There are those I have met who claim to be "Christian", who have mixed their form of Christianity with other cultic doctrines. I notice that these pretenders, who don't know themselves, that they are not born again, do not remain stable in their walk. They cannot maintain growth because the Holy Spirit does not live in them. Rather they regress, not realizing that those who are discerning can see the progression backward in their walk. When a persons walk is based on their own human effort, it can not be maintained. It is only the cleansing that Christ offers that makes permanent growth that never regresses.
The warning to these people is ominous, declaring that there will be those who think they are saved, but will find out their frightening fate when they get before God when He says to them, "I never knew you."
Matthew 7:21-23
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
When we see someone veering off the path that God has set for us, returning to their old ways, losing all vigor for the Word of God and spiritual growth, we may be looking at an unsaved individual who only thinks they are on their way to heaven. I feel very bad for these people, they are living securely in their confidence when their end is a devastating trip into the lake of fire at the end of all the pretense.
May each one reading this examine themselves through the Scriptures, while asking God to show them if they have been changed into a new creation by Christ, and sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Outer Beauty Counts For Nothing
Has anyone noticed that prosperity preachers look physically beautiful? They are all put together like well dressed china dolls.
I believe all this focus on physical beauty is another way of disarming people. Many people are manipulated by outer beauty and tend to believe those who "look good."
People are also easily manipulated by flattery and happy words. Every person I have met who go to seers, fortune tellers at fairs and in town, always get a wonderful report for their future. NO one ever gets a bad or frightening report and those reports are so general that anyone would fit them. After all, the seer wants them to come back.
2 Corinthians 11:14 "And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."
Prosperity preachers are like this too, they want their listeners to come back and they want them to donate to their cause, which is always their own bank account.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 "1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables"
The prosperity glad happy preachers are this way. They always have only positive things to say, which brings them into question immediately.
Christ and the apostles spent more time warning and rebuking than anythings else, after all, they were dealing with unsaved wicked hearts, that needed cleansing.
Personal accomplishments for talents, job experience and outer beauty, can be a good thing, but in the vast scheme of God's plan they are nothing. It is the spiritual inner character that Christ looks at and whether or not there is a desire to be holy.
Many people excel in business, surrounding themselves with people who admire them, but have never been born again. They are headed for hell, while reveling in their earthly successes.
I know church goers who love to surround themselves with outwardly "beautiful people", and will have nothing to do with those who are not physically appealing. I think these people would not have liked John the Baptist. He spoke words of warning and looked and smelled like an animal.
Matthew 3:4 "Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey."
Mark 1:4 "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
John 1:19-25 "And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
1 Samuel 16:7 "7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
The more I walk with Christ, the less I notice outer appearance. I am fixated on the heart of the people I love. I love them because they love Christ, enjoy conversation about Him, never shrinking from learning more or accepting a challenge. Their heart is so completely enveloped with Christ, that they take no offense when challenged, but rather embrace it. They challenge and are challenged and their response it to seek the Lord, they do not fight or argue to appear superior, their focus is Christ. Whether they are elevated is of no consequence to them, their mission is spiritual growth and holiness.
Those who love the Lord may notice our appearance, but they don't care about it, they desire to know the heart of a man rather than enjoy their outer appearance.
I don't know about you, but I have met people who were physically beautiful that took on an ugly appearance because of their arrogance and selfishness. They didn't seem outwardly beautiful after learning their heart.
I have also met people who would not be considered beautiful, but had hearts of gold when it comes to spiritual matters. After getting to know these people, they seemed outwardly beautiful too.
Those who interpret life in terms of Christ see the spirit of a man much more than the shell in which that spirit lives.
1 Peter 3:3-4 "3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."
Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."
2 Corinthians 4:16 "16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
Proverbs 31:25 "Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come."
Speaking of Wisdom God says:
Proverbs 3:15-18
"15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her"
Galatians 5:25 "25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Romans 8:6 "6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
1 Timothy 2:99-10 "9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works."
John 13:35 "35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
I believe all this focus on physical beauty is another way of disarming people. Many people are manipulated by outer beauty and tend to believe those who "look good."
People are also easily manipulated by flattery and happy words. Every person I have met who go to seers, fortune tellers at fairs and in town, always get a wonderful report for their future. NO one ever gets a bad or frightening report and those reports are so general that anyone would fit them. After all, the seer wants them to come back.
2 Corinthians 11:14 "And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."
Prosperity preachers are like this too, they want their listeners to come back and they want them to donate to their cause, which is always their own bank account.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 "1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables"
The prosperity glad happy preachers are this way. They always have only positive things to say, which brings them into question immediately.
Christ and the apostles spent more time warning and rebuking than anythings else, after all, they were dealing with unsaved wicked hearts, that needed cleansing.
Personal accomplishments for talents, job experience and outer beauty, can be a good thing, but in the vast scheme of God's plan they are nothing. It is the spiritual inner character that Christ looks at and whether or not there is a desire to be holy.
Many people excel in business, surrounding themselves with people who admire them, but have never been born again. They are headed for hell, while reveling in their earthly successes.
I know church goers who love to surround themselves with outwardly "beautiful people", and will have nothing to do with those who are not physically appealing. I think these people would not have liked John the Baptist. He spoke words of warning and looked and smelled like an animal.
Matthew 3:4 "Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey."
Mark 1:4 "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
John 1:19-25 "And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
1 Samuel 16:7 "7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
The more I walk with Christ, the less I notice outer appearance. I am fixated on the heart of the people I love. I love them because they love Christ, enjoy conversation about Him, never shrinking from learning more or accepting a challenge. Their heart is so completely enveloped with Christ, that they take no offense when challenged, but rather embrace it. They challenge and are challenged and their response it to seek the Lord, they do not fight or argue to appear superior, their focus is Christ. Whether they are elevated is of no consequence to them, their mission is spiritual growth and holiness.
Those who love the Lord may notice our appearance, but they don't care about it, they desire to know the heart of a man rather than enjoy their outer appearance.
I don't know about you, but I have met people who were physically beautiful that took on an ugly appearance because of their arrogance and selfishness. They didn't seem outwardly beautiful after learning their heart.
I have also met people who would not be considered beautiful, but had hearts of gold when it comes to spiritual matters. After getting to know these people, they seemed outwardly beautiful too.
Those who interpret life in terms of Christ see the spirit of a man much more than the shell in which that spirit lives.
1 Peter 3:3-4 "3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."
Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."
2 Corinthians 4:16 "16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
Proverbs 31:25 "Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come."
Speaking of Wisdom God says:
Proverbs 3:15-18
"15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her"
Galatians 5:25 "25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Romans 8:6 "6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
1 Timothy 2:99-10 "9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works."
John 13:35 "35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
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