We Bear Our Own Sin

No adult child can blame anyone else for their sin. Each of us have to face the Lord alone on judgement day to give an account.

Ezekiel 18:20 ""The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."

Sin is More Serious than We Think

Sin is very serious to God, He never takes it lightly, He cannot be in the presence of sin, any amount of sin.

When we realize that!!!!

Luke 17:1-4
"3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Romans 6:23
"For the WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

1 John 3:4
"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness."

James 1:15
"Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

THIS IS JUST HOW SERIOUS SIN IS TO GOD!!!

Now are we ready to warn those who are headed for hell that they are in danger....after which we give them the Good news, that Christ paid the price, it didn't come cheap, and our only hope is to trust Christ, and turn from our evil ways.

Warning first, then the good news. If they will not receive it, we have our marching instructions:

Matthew 10:14
""Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet."

No One is Forgiven without Repentance!

Jeremiah 36:3
"3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin."

The Lord cannot forgive the sin of a nation when the nation is not repentant. 

Forget What You Have Been Told; Ask God!

Will everyone just go to prayer and ask God about this matter of forgiveness. Yes a believer must have it in their heart, but the superficial way it is being taught leaves the act of forgiveness impotent without purpose or teeth. Read carefully all the scriptures that pertain to forgiveness, read each word in the passages and pray over them.

We have more forgiveness in our culture than ever before, at least in words, but more filth, crime and rebellion than ever before. What do you think has happened? I am convinced it is partly because we have learned platitudes that sound good but have no power in them.

We must learn the right way to forgive and it's purpose, otherwise we will walk around with a glazed look on our face saying "I forgive, I forgive", while tearing up inside.

Please let God show you this matter of forgiveness. It is commendable that so many want to be forgiving, but if it is not understood, we can actually stand in the way of God's blessing for someone who might repent because their sin has been exposed and dealt with.

Let God show us through His Word, try to forget all that you hear in our culture and all that you have been taught seeking Christ in prayer over this matter.

Forgiveness Has Been Misunderstood

Matthew 5:21-24 "“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

 Perhaps those who don't want to require forgiveness, don't want others to require it of them. This makes very bad relationships. We are to talk things out, admit our wrongs and forgive others their wrongs. When we sweep things under the rug, we can temporarily superficially mask over things, but nothing is resolved and no one grows.

It is easier to let something go, calling it forgiveness, when all it is, is cowardess, not wanting to confront a sin.  

We do not grow in holiness as believers if we will not admit our sin. We must call one another to account to help one another.  This superficial and impotent forgiveness of today does nothing for anyone. 

The excuse is that we are to forgive for our own sake, no one will be able to give a scripture that says this. It is a humanistic, everything is about self mentality.

We do not forgive for ourselves. We forgive a brother or sister for their sake and if they have come to confess to us.

James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

When we offend others!
Matthew 5:21-24 "“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to   judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

When others offend us!
Matthew 18:15-17 "15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’[a] 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

When dealing with the unsaved world we are to;
Luke 6:27-28 "27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you."

The verse in Luke does not apply to brothers and sisters in Christ, because they are not our enemies as verse 27 describes.

It is clear that we are to take abuse from the world and do no harm to anyone. With brothers and sisters in Christ we are to confront sin and abuses for the purpose of reconciliation.  

Grace to Obey not Grace to Sin

Grace is given to be able to obey, not freedom to disobey. Sin is so serious that no amount of sin at all can come into the presence of God, that's why Christ paid our debt that God would see Him instead of our sin.

Why on earth would God wink at sin when it was so terrible in the slightest degree that Christ had to die to pay the price for it. When we are flippant about sin it is the same as slapping God in the face.

Begin Building Your House by Choosing the Right Man

For Christian Women Desiring to Marry

Feelings are only good if they reflect an action that was in obedience to God. Often our feelings cause us to disobey, because we like them so much, we ignore the inklings in our soul that tell us the attitude is not righteous. The devil loves to make us euphoric, so that we are controlled by our feelings.

Many young ladies "fall in love", mostly because of outward appearance or a kindred spirit in terms of enjoyment of the same activities. Often the character is ignored completely in favor of the good feelings that come from having fun together.

My advice to young ladies who are wanting to get married in the Lord, would be this, watch the man who pursues you, in all situations evaluate what a godly man would have done. The Bible will show you what a godly man looks like.

2 Corinthians 6:14 "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?"

Does your young man pray over everything, seeking God even in the small things, or does he wait until something is too big for him and then turns to prayer. The matter of prayer doesn't even come up in the minds of many Christian men. They are almost embarrassed to suggest prayer as a solution to problems.

If a man is not interested in reading the Bible with you or praying with you, he is not for you. A man who leads will love to share his relationship in the Lord with the one he will marry.

A man who neglects prayer and scripture study will be a man who will neglect the training and teaching of his children. Often these men will not do it themselves nor will they support their wife when she wants to instruct the children.

A godly man will love to read the word, seek it when problems come up and consult with his wife on many things, that they might make major decisions together. When a man will not discuss important matters with his wife, then he is operating as a single, without regard to the wisdom of the wife, this will cause the children to disregard their mother too.

The children will often do what they see the father doing even more than what they hear him saying. "More is caught than taught."

When you get married you will not agree on everything, but you should at least be able to discuss everything.

Above all, seek the Lord will all your heart for your spouse, HE can see into a man's heart, we can only see what the man wants to show us on the outside, unless we have discernment from the Holy Spirit. There are always clues as to someone's character, do not ignore the clues. Even confront them head on, with a potential spouse, watch his reaction to a challenge, whatever comes out will show you whether he is humble or prideful.

Proverbs 29:23 "One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

If your young man considers things before reacting, seeks to please God in his ways, even though not perfect, he will be a good leader in your home, a wonderful father to your children and he will never leave you.

If you marry a man who builds his life on Christ, then when difficulties come he will know Who to turn to and be given wisdom to resolve matters.

Matthew 7:24 ""Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu5bBDRpzPM

The Fold or the Flock, Where are You?

I heard an analogy that blessed me recently. In the old testament we see the sheep are in the "fold", protected by the enclosure of the fold, which is a picture of the "Law." The protection was from the wolves and other predators that would be dangerous to the sheep.

However, in the new testament we see a different picture, one that does not require the "fold." The word "fold" used in the old testament was not the same word used in the new testament to depict the protection of the sheep. The new testament refers to the "flock." There is no "protecting fold", because the protection is now that of the Shepherd. Through Christ we are protected by His grace.

Just a thought!

The Joy is Gone for Most

Even with all our toys and prosperity the people of America lack joy because they are so self absorbed. The more we have the more we want, we become picky. dissatisfied and ungrateful, not to mention petty over the silliest things. All this love of self is causing divorce and remarriage, angry lonely children and disrespectful attitudes on the part of everyone.

We are a prosperous nation, but increasingly miserable. Our "stuff" has not brought us the peace that we thought it would, it only made us more selfish. Teen suicide is up, something that was almost unheard of when I was a teen. Why are young people who have everything killing themselves? This ought to be a clue that getting our way does not satisfy, it only makes us dull and unsure of what is right and what is wrong.

Locked into our cell phones, slaves to its rings, we have no real friends, only words on a device that we can turn on and off at will. Our families are disintegrating while our level of education is dumbing us down. We are getting ready for third world status.

The solution to all this mess, is for individuals to turn from their sin to Christ, desiring to be changed into a new creation by Him, cleansing us from the indoctrination with which the culture has brain washed us. Only then will we be able to change anything, we start with ourselves.

Does the Law Condemn Us or Bless Us?

There is so much confusion about the Law of God, arguing abounds. One side says we have to obey the Law to be born again and the other extreme says we don't need the Law any more and can sin all we want.

The truth is the Law never goes away, either for convicting the unsaved or blessing the saved.

There is a difference in the way the Law is applied before salvation than after salvation. Before salvation the Law was there to convict us of our sin to lead us to Christ and repentance.

After salvation the Law Giver lives in us, we don't have to "follow" the Law, it abides in us as a very real part of our being, we love it.

Before we had to try to obey and could not, even with fear in our hearts. After salvation we don't have to try to follow it, we enjoy obeying it, we don't want to violate God's Laws.

After we become born again, the Law in us convicts others who are not born again.

Before salvation we feared the Law and its' condemnation, after salvation we are grateful for where it brought us.

Romans 8:3 "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,"

Psalm 119:97 "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well."

James 2:8 "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well."

Seems impossible that someone would dwell on God's Law day and night and still defy it. The more time we spend contemplating His Principles, the less we will violate them. We terry a long time on the things we love, whether it be the world or the things of God.

1 Timothy 4:15 "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all."

Want to know God intimately, read His word often, remember His principles and speak them to others, let Him permeate our being in every thing all the time.

Words Are Not Enough

Our culture places far too much emphasis on words. We tend to think if we say something that makes it true. Or if we say something, our words will make things happen. This could not be farther from the truth. Our "WORDS" have no power. They are easier than action. It is actually a cultic concept to believe words have power. Only God's Words have power.

Action takes effort, words can be said while we rest or sleep, but action must be done with effort, time and sacrifice.

James 2:14-26
"14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also"

We Are Not Accepted "As We Are."

I was once told that I "should accept people for who they are", whatever that means.

I asked the person are you accepting me for who I am, a person who does not accept someone else for who they are?"

Christ does not accept us as we are, He takes us and cleans us up. We don't come to Christ to be ourselves, we come to Christ to become a new creation, completely changed.

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,"

Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Galatians 5:24 "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

1 Corinthians 6:9 "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,"

So all that you have heard over the years about God accepting you as you are is not only false but dangerous.

God cannot accept any sin in His presence, the only way that we can be acceptable to God is by the sacrifice of Christ. That is just how wicked we are, God cannot even look upon us unless we have the Holy Spirit for Him to see in us.

Israel is the Proof

Look what God did in 1948!!!!!! We have been watching prophesy fulfilled blatantly since 1948. Israel has been continually bombarded by Islam all this time and has remained a country, protected by God. This is a miracle folks, they are surrounded every day for the past, nearly 60 years and they still remain a country while growing every day.

Jeremiah 32:37

""Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety."

There are those who are superficially looking for miracles performed by men encouraging wild and phony worship services to get their miracles, while God's Word is being fulfilled before their very eyes. All we have to do is watch Israel and the middle east to know that God is working and has been for those 60 years in preparation for the tribulation.

Why can so many people focus on fraudulent miracles to get a temporary earthly high, while all around them God is working real miracles. Why is this? I believe it is because those looking for the superficial miracles for personal high without thought of glorifying God are earthly focused and not with eternity in mind. When God is glorified, then we see only His working, not our wild flagellation each week in front of crowds of people to be elevated by others.

The rapture and the tribulation are in view now, not much more time shall pass before these things come about. We can see the signs in many ways, but most of all we see Israel our time piece.

May many become born again before it is too late.

Judas Was With Christ But Was Never Of Him

Judas was with Christ, he tasted of the gifts and love of Christ, even professed to be for Him, but Christ called him a devil. He was never born again because his heart wanted the perks of what Christ had to offer, but he did not want Christ. He was a pretender as many are today in the gatherings.

1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

It would be good for all those who claim to be born again to ask the Lord if they are truly born again. Just because someone attends church, performs certain good deeds does not make them a child of God. Not all who think they are saved and going to heaven, will make it there.

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.’"

Notice how good these people will look to others? They will even do miracles in Christ's name, but they are not of Him. When I ponder this I am reminded of people like Benny Hinn and many others who seem to have miracles, even real ones at times mixed in with their phony ones. They are pretenders, we know this because much of what they do and believe violates the Bible.

A true believer will set his entire life on the principles of the Bible, he or she will base all they do and say on God's Word, unless they are stubborn, in which case the Lord will deal with them as with sons and daughters, disciplining them until they confess and turn from their sin.

Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

Do we want to be sons and daughters of the King of Kings? If so, then we must stop thinking with our own mind, ask God and search His Word for the answers.

James 1:5 "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Toys Must Go Confession Must Begin

God would bring hardship to bring the people to their knees in repentance. Many people have been praying for our country, it could be that all this calamity is the answer to these prayers. The only way we will forsake our sin is if we confess them first.

As long as this nation remains basically narcissistic and materialistic, then we will continue the downward slide.....in answer to those who have been praying.

Can you imagine our children and grandchildren giving up all their play things when things are pleasurable and easy? Not on your life. They will hold onto them until things get so tough they don't have time to think about fun.

Discipline is nothing to cry over.

We all want to be blessed don't we? Perhaps one of God's greatest blessings is to discipline us. When we confess our sin and begin to live for Christ, we are then back on the path to growth again.

I used to hear ladies lamenting that they had to discipline their children. I never thought of it as a bad thing. Babies cry when they come out of the womb, the doctor slaps their bottom to get them to breathe, and no one thinks anything bad is happening.

When we have jobs to do that produce something good, we should never feel bad about doing them. During the day we do the dishes, wash the cloths, spank the children and mop the floor. I never saw my jobs as bad, because they produced a cleaner kitchen, cloths and floor. Spanking produced a friendlier more obedient child. Just a part of the job of raising children.

Proverbs 22:6 "6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

When we say "no pain no gain" concerning exercising our bodies, we can think that way about raising children or any other duty in our household. The surgeon has to cut on a person to heal them and God has to prune us as one prunes a rose bush, to make us healthier, producing more and better blooms.

When we can stop basing our actions on our emotions, then our emotions will change too, it is barely possible that many mothers wouldn't feel emotional about discipline if they were not listening to the culture they live in. The culture makes them think they should feel bad.

When we go with God, in our decisions of life, we can rise above the culture and do what is right, because remember the culture is not following God, for the most part the culture is following psychology concocted by the heathens and we can see where that has led us, deeper and deeper into 2 Timothy 3.

2 Timothy 3:1-9

"3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will PROGRESS no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was."

If we can see the tasks we have to do as producing better fruit and greater human beings, then we can do them with confidence and even hope in our hearts.

Without Doctrine We Have Nothing!

I was raised in a social Christianity based on never judging anyone so that we could all get alone. I was once told that we should forgo doctrine for the sake of unity. Even as a new believer, I knew that couldn't be right, since God gave the doctrine, how could human unity be better than God's doctrine?

Those who desire a social club rather than yearning after truth will only bring us to a place of frustration, if we are seeking God in all things. It is very difficult to have fellowship with those whose greatest goal in life is to enjoy one another in a happy setting.

The Bible is full of doctrine, instructions from God on what to believe and how to live what we believe.

Definition of Doctrine: "Doctrine is defined as a principle or group of principles which are taught by a religion or political party." (Your Dictionary)

If we are to ignore doctrine for the sake of unity then we would have to ignore all the scriptures concerning Christ, that He is God, that He created all things and that He was crucified to pay the penalty for our sins.

If we are to ignore doctrine for the sake of unity, then we would have to accept into our gatherings those who believe in other gods and allow them to preach from our pulpits.

Since unity is paramount over doctrine to many these days, then our relationship with non-believers must be one of unity, choosing to ignore all the doctrine in the Word to be able to be friends with those who would even deny Christ.

We can see where diminishing doctrine can lead and how foolish it is to say that doctrine does not matter. The apostate church today is operating as a social club ignoring any doctrine they don't like while bringing into the body sin and evil, even embracing it as though it does not matter to God what we do as long as we are all friendly to one another.

Many churches today ignore sin in the body. There are those who are living together in sin outside of marriage because they are accepted without challenge in the body under the guise of "just loving them."

There is no love in one who would allow a brother or sister to remain in sin without correction or challenges. This is the world's love which is no love at all.

This is what comes from diminishing or removing doctrine from it's place of importance, at the very top of the list of things to uphold and seek.

What Does A Born Again Blood Bought Believer Look Like?

Matthew 7;14-20
"15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

1 John 3:14 
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."

1 John 3:16 
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
"But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."

NO Way To Destroy Israel!

The only way Islam can destroy the nation of Israel is in this way, mentioned in Jeremiah 31. We know that they cannot do what God speaks of here and neither will God choose to do it. Israel will always exist no matter how hard her enemies attempt to destroy her.

Jeremiah 31:35-37

"35Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for LIGHT by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: 36“If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever.” 37Thus says the LORD, “If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the LORD"

Cease Fire? Where?

How many of you think these "cease fires" between Gaza and Israel are working?

Israel is the only one with brains. All the other powers that be are insisting on these cease fires but they never happen, or at least not for long. Albert Einstein said this: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result."

I Can No Longer Stand The Lies

I wrote this on another post today, I don't normally like to get into politics much because there is something far more important than our leadership and that is the gospel. However sometimes I can no longer quench the practical side of myself as I watch all the lies and manipulations coming out of our government.

The devil introduced lying to the first couple, Adam and Eve. Lying has been the foundational brick that leads into all other sins.

When I think of our president, I become greatly agitated at the continual lying that goes on in every news cast.

Sometimes I can hardly stand looking at his pre-possessing face!!!!! When he speaks I turn it off, I feel like I am listening to the lies of demons.

There is no compassion, empathy or any other kind of emotion, because he doesn't care about anyone but himself. I do believe he is the epitome of narcissistic personality disorder. Every thought and action is calculated to spin public perception.

And, to top it all off, he is Islamic, meaning he can lie without conscience to the infidel, which is all of us and the United States in general.

The poor little weasel doesn't even know how many states we have.....Uh....this seems like a clue as to his country of origin.

Sorry to go off like that, but I despise the company of people who lie continually without one shred of conscience over it. Demons control him!

If I hear one more "Christian" tell me that we should pray for his salvation I think I will feel ill. I am more likely to pray a imprecatory prayer for this leader than a prayer of salvation. In order for "O" to become born again one would have to cast out the demons, and they would only go if he wanted them to.

The prayer would be that the enemies of God's people will not be allowed to triumph, and I speak mainly Israel as I write this and believers especially. Our president is against Israel and all believers in Jesus Christ.

If he becomes born again in the process of being punished then I would rejoice that he became saved, but I don't feel led to pray for his salvation, I believe he is an instrument in these last day as we are in the throws of prophesy.

My desire is that many people become born again during this time in spite of our presidents efforts to thwart the Word of God.

Rebuke me if you like, I will take it like a "man"! LOL

Forced Captivity, What does God say we are to do in these circumstances?

Jeremiah 29:4-8
"4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses an dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 
6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. 
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

Two important  things God told the people who have been exiled from their country to another country:
1.  "I  (God) have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon" and 2. "seek peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive."

Where ever God takes us no matter how we get there, it is God's will if we have no control over it and we must follow the two principles that He gave to the nation of Israel.  We may not be told specifically to build houses and to marry, but the highest principles of all were clearly given as mandates to follow.

We may, at some point in our country, face the horror of being overtaken by another entity, no longer having the privilege of voting to choose our leaders.  When this happens, we are told by God not to fight.

Picking up arms against a ruling authority, that we think is unjust, has been indelibly etched in our brains since childhood, it is not Biblical. 

I believe in our second amendment rights to bear arms for use in hunting and protection from home intruders who are breaking the law.  However the provision of our constitution for the redress of grievances was not the provision for fighting our own government.  IF we as a country were being invaded and the government told us to take up arms to protect us, then that is a different matter. If we have been conquered the Jeremiah 29 passage applies to believers.

Also, not everything written in our constitution is Biblical, we must see the difference between the constitution created by man and the Bible written by God, through the apostles.

Jeremiah 29:11 "11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

God has a purpose in all things, even the things we don't like or that remove us from our comfort zone.

God recognized those who refused to go into exile, who fought and hid to avoid it and told them that there would be no protection for them if they refused to go, but they stayed anyway.

Jeremiah 29:17 "17 thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad."

The protection God  had for His people was while they were in exile.  He does not always give us what we want, but always gives us that which is within His plan. If we trust Him in all situations, then we can willingly walk into captivity knowing that God controls even this.

When we fight against God's declarations we will be cursed and in a worse situation than if we had just taken our punishment, while trusting Him.

It takes faith to be willing to submit to God when it doesn't feel good, when things are not going the way we think we would like. It is not faith to fight like an animal who is frightened. That is a natural human instinct. Faith is accepting God's will, moving forward in His instruction knowing that His purposes are greater than our desires.

We can find peace in every circumstance.  Even Paul said this:

8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 
9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

"11 This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself."

Acts 16:25-34 "25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 
26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 
28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household"

We never know how God is going to work and what blessing awaits us in the future when we obey God.  Even if we are beheaded for our faith, we have great reward in heaven for our faithfulness to Him.  

Remember too, that if we have to endure terrible things, God can give us the strength necessary to remain faithful to Him.

May those who love Christ dwell more on their faithfulness to Him than on their personal physical comfort, that when the day comes that they have to lose everything they have including the love of their families, they will be able to continue to experience great joy even during loss.

Pressure Makes Diamonds

"Diamonds are crystals of pure carbon that form under crushing pressures and intense heat. They mostly form in the Earth's mantle, the layer beneath the crust or surface layer, at a depth of about 150km."  Natural History Museum. 

Rose Perfume is made by pressing the peddles of the roses to extract the fragrance.

To refine gold it must be heated so that the dross rises to the surface to be removed. 

Everything that is beautiful, must begin with raw materials that are not very desirable in their crude form, pressing them, chipping away at them and heating them to produce the beauty that is in them. They become changed into a new form never to return to the old again.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Romans 5:1-5 "5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the GLORY OF GOD. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Philippians 4:6-7  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

When we are pressured to admit our dross, our response will dictate our future. Those who readily admit they have dross to be removed will grow and prosper spiritually while those who refuse to admit their dross when confronted will not only not grow, but will regress and become harder than they were before.

Each time we admit and ask the Lord to remove the dross, we will grow stronger in the Lord. Each time that we refuse to admit our failings, we will become a little harder than the last time we were confronted.

As in the story of the Egyptian leader who was confronted with the plagues, God says "Pharaoh hardened his own heart" and in the same passages God said "God  hardened Pharos heart."  Both were true, God merely did what He knew would cause Pharaoh to harden his own heart, that being pressure to expose him.

When we are told to confront the sin of our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is for their spiritual growth and betterment. When we refuse to do this to avoid conflict we think only of ourselves.  Our duty is not to make happy relationships but to make quality relationships, fostering holiness and loyalty to God in our brothers and sisters. Do we love them enough to help them grow, or are we concerned only about friendliness for a moment?

Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Psalm 141;5 "Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds."

1 Thessalonians 5:14 "We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

Pray continually for your children and grandchildren!

1 Peter 5:8 
"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

 I do believe the devil is working harder on the children of believers than anyone else. He already has the world that are in his camp, he is after those who have the potential of becoming born again because of the families they live in. 

He also works to corrupt adult children who are born again, putting strife between the parents and children over the silliest things, thus removing the influence of the believing grandparents.

If the devil can remove the influence of godly grandparents, he is also removing the support system that God has created in families.

The Jews Are Still Loved By God

Beware of these theologies, they are heretical and dangerous, there are probably more I could name, these are the ones we see growing in strength deceiving many.

Dual Covenant

Reform

Covenant

Calvinism

Lutheranism

Romans 1:16-17

"16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith."

God has not set aside Israel, the church has been grafted into Israel, not the other way around. Many Jews today are believers in Christ and more are to come as the days grow closer to the coming of Christ.

Romans 11:1-6

"11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,

3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?

4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work"

No Pain No Gain?

There is something that my husband brought up this morning that was very interesting to me. He said, "when people speak of the account of the prodigal son in Scripture, they always speak on only one son and sometimes both sons, but they do not speak about the father."

He was right, we almost never speak of the father, who is a picture of God, the sons are pictures of humanity, but the father is a type of God, in the Word of God.

The elder son had problems with obeying the father without loving him and the younger son disobeyed because of his lack of love for the father. Both did not love their father, one obeyed and one did not obey. Both did not love the father.

God deals with His children in the most loving terms possible. God offers forgiveness and salvation to mankind, but does not force them. He does not contend with them, He give them a choice and then lets them make it, either for or against Him.

In the account of the prodigal son, the father gave the younger son what he wanted and let him go. The father allowed the son to experience the hard consequences of his own choices without the father's presence. The father never ran after the son, begging and urging him to stop his carousing or wicked lifestyle, nor did he rush to give him money when he ran out of it. The father remained absent from the son during his time of rebellion. He allowed his son to wallow in the pig pen, scrounging for his food, until the son was ready to confess his sin and turn from it.

When the son confessed and returned, determined to be content to be treated as a servant, then the father knew the son was truly changed. The son left wanting his own way, lazy and bent on revelries, desiring riches to waste and came back broken, wanting to be in the father's house again even if it meant as a servant.

God deals with us the same way. He loves us too much to rescue us before the lesson is learned. Sometimes He takes our children far away from us to spare us the agony of watching them ruin their lives, while we remain at home, waiting and praying for the day our children will see their filthiness and desire to return home a different person than they were when they left.

Do we have the strength to love our children more than we love their companionship, Do we love them more than we love our own comfort and protection?

God's ways are best, sometimes they seem harsh, but they are loving. There is a saying that I have heard many times over the years in relation to physical exercise, it goes like this; "no pain no gain."

Why is it that we can see that pain is necessary in physical health, surgery to fix a broken organ or exercise to build muscles, but cannot see the need for pain in spiritual matters.

James 1:2-18
"2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."

Fulfillment Only Comes With Honor

Jeremiah 15:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

Jeremiah’s Dejection
"10 Woe is me, my mother,
That you have borne me,
A man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth!
I have neither lent for interest,
Nor have men lent to me for interest.
Every one of them curses me."

When we do things God's way, we will be maligned, reviled and cursed for it.

We could give away all our money to the poor and become like them, they no longer would be our friends, because we would have nothing to give them.

I have known many people who get themselves into debt, wasting the borrowed resources on foolishness with nothing to show for it, when their resources are exhausted they go to others asking to be bailed out of the trouble of their own making.

It is easy to get welfare these days, many who do not want to work seem to be able to get "disability", when people in their condition used to work at something, even as a disabled person. The excuse of disability is growing because the sense of honor is lacking in those who would rather have a free ride than maintain their own dignity by earning what they receive.

They waste what they have acquired from the taxes paid by others, and then come to ask for more money to be able to waste further.

I have received phone calls from people asking for their electric bills and rent to be paid because they ran out of money at the end of the month. They didn't have enough food in their kitchens nor did they have enough to feed their children.

When asked where their money went they would say they just don't get enough. After hearing all their troubles, I ask a few questions to clarify whether or not they are using the money they have wisely. Sometimes I would ask how much money they get and they don't want to tell me. I am more interested in helping them learn to wisely use their resources than handing out money.

My questions begin with, "do you smoke", the answer is always yes. "Do you have a cell phone", the answer again is yes. I ask them if they drink or buy lottery tickets, often the answer is yes. In conversation with these people I discover that they have internet, cable television, throw lavish birthday parties for their children with cakes from the store, expensive gifts for the birthday and even Christmas, while taking trips to see relatives out of town on trains and buses.

In a nut shell, much of what the poor spend their money on are things that we budget for and only do if there is extra money after all the bills are paid.

The poor need to live much more frugally than they do. They need to cancel their internet, cable, cell phones and lavish birthday parties for family members. They need to spend only on food and rent, if anything is left over save it for a day when an emergency arises.

There is a very strange mentality in this country and that is that everyone should have whatever they want, even if they cannot afford it, and those who have enough money should pay for their play things.

There is a saying that I learned a long time ago, that made good sense during a time when every family struggled aside from the wealthy elite.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Author Unknown to me.

We are a fast food culture, it is easier to just give our resources than it is to spend some time arranging for a job. I have approached businesses in the past and asked them why they don't give the beggar outside their store, a job. The answer that came back often was, "we did, they said they don't want one."

There are legitimate poor, I understand that, but most of them are in other countries where there are very hard times and oppressive governments, but in our country, most of the poor are that way because they were lazy and/or rebellious.

Everyone can have some kind of job here, even if it is at the bottom of the ladder. The wise young people will start at the bottom doing any job they can get, do it as unto the Lord, perfomring such a good job that the boss learns to trust and rely on them. They make the boss look so good that he doesn't want to lose them, over time he likely will promote them to a better paying position. But even if he does not, remember if we are born again, then our objective is to honor God first above everything. Perhaps our boss will become saved because we honored God and treating him with respect, blessing the boss.

If we are unhappy on a job then we stay, praying for strength to act in a godly manner and pray for the Lord to provide another one. Many people leave a job they don't like before they have another one, this is not wise. Many people have to work at jobs they don't like to keep bread on the table. God can give us what we need to endure while maintaining our Christian character.

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,"

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
"For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not BUSY at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living."

Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Proverbs 14:23
"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty."

Philippians 2:14-15
"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,"

1 Corinthians 10:21
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the GLORY OF GOD."

Proverbs 12:24
"The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor."

Colossians 3:17
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Proverbs 6:6-8
"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest."

Luke 1:37
"For nothing will be impossible with God.”

God has commanded us to work, if we want to work He will see to it that we have something to work at. Seek His face for a job, use your resources wisely in only what is needed, forgetting all the toys and playthings, lavish food and expensive clothing, resolving to live frugally and God will bless what little you have.

We may not have all the things we desire, but we will live honorably, even being able to share what little we have to bless others. God never gives us a principle without the ability to carry it out.

Jeremiahs 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for your good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Honoring the Lord is more important than keeping up with the Jones's There can be great joy in living honorably in the Lord.