states in His Word.
Jeremiah 17:9 "9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
What do "desperately wicked" and "deceitful" mean?
The human mind has the ability to trick itself into believing how wonderful it is, right in the middle of hateful and despicable attitudes and actions, while pretending to be righteous.
Mankind can make seemingly good choices, but choices without God will be self-exalting and self-promoting every time. The propensity to do good deeds to elevate oneself is the ugly plight of mankind. Without Christ, nothing is done selflessly, no matter how good it looks or what someone may say.
All we have to do is watch the response when we correct or chastise someone for bad behavior. Nearly every time, we will not experience humility from the one who has been reprimanded; the response will be arguing to justify or denying the truth in most cases.
There are few people left who appreciate being corrected and want to better themselves. Nearly everyone has a much higher opinion of themselves than is warranted, wishing to impress others with what is not real.
The final verdict in this mess of mankind is that no one has the ability to add to the saving grace of Jesus Christ with their own efforts.
No one is special; no one deserves anything but death. The beauty in knowing this is that we have no good expectations of ourselves; we can fully lean on Jesus Christ, depending on His goodness and His virtue and not our own.
Mankind is without goodness entirely without Christ.
Romans 1:31-32 "…31 They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them."
Why are our churches a mess today? The answer is simply that many people are joining them but have never trusted in Christ to be indwelt by Him. They have never heard the salvation message of repentance and are coddled in their sin, even endorsed in it by lack of correction.
Those who have not trusted in Christ do not realize the burden that is lifted when we know we are not expected to perfect ourselves; Christ must do His work in us or all our efforts to be good enough for heaven are useless and completely unproductive.
Ephesians 2:10 "10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Luke 18:10-14
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 32:12 "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
If any part of salvation depended on us, then none of it would have depended on Christ. A man who is desperately wicked cannot change His character; only Christ can do that!
Only the Perfect Lamb of God could pay for the sin of mankind. No person is perfect; therefore, they could have no part in their own salvation.
Luke 5:21 "And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Even the Pharisees recognized that only God could forgive sins. This is why they considered it blasphemy that Christ claimed He could forgive sin because He was the Son of God and one with God the Father.
Anyone who thinks they are saving themselves by being good enough is denying Jesus Christ as the only One Who can save mankind from sin and hell.
Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Mankind cannot lay upon itself the iniquity of itself in payment for its own sin; it is desperately wicked and without remedy, as God clearly states in His Word.
Jeremiah 17:9 "9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
What do "desperately wicked" and "deceitful" mean?
The human mind has the ability to trick itself into believing how wonderful it is, right in the middle of hateful and despicable attitudes and actions, while pretending to be righteous.
Mankind can make seemingly good choices, but choices without God will be self-exalting and self-promoting every time. The propensity to do good deeds to elevate oneself is the ugly plight of mankind. Without Christ, nothing is done selflessly, no matter how good it looks or what someone may say.
All we have to do is watch the response when we correct or chastise someone for bad behavior. Nearly every time, we will not experience humility from the one who has been reprimanded; the response will be arguing to justify or denying the truth in most cases.
There are few people left who appreciate being corrected and want to better themselves. Nearly everyone has a much higher opinion of themselves than is warranted, wishing to impress others with what is not real.
The final verdict in this mess of mankind is that no one has the ability to add to the saving grace of Jesus Christ with their own efforts.
No one is special; no one deserves anything but death. The beauty in knowing this is that we have no good expectations of ourselves; we can fully lean on Jesus Christ, depending on His goodness and His virtue and not our own.
Mankind is without goodness entirely without Christ.
Romans 1:31-32 "…31 They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them."
Why are our churches a mess today? The answer is simply that many people are joining them but have never trusted in Christ to be indwelt by Him. They have never heard the salvation message of repentance and are coddled in their sin, even endorsed in it by lack of correction.
Those who have not trusted in Christ do not realize the burden that is lifted when we know we are not expected to perfect ourselves; Christ must do His work in us or all our efforts to be good enough for heaven are useless and completely unproductive.
Ephesians 2:10 "10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Luke 18:10-14
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 32:12 "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
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