Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Listen to Understand, not just to reply!
Listen to Understand, not just to reply!
"The biggest communication problem is that we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply."
James 1:19 "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;"
There is nothing more aggravating than attempting to explain yourself, and the person who should be listening is interrupting your every word in order to be superior.
May we become so interested in our fellow man that we are willing to hear a matter all the way out before responding.
When we do respond, perhaps we could be interested in the other person more than we are interested in elevating self.
Luke 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”"
How To Become Born Again
There are many people who say they are Christians, they live good lives, go to church every week, who are trusting in their own goodness to please Christ for their salvation. These good people have never been broken over their sinful nature. Because they are depending on their own goodness, they walk in pride, refusing to hear truth, while looking down their noses at those who require Biblical answers for everything. Notice that they only show goodness when they are being flattered. When challenged to rethink their beliefs, they become ravenous wolves, at the very least covert aggressors against those that are the object of their hatred.
The people described in Matthew 7 are convinced they are good and will enter heaven. They have an elevated view of themselves, but lack the power of the Holy Spirit because they have never admitted they are not good people, they think they are worthy of salvation without Christ. They tack Christ onto the end of their good life, even using terminology from the Word, while not understanding what they say.
God said: Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
I have witnessed many people who call themselves believers who are embarrassed at the mention of Christ in any gathering. They shrink from the side of those who desire to bring Biblical truth to discussions. They even use intimidation to silence the one who desires to get at the truth of Scripture. These people surround themselves with other superficial individuals, who say glowing words about God, but are incensed at the prospect of being challenged to obey His commands. They will say we should obey Christ while in the middle of disobeying Him. Words are enough for superficial believers, any in-depth discussion about the meaning of those words or the context from which they come, is met with disdain. Their desire is to keep everything as superficial and happy as possible, making sure they are the center of attention.
These same people elevate the "educated" and "prominent" while negating and mocking those who are not "accomplished" but swim against the tide of modern Christianity. These phony believers surround themselves with those who appear in style, beautiful people who do all the popular things in life.
Those who have been born again, love to speak of the Lord, they are excited about the prospect of meeting another like minded believer who uses the Bible as the filter for everything. True believers pay little attention to the latest clothing or activity fads. Their mind is so completely full of Christ, that all else is of little value to them.
Here is the way of salvation that Christ spoke of in the following passages. I hope that all those people who have been walking superficially will pray and seek the face of God while reading these passages. May He open the hearts and minds of many.
The following quote is from gotQuestions?org.
"As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, “‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:3-7).
"The phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4, 18). John 1:12, 13 indicates that being "born again" also carries the idea of "becoming children of God" through trust in the name of Jesus Christ."
Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/born-again.html#ixzz2yyeWNMEo
The people described in Matthew 7 are convinced they are good and will enter heaven. They have an elevated view of themselves, but lack the power of the Holy Spirit because they have never admitted they are not good people, they think they are worthy of salvation without Christ. They tack Christ onto the end of their good life, even using terminology from the Word, while not understanding what they say.
God said: Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
I have witnessed many people who call themselves believers who are embarrassed at the mention of Christ in any gathering. They shrink from the side of those who desire to bring Biblical truth to discussions. They even use intimidation to silence the one who desires to get at the truth of Scripture. These people surround themselves with other superficial individuals, who say glowing words about God, but are incensed at the prospect of being challenged to obey His commands. They will say we should obey Christ while in the middle of disobeying Him. Words are enough for superficial believers, any in-depth discussion about the meaning of those words or the context from which they come, is met with disdain. Their desire is to keep everything as superficial and happy as possible, making sure they are the center of attention.
These same people elevate the "educated" and "prominent" while negating and mocking those who are not "accomplished" but swim against the tide of modern Christianity. These phony believers surround themselves with those who appear in style, beautiful people who do all the popular things in life.
Those who have been born again, love to speak of the Lord, they are excited about the prospect of meeting another like minded believer who uses the Bible as the filter for everything. True believers pay little attention to the latest clothing or activity fads. Their mind is so completely full of Christ, that all else is of little value to them.
Here is the way of salvation that Christ spoke of in the following passages. I hope that all those people who have been walking superficially will pray and seek the face of God while reading these passages. May He open the hearts and minds of many.
The following quote is from gotQuestions?org.
"As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, “‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:3-7).
"The phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4, 18). John 1:12, 13 indicates that being "born again" also carries the idea of "becoming children of God" through trust in the name of Jesus Christ."
Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/born-again.html#ixzz2yyeWNMEo
Christ Our Passover Lamb
Hebrews 9:11-28
"11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
"15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.
17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.
22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."
"11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
"15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.
17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.
22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."
New Covenant or Old Covenant
New Covenant or Old Covenant
I do not understand Gentiles who celebrate the Passover, as though Christ has not come.
I can see the Passover story as a teaching tool, but to take all the leaven out of the house, which by the way, is impossible, every year, seems ritualistic to me and makes little sense when Christ Who is the actual Pascal sacrifice, while Passover was the picture.
I was steeped in ritual in the Catholic church, when I walked away from that pagan system, I began to evaluate everything in terms of either truth or ritualism. I discovered that even believers love to have things to look at and things to do that make them FEEL more spiritual, instituting rituals that satisfy our human desire for outward signs and practices.
Would we rather have the symbol on a menu, of steak in a restaurant, or would we set aside the picture to have the actual steak to eat.
There is a certain amount of pride involved in celebrating what was for the Jews, as a Gentile. The Gentiles never did do the Passover, after Christ came, those who trusted Him, had the Christ of the Passover living in them. Even the Jews who became believers, no longer celebrated the Passover in the OT fashion, but now celebrated the real Pascal Lamb in the observance Christ gave them, the Lord's Supper.
There are still Jewish believers who participate in the Passover, the way believers participate in Christmas. They just don't want to let go of familiar and pleasurable times of celebration with family and friends.
In the Old Covenant the Jews celebrated Christ to come in the future. After He came the NT, born again Jews, celebrated the Passover a new way in the Lord's Supper.
Would it make sense to go to lunch with my husband, take a picture of him from my wallet and spend the entire meal looking at the picture, when he is sitting right across the table from me?
That would not make sense and yet that is what many people are doing today who are believers. They have remained connected to the Law as though Christ never came. They feel a need to do what was given to the Jews and has passed away.
They claim they are using it as a teaching tool. However, when we do a celebration every year it becomes a ritual rather than a teaching tool. Christ celebrated the Passover when He was on earth, because He had not yet died and risen. After His death and resurrection, the New Testament church no longer celebrated the Passover, in the traditional Jewish fashion, they rather celebrated the Lord's supper that He commanded.
1 Corinthians 11:24 "And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me."
No where in the Word, do we see instructions to celebrate the Passover as the Jews did, because Christ is the Pascal Lamb, the reality of the picture took place in the New Covenant, when His death was imputed to all those who would trust Him.
Hebrews 8:13 "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."
The New Passover was instituted after Christ died and rose from the dead, that New Passover was now called the Lord's Supper.
Those who say we will be celebrating the Passover in heaven, are misunderstanding that it will be the New Passover, not the old one that required the blood of bulls and goats as a picture of Christ to come, but the real Pascal Lamb, Christ Himself.
Hebrews 10:4 "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
The sacrifices that were done by the OT Jews never took away sin, it was merely a picture of Christ in the future. Old Testament saints had to come to Christ the same way the NT saints had to, and that is by faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross.
Those who are still looking to the old covenant for forgiveness of sins, do not understand the significance of the fulfillment of the risen Christ.
In the Passover, we have a picture that was not able to save anyone, in the Resurrection of Christ we have the actual covering of sin through Christ's shed blood alone.
When a celebration becomes popular, we can be sure it is the devil who is attempting to divert the attention of believers from the fulfillment of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. Satan would love for believers to be looking to the old as though Christ never came. He also loves to entangle us in rituals that Christ never told us to do while ignoring what He did tell us to do.
Christ never once told the NT saints to celebrate the Passover, but He clearly told them to "do this in remembrance of Me", in the Lord's Supper.
I understand all that God did for the Jews in OT times, I appreciate very much the lessons we have from all that God's chosen people went through, the miracles and the life experiences that made their life rich with meaning. However, none of that can compare to what Christ gave all of us, HIMSELF!
Hebrews 9:11-28
"11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
"15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.
17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.
22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."
I do not understand Gentiles who celebrate the Passover, as though Christ has not come.
I can see the Passover story as a teaching tool, but to take all the leaven out of the house, which by the way, is impossible, every year, seems ritualistic to me and makes little sense when Christ Who is the actual Pascal sacrifice, while Passover was the picture.
I was steeped in ritual in the Catholic church, when I walked away from that pagan system, I began to evaluate everything in terms of either truth or ritualism. I discovered that even believers love to have things to look at and things to do that make them FEEL more spiritual, instituting rituals that satisfy our human desire for outward signs and practices.
Would we rather have the symbol on a menu, of steak in a restaurant, or would we set aside the picture to have the actual steak to eat.
There is a certain amount of pride involved in celebrating what was for the Jews, as a Gentile. The Gentiles never did do the Passover, after Christ came, those who trusted Him, had the Christ of the Passover living in them. Even the Jews who became believers, no longer celebrated the Passover in the OT fashion, but now celebrated the real Pascal Lamb in the observance Christ gave them, the Lord's Supper.
There are still Jewish believers who participate in the Passover, the way believers participate in Christmas. They just don't want to let go of familiar and pleasurable times of celebration with family and friends.
In the Old Covenant the Jews celebrated Christ to come in the future. After He came the NT, born again Jews, celebrated the Passover a new way in the Lord's Supper.
Would it make sense to go to lunch with my husband, take a picture of him from my wallet and spend the entire meal looking at the picture, when he is sitting right across the table from me?
That would not make sense and yet that is what many people are doing today who are believers. They have remained connected to the Law as though Christ never came. They feel a need to do what was given to the Jews and has passed away.
They claim they are using it as a teaching tool. However, when we do a celebration every year it becomes a ritual rather than a teaching tool. Christ celebrated the Passover when He was on earth, because He had not yet died and risen. After His death and resurrection, the New Testament church no longer celebrated the Passover, in the traditional Jewish fashion, they rather celebrated the Lord's supper that He commanded.
1 Corinthians 11:24 "And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me."
No where in the Word, do we see instructions to celebrate the Passover as the Jews did, because Christ is the Pascal Lamb, the reality of the picture took place in the New Covenant, when His death was imputed to all those who would trust Him.
Hebrews 8:13 "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."
The New Passover was instituted after Christ died and rose from the dead, that New Passover was now called the Lord's Supper.
Those who say we will be celebrating the Passover in heaven, are misunderstanding that it will be the New Passover, not the old one that required the blood of bulls and goats as a picture of Christ to come, but the real Pascal Lamb, Christ Himself.
Hebrews 10:4 "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
The sacrifices that were done by the OT Jews never took away sin, it was merely a picture of Christ in the future. Old Testament saints had to come to Christ the same way the NT saints had to, and that is by faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross.
Those who are still looking to the old covenant for forgiveness of sins, do not understand the significance of the fulfillment of the risen Christ.
In the Passover, we have a picture that was not able to save anyone, in the Resurrection of Christ we have the actual covering of sin through Christ's shed blood alone.
When a celebration becomes popular, we can be sure it is the devil who is attempting to divert the attention of believers from the fulfillment of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. Satan would love for believers to be looking to the old as though Christ never came. He also loves to entangle us in rituals that Christ never told us to do while ignoring what He did tell us to do.
Christ never once told the NT saints to celebrate the Passover, but He clearly told them to "do this in remembrance of Me", in the Lord's Supper.
I understand all that God did for the Jews in OT times, I appreciate very much the lessons we have from all that God's chosen people went through, the miracles and the life experiences that made their life rich with meaning. However, none of that can compare to what Christ gave all of us, HIMSELF!
Hebrews 9:11-28
"11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
"15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.
17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.
22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."
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