If someone is repentant and truly sorry for sins against us, it really does dissolve the bad that they did to us and restores the relationship.
The trouble with our culture is that most people believe forgiveness comes without repentance, so there is never a sense that things have been resolved. The ugly feelings remain because no one was sorry.
I have experienced a few times in my life when someone was truly sorry for how they treated me. And, I have had to humble myself too when I have sinned.
Those people went on to never do those things again and the friendship was restored. I learned from having to humble myself and didn't repeat those same sins again. Having to humble myself taught me to avoid having to do that by not repeating the sins.
I have no ill will whatever toward those who repent, because they wanted a resolution to the damaged relationship, willing to admit sin.
Repentance, (a change of mind) truly does restore a relationship. We know someone is authentic when they come to us remorseful, willing to humble themselves for the sake of someone else. Trust is rebuilt when someone takes the initiative to care deeply about another.
Without this step in the relationship, there can be no trust that anything will change in the way they relate to us. There must be a change to restore.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Proverbs 28:13
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Acts 19:18
Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
James 4:17
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Crying for the Animal over the Boy
I can't tell you how irritated this made me. That gorrila "is an animal." The little boy is a "human being." Do we not understand that the life of a little child is far more important than an animal? NO I GUESS NOT, since killing babies because they are inconvenient is valued right up there with worship of that brute beast.
Next time you are tempted to go along with the world we live in, perhaps it would be best to read the Bible and evaluate every single thing others say is good.
Our world has gone stark raving mad!!!!
Next time you are tempted to go along with the world we live in, perhaps it would be best to read the Bible and evaluate every single thing others say is good.
Our world has gone stark raving mad!!!!
Exercise Massive Indoctrination
God never intended exercise to be a big part of our life. It actually ages the body faster. If you look at the picture of people from 150 years ago who had to work very hard to make a life in the wilderness, you will see they look much older at 30 than we do at 60.
Work outs are tantamount to the hard work the pioneers had to do that aged them sooner than they would have if they had lived a more leisurely life.
Work is good and is far different than deliberately working out to have big muscles or a georgeous body. God said that exercise is of "little" value. It's only value is to make us temporarily strong for a specific task. Those who spend a lot of time at the gym, will age faster than those who rest after working to earn money to live.
If America had spent as much time on raising their children in the Lord, praying together, speaking of the Lord as they walked along in life, we would not have progressed on the fast track to debauchery. When outer appearance is a goal greater than any other, then we have an idol, worshiping the body rather than God. Spending our time on something that elevates ourselves rather than time spend worshiping God.
1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 "As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
2 Corinthians 11:3 "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
1 Timothy 4:8 "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."
We are far better off exercising our spiritual muscles than we are exercising our body to become prideful of our outer appearance.
Go ahead and exercise if you like to, but don't pressure anyone else to do what you do and don't promote it as a good thing.
We have been fed a load of hype about exercise, perfect food and obsession with physical beauty. It is a good thing to take care of our bodies, but obsession leads to excess bringing harm.
Walking is something everyone did in the times of the patriarchs, only athletes who wanted to excel in sports did rigorous training.
When anything is popular to the masses, the seculars push it continually, you can be sure it is not godly. Exercise and perfect food has been promoted dramatically by ungodly people for decades now. The devil knows just what to do to distract gullible unspiritual believers from the important matters. The secular community is already deceived by these things, but believer ought to be more discerning and less concerned with fitting into a paganistic culture.
Matthew 23:23-24 "23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cummin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.…"
When ungodly materialistic obsessed people are promoting something you can be sure it is not aligned with the principles of God.
Our obsession with outer beauty, wealth, "natural" food and many other unimportant matters, have diluted the Christian walk, so much so that few people understand what authentic Christianity looks like.
Matthew 10:16 "“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."
Colossians 2:22-23 "…22 These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
Colossians 2:22-23 "…22 These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
Monday, May 30, 2016
We Can Know Them
We cannot blame anyone else for our actions or attitudes. We can however see attitudes and actions in others and call them what they are...whether sinful or righteous.
Matthew 76:16-20 "16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
Matthew 76:16-20 "16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
Confess or Be Lost
Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
It's that "daily" word that reinforces the idea that we are to be continually correcting, rebuking and admonishing one another with the Word.
We human beings are constantly reverting back to our humanness in our responses to things. We are often driven by pride rather than reasoning with God's Word, that's why we need to be continually reminding one another to seek God's principles and His Word for every matter.
It's that "daily" word that reinforces the idea that we are to be continually correcting, rebuking and admonishing one another with the Word.
We human beings are constantly reverting back to our humanness in our responses to things. We are often driven by pride rather than reasoning with God's Word, that's why we need to be continually reminding one another to seek God's principles and His Word for every matter.
When someone is resistant to correction and rages at a reproof, their reaction shows us there is pride that still needs to be dealt with in their heart. If that pride is so deeply rooted that they will argue and fight against truth, then they may not be born again as they think they are, but rather living a “form of Christianity” but never having been indwelt by Christ.
Those who cannot confess their sin, but only hide it, cannot be born again.
Those who cannot confess their sin, but only hide it, cannot be born again.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Self Importance Must Go!
Amen, the hardest people to reach are those who have a very high opinion of their self worth. They have not yet reached the truth that they are nothing and Christ is everything. They rage when told they need improvement, even holding deep resentment when corrected or disciplined.
May the Lord convict the stubborn hearts!
Psalm 51:16-17 "…16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
May the Lord convict the stubborn hearts!
Psalm 51:16-17 "…16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
Saturday, May 28, 2016
God Elevated the Woman, Man Degraded Her
When a man is a tyrant in marriage, negating the elevated position of the woman in marriage as God intended, he sins against his wife and against God.
https://biblicalgenderroles.com/2014/11/04/what-did-god-mean-when-he-called-woman-a-help-meet-for-man/
https://biblicalgenderroles.com/2014/11/04/what-did-god-mean-when-he-called-woman-a-help-meet-for-man/
Never Apologize for Doing What is Right
Liberals would have us apologizing to the devil for exposing his evil. Never apologize for doing what is right just because a rebellious heart didn't like it.
Proverbs 28:4 "Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them."
To apologize for doing what is right because someone who is sinful gets angry is the same as saying God was wrong for calling evil what it is and punishing it.
Proverbs 28:4 "Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them."
To apologize for doing what is right because someone who is sinful gets angry is the same as saying God was wrong for calling evil what it is and punishing it.
We Don't Get To Brag
Yes! Two can be raised in the same family and be entirely different. It all depends on their individual perspective and mind set. If parents were to blame for the failures of children then God would have been a bad Father to Adam and Eve.
Also:
Ezekiel 18:20 "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."
Since we are imperfect parents we can expect that God will have to stand in the gap for us. We cannot take responsibility for the successes of our children any more than their failures. We do the best we can and leave the rest to the Lord.
Also:
Ezekiel 18:20 "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."
Since we are imperfect parents we can expect that God will have to stand in the gap for us. We cannot take responsibility for the successes of our children any more than their failures. We do the best we can and leave the rest to the Lord.
Do I Have to Think to Eat
Do I have to think to eat when I am hungry?
Do I have to think to rest when I am too tired to continue?
Do I have to think to scratch an itch when needed?
Do I have to think to blink when something falls into my eye?
Do I have to think to pick myself up when I trip?
Do I have to think to clean up a mess, when I spilled something on myself ?
Do I have to think when my muscles hurt and I must move to be more comfortable?
I do all these things with very little thought at all, it comes naturally to me to do these things.
Do we understand that when Christ lives in us our natural inclination is to think as He would think and do as He would do!
Those who are not automatically thinking with the mind of Christ may not be born again. We do have to train ourselves to be like this by reading His Word and obeying what He tells us.
If we are not automatically thinking like Christ, then something is wrong with our walk, we are neglecting His Word, prayer and obedience. OR, even worse, we were never born again to begin with.
Hebrews 5:12 "Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God's word. You need milk, not solid food!"
Hebrews 9:14
"how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!"
Next time someone asks you if you "follow" the commandments, boldly profess, no, they are a part of me. Do I follow my feet where they go? Do I work real hard to lift my hand to my mouth to feed myself? I do all this without thinking and without trying.
Lastly, doing evil is very uncomfortable for the believer. In order to do evil as a born again believer goes against our new nature. We hate it, we resist it and confess when we are weak and fall into it.
Before we were born again it was natural for us to sin, it was comfortable and we even defended it. After we were born again, sin was distasteful even repulsive to us, we avoid it.
Before salvation sin was natural, pleasurable and compelling.
After Salvation sin is repulsive to us, we are compelled to avoid it.
Romans 7:14-25 "14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;
23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
Do I have to think to rest when I am too tired to continue?
Do I have to think to scratch an itch when needed?
Do I have to think to blink when something falls into my eye?
Do I have to think to pick myself up when I trip?
Do I have to think to clean up a mess, when I spilled something on myself ?
Do I have to think when my muscles hurt and I must move to be more comfortable?
I do all these things with very little thought at all, it comes naturally to me to do these things.
Do we understand that when Christ lives in us our natural inclination is to think as He would think and do as He would do!
Those who are not automatically thinking with the mind of Christ may not be born again. We do have to train ourselves to be like this by reading His Word and obeying what He tells us.
If we are not automatically thinking like Christ, then something is wrong with our walk, we are neglecting His Word, prayer and obedience. OR, even worse, we were never born again to begin with.
Hebrews 5:12 "Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God's word. You need milk, not solid food!"
Hebrews 9:14
"how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!"
Next time someone asks you if you "follow" the commandments, boldly profess, no, they are a part of me. Do I follow my feet where they go? Do I work real hard to lift my hand to my mouth to feed myself? I do all this without thinking and without trying.
Lastly, doing evil is very uncomfortable for the believer. In order to do evil as a born again believer goes against our new nature. We hate it, we resist it and confess when we are weak and fall into it.
Before we were born again it was natural for us to sin, it was comfortable and we even defended it. After we were born again, sin was distasteful even repulsive to us, we avoid it.
Before salvation sin was natural, pleasurable and compelling.
After Salvation sin is repulsive to us, we are compelled to avoid it.
Romans 7:14-25 "14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;
23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
The Lord of the Sabbath Lives in Me
I see the Lord of the Sabbath as living in me. It was given before Christ came, when He came it was fulfilled and now that Sabbath rest lives in me. He is my rest every day, I am free to choose a day or everyday to worship. And, He worships on my behalf when I don't know what to say.
We don't have to work anymore, Christ paid for our salvation, He did all the work for that, so I rest in Him and He does all the work in me.
The Sabbath rest is no longer a particular day, it is now Christ in us all the times. Completely fulfilled.
Matthew 12:8 "…7 If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 9 Moving on from there, Jesus entered their synagogue,…"
The Sabbath is not a particular day, it is a particular Person, God, Christ in us.
Christ observed the Sabbath day when He was here because He had not yet died, He also observed the Passover, because He had not yet died. After His death we were given the Lord's supper in place of the Passover because the Passover was a picture of the Lord to come. After His death the Lord's supper was the fulfillment, He had come, He died, was buried and rose again, that's what I celebrate.
I do not celebrate that He will come, I celebrate that He did it and it was finished as He said before He died. There was nothing more to be done to cover man's sin with His blood, He did it all on that cross.
We don't have to work anymore, Christ paid for our salvation, He did all the work for that, so I rest in Him and He does all the work in me.
The Sabbath rest is no longer a particular day, it is now Christ in us all the times. Completely fulfilled.
Matthew 12:8 "…7 If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 9 Moving on from there, Jesus entered their synagogue,…"
The Sabbath is not a particular day, it is a particular Person, God, Christ in us.
Christ observed the Sabbath day when He was here because He had not yet died, He also observed the Passover, because He had not yet died. After His death we were given the Lord's supper in place of the Passover because the Passover was a picture of the Lord to come. After His death the Lord's supper was the fulfillment, He had come, He died, was buried and rose again, that's what I celebrate.
I do not celebrate that He will come, I celebrate that He did it and it was finished as He said before He died. There was nothing more to be done to cover man's sin with His blood, He did it all on that cross.
Gentiles Have Been Grafted In
Romans 1:16 "15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. 17 For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”…"
Romans 11:11 " 11 I ask then, did they stumble so as to lose their share? Absolutely not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous."
We adopted four of our six children. We gave them our name but their genes remain those of their bio parents. The adopted children have all the rights and privileges of our family but their genes remain the same, their heritage didn't change, only their standing in the adoptive family.
When we, the Gentiles were grafted into God's family the Jews, it did not take away our genes or our practices as Gentiles, we remain born again Gentiles, and the Jews who are born again are our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
There is a movement now that claims we are no longer Gentiles when we have been grafted into the Jews. This is not true, we are Gentiles who have been grafted into God's family the Jews.
Romans 11:11 " 11 I ask then, did they stumble so as to lose their share? Absolutely not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous."
We adopted four of our six children. We gave them our name but their genes remain those of their bio parents. The adopted children have all the rights and privileges of our family but their genes remain the same, their heritage didn't change, only their standing in the adoptive family.
When we, the Gentiles were grafted into God's family the Jews, it did not take away our genes or our practices as Gentiles, we remain born again Gentiles, and the Jews who are born again are our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
There is a movement now that claims we are no longer Gentiles when we have been grafted into the Jews. This is not true, we are Gentiles who have been grafted into God's family the Jews.
Consequences Are Necessary
We live in a culture that is backward and upside down. I have a theory based on the way the country is going and personal experiences with narcissists. Of course the word "narcissism" is the secular word from Greek mythology that describes the condition of the 2 Timothy 3 man or woman of our day.
Psychology often does not know the cause of it or the solution, but God tells us in His Word, exactly what it looks like and what to do about it.
One way to recognize a narcissist is to watch their usual responses to any challenge no matter how minor. The full blown narcissist cannot stand any challenge whatever and will retaliate to devalue or demean the one who calls them to account about their thinking or their behavior.
We have been taught through the secular school system that there are no bad people. According to the most educators in our country, everyone that does evil is merely responding to difficulty. Of course this is the opposite of what God tells us in His Word.
God tells us we are born sinful, with a pervasive bent toward selfishness and evil. The only solution according to God's Word is to ask God to cleanse us from our sinfulness. Christ living in us is the answer to the problem of sin.
When we live in a culture that believes a person gets angry because someone else made them angry, then we tend to remove all consequences for sin, through language like "forgive them even if they are not repentant. This thinking was fostered by psychology not by the Word of God.
God teaches that unless there is sorrow over sin and confession of it, there will be no change in behavior. Yes, there are people who will just get better at hiding their sinfulness, but they can't do it forever. Eventually the authentic heart will reveal itself over time, showing what was in the heart all along.
Psalm 51:17 "My sacrifice, O God, is[a] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise."
Proverbs 28:13 "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."
The way we handle the unsaved who will not stop their sinfulness is to tell them the truth and walk away if they don't receive it, their need is the gospel to learn Who can cleanse from sin, that being Jesus Christ.
Matthew 10:14 "…13 If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."
Those who are born again believers who will not listen to a rebuke, we are told to remove ourselves from them while praying that God will reach them through life experiences.
Titus 3:10-11 " 10 Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.…"
Everyone is to have consequences, saved or unsaved. Without consequences the born again believer feels free to continue in their sin. Without consequences the unsaved feel empowered to remain in control of their own life, sensing no need for Christ's cleansing.
Our culture has removed nearly all consequences for sinful behavior and attitudes, making many people feel comfortable in their sin, growing worse as they become older, solidifying in their heart the sin that dwells there.
Psalm 35:5 "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah"
James 4:17 "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
We are a culture that has taken it's cues from secular psychology rather than the Bible. No where in God's Word will we find the concept that we must forgive unrepentant people for our own sake. God says if we do not forgive He will not forgive us. This is true, but many people have taken this out of context, forgetting that we must forgive the WAY God does. That is to hold people accountable, tell them the truth and act based on their response to the correction or rebuke.
James 5:16 " 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
James 4:7-10 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
If someone will rage at us for correcting or rebuking them, then they remain full of pride that God must deal with before they will be able to hear anything He might lead us to reveal to them. If the pride is not dealt with, then the person remains in rebellion and will not hear.
Mark 4:8-9 "8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.” 9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…"
There is only one way to be forgiven by God or by man, that is to confess it. It takes a humble and broken man or woman to confess their sin. When someone has reached the point of brokenness and confession, then is when we will see change in their heart and behavior.
Without the sadness over sin and confession openly, there cannot be moving forward in holiness for the believer and there cannot be salvation for the unbeliever.
Pride must be dealt with, it is the attitude that got the devil thrown out of heaven.
Do we care more about our own feelings than we do about the eternal state of the unbeliever or the regression in holiness for the believer? Yes, it does feel awful sometimes when we have to confront sin in someone we love, often we lose them as friends or are rejected by them for calling them to account. We must be willing to obey God and accept the rejection if it comes. Do I love God more than I love anyone else? Do I care more about the eternal state of a person, than I do about being loved by man?
Matthew 10:37 ""He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."
John 12:43 "43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. "
Many have fallen into the trap of excusing sin in the name of "just forgive them", without accountability. It isn't very hard to see from Scripture, if we really look, that this mantra came from "Egypt", rather than from God.
We can see what has happened to the church gatherings, the school systems and government because of the selfishness of refusing to call anyone to account for wicked behavior.
Now we have men going into women's bathrooms claiming to be women, simply to keep the perverted fowl and depraved person feeling "good about himself."
My question is "why do we want wicked people to feel good about themselves?" God wants them to feel broken and defeated by their evil lives, so that they will see their need for Him. The more we "love up", without telling the truth, to the evil man the more solidified in his heart is the lifestyle he has chosen.
Isaiah 26:10 "10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD. "
Grace is not for the unrepentant. Grace is designed by God to be for those who want cleansing.
James 4:6-7 "6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “- God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
When we forgive before repentance we are enablers, removing the incentive to turn to Christ. It is the opposite of the gospel. The devil has been very cleaver in deceiving people into believing that happy smiles and removal of judgment will cause a wicked man to repent, it is simply not Biblical. It is consequences, Biblical truth and the threat of hell that causes the wicked man to realize his lost and depraved condition along with his need to be saved from his sin and hell.
And, forgiveness without repentance is not love God's way. It makes ourselves feel better, but it doesn't help anyone to become saved or more holy. All the things we have learned in school based on psychology were nothing more than human wisdom developed by the devil to negate what really works, God's Biblical way of salvation, confession and repentance, helped along by consequences.
When we teach there are no consequences for sin, we remove the idea that hell might be a consequence. If life has no consequences then maybe God doesn't either, in the minds of those who hate to be held accountable.
My last question: How can we believe in Christ as the solution to sin and salvation, when we don't believe His principles?
Psychology often does not know the cause of it or the solution, but God tells us in His Word, exactly what it looks like and what to do about it.
One way to recognize a narcissist is to watch their usual responses to any challenge no matter how minor. The full blown narcissist cannot stand any challenge whatever and will retaliate to devalue or demean the one who calls them to account about their thinking or their behavior.
We have been taught through the secular school system that there are no bad people. According to the most educators in our country, everyone that does evil is merely responding to difficulty. Of course this is the opposite of what God tells us in His Word.
God tells us we are born sinful, with a pervasive bent toward selfishness and evil. The only solution according to God's Word is to ask God to cleanse us from our sinfulness. Christ living in us is the answer to the problem of sin.
When we live in a culture that believes a person gets angry because someone else made them angry, then we tend to remove all consequences for sin, through language like "forgive them even if they are not repentant. This thinking was fostered by psychology not by the Word of God.
God teaches that unless there is sorrow over sin and confession of it, there will be no change in behavior. Yes, there are people who will just get better at hiding their sinfulness, but they can't do it forever. Eventually the authentic heart will reveal itself over time, showing what was in the heart all along.
Psalm 51:17 "My sacrifice, O God, is[a] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise."
Proverbs 28:13 "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."
The way we handle the unsaved who will not stop their sinfulness is to tell them the truth and walk away if they don't receive it, their need is the gospel to learn Who can cleanse from sin, that being Jesus Christ.
Matthew 10:14 "…13 If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."
Those who are born again believers who will not listen to a rebuke, we are told to remove ourselves from them while praying that God will reach them through life experiences.
Titus 3:10-11 " 10 Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.…"
Everyone is to have consequences, saved or unsaved. Without consequences the born again believer feels free to continue in their sin. Without consequences the unsaved feel empowered to remain in control of their own life, sensing no need for Christ's cleansing.
Our culture has removed nearly all consequences for sinful behavior and attitudes, making many people feel comfortable in their sin, growing worse as they become older, solidifying in their heart the sin that dwells there.
Psalm 35:5 "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah"
James 4:17 "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
We are a culture that has taken it's cues from secular psychology rather than the Bible. No where in God's Word will we find the concept that we must forgive unrepentant people for our own sake. God says if we do not forgive He will not forgive us. This is true, but many people have taken this out of context, forgetting that we must forgive the WAY God does. That is to hold people accountable, tell them the truth and act based on their response to the correction or rebuke.
James 5:16 " 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
James 4:7-10 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
If someone will rage at us for correcting or rebuking them, then they remain full of pride that God must deal with before they will be able to hear anything He might lead us to reveal to them. If the pride is not dealt with, then the person remains in rebellion and will not hear.
Mark 4:8-9 "8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.” 9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…"
There is only one way to be forgiven by God or by man, that is to confess it. It takes a humble and broken man or woman to confess their sin. When someone has reached the point of brokenness and confession, then is when we will see change in their heart and behavior.
Without the sadness over sin and confession openly, there cannot be moving forward in holiness for the believer and there cannot be salvation for the unbeliever.
Pride must be dealt with, it is the attitude that got the devil thrown out of heaven.
Do we care more about our own feelings than we do about the eternal state of the unbeliever or the regression in holiness for the believer? Yes, it does feel awful sometimes when we have to confront sin in someone we love, often we lose them as friends or are rejected by them for calling them to account. We must be willing to obey God and accept the rejection if it comes. Do I love God more than I love anyone else? Do I care more about the eternal state of a person, than I do about being loved by man?
Matthew 10:37 ""He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."
John 12:43 "43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. "
Many have fallen into the trap of excusing sin in the name of "just forgive them", without accountability. It isn't very hard to see from Scripture, if we really look, that this mantra came from "Egypt", rather than from God.
We can see what has happened to the church gatherings, the school systems and government because of the selfishness of refusing to call anyone to account for wicked behavior.
Now we have men going into women's bathrooms claiming to be women, simply to keep the perverted fowl and depraved person feeling "good about himself."
My question is "why do we want wicked people to feel good about themselves?" God wants them to feel broken and defeated by their evil lives, so that they will see their need for Him. The more we "love up", without telling the truth, to the evil man the more solidified in his heart is the lifestyle he has chosen.
Isaiah 26:10 "10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD. "
Grace is not for the unrepentant. Grace is designed by God to be for those who want cleansing.
James 4:6-7 "6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “- God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
When we forgive before repentance we are enablers, removing the incentive to turn to Christ. It is the opposite of the gospel. The devil has been very cleaver in deceiving people into believing that happy smiles and removal of judgment will cause a wicked man to repent, it is simply not Biblical. It is consequences, Biblical truth and the threat of hell that causes the wicked man to realize his lost and depraved condition along with his need to be saved from his sin and hell.
And, forgiveness without repentance is not love God's way. It makes ourselves feel better, but it doesn't help anyone to become saved or more holy. All the things we have learned in school based on psychology were nothing more than human wisdom developed by the devil to negate what really works, God's Biblical way of salvation, confession and repentance, helped along by consequences.
When we teach there are no consequences for sin, we remove the idea that hell might be a consequence. If life has no consequences then maybe God doesn't either, in the minds of those who hate to be held accountable.
My last question: How can we believe in Christ as the solution to sin and salvation, when we don't believe His principles?
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Wisdom, Safety and Holiness
We can only be "wise, safe and holy" if we actually seek God's will and practice what He tells us. If we read the Bible to twist it into what we like, remove scriptures from their context and deny others, then we will not only not be wise, or safe, or holy, we will only be someone who knows enough of the scripture to be dangerous to other believers and useless to non-believers.
All Have Sinned
Amen Nick! It seems clear to me that so many people who say they don't believe in works to gain heaven are proud of themselves for how good they think they are. When we have been humbled by God, had to openly confess sin and ask God to cleanse us, there can be no pride left to make us think we are better than anyone else. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
Nick Bevilacqua
"People who hear the Gospel of the Grace of God (Romans 10: 3 & 4), (1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 4) and reject it, are in effect choosing to stand before God on judgment day pleading their own righteousness, (Matthew 7: 27 & 28), and shall be condemned, for by the works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God.(Romans 3: 20). (Galatians 2: 16). But those of us that seek to be found having not our own righteousness, which is of the Law,(Romans 10: 3 & 4) but having that righteousness which is of Christ as a free gift through faith, (Romans 3: 22), (Romans 5: 17 & 18),(Philippians 3: 8 & 9). shall not be condemned, but have passed from death unto life (John 5: 24).(Romans 8: 33 & 34). (Ephesians 1: 13)."
Nick Bevilacqua
"People who hear the Gospel of the Grace of God (Romans 10: 3 & 4), (1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 4) and reject it, are in effect choosing to stand before God on judgment day pleading their own righteousness, (Matthew 7: 27 & 28), and shall be condemned, for by the works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God.(Romans 3: 20). (Galatians 2: 16). But those of us that seek to be found having not our own righteousness, which is of the Law,(Romans 10: 3 & 4) but having that righteousness which is of Christ as a free gift through faith, (Romans 3: 22), (Romans 5: 17 & 18),(Philippians 3: 8 & 9). shall not be condemned, but have passed from death unto life (John 5: 24).(Romans 8: 33 & 34). (Ephesians 1: 13)."
1
Choose to Grow or Regress!
We can only grow if we obey even when it hurts. When we resist God's discipline or correction we don't grow, we even will regress.
Matthew 13:12 "…11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’…"
Matthew 13:12 "…11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’…"
America the Rebellious Woman
America the Woman
I am afraid that that woman is dead and has been dying for a long time. From the time the pilgrims came, she put up a statue of a false god in her harbor as a representation of freedom, called the statue of liberty.
She engaged in slavery in rebellion against God. Rather than working hard themselves, the people went after wealth to use others to build that wealth for them.
This woman has elevated prosperity and freedom above righteousness. Her leaders are evil and continue to get worse. Now she has indulged in the worst of the worst sexual abominations while attempting to force all her citizens to accept and even embrace them.
She had created killing chambers to murder more than 56 million babies over the past 45 years. I do not love this woman more than I love God and I want her to be punished for her evil and rebellion.
I know we are used to freedom, we are used to prosperity, even the poor of our nation have far more than the average person in other nations, but we are ungrateful. I love the people of our nation, but I hate the evil government that we have become.
We can pray for repentance but I am convinced the only way it will happen is if there is serious disaster and discipline, but even then, the hearts are so hard, it is unlikely that America will ever repent.
Those that are on their way to hell will gnash their teeth as they are going in, not because of pain, but because of the anger that remains in their heart for their plight and hatred of God.
How many times have we encountered people who were living wickedly, hoping to encourage them to evaluate their life to turn from sin, only to be met with rage or indifference? My experience is that no one will listen to correction, rebuke or instruction on any level. Everyone defends that which is evil, even those who claim to be Christian are approving of those who do evil.
Our definition of evil is far different from God's definition. Christians indulge in evil every day, defending it as normal and righteous. The greatest sign of this evil we see often, the rejection of the authority of parents and the rejection of instruction in Biblical principles.
Without the desire to be instructed by elders in holiness, there can be no spiritual growth. Most people who attend church today have no sense of total devotion to the Scriptures, no matter what they say. I know many who read their Bible every day, but negate and explain away God's principles to justify the rebellion in their hearts.
The nation used to follow many scriptural principles but it was never a "Christian" nation. There have been many Christians here, more so many years ago than now, but the nation as a government has ignored often the principles of the Bible to run after prosperity and freedom.
Prosperity and freedom have been the gods that are worshiped here. Once we thanked God for these things, but now we demand them like spoiled brat children to be able to do as we please no matter how grievous they are to God.
If you don't believe me, all you have to do is express dismay at what someone is doing that God hates and watch what comes out of them. Rage and anger dominates the inner being of most people in this country, just waiting inside to emerge as soon as there is a challenge.
Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes."
Proverbs 29:11 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. 11 A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.…"
Matthew 24:37 ""For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah."
We are in the days just like Noah's time, when everyone does what is right in their own eyes and no one will listen.
I am afraid that that woman is dead and has been dying for a long time. From the time the pilgrims came, she put up a statue of a false god in her harbor as a representation of freedom, called the statue of liberty.
She engaged in slavery in rebellion against God. Rather than working hard themselves, the people went after wealth to use others to build that wealth for them.
This woman has elevated prosperity and freedom above righteousness. Her leaders are evil and continue to get worse. Now she has indulged in the worst of the worst sexual abominations while attempting to force all her citizens to accept and even embrace them.
She had created killing chambers to murder more than 56 million babies over the past 45 years. I do not love this woman more than I love God and I want her to be punished for her evil and rebellion.
I know we are used to freedom, we are used to prosperity, even the poor of our nation have far more than the average person in other nations, but we are ungrateful. I love the people of our nation, but I hate the evil government that we have become.
We can pray for repentance but I am convinced the only way it will happen is if there is serious disaster and discipline, but even then, the hearts are so hard, it is unlikely that America will ever repent.
Those that are on their way to hell will gnash their teeth as they are going in, not because of pain, but because of the anger that remains in their heart for their plight and hatred of God.
How many times have we encountered people who were living wickedly, hoping to encourage them to evaluate their life to turn from sin, only to be met with rage or indifference? My experience is that no one will listen to correction, rebuke or instruction on any level. Everyone defends that which is evil, even those who claim to be Christian are approving of those who do evil.
Our definition of evil is far different from God's definition. Christians indulge in evil every day, defending it as normal and righteous. The greatest sign of this evil we see often, the rejection of the authority of parents and the rejection of instruction in Biblical principles.
Without the desire to be instructed by elders in holiness, there can be no spiritual growth. Most people who attend church today have no sense of total devotion to the Scriptures, no matter what they say. I know many who read their Bible every day, but negate and explain away God's principles to justify the rebellion in their hearts.
The nation used to follow many scriptural principles but it was never a "Christian" nation. There have been many Christians here, more so many years ago than now, but the nation as a government has ignored often the principles of the Bible to run after prosperity and freedom.
Prosperity and freedom have been the gods that are worshiped here. Once we thanked God for these things, but now we demand them like spoiled brat children to be able to do as we please no matter how grievous they are to God.
If you don't believe me, all you have to do is express dismay at what someone is doing that God hates and watch what comes out of them. Rage and anger dominates the inner being of most people in this country, just waiting inside to emerge as soon as there is a challenge.
Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes."
Proverbs 29:11 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. 11 A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.…"
Matthew 24:37 ""For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah."
We are in the days just like Noah's time, when everyone does what is right in their own eyes and no one will listen.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Trust the Lord for Everything
Amen,
One day my husband was out hunting with his brothers and father deep in the forest. In our region a person could get lost for many days, wondering around in circles, sometimes never making it out.
While they were hunting, the brothers went up into the forest each several feet apart to come down driving the deer toward their father and another brother who was down on the road. This method often got them a deer or two for the season, it was called a "drive."
It was becoming dark, so their father called to those out in the forest to come in now. When it gets dark out there the only thing to do is sit tight until morning, there is no way to know if one could find their way out in the dark. To make matters worse it began to rain which seems to make it even darker.
My husband began to walk and walk and walk. He couldn't understand why he wasn't reaching the road. After three times of passing what looked like the same stump, he realized that he was going in circles and would never be able to see the way out, he began to panic.
All of a sudden before the panic became full blown, he saw a light coming through the trees, it seemed to be going back and forth across the trees. My husband realized that his father was shinning the flash light across the trees knowing my husband was lost and could not find his way out. My husband began to follow the light until he reached the road.
My husband has used this real life example a few times when speaking to young people. He was not saved at that time, but God gave him this story for after he became born again as an example to him and others he would speak to.
He told the young people how utterly stupid it would have been to become stubborn, ignore his father's light and continue to wander in the dark forest, maybe to never be found.
I love these verses in the Bible that show us to take each step in faith and that's all we need, that one step. When God is ready for the next step, He will shine His light again so that we can step into the light. When we shine a flashlight on the ground in pitch blackness we shine our light out a few feet but we can only take one step at a time. God gives us one step, he does not shine into the distance for us to see, we must take each step by faith and trust Him for all the other steps, knowing that He already knows whats in the distance, but we don't have to. That's what trusting Him is all about.
Some people only trust Christ for their salvation, but do not trust Him for everything after that. God knows this and must bring situations to our life that force us to seek Him. Each new experience teaches us to build our faith for more trust.
Proverbs 3:4-6 "…4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…"
Bottom Line: Ask Him, trust Him and wait for the next instruction.
One day my husband was out hunting with his brothers and father deep in the forest. In our region a person could get lost for many days, wondering around in circles, sometimes never making it out.
While they were hunting, the brothers went up into the forest each several feet apart to come down driving the deer toward their father and another brother who was down on the road. This method often got them a deer or two for the season, it was called a "drive."
It was becoming dark, so their father called to those out in the forest to come in now. When it gets dark out there the only thing to do is sit tight until morning, there is no way to know if one could find their way out in the dark. To make matters worse it began to rain which seems to make it even darker.
My husband began to walk and walk and walk. He couldn't understand why he wasn't reaching the road. After three times of passing what looked like the same stump, he realized that he was going in circles and would never be able to see the way out, he began to panic.
All of a sudden before the panic became full blown, he saw a light coming through the trees, it seemed to be going back and forth across the trees. My husband realized that his father was shinning the flash light across the trees knowing my husband was lost and could not find his way out. My husband began to follow the light until he reached the road.
My husband has used this real life example a few times when speaking to young people. He was not saved at that time, but God gave him this story for after he became born again as an example to him and others he would speak to.
He told the young people how utterly stupid it would have been to become stubborn, ignore his father's light and continue to wander in the dark forest, maybe to never be found.
I love these verses in the Bible that show us to take each step in faith and that's all we need, that one step. When God is ready for the next step, He will shine His light again so that we can step into the light. When we shine a flashlight on the ground in pitch blackness we shine our light out a few feet but we can only take one step at a time. God gives us one step, he does not shine into the distance for us to see, we must take each step by faith and trust Him for all the other steps, knowing that He already knows whats in the distance, but we don't have to. That's what trusting Him is all about.
Some people only trust Christ for their salvation, but do not trust Him for everything after that. God knows this and must bring situations to our life that force us to seek Him. Each new experience teaches us to build our faith for more trust.
Proverbs 3:4-6 "…4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…"
Bottom Line: Ask Him, trust Him and wait for the next instruction.
Let The Holy Spirit Do It
The Holy Spirit will tell us what to do and say, along with the way we are to do it. If Christ is speaking through us, who are we to decide the delivery. We have to learn to let the Holy Spirit speak rather than figuring out if people will like us or not.
1 Corinthians 2:16 "…15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
I have been told on several occasions that "we should say it (while sharing truth) in such a way that they will receive it." As though, if they do not receive it, then we must have done something wrong. This is humanistic psychology, that people automatically react right if the delivery is right. This sounds right on the surface, until we examine what happened to Christ. Did He say things the wrong way or sin so that the people hated Him? NO, He is God and said and did everything perfectly, but they still hated Him.
The apostles were persecuted and martyred, not because they didn't say it right, they were persecuted because rebellious people didn't like the message.
John 15:17-19 "17 This is My command to you: Love one another. 18 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. 19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.…"
2 Timothy 4:2 "1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.…"
When we are accused of not saying something in love, and believe you me, they will tell you that you were mean when you say something in the mildest terms, simply to arouse feelings of failure in us and to influence others looking on, that we are what they claim.
Their goal is merely to intimidate you into feeling bad about speaking at all. We must ignore that accusation, knowing that they hated the message, not the delivery, so they use the delivery as an excuse to demean us and negate what we say.
I can't tell you the number of times I have been accused of a mean delivery when all I did was quote Scripture. In other words, quoting God is mean if it makes them feel guilty about their sin.
The devil loves to intimidate and manipulate believers into silence. There is no more effective way to stop the mouth of anyone, than to accuse them of things they are not doing, but their enemy is doing.
Good people who love Christ are sensitive to being loving. Being accused of not being loving makes them stop what others think is the unloving act. Kind people are easily intimidated because they can't stand the thought of harming anyone, which is why the devil uses their own sensitivity to righteousness against them.
If we are not deeply in the Word and led by the Holy Spirit, we are intimidated by accusations of being unloving. The only way we can keep going in strength, ignoring the lies against us, continuing to faithfully speak truth, is if we are impervious to the false accusations, knowing they are merely lies to stop us.
We don't have to worry whether or not others accusations are true, we can go to God asking if it is true. When we have done something that is not right or in a bad tone, the Holy Spirit will convict us of it. When someone accuses us, but we don't sense any conviction from the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that the accusations are false and manipulative.
The more discerning we are, the faster we are going to be able to see if someone is attempting to intimidate and manipulate us. We will also see fewer mistakes in what we do, because we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be the one to speak through us.
Bottom line: Let Christ in us do the speaking, know His word, speak it when led by Him and do not look back to analyze it.
Romans 5:12-14 "…12 And once more, Isaiah says: “The root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.…"
1 Corinthians 2:16 "…15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
I have been told on several occasions that "we should say it (while sharing truth) in such a way that they will receive it." As though, if they do not receive it, then we must have done something wrong. This is humanistic psychology, that people automatically react right if the delivery is right. This sounds right on the surface, until we examine what happened to Christ. Did He say things the wrong way or sin so that the people hated Him? NO, He is God and said and did everything perfectly, but they still hated Him.
The apostles were persecuted and martyred, not because they didn't say it right, they were persecuted because rebellious people didn't like the message.
John 15:17-19 "17 This is My command to you: Love one another. 18 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. 19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.…"
2 Timothy 4:2 "1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.…"
When we are accused of not saying something in love, and believe you me, they will tell you that you were mean when you say something in the mildest terms, simply to arouse feelings of failure in us and to influence others looking on, that we are what they claim.
Their goal is merely to intimidate you into feeling bad about speaking at all. We must ignore that accusation, knowing that they hated the message, not the delivery, so they use the delivery as an excuse to demean us and negate what we say.
I can't tell you the number of times I have been accused of a mean delivery when all I did was quote Scripture. In other words, quoting God is mean if it makes them feel guilty about their sin.
The devil loves to intimidate and manipulate believers into silence. There is no more effective way to stop the mouth of anyone, than to accuse them of things they are not doing, but their enemy is doing.
Good people who love Christ are sensitive to being loving. Being accused of not being loving makes them stop what others think is the unloving act. Kind people are easily intimidated because they can't stand the thought of harming anyone, which is why the devil uses their own sensitivity to righteousness against them.
If we are not deeply in the Word and led by the Holy Spirit, we are intimidated by accusations of being unloving. The only way we can keep going in strength, ignoring the lies against us, continuing to faithfully speak truth, is if we are impervious to the false accusations, knowing they are merely lies to stop us.
We don't have to worry whether or not others accusations are true, we can go to God asking if it is true. When we have done something that is not right or in a bad tone, the Holy Spirit will convict us of it. When someone accuses us, but we don't sense any conviction from the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that the accusations are false and manipulative.
The more discerning we are, the faster we are going to be able to see if someone is attempting to intimidate and manipulate us. We will also see fewer mistakes in what we do, because we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be the one to speak through us.
Bottom line: Let Christ in us do the speaking, know His word, speak it when led by Him and do not look back to analyze it.
Romans 5:12-14 "…12 And once more, Isaiah says: “The root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.…"
Is God or are We?
The fruit of the Spirit is not absence of sin or the presence of good deeds. The fruit is character quality.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When we have the fruit, all those character qualities listed, those who are discerning will see it and it will lead to good behavior in general. When there is a laps on a hard day, then ...we will quickly confess and be cleansed to go onto obedience again.
Even non-believers can do good deeds without the fruit of the Spirit, but their character will lack the real fruit. What they do is for self glory, never for God and rarely for those they help, it is about appearances. Because non-believers do not have the help of the Holy Spirit to be selfless, they must do all their good works for self exaltation.
This is why God says "your good works are as filthy rags." When we are not born again our good works are disgusting to Christ, they don't glorify Him, but actually mock Him because they are done for self to impress man.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When we have the fruit, all those character qualities listed, those who are discerning will see it and it will lead to good behavior in general. When there is a laps on a hard day, then ...we will quickly confess and be cleansed to go onto obedience again.
Even non-believers can do good deeds without the fruit of the Spirit, but their character will lack the real fruit. What they do is for self glory, never for God and rarely for those they help, it is about appearances. Because non-believers do not have the help of the Holy Spirit to be selfless, they must do all their good works for self exaltation.
This is why God says "your good works are as filthy rags." When we are not born again our good works are disgusting to Christ, they don't glorify Him, but actually mock Him because they are done for self to impress man.
Immorality Increasing Exponentially
In regard to the transgender debate, it is not that they want anything they didn't have before. A man dressed as a woman would not have been recognized by most people except those who are observant. They have probably been using women's bathrooms for years and we didn't know it. Bruce Jenner looks very much like a woman the way he is decked out.
I consider this whole mess to be the ultimate degradation of women as objects, cloaked in transgender language allowing for the formulation of hate speech and persecution of those who still maintain a standard of righteousness.
I see this as the devil way of mocking and devaluing women further. When women were encouraged to leave the job they do best, the one that allows their talents and gifts to shine, that being the running of the family household, teaching and training the children and being a spiritual strength, has been pretty much done away with. Woman had immense influence over the direction of the family when she was the "keeper of the home."
Feminism managed to convince many women that they should be like men. They were told they had no value unless they did the things men do, based on money and perceived independence.
This perceived independence was not independence at all but bondage to materialism, individuality and a quest for personal success. It no longer mattered that a woman be in the highest calling according to God, that of being the shaping of the family unit. When the women left the home to acquire more money and prestige in the world, it was a form of abandonment to their family. Now their families were being raised by the state, trained to think the way the state wanted them to think, influenced almost entirely by institutions such as schools and apostate churches.
Those who know the Bible understand that these attempts at intimidation toward believers is nothing more than an increase in ungodliness in our culture. 2 Timothy 3 describes it vividly, warning us what is coming and has come with directions about what to do when we are faced with it.
2 Timothy 3:1-9 "3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men."
I consider this whole mess to be the ultimate degradation of women as objects, cloaked in transgender language allowing for the formulation of hate speech and persecution of those who still maintain a standard of righteousness.
I see this as the devil way of mocking and devaluing women further. When women were encouraged to leave the job they do best, the one that allows their talents and gifts to shine, that being the running of the family household, teaching and training the children and being a spiritual strength, has been pretty much done away with. Woman had immense influence over the direction of the family when she was the "keeper of the home."
Feminism managed to convince many women that they should be like men. They were told they had no value unless they did the things men do, based on money and perceived independence.
This perceived independence was not independence at all but bondage to materialism, individuality and a quest for personal success. It no longer mattered that a woman be in the highest calling according to God, that of being the shaping of the family unit. When the women left the home to acquire more money and prestige in the world, it was a form of abandonment to their family. Now their families were being raised by the state, trained to think the way the state wanted them to think, influenced almost entirely by institutions such as schools and apostate churches.
Those who know the Bible understand that these attempts at intimidation toward believers is nothing more than an increase in ungodliness in our culture. 2 Timothy 3 describes it vividly, warning us what is coming and has come with directions about what to do when we are faced with it.
2 Timothy 3:1-9 "3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men."
Monday, May 23, 2016
Accountability is Essential
Notice in the psychological industry there is an attempt to divert mankind from God and create it's own humanistic way of dealing with bad behavior. One way is to refrain from calling it "sin", while assigning it qualities of a wounded spirit rather than an evil one.
Just because we cannot forgive the unrepentant does not mean we hate them. It means that we are holding them accountable for their own good. If they are never held accountable they will never know the blessing... of cleaning up their lives.
I am more concerned about someone learning to repent than I am about what others think of me. When we forgive before repentance we solidify rebellion in the hearts of those who don't think they ever need to be forgiven. One who does not confess will not change or grow, the longer they remain unrepentant while being validated by others through superficial forgiveness the harder their heart becomes.
Just because we cannot forgive the unrepentant does not mean we hate them. It means that we are holding them accountable for their own good. If they are never held accountable they will never know the blessing... of cleaning up their lives.
I am more concerned about someone learning to repent than I am about what others think of me. When we forgive before repentance we solidify rebellion in the hearts of those who don't think they ever need to be forgiven. One who does not confess will not change or grow, the longer they remain unrepentant while being validated by others through superficial forgiveness the harder their heart becomes.
Isaiah 26:10 "10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD. "
Notice too that the humanistic method of handling bad behavior, which is opposite of God's way, actually helps the sinner to remain in their sin while solidifying even further their resolve to defend it.
See how clever the devil is? If he can get people to stop requiring confession and repentance for sin, while making Christians feel guilty about expecting repentance, he can manage to keep unrepentant sinners from becoming saved while debilitating the believer in their witness. Not to mention hardening the hearts of many who might be influenced by accountability, not only becoming saved but also enjoying the blessing of cleansed lives.
Notice too that the humanistic method of handling bad behavior, which is opposite of God's way, actually helps the sinner to remain in their sin while solidifying even further their resolve to defend it.
See how clever the devil is? If he can get people to stop requiring confession and repentance for sin, while making Christians feel guilty about expecting repentance, he can manage to keep unrepentant sinners from becoming saved while debilitating the believer in their witness. Not to mention hardening the hearts of many who might be influenced by accountability, not only becoming saved but also enjoying the blessing of cleansed lives.
Fear of Man Reigns These Days
So many parents are afraid to correct or instruct their adult children, they have been intimidated into thinking it is wrong. So they remain silent, go along to be accepted, even when the actions of the children are sin.
Our culture has taught the unbiblical stance that adult children don't have to listen to their parents anymore for advice. They have even mocked and demeaned a parent who chose to share advice.
I have been chastised for offering solutions to things or a better way that was Biblical, when I wasn't asked, but was in conversation.
If adult children don't want the input of their parents, then the parents have no purpose in their lives. All friends share ideas back and forth in conversation as a matter or course, but if the parent of an adult child does it, they have crossed the line and must be severely chastised for their opinion that may not agree with their adult children.
I don't know about all of you, but when I am told my opinion is of no value and to "butt out", then I count myself as devalued and go away. I cannot be a "yes" man for anyone, if someone shares something with me, chances are good I am going to have an opinion and it is always for the purpose of helping. No one has to take my advice, but I think that it would be alright to continue to value the parent even if the advice is not taken.
Exodus 20:12 "“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."
Proverbs 1:8 "Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching,"
Does anyone know a Scripture that says, as long as you leave home and on your own you don't have to honor parents anymore?
Our culture is frightened, too frightened to speak it's mind when there might be resistance, too frightened to offer correction and advice that might help, too frightened to say no to an adult child when they request something that is against God's principles.
We are a frightened bunch, cowering every time another adult has a tantrum, as though it is not possible to have the honor and respect necessary in a friendship, unless we do what they want, when they want it, the way they want it. Personally I prefer to be without people who only want "yes" men for their friends. This is not a relationship at all but merely a monkey doing someone else's bidding with the hope that they will be loved for their obedience.
Don't get me wrong, I love to serve, however friendship is a matter of reciprocal loyalty and concern, it is far more than one person getting all they want, while the other is punished for wanting anything. If God places us in a situation where we must serve without being loved, even though we are not treated with love and loyalty, then we must be willing to do this with conviction, but we cannot call it "friendship."
Proverbs 18:24
A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
John 15:15
"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Proverbs 12:26
The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
John 15:13
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
Proverbs 27:5-6
Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
Proverbs 15:22
Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.
James 4:4
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
I think that it is time that we re-evaluate the meaning of friendship, our culture doesn't get it. Friendship is far deeper than happy smiles and pleasantries. Friendship is a depth of concern that shares all our experiences of life with vigor.
Romans 12:14-18 "14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."
Our culture has taught the unbiblical stance that adult children don't have to listen to their parents anymore for advice. They have even mocked and demeaned a parent who chose to share advice.
I have been chastised for offering solutions to things or a better way that was Biblical, when I wasn't asked, but was in conversation.
If adult children don't want the input of their parents, then the parents have no purpose in their lives. All friends share ideas back and forth in conversation as a matter or course, but if the parent of an adult child does it, they have crossed the line and must be severely chastised for their opinion that may not agree with their adult children.
I don't know about all of you, but when I am told my opinion is of no value and to "butt out", then I count myself as devalued and go away. I cannot be a "yes" man for anyone, if someone shares something with me, chances are good I am going to have an opinion and it is always for the purpose of helping. No one has to take my advice, but I think that it would be alright to continue to value the parent even if the advice is not taken.
Exodus 20:12 "“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."
Proverbs 1:8 "Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching,"
Does anyone know a Scripture that says, as long as you leave home and on your own you don't have to honor parents anymore?
Our culture is frightened, too frightened to speak it's mind when there might be resistance, too frightened to offer correction and advice that might help, too frightened to say no to an adult child when they request something that is against God's principles.
We are a frightened bunch, cowering every time another adult has a tantrum, as though it is not possible to have the honor and respect necessary in a friendship, unless we do what they want, when they want it, the way they want it. Personally I prefer to be without people who only want "yes" men for their friends. This is not a relationship at all but merely a monkey doing someone else's bidding with the hope that they will be loved for their obedience.
Don't get me wrong, I love to serve, however friendship is a matter of reciprocal loyalty and concern, it is far more than one person getting all they want, while the other is punished for wanting anything. If God places us in a situation where we must serve without being loved, even though we are not treated with love and loyalty, then we must be willing to do this with conviction, but we cannot call it "friendship."
Proverbs 18:24
A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
John 15:15
"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Proverbs 12:26
The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
John 15:13
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
Proverbs 27:5-6
Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
Proverbs 15:22
Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.
James 4:4
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
I think that it is time that we re-evaluate the meaning of friendship, our culture doesn't get it. Friendship is far deeper than happy smiles and pleasantries. Friendship is a depth of concern that shares all our experiences of life with vigor.
Romans 12:14-18 "14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."
Humanistic Psychology Destroys Faith
Mark 7:7-9 "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"
It might be a good idea for all believers to ask God which of our practices are traditions of men and which are principles of God. In our culture today there are many things we do, that are not God's standard or command, but we think they are because they sounded so right and we were raised on them from birth.
We have been raised on many things that are actually the opposite of God's principles thinking they must be in the Bible, but in fact they are not.
The only way to know the truth is to ask the Holy Spirit, while being willing to discard anything He reveals to us is merely human tradition. Most of the time it is human tradition that destroys our walk with Christ, ruins our faith and heaps burdens God never placed on us.
Mark 7:13 " 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so” in many such matters."
So many of the things we hold so tightly to are ideas spawned from humanistic psychology, mythology and paganism. Our culture lays burdens on unsuspecting victims who don't know their Bibles, burdens God never intended. And, to top it all off they don't follow their own humanistic principles.
Matthew 23:3-5 "…3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.…"
How often have we heard people use the mantra, "don't judge" then proceed to judge that we are mean for judging?
The "don't judge" mantra cannot be consistent because in order to accuse another person of "judging" we have to judge that they are judging." This circular thinking is convoluted and irrational at best. The judging dilemma is only one of many inconsistencies that have crept into the Christian church and sadly has been swallowed hook, line and sinker.
May believers train themselves to be discerning by knowing God's word while asking Him to show them truth.
It might be a good idea for all believers to ask God which of our practices are traditions of men and which are principles of God. In our culture today there are many things we do, that are not God's standard or command, but we think they are because they sounded so right and we were raised on them from birth.
We have been raised on many things that are actually the opposite of God's principles thinking they must be in the Bible, but in fact they are not.
The only way to know the truth is to ask the Holy Spirit, while being willing to discard anything He reveals to us is merely human tradition. Most of the time it is human tradition that destroys our walk with Christ, ruins our faith and heaps burdens God never placed on us.
Mark 7:13 " 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so” in many such matters."
So many of the things we hold so tightly to are ideas spawned from humanistic psychology, mythology and paganism. Our culture lays burdens on unsuspecting victims who don't know their Bibles, burdens God never intended. And, to top it all off they don't follow their own humanistic principles.
Matthew 23:3-5 "…3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.…"
How often have we heard people use the mantra, "don't judge" then proceed to judge that we are mean for judging?
The "don't judge" mantra cannot be consistent because in order to accuse another person of "judging" we have to judge that they are judging." This circular thinking is convoluted and irrational at best. The judging dilemma is only one of many inconsistencies that have crept into the Christian church and sadly has been swallowed hook, line and sinker.
May believers train themselves to be discerning by knowing God's word while asking Him to show them truth.
Forgive the WAY God Does
It is not true that we have to hang onto anger just because someone is not forgiven. Forgiveness is for the purpose of reconciling a relationships with someone who has confessed. Both are important for the picture of reconciliation to be complete. God does not forgive without confession, but He does forgive freely to those who confess their sin.
"IF you confess your sin He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness."
God also says that we are to forgive they "way" He forgives. To forgive without repentance ensure that no actions will be changed, those who will not confess are refusing to change their heart.
God says to do good to those who persecute us, He does not say that we have to be friends with them. He also says that we are to remove the divisive person from among us. There are many scriptures that say to get away from the one who will not repent. 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
God says to "reject a factious man", we are not to validate one who sins and will not repent, by remaining friends with them or by forgiving when the unrepentant doesn't care about being forgiven.
We have empowered wicked behavior in this culture often by forgiving the offenders who are not sorry while beating up on the righteous when they hold the sinful man accountable.
God will not save a person who refuses to confess their sinfulness. We cannot be reconciled to Him without repentance. Relationships are not restored by one person forgiving while the other one continues their sinful attitudes and actions toward us.
To say "I forgive you" to an unrepentant sinner merely angers them while validating their sinfulness.
Galatians 6:7 "7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. 8 The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.…"
Isaiah 26:10 "10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD."
"IF you confess your sin He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness."
God also says that we are to forgive they "way" He forgives. To forgive without repentance ensure that no actions will be changed, those who will not confess are refusing to change their heart.
God says to do good to those who persecute us, He does not say that we have to be friends with them. He also says that we are to remove the divisive person from among us. There are many scriptures that say to get away from the one who will not repent. 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
God says to "reject a factious man", we are not to validate one who sins and will not repent, by remaining friends with them or by forgiving when the unrepentant doesn't care about being forgiven.
We have empowered wicked behavior in this culture often by forgiving the offenders who are not sorry while beating up on the righteous when they hold the sinful man accountable.
God will not save a person who refuses to confess their sinfulness. We cannot be reconciled to Him without repentance. Relationships are not restored by one person forgiving while the other one continues their sinful attitudes and actions toward us.
To say "I forgive you" to an unrepentant sinner merely angers them while validating their sinfulness.
Galatians 6:7 "7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. 8 The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.…"
Isaiah 26:10 "10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD."
Freedom is not What You Think
Does anyone else feel as though all freedom of speech has been trashed in our country? That even though we have a certain amount of freedom right now, many people are systematically being intimidated into silence by those who are in the ruling positions.
Did anyone notice that our politicians running for the presidency didn't clearly speak out against transgender, homosexuality or immoral activity that would leave them a target by the media?
If politicians don't have the strength to speak out against abominations, how can they be expected to lead a nation? Financial responsibility and secure borders are nice but will not gain us God's favor. They are superficial band aide responses to serious moral decay. It is this moral decay that is destroying the finances and the border problem.
Defending "freedom" should not be the goal of any believer. Personal freedom only comes when there is respect and honor for God. Our freedom is not in being able to carry out any abomination we please. True freedom is spiritual freedom from the domination of sin in our hearts.
When Christ changes us into a new creation we are free from the desire to engage in behavior that destroys. Our soul has been transformed, not reformed meaning the old made new, but rather transformed, meaning the old has been done away with completely in our spirit. We do battle with the fallen and dying flesh as our spirit wars against it. A believer will battle the flesh, hating what he knows his fleshly sinful nature is, although becoming victorious over it with the Helper, Christ Jesus Who empowers us to do so.
The unbeliever defends their sinful nature, indulging it, angry when challenged to evaluate themselves, they persist purposefully to defy rules and principles placed within us at creation by God. Ephesians 4:18 "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart."
Notice that last phrase in Ephesians 4:18, "because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." It is a hardened heart that brings ignorance of righteousness, a choice to reject the truth.
Romans 1:18-19 "18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them."
2 Corinthians 5:17 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
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."
2 Corinthians 3:18 "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Romans 5:1-11 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ..."
Our country used to understand righteousness because of the boldness of believers in it. Now that believers have become powerless in their quest to be accepted by the culture, they have given up all righteous ground. The believers in our country have retreated into themselves to be loved and elevated by secular and ungodly family members.
There is nothing more selfish than keeping the way of salvation a secret, for no other reason except to live a pleasurable life on this planet, which is passing away and very soon. Empathy for the lost should be paramount in our lives, empathy that leads us to plead with them to ask God Who He is and what He has done for us. The love of God is elusive to those who will not listen to the gospel message. The love they seek leads to eternal death, the love Christ offers leads to eternal life. This earthly life is very short in comparison to eternity, there is nothing to be gained by holding onto the things of this life, absolutely nothing of value.
Proverbs 29:24-26 "…24 He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing. 25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. 26 Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD.…"
1 Timothy 6:9-11 "…9 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."
Did anyone notice that our politicians running for the presidency didn't clearly speak out against transgender, homosexuality or immoral activity that would leave them a target by the media?
If politicians don't have the strength to speak out against abominations, how can they be expected to lead a nation? Financial responsibility and secure borders are nice but will not gain us God's favor. They are superficial band aide responses to serious moral decay. It is this moral decay that is destroying the finances and the border problem.
Defending "freedom" should not be the goal of any believer. Personal freedom only comes when there is respect and honor for God. Our freedom is not in being able to carry out any abomination we please. True freedom is spiritual freedom from the domination of sin in our hearts.
When Christ changes us into a new creation we are free from the desire to engage in behavior that destroys. Our soul has been transformed, not reformed meaning the old made new, but rather transformed, meaning the old has been done away with completely in our spirit. We do battle with the fallen and dying flesh as our spirit wars against it. A believer will battle the flesh, hating what he knows his fleshly sinful nature is, although becoming victorious over it with the Helper, Christ Jesus Who empowers us to do so.
The unbeliever defends their sinful nature, indulging it, angry when challenged to evaluate themselves, they persist purposefully to defy rules and principles placed within us at creation by God. Ephesians 4:18 "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart."
Notice that last phrase in Ephesians 4:18, "because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." It is a hardened heart that brings ignorance of righteousness, a choice to reject the truth.
Romans 1:18-19 "18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them."
2 Corinthians 5:17 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
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."
2 Corinthians 3:18 "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Romans 5:1-11 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ..."
Our country used to understand righteousness because of the boldness of believers in it. Now that believers have become powerless in their quest to be accepted by the culture, they have given up all righteous ground. The believers in our country have retreated into themselves to be loved and elevated by secular and ungodly family members.
There is nothing more selfish than keeping the way of salvation a secret, for no other reason except to live a pleasurable life on this planet, which is passing away and very soon. Empathy for the lost should be paramount in our lives, empathy that leads us to plead with them to ask God Who He is and what He has done for us. The love of God is elusive to those who will not listen to the gospel message. The love they seek leads to eternal death, the love Christ offers leads to eternal life. This earthly life is very short in comparison to eternity, there is nothing to be gained by holding onto the things of this life, absolutely nothing of value.
Proverbs 29:24-26 "…24 He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing. 25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. 26 Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD.…"
1 Timothy 6:9-11 "…9 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."
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