Fellowship gatherings in homes in the first century were devoted to the people centered around Christ and not a building or a system.
It is a wonderful thing because everyone is free to share, edifying one another as they speak of Christ. The relationships were deeper because they were centered around Christ, not a man-made system with rules and expectations God never commanded.
1 Corinthians 14:26 " 26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church."
The leaders did not dominate the church gathering; they guided by example and teaching, and all were included in the exchange, allowing others to bring their perspectives and gifts. When we know the gifts of each are from the Holy Spirit, we will not be criticizing others or expecting them to be something God never called them to be.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
"12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one part, but many.
15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.
19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 But now there are many parts, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
23 and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable,
24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it."
In God's body of believers, no one is less than anyone else, and all are to be honored and blessed by the love of the others.
When we appreciate that everyone has a part and everyone is to be loved, there will not be competitiveness or a sense of superiority.
We can even appreciate differing personalities that bring color and life to everyone else. With this perspective, we can stop judging things that are not sin and be grateful, treasuring our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Praise God for His design within the church gathering and the beauty of it when all work together in their particular gifts.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
What We Teach Others Exposes Our Own Mentality
Some people are teaching young people to have their fun before getting married, have their fun before having children, because one day they will have to stop having fun, so do it while you can.
The sad truth about this mentality is that life is not about fun. It's about living life for God and for Spiritual and emotional growth so that when old age arrives, we will be full of wisdom and insight.
The wisdom and insight do not come from pleasure, so any growth is delayed until there is sobering of the heart that desires to put away childish pleasures to begin learning about life and truth.
1 Corinthians 13:11 "11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
Many, perhaps most people today are delaying their wisdom, remaining spiritual and emotinal infants. By the time they should have it, they have developed a full life experience of avoiding it to have fun. The habit of a lifetime is pleasure. Not only has wisdom been avoided it has been interpreted into modern language that elevates play above everything else.
2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
1 Corinthians 10:7 "Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”
Life with Christ is full of pleasures that flow from love, developing relationships on the mutual pursuit of working together for the greater good. Seeking God for His purposes, serving others as led by Christ.
Every day is a blessing and an adventure when we live for Christ. Our adventures are simple and uncomplicated. We see the children playing in the yard, the deer walking through, the rabbits in the grass, the smell of freshly cut grass, and the birds that are singing. Things we don't have to chase after but are right in front of us are God's blessings and joy we carry every single day.
There are more blessings, such as the joy of sharing with a friend their heartache or their accomplishments. My husband says frequently, "A shared blessing is a blessing doubled, and a shared grief is half a grief.
When we share with one another the experiences of life, we strengthen and encourage one another. This is a lost art in our day, with everyone wanting to share their own stuff with no interest in the experiences of others.
Why do so many want to share about themselves but are uninterested in others? The answer is clear: we live in a culture of boasting to impress others.
People are remaining immature longer in our culture. Their focus is so self centeredd, boast oreiented and deeply insecure that it cannot find purpose other than pleasure, which has become addictive.
Normal life with all its challenges are no longer fulfilling for most.
In this culture, people pursue God for the sake of what they can get out of Him. Just as they pursue others for what they can get out of them. The basic mentality is to surround themselves with those who elevate them.
1 Timothy 5:6 "But she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives."
We do not want to be self-indulgent people. As born-again believers, we want to be useful for the kingdom of God, even if it means in small matters. Taking care of business in our families, living a Christian witness of love in the community, extending a helping hand to others, and more, as led by the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4:4 "That each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,"
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
The sad truth about this mentality is that life is not about fun. It's about living life for God and for Spiritual and emotional growth so that when old age arrives, we will be full of wisdom and insight.
The wisdom and insight do not come from pleasure, so any growth is delayed until there is sobering of the heart that desires to put away childish pleasures to begin learning about life and truth.
1 Corinthians 13:11 "11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
Many, perhaps most people today are delaying their wisdom, remaining spiritual and emotinal infants. By the time they should have it, they have developed a full life experience of avoiding it to have fun. The habit of a lifetime is pleasure. Not only has wisdom been avoided it has been interpreted into modern language that elevates play above everything else.
2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
1 Corinthians 10:7 "Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”
Life with Christ is full of pleasures that flow from love, developing relationships on the mutual pursuit of working together for the greater good. Seeking God for His purposes, serving others as led by Christ.
Every day is a blessing and an adventure when we live for Christ. Our adventures are simple and uncomplicated. We see the children playing in the yard, the deer walking through, the rabbits in the grass, the smell of freshly cut grass, and the birds that are singing. Things we don't have to chase after but are right in front of us are God's blessings and joy we carry every single day.
There are more blessings, such as the joy of sharing with a friend their heartache or their accomplishments. My husband says frequently, "A shared blessing is a blessing doubled, and a shared grief is half a grief.
When we share with one another the experiences of life, we strengthen and encourage one another. This is a lost art in our day, with everyone wanting to share their own stuff with no interest in the experiences of others.
Why do so many want to share about themselves but are uninterested in others? The answer is clear: we live in a culture of boasting to impress others.
People are remaining immature longer in our culture. Their focus is so self centeredd, boast oreiented and deeply insecure that it cannot find purpose other than pleasure, which has become addictive.
Normal life with all its challenges are no longer fulfilling for most.
In this culture, people pursue God for the sake of what they can get out of Him. Just as they pursue others for what they can get out of them. The basic mentality is to surround themselves with those who elevate them.
1 Timothy 5:6 "But she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives."
We do not want to be self-indulgent people. As born-again believers, we want to be useful for the kingdom of God, even if it means in small matters. Taking care of business in our families, living a Christian witness of love in the community, extending a helping hand to others, and more, as led by the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4:4 "That each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,"
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Let Them Go and Move On with Your Life
In another thread, I was watching a man speak of those who assumed that if a child cut off their parents, then the parents must have been bad parents.
Define "good parents" The best parents are the ones who tried to teach their children good things, but the culture made the children think their parents were bad for having standards and rules.
The parents who do not get cut off are often those who have no standards.
Adam and Eve, who only had one perfect parent, and that was God, defied Him. He is perfect, and yet His children defied Him. David, a man after God's own heart, has a child named Absalom who hated him.
The prodigal son demanded his inheritance so he could go live wickedly. He hated his father and yet nowhere in the scriptures does God say he was a bad parent.
To assume that children are right that their parents were bad enough to be entirely rejected by their children is a form of gossip. Unless you saw what went on daily in a household with the children, you cannot judge the parenting as bad.
Rebellious children will take innocent acts and even good teaching and call it bad. They are never satisfied with just hating their parents; they must punish them by keeping their grandchildren from them and even gossiping about them to turn others against them.
Often these rebellious children marry rebellious people who enjoy the estrangement of their spouse from their parents. They not only facilitate the angry mentality but also endorse it.
We are living in the 2 Timothy 3 times of every evil mentality possible in families.
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."
Do not allow the rejection of your children to cause you to ruminate on the hate; get on with your life without them, knowing that their company was nothing but continual anger and retaliation for things you never did to them, but they wanted to believe you did.
Titus 3:9-10 "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."
To be overcome with grief over the loss of your children is to be co-dependent. You must move on and allow your children to do the same. If they come back repentant, then we can rejoice, but if they want to come back to cause more trouble, you must not allow it.
Define "good parents" The best parents are the ones who tried to teach their children good things, but the culture made the children think their parents were bad for having standards and rules.
The parents who do not get cut off are often those who have no standards.
Adam and Eve, who only had one perfect parent, and that was God, defied Him. He is perfect, and yet His children defied Him. David, a man after God's own heart, has a child named Absalom who hated him.
The prodigal son demanded his inheritance so he could go live wickedly. He hated his father and yet nowhere in the scriptures does God say he was a bad parent.
To assume that children are right that their parents were bad enough to be entirely rejected by their children is a form of gossip. Unless you saw what went on daily in a household with the children, you cannot judge the parenting as bad.
Rebellious children will take innocent acts and even good teaching and call it bad. They are never satisfied with just hating their parents; they must punish them by keeping their grandchildren from them and even gossiping about them to turn others against them.
Often these rebellious children marry rebellious people who enjoy the estrangement of their spouse from their parents. They not only facilitate the angry mentality but also endorse it.
We are living in the 2 Timothy 3 times of every evil mentality possible in families.
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."
Do not allow the rejection of your children to cause you to ruminate on the hate; get on with your life without them, knowing that their company was nothing but continual anger and retaliation for things you never did to them, but they wanted to believe you did.
Titus 3:9-10 "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."
To be overcome with grief over the loss of your children is to be co-dependent. You must move on and allow your children to do the same. If they come back repentant, then we can rejoice, but if they want to come back to cause more trouble, you must not allow it.
Salvation is Entirely a Work of Christ
Salvation to those who think they can lose it depends entirely on them.
If it did not depend on them, then they would not fear losing their salvation.
If any part of salvation depends on us, then all of it depends on us.
I don't think these people believe they needed the cross at all because ultimately they determine their salvation by their own works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Did God lie when He said no one can save themselves, that there is no good in man that could save him.
Romans 7:18-19 "18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.…"
People say, "He is a good person, look at all the good he does." What they don't know is the heart of the one who "does the good." People who are not saved do good to glorify themselves, so they are not good; they only want to be seen as good by others.
The person who walks with Christ, doing authentically good things in obedience to Christ, is doing it through the Holy Spirit, and God gets the glory.
Romans 3:10-12 "as it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Since no one is good and cannot save themselves, then how could they do enough to gain heaven? Their good deeds are as filthy rags to God because only He is good and could do what was needed to save mankind, which was to shed His innocent blood on the cross to pay for our sins. We couldn't shed our own blood to save ourselves, so how could we possibly do anything short of shedding blood to earn or keep salvation?
Is a good deed equivalent to the shedding of blood? Of course it would be silly to say that. Since we cannot shed our own blood because we are "wicked without remedy", and Christ had to pay the price for us by shedding His blood, how could we think our silly little selfish good works save us on any level?
Those who think they are saving themselves by their good deeds or keeping their salvation by good deeds are trusting in themselves and not Christ. Ultimately, in their mind, they are in control of their own salvation, which is blasphemy.
Romans 3:10-11 "10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."
Galatians 3:10 "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
If it did not depend on them, then they would not fear losing their salvation.
If any part of salvation depends on us, then all of it depends on us.
I don't think these people believe they needed the cross at all because ultimately they determine their salvation by their own works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Did God lie when He said no one can save themselves, that there is no good in man that could save him.
Romans 7:18-19 "18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.…"
People say, "He is a good person, look at all the good he does." What they don't know is the heart of the one who "does the good." People who are not saved do good to glorify themselves, so they are not good; they only want to be seen as good by others.
The person who walks with Christ, doing authentically good things in obedience to Christ, is doing it through the Holy Spirit, and God gets the glory.
Romans 3:10-12 "as it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Since no one is good and cannot save themselves, then how could they do enough to gain heaven? Their good deeds are as filthy rags to God because only He is good and could do what was needed to save mankind, which was to shed His innocent blood on the cross to pay for our sins. We couldn't shed our own blood to save ourselves, so how could we possibly do anything short of shedding blood to earn or keep salvation?
Is a good deed equivalent to the shedding of blood? Of course it would be silly to say that. Since we cannot shed our own blood because we are "wicked without remedy", and Christ had to pay the price for us by shedding His blood, how could we think our silly little selfish good works save us on any level?
Those who think they are saving themselves by their good deeds or keeping their salvation by good deeds are trusting in themselves and not Christ. Ultimately, in their mind, they are in control of their own salvation, which is blasphemy.
Romans 3:10-11 "10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."
Galatians 3:10 "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Lies from the Devil that have Ruined many in the Church
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9 says that to grow in holiness, we are to confess and ask to be cleansed. This is not about salvation but about growing in Spiritual maturity. Those who lack Spiritual and emotional maturity are not asking to be cleansed because they cannot admit they have flaws and hidden sin.
Most Christians are buying into false doctrine, self-indulgence and self-reliance to appear holy, because they have been trained to love themselves first.
Anyone who loves themselves first will never love Christ.
For many years, we heard people say, "if you don't love yourself first, you won't love anyone else." That was a lie of the devil. God says we must love God first and deny ourselves.
If we cannot deny ourselves, then we will neither love God nor others. The more we love God, the less we think about ourselves, and the more we are dedicated to Christ, which will result in loving others.
Often, our modern culture takes three words out of the scriptures and makes a false doctrine out of it without the benefit of the rest of Scripture. Satan loves this and uses it frequently in these days of apostasy.
May each of us be diligent to find the meanings of practices and follow only those things as described in Scripture.
1 John 1:9 says that to grow in holiness, we are to confess and ask to be cleansed. This is not about salvation but about growing in Spiritual maturity. Those who lack Spiritual and emotional maturity are not asking to be cleansed because they cannot admit they have flaws and hidden sin.
Most Christians are buying into false doctrine, self-indulgence and self-reliance to appear holy, because they have been trained to love themselves first.
Anyone who loves themselves first will never love Christ.
For many years, we heard people say, "if you don't love yourself first, you won't love anyone else." That was a lie of the devil. God says we must love God first and deny ourselves.
If we cannot deny ourselves, then we will neither love God nor others. The more we love God, the less we think about ourselves, and the more we are dedicated to Christ, which will result in loving others.
Often, our modern culture takes three words out of the scriptures and makes a false doctrine out of it without the benefit of the rest of Scripture. Satan loves this and uses it frequently in these days of apostasy.
May each of us be diligent to find the meanings of practices and follow only those things as described in Scripture.
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