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.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
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."
Purpose for the Believer in Christ
We live in a fallen world; it is natural for everyone who exists to experience difficult things and good things.
However, for the believer in Christ, God turns all things into lessons that benefit us, growing us in wisdom, courage, and good character.
Romans 8:28 "28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Nothing is wasted on the born-again believer, and nothing will come upon us that will not have a purpose.
Hallelujah!
However, for the believer in Christ, God turns all things into lessons that benefit us, growing us in wisdom, courage, and good character.
Romans 8:28 "28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Nothing is wasted on the born-again believer, and nothing will come upon us that will not have a purpose.
Hallelujah!
Falling Away is not what Many People Think
Falling away has nothing to do with losing salvation; it has to do with pretending to be a Christian but never having trusted in Christ. No one who has been transformed into a new creation by Christ ever falls away. They may sin and are disciplined by God, but the Holy Spirit never leaves them. The Holy Spirit may go silent in them because they disobey and won't listen, but He never leaves them.
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?"
When I gave birth to my children, they remained my children in their DNA and bloodline; that was never taken from them. However, if they deny me, they do not have the advantages of an inheritance.
When Christ transforms us we gain a new family, one that is spiritual and permanent for eternity.
John 3:16: "Declares that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life." This does not say "until you sin."
When Jesus Christ transforms us into a new creation, we will always be His children, but we may miss blessings, and the Holy Spirit may stop speaking to us because we are stubborn.
Ephesians 4:30: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption"
1 Corinthians 11:32 "But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."
There are many Facebook users who are deceiving people into believing you must do well and be completely obedient to be saved. They say one can lose the seal of the Holy Spirit. They never tell us which scriptures explain which sins will cause us to lose salvation or at what point the Holy Spirit leaves a born-again believer. They don't explain these things because there are no passages that say such things.
God does describe those who pretend to be Christians but have never been transformed by Christ because they do not love Him and are attempting to gain heaven in their own power through their own good deeds. These people disobey more of the Scriptures than they obey because they have no conviction of their pride that leads to confession of their sinful nature. He says in His word, "I never knew you." This means that someone who says they are a Christian but Christ never knew them, that they declared themselves that rather than trusting in Christ to transform them. They often are very clever, even have all the right words and actions but remain dependent on themselves and not Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
When Christ transforms us, we are completely different people desiring to live for Him. Even though we may falter at times, we hate that we do and confess it to be cleansed of that sin. Our Spiritual growth depends on how frequently we confess our sins and desire to be delivered from them.
Keep looking up, our home going is soon.
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?"
When I gave birth to my children, they remained my children in their DNA and bloodline; that was never taken from them. However, if they deny me, they do not have the advantages of an inheritance.
When Christ transforms us we gain a new family, one that is spiritual and permanent for eternity.
John 3:16: "Declares that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life." This does not say "until you sin."
When Jesus Christ transforms us into a new creation, we will always be His children, but we may miss blessings, and the Holy Spirit may stop speaking to us because we are stubborn.
Ephesians 4:30: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption"
1 Corinthians 11:32 "But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."
There are many Facebook users who are deceiving people into believing you must do well and be completely obedient to be saved. They say one can lose the seal of the Holy Spirit. They never tell us which scriptures explain which sins will cause us to lose salvation or at what point the Holy Spirit leaves a born-again believer. They don't explain these things because there are no passages that say such things.
God does describe those who pretend to be Christians but have never been transformed by Christ because they do not love Him and are attempting to gain heaven in their own power through their own good deeds. These people disobey more of the Scriptures than they obey because they have no conviction of their pride that leads to confession of their sinful nature. He says in His word, "I never knew you." This means that someone who says they are a Christian but Christ never knew them, that they declared themselves that rather than trusting in Christ to transform them. They often are very clever, even have all the right words and actions but remain dependent on themselves and not Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
When Christ transforms us, we are completely different people desiring to live for Him. Even though we may falter at times, we hate that we do and confess it to be cleansed of that sin. Our Spiritual growth depends on how frequently we confess our sins and desire to be delivered from them.
Keep looking up, our home going is soon.
Growing in Holiness
James 5:16 "16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
No one can grow and change without seeing ourselves in truth. Admitting our flaws and warts with the desire to be different is the only answer to permanent and systemic change.
Christ is the answer for transforming us into His likeness; however, He will only do so if we want Him to cleanse us of our sinful attitudes and actions.
James 5:15-17 "…15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."
Proverbs 28:13 "He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy."
1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
2 Peter 3:18 "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."
No one can grow and change without seeing ourselves in truth. Admitting our flaws and warts with the desire to be different is the only answer to permanent and systemic change.
Christ is the answer for transforming us into His likeness; however, He will only do so if we want Him to cleanse us of our sinful attitudes and actions.
James 5:15-17 "…15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."
Proverbs 28:13 "He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy."
1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
2 Peter 3:18 "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."
Monday, August 17, 2026
The Marriage Covenant A Picture of Salvation
A Marriage covenant is based on the one who makes the covenant; it is not human to God; it is God to human. We cannot break a covenant from God to us; we can only violate it, not break it, because it depends on God.
2 Timothy 2:13 "13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—"
Marriage is a covenant between God and man; it cannot be broken by man and is only severed by God at the death of one of the partners.
Romans 3:3-4 "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 "God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."
2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one."
The marriage covenant between God and man is a picture of the covenant between Christ and His church. We cannot lose salvation because it does not depend on us.
However, evidence of true salvation is seen in the fruit of the Spirit and a lifestyle that is dedicated to Christ. This is the evidence that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise as a guarantee of our inheritance.
He gets all the praise because our salvation is all His work when we trust in Him.
Ephesians 1:13-14 "13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
2 Timothy 2:13 "13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—"
Marriage is a covenant between God and man; it cannot be broken by man and is only severed by God at the death of one of the partners.
Romans 3:3-4 "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 "God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."
2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one."
The marriage covenant between God and man is a picture of the covenant between Christ and His church. We cannot lose salvation because it does not depend on us.
However, evidence of true salvation is seen in the fruit of the Spirit and a lifestyle that is dedicated to Christ. This is the evidence that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise as a guarantee of our inheritance.
He gets all the praise because our salvation is all His work when we trust in Him.
Ephesians 1:13-14 "13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Teaching Children to Enjoy Working in their Play
Play for children should include accomplishing or creating something. It teaches children to enjoy achievements and productivity. Those who learn to enjoy work never have to "play" at useless things that only give them temporary happiness.
Children are apprentice adults. Everything we do with them from birth should be to prepare them for learning how to be responsible adults.
Even small children can learn to work by picking up their toys or helping a parent rake the leaves, each at their own level according to their abilities. Teaching children to enjoy work starts when they are toddlers.
Colossians 3:23 "23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,"
1 Corinthians 10:31 "31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:3 "31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Proverbs 13:4 "4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied."
Ephesians 4:28 "28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need."
Children are apprentice adults. Everything we do with them from birth should be to prepare them for learning how to be responsible adults.
Even small children can learn to work by picking up their toys or helping a parent rake the leaves, each at their own level according to their abilities. Teaching children to enjoy work starts when they are toddlers.
Colossians 3:23 "23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,"
1 Corinthians 10:31 "31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:3 "31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Proverbs 13:4 "4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied."
Ephesians 4:28 "28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need."
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