Tuesday, August 30, 2016
God's Model of the Church Gathering
God's model for the church gathering! It looks very different from what men are doing now.
1 Corinthians 14:26-30
"26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret;
28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. 30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.
God Chooses Leaders
I admit that I will be voting for Trump because I have suspicions that have not been proven, they are merely observations and not proofs.
I vote mainly because it would make my husband so unhappy if I didn't. I see voting as a personal choice not a command of God, so I violate no principles of God by voting, even though I will hold my nose while I do it. It would not be the first time a close pin has been figuratively affixed to my nose as I place my mark next to a candidate.
Sadly there were other candidates who could not make the cut because they were "too conservative" or "too Christian", reminding us of the basic mindset of the voting populous.
Between the political machine in power now and the voting public, we can guess that it doesn't matter who gets in power because the people of this country are fixated on themselves and will destroy this country because of that mindset, no matter which leader we get.
Electing a "righteous" leader, of which there is none in the election, will not change the heart of the people who walk in rebellion against God.
Many who say they are Christians do not know their Bibles because they have no interest in Christ, only in religion when it serves their purposes. Just as they depend on government to take care of them, they also depend only on God when they are in trouble. Most people are "users", asking for help from God while ignoring Him entirely when it comes to worship and obedience.
We are not electing an elder for a church nor are we selecting a priest for the priesthood, therefore there is room for individual evaluation based on talents.
I do not require particular "Christian traits" when selecting a plumber or a mechanic, I merely evaluate them on their talents and the reputation in the community as having the skills necessary to get the job done right.
If we were living in a theocracy then we would want to make sure that the one in power obeys Christ in every aspect. We know this will not happen until the Millennium. OH, how I look forward to that.
Brothers and Sisters, let us not look down on one another over the differences in our political views. Let us not judge a brother or sister based on the ungodly politics that plague our country.
The devil loves to divide over things that really make no difference. God will choose the leader of this country no matter what we do, that is clear. Do as you are led, speak your mind and continue to love the family of Christ as we obey what He is compelling us to do.
But!!!! Never allow our views on politics to destroy our relationships with another brother or sister, the devil loves this: Division over political candidates, he laughs as he watches the family of God fighting and arguing over which ungodly person to vote for.
Keep focused on Christ.....all the time in everything.
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. "
— Romans 13:1
"No one … can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another."
— Psalms 75:6-7
I vote mainly because it would make my husband so unhappy if I didn't. I see voting as a personal choice not a command of God, so I violate no principles of God by voting, even though I will hold my nose while I do it. It would not be the first time a close pin has been figuratively affixed to my nose as I place my mark next to a candidate.
Sadly there were other candidates who could not make the cut because they were "too conservative" or "too Christian", reminding us of the basic mindset of the voting populous.
Between the political machine in power now and the voting public, we can guess that it doesn't matter who gets in power because the people of this country are fixated on themselves and will destroy this country because of that mindset, no matter which leader we get.
Electing a "righteous" leader, of which there is none in the election, will not change the heart of the people who walk in rebellion against God.
Many who say they are Christians do not know their Bibles because they have no interest in Christ, only in religion when it serves their purposes. Just as they depend on government to take care of them, they also depend only on God when they are in trouble. Most people are "users", asking for help from God while ignoring Him entirely when it comes to worship and obedience.
We are not electing an elder for a church nor are we selecting a priest for the priesthood, therefore there is room for individual evaluation based on talents.
I do not require particular "Christian traits" when selecting a plumber or a mechanic, I merely evaluate them on their talents and the reputation in the community as having the skills necessary to get the job done right.
If we were living in a theocracy then we would want to make sure that the one in power obeys Christ in every aspect. We know this will not happen until the Millennium. OH, how I look forward to that.
Brothers and Sisters, let us not look down on one another over the differences in our political views. Let us not judge a brother or sister based on the ungodly politics that plague our country.
The devil loves to divide over things that really make no difference. God will choose the leader of this country no matter what we do, that is clear. Do as you are led, speak your mind and continue to love the family of Christ as we obey what He is compelling us to do.
But!!!! Never allow our views on politics to destroy our relationships with another brother or sister, the devil loves this: Division over political candidates, he laughs as he watches the family of God fighting and arguing over which ungodly person to vote for.
Keep focused on Christ.....all the time in everything.
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. "
— Romans 13:1
"No one … can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another."
— Psalms 75:6-7
Monday, August 29, 2016
Return to Your First Love
Every person no matter how lowly or how popular should be able to be corrected, rebuked and admonished on a regular basis to remain faithful to the Word. No man or woman knows perfectly all of a matter, in fact we are learning all the time if we are humble enough to pay attention.
Every person who thinks they or anyone else is above correction, rebuke and admonition, is walking in insolent pride. Those who place "famous" preachers or any preacher, in the category of "don't touch God's anointed", are using manipulation and intimidation to cause others to feel wrong about evaluating those they worship.
Insolent: "lack of respect", "ill mannered" and "rude."
Pride: "deep pleasure in oneself."
One who walks in "insolent pride" is one who has a deep sense of self importance and feels entitled to mock, show disrespect and display rudeness without conscience, justifying themselves.
If we love Christ we will care very deeply about pure truth. This drives us to find out truth and weed out any error. The reason we are in the mess we are in today in the churches is because too many people have ignored error in favor of good feelings.
We are instructed by Christ to evaluate everything all the time. There is no need to be offended about exposing error, it helps us, grows us and rejects that which is harmful.
Those who become angry at someone who evaluates the teaching of a man, because they like the man, have an idol in the form of that man.
If Christ is our first love, then no man will hold the position and privilege of saying whatever he wants without challenge.
Proverbs 27:6
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."
Romans 15:14
"And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another."
Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Psalm 141:5
"Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds."
Luke 17:3
"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."
1 Thessalonians 5:14
"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."
Since the development of the "one man pastor" as leader instead of the Holy Spirit, we have created idols who are men.
We need to return to our first love, that is Christ Jesus.
Every person who thinks they or anyone else is above correction, rebuke and admonition, is walking in insolent pride. Those who place "famous" preachers or any preacher, in the category of "don't touch God's anointed", are using manipulation and intimidation to cause others to feel wrong about evaluating those they worship.
Insolent: "lack of respect", "ill mannered" and "rude."
Pride: "deep pleasure in oneself."
One who walks in "insolent pride" is one who has a deep sense of self importance and feels entitled to mock, show disrespect and display rudeness without conscience, justifying themselves.
If we love Christ we will care very deeply about pure truth. This drives us to find out truth and weed out any error. The reason we are in the mess we are in today in the churches is because too many people have ignored error in favor of good feelings.
We are instructed by Christ to evaluate everything all the time. There is no need to be offended about exposing error, it helps us, grows us and rejects that which is harmful.
Those who become angry at someone who evaluates the teaching of a man, because they like the man, have an idol in the form of that man.
If Christ is our first love, then no man will hold the position and privilege of saying whatever he wants without challenge.
Proverbs 27:6
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."
Romans 15:14
"And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another."
Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Psalm 141:5
"Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds."
Luke 17:3
"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."
1 Thessalonians 5:14
"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."
Since the development of the "one man pastor" as leader instead of the Holy Spirit, we have created idols who are men.
We need to return to our first love, that is Christ Jesus.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
He is Already in Us!
I am always dismayed when someone says, in reference to the worship service, "the Holy Spirit was present today."
When we are born again believers the Holy Spirit is always present in us. He should be the One guiding all worship for every believer.
We do not ask the Holy Spirit "to come", He already lives in every believer.
1 Corinthians 3:16
"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
1 Corinthians 6:19
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"
2 Timothy 1:14
"Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you."
The Holy Spirit even worships for us!
John 4:23 "4:23
"But a time is coming – and now is here – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers."
Philippians 3:3
"3:3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials."
9. Romans 8:14 "For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children."
When we are born again believers the Holy Spirit is always present in us. He should be the One guiding all worship for every believer.
We do not ask the Holy Spirit "to come", He already lives in every believer.
1 Corinthians 3:16
"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
1 Corinthians 6:19
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"
2 Timothy 1:14
"Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you."
The Holy Spirit even worships for us!
John 4:23 "4:23
"But a time is coming – and now is here – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers."
Philippians 3:3
"3:3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials."
9. Romans 8:14 "For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children."
Trusting Christ or Trusting Politics?
I have tried to stay away from too much discussion about politics here because it is an issue that brings conflict over something that has nothing to do with Christ or salvation.
But I feel a need to say a few things. Please do not come and try to convince me of anything other than what I am saying here. I have had far too much experience with narcissism and pretenders to be swayed this late in the game.
Here goes:
So many Christians are not seeing the narcissistic traits that prove the malintent of the presidential candidates. Malintent meaning "malitious" intent. There is a hidden agenda not at all what the Christians are expecting. Because they do not see the subtle signs, that are not nearly as subtle as they might be, they are being sucked in by their own hope and emotion.
Words do not express the truth in any candidate. They are well versed in saying whatever is needed to accomplish their goal, that being, power over others. I do not hear any candidate expressing a serious and deep desire to do the will of the people or showing a concern for the welfare of the masses. What little they do display is phony and diluted.
What we have in this election, are two people deeply vested in pursuing power and wealth their entire lives. They have drunk the wine of prestige and influence early on in their careers, deeply entangled in the web of trickery to gain their objectives.
No one who has lived their entire lives entrenched in this lifestyle will change their spots, just because they are in the public eye. They do however become very adept at manipulation, rhetoric and even intimidation to gain what they seek. Televangelists use these same tactics and methods to secure their position and affluence.
Bottom line!!!!! Things are not at all what they seem! Do not allow emotions and hope to blind you to truth. Go ahead and do as you are led by Christ while not allowing anyone to dissuade you from obedience to Him. However, and this is a big "however", do not place your trust in anyone or anything except Christ.
When our country falls, as I believe it will, no matter what happens in the election, the believers who have trusted Christ not only for salvation but also for everything else, will not be moved. They will not whine or cry over the outcome, they will not become discouraged, nor will they relent from their appointed task, that is to carry on as led by the Holy Spirit.
We are not in this world to be entertained, comfortable or pursuing happiness as we have been taught all our lives. We are here to spread the Gospel and grow in holiness while serving those Christ has sent to be a part of our lives.
Galatians 3:6-9 "6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."
It is Israel that will be blessed and protected, no other nation can own this but Israel.
Our faith and trust is in Christ alone, for every thing!
But I feel a need to say a few things. Please do not come and try to convince me of anything other than what I am saying here. I have had far too much experience with narcissism and pretenders to be swayed this late in the game.
Here goes:
So many Christians are not seeing the narcissistic traits that prove the malintent of the presidential candidates. Malintent meaning "malitious" intent. There is a hidden agenda not at all what the Christians are expecting. Because they do not see the subtle signs, that are not nearly as subtle as they might be, they are being sucked in by their own hope and emotion.
Words do not express the truth in any candidate. They are well versed in saying whatever is needed to accomplish their goal, that being, power over others. I do not hear any candidate expressing a serious and deep desire to do the will of the people or showing a concern for the welfare of the masses. What little they do display is phony and diluted.
What we have in this election, are two people deeply vested in pursuing power and wealth their entire lives. They have drunk the wine of prestige and influence early on in their careers, deeply entangled in the web of trickery to gain their objectives.
No one who has lived their entire lives entrenched in this lifestyle will change their spots, just because they are in the public eye. They do however become very adept at manipulation, rhetoric and even intimidation to gain what they seek. Televangelists use these same tactics and methods to secure their position and affluence.
Bottom line!!!!! Things are not at all what they seem! Do not allow emotions and hope to blind you to truth. Go ahead and do as you are led by Christ while not allowing anyone to dissuade you from obedience to Him. However, and this is a big "however", do not place your trust in anyone or anything except Christ.
When our country falls, as I believe it will, no matter what happens in the election, the believers who have trusted Christ not only for salvation but also for everything else, will not be moved. They will not whine or cry over the outcome, they will not become discouraged, nor will they relent from their appointed task, that is to carry on as led by the Holy Spirit.
We are not in this world to be entertained, comfortable or pursuing happiness as we have been taught all our lives. We are here to spread the Gospel and grow in holiness while serving those Christ has sent to be a part of our lives.
Galatians 3:6-9 "6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."
It is Israel that will be blessed and protected, no other nation can own this but Israel.
Our faith and trust is in Christ alone, for every thing!
The Thought Police Ride Again
For a few years now, from time to time, my husband and I have gone to breakfast at a local omelet restaurant a few minutes from our house. They make the best omelet and bacon in town from our perspective, along with very pleasant and welcoming waitresses.
On the kitchen door behind the cashier of that restaurant was a sign that read something like this; "Don't let these smiling faces fool you, these are mean vicious women."
Every time I saw that sign I laughed and enjoyed the sense of humor and the waitresses there thought it was funny too. We knew it was a joke because it was the opposite of truth, everyone enjoyed the little splash of humor.
Sadly political correctness set in recently and the sign was removed. I suppose the word "women" is no longer tolerable as well as a joke that teased a particular gender.
I find it very sad that all resemblance of personality is being removed as though we are all suppose to walk around like programmed robots saying and doing the perfect thing, so as not to offend the bratty and self righteous hyper-sensitive thought police.
We are encountering more and more chaos, egg shell walking and intimidation than I have ever seen in my life time. I notice too that people are less happy and almost completely devoid of joy because of this overreach of power to control our personalities, our thoughts and our expressions.
Becoming weary, of the few that manipulate and intimidate the masses while they do whatever they want I have lost any concern about expressing myself as have a few others. These bastions of self righteousness in the form of "thought police", do not place such restraints on themselves in their personal expressions but demand others do as they say or suffer for their independence.
On the kitchen door behind the cashier of that restaurant was a sign that read something like this; "Don't let these smiling faces fool you, these are mean vicious women."
Every time I saw that sign I laughed and enjoyed the sense of humor and the waitresses there thought it was funny too. We knew it was a joke because it was the opposite of truth, everyone enjoyed the little splash of humor.
Sadly political correctness set in recently and the sign was removed. I suppose the word "women" is no longer tolerable as well as a joke that teased a particular gender.
I find it very sad that all resemblance of personality is being removed as though we are all suppose to walk around like programmed robots saying and doing the perfect thing, so as not to offend the bratty and self righteous hyper-sensitive thought police.
We are encountering more and more chaos, egg shell walking and intimidation than I have ever seen in my life time. I notice too that people are less happy and almost completely devoid of joy because of this overreach of power to control our personalities, our thoughts and our expressions.
Becoming weary, of the few that manipulate and intimidate the masses while they do whatever they want I have lost any concern about expressing myself as have a few others. These bastions of self righteousness in the form of "thought police", do not place such restraints on themselves in their personal expressions but demand others do as they say or suffer for their independence.
Proverbs 28:1 "1The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are boldas a lion."
Cultural Christianity Run Amuck!
The End of Comfortable Christianity by Bill Muehlenberg
Aug 26, 2016
"Let’s face it: believers in the West have had a dream run up until recently. It has been easy street, big time. Christians and non-Christians pretty much lived together conflict-free, and often one was not all that distinguishable from the other."
"In fact, for many, what they thought was Christianity was simply cultural Christianity. Everyone more or less believed in God, believed in Jesus, acknowledged the reality of sin, and so on. Most people gave mental assent to the Christian religion, and many went to church each week believing this was the thing to do."
"How many of these folks were actual regenerate believers is another matter of course. But the stroll through the park is now coming to an end. As things really do start to heat up, with anti-Christian bigotry and persecution now becoming the norm in the West, it is no longer a free ride for believers."
Aug 26, 2016
"Let’s face it: believers in the West have had a dream run up until recently. It has been easy street, big time. Christians and non-Christians pretty much lived together conflict-free, and often one was not all that distinguishable from the other."
"In fact, for many, what they thought was Christianity was simply cultural Christianity. Everyone more or less believed in God, believed in Jesus, acknowledged the reality of sin, and so on. Most people gave mental assent to the Christian religion, and many went to church each week believing this was the thing to do."
"How many of these folks were actual regenerate believers is another matter of course. But the stroll through the park is now coming to an end. As things really do start to heat up, with anti-Christian bigotry and persecution now becoming the norm in the West, it is no longer a free ride for believers."
Friday, August 26, 2016
Irrational Derangement Prevails
O.K. it is official, the world has become insane almost completely. The New York City Commission on Human Rights has declared that there are 31 genders. LOL, LOL, LOL!!!!!!
Facebook in England has declared 71 genders.
In the town I grew up in, Gresham Oregon, there was a teacher who teaches elementary school who sued the school district because her fellow teachers would not call her "they."
She was awarded $60,000 by the school district for emotional distress.
If I were principle of that school I would have her detained for mental instability and charged with cruelty and child abuse on behalf of her students.
When I was growing up in that sleepy little town it had a population of 7,000 people. Today it is over 100,000 and growing. How did this happen? How could a tiny little farm community turn into a Sodom and Gomorroah in only one generation?
I think that teacher saw an opportunity to cash in on all this hoopla about gender and ran with it. She knew because she was in the teachers union she would never be fired and that in the present climate of fear, she would be guaranteed to come out like a bandit in a civil suit against the school district.
Sadly the school district caved, allowing the probability of many more such actions of insanity to continue and grow. When fear drives those in power, we can expect total chaos.
40 years ago we expected immorality to grow in these end times, but never did we expect the irrational mental derangement that is occurring now.
Maranatha! May the Lord come quickly!
Facebook in England has declared 71 genders.
In the town I grew up in, Gresham Oregon, there was a teacher who teaches elementary school who sued the school district because her fellow teachers would not call her "they."
She was awarded $60,000 by the school district for emotional distress.
If I were principle of that school I would have her detained for mental instability and charged with cruelty and child abuse on behalf of her students.
When I was growing up in that sleepy little town it had a population of 7,000 people. Today it is over 100,000 and growing. How did this happen? How could a tiny little farm community turn into a Sodom and Gomorroah in only one generation?
I think that teacher saw an opportunity to cash in on all this hoopla about gender and ran with it. She knew because she was in the teachers union she would never be fired and that in the present climate of fear, she would be guaranteed to come out like a bandit in a civil suit against the school district.
Sadly the school district caved, allowing the probability of many more such actions of insanity to continue and grow. When fear drives those in power, we can expect total chaos.
40 years ago we expected immorality to grow in these end times, but never did we expect the irrational mental derangement that is occurring now.
Maranatha! May the Lord come quickly!
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Trump and Hillary are no Different
I am not a Democrat, but this is absolutely true. It is time for America to stop placing their trust in a man and begin to obey Christ in sharing the gospel.
Matthew 7:1-5 "“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
James 7:24 "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Many people are judging Trump as the savior of America without using righteous judgement, they are judging him good by appearances and words alone, but only listening to the words they like while ignoring the other words he says that don't show consistency.
In other words Trump and Clinton are liars through and through. This nation may think Trump is better than Hillary, but I suggest to you that he is no better. They are both liars, con artists and manipulators.
Watch the video to prove the point!
https://www.facebook.com/TheDemocraticCoalition/videos/496910710512309/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
Christ Changes Us!
The entire matter is this; When we God changes us into a new creation we are completely changed by Christ, we do not change ourselves. The old things are gone and we are all new. Christ comes to live in us and has said that we are "sealed" with His Holy Spirit of Promise as a Guarantee of our inheritance.
Then the Father treats us like sons, when sons disobey they are disciplined. 1 John 1:9 was written to believers, we have an advocate with the Father. Why do we need an advocate? Because we are sinful creatures, Christ had to die to cover our sin and our sin is accounted to what He did for us. When we disobey God we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. Only those who belong to Christ have an advocate, the unsaved do not have this.
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
There is no good humanly speaking that we could do to keep what we did not earn. We made the initial choice to trust Christ's sacrifice for us and then He responded with love and changed us, lives in us and keeps us until He comes for us.
Ephesians 2:8-10 "…8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.…"
The sacrifice on the cross would have been silly if we had to try to be good to earn any measure of salvation or to keep what we did not earn. We would have to die ourselves but that wouldn't work because only a perfect sinless man could do that and that was Christ the Lord.
We do have a choice to walk away, but we don't want to, our heart has been changed into something entirely different from what it was before. Our Spirit is now that of Christ's but we are trapped in this body of Sin that we must battle with continually until we are taken out of this world.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…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:…"
Since we regard no one according to the flesh any more we do not look at their sinfulness but at Christ. Every born again believer has fruit from the Holy Spirit that changes the way they think and live, but they still battle that old man flesh.
Galatians 5:16-18 "16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to one another, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.…"
Ephesians 1:12-14 "…12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, having heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 14 The Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
Hebrews 12:6-8 "…6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.…"
Christians can act very badly, they will have consequences in this life and lost rewards in the next but they remain born again.
1 Corinthians 3:14-16 "…14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one being snatched from the fire. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?…"
In these last days of rebellion it is difficult to tell the difference as to who is born again and who is not. If we see someone walking contrary to Christ then we need to ask them to go and pray to ask God if they have ever been born again. If they are convinced they are saved then we need to obey God and avoid them to help them to see the seriousness of ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 5:21-13 "5 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 [a]You have become [b]arrogant and [c]have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and [d]I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord [e]Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."
God never said that the one in the church acting immorally was not a brother in Christ. He called Him a brother, and the purpose of discipline, God's discipline and man's for the brother is to bring him back into obedience. No one comes back into "salvation", but we can be brought back into obedience through discipline, man's and God's.
Galatians 6:1 "1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ.…"
Hebrews 12:6 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
It makes no sense that we could hop back and forth into and out of salvation, that would mean that Christ never changed us into a new creation, as He said He did.
Ephesians 2:9-11 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life. 11 Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—…"
Then the Father treats us like sons, when sons disobey they are disciplined. 1 John 1:9 was written to believers, we have an advocate with the Father. Why do we need an advocate? Because we are sinful creatures, Christ had to die to cover our sin and our sin is accounted to what He did for us. When we disobey God we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. Only those who belong to Christ have an advocate, the unsaved do not have this.
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
There is no good humanly speaking that we could do to keep what we did not earn. We made the initial choice to trust Christ's sacrifice for us and then He responded with love and changed us, lives in us and keeps us until He comes for us.
Ephesians 2:8-10 "…8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.…"
The sacrifice on the cross would have been silly if we had to try to be good to earn any measure of salvation or to keep what we did not earn. We would have to die ourselves but that wouldn't work because only a perfect sinless man could do that and that was Christ the Lord.
We do have a choice to walk away, but we don't want to, our heart has been changed into something entirely different from what it was before. Our Spirit is now that of Christ's but we are trapped in this body of Sin that we must battle with continually until we are taken out of this world.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…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:…"
Since we regard no one according to the flesh any more we do not look at their sinfulness but at Christ. Every born again believer has fruit from the Holy Spirit that changes the way they think and live, but they still battle that old man flesh.
Galatians 5:16-18 "16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to one another, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.…"
Ephesians 1:12-14 "…12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, having heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 14 The Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
Hebrews 12:6-8 "…6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.…"
Christians can act very badly, they will have consequences in this life and lost rewards in the next but they remain born again.
1 Corinthians 3:14-16 "…14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one being snatched from the fire. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?…"
In these last days of rebellion it is difficult to tell the difference as to who is born again and who is not. If we see someone walking contrary to Christ then we need to ask them to go and pray to ask God if they have ever been born again. If they are convinced they are saved then we need to obey God and avoid them to help them to see the seriousness of ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 5:21-13 "5 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 [a]You have become [b]arrogant and [c]have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and [d]I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord [e]Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."
God never said that the one in the church acting immorally was not a brother in Christ. He called Him a brother, and the purpose of discipline, God's discipline and man's for the brother is to bring him back into obedience. No one comes back into "salvation", but we can be brought back into obedience through discipline, man's and God's.
Galatians 6:1 "1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ.…"
Hebrews 12:6 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
It makes no sense that we could hop back and forth into and out of salvation, that would mean that Christ never changed us into a new creation, as He said He did.
Ephesians 2:9-11 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life. 11 Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—…"
You Cannot Lose What You Did Not Earn
It makes no sense that we could hop back and forth into and out of salvation, that would mean that Christ never changed us into a new creation, as He said He did.
Not one person who believes a born again believer can lose their salvation can explain to me these things;
How many sins would lose us our salvation?
How big do the sins have to be to lose what we didn't earn?
How often do we have to sin to lose it?
And most importantly of all, "why was Christ's shed blood on the cross not enough?
It is silly to think that avoiding sin could gain us everything when it was the shed blood of the perfect Lamb that had to cleanse us from our sins.
For those who think avoiding sin will keep them safe, you are working your way to heaven by works and God condemns that. Since you think you can keep yourself from sin, you are sinning by that claim. It was the blood of Christ that covers sin. Could you die and shed your own blood to cover sin? Of course not, you are a sinful man as all of us are, it is only Christ's blood that covers sin.
1 John 1:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
Since no one can shed their blood for sin except Christ, then avoiding sin in a prideful manner thinking we can do it, is sin in and of itself. It is only Christ who can keep us from sin, but only if we trust Him for that after we have trusted Him for salvation.
NO man can keep himself saved by not sinning! We were and are sinful in the flesh, it is only Christ in us that saves and keeps us.
Ephesians 4:29-31 "…29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.…"
We as born again believers do sin, that's why God tells His children to confess their sin. He does not say "repent", that is for salvation. He does say to confess and forsake to grow in holiness. Believers can remain spiritual babies by resisting the Holy Spirit that lives in them, but they do not lose what Christ made them into, that New Creation.
Galatians 5:17 "16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to one another, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.…"
We grow in holiness and spiritual strength in direct proportions to how much time we spend with Christ and how often we seek the Holy Spirit and obey what He tells us. We learn His heart through His Word the Bible, and hear His promptings as we seek Him. We can only recognize His voice if we know His mind, we know His mind through His Word. The Holy Spirit will never tell us anything that does not agree with His Word.
Not one person who believes a born again believer can lose their salvation can explain to me these things;
How many sins would lose us our salvation?
How big do the sins have to be to lose what we didn't earn?
How often do we have to sin to lose it?
And most importantly of all, "why was Christ's shed blood on the cross not enough?
It is silly to think that avoiding sin could gain us everything when it was the shed blood of the perfect Lamb that had to cleanse us from our sins.
For those who think avoiding sin will keep them safe, you are working your way to heaven by works and God condemns that. Since you think you can keep yourself from sin, you are sinning by that claim. It was the blood of Christ that covers sin. Could you die and shed your own blood to cover sin? Of course not, you are a sinful man as all of us are, it is only Christ's blood that covers sin.
1 John 1:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
Since no one can shed their blood for sin except Christ, then avoiding sin in a prideful manner thinking we can do it, is sin in and of itself. It is only Christ who can keep us from sin, but only if we trust Him for that after we have trusted Him for salvation.
NO man can keep himself saved by not sinning! We were and are sinful in the flesh, it is only Christ in us that saves and keeps us.
Ephesians 4:29-31 "…29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.…"
We as born again believers do sin, that's why God tells His children to confess their sin. He does not say "repent", that is for salvation. He does say to confess and forsake to grow in holiness. Believers can remain spiritual babies by resisting the Holy Spirit that lives in them, but they do not lose what Christ made them into, that New Creation.
Galatians 5:17 "16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to one another, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.…"
We grow in holiness and spiritual strength in direct proportions to how much time we spend with Christ and how often we seek the Holy Spirit and obey what He tells us. We learn His heart through His Word the Bible, and hear His promptings as we seek Him. We can only recognize His voice if we know His mind, we know His mind through His Word. The Holy Spirit will never tell us anything that does not agree with His Word.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Method or Message?
It is common for people to attack the "method" rather than content when they don't like the message if the message exposes their sin.
If we send an enemy a letter, they will attack us for not calling, if we call, they will attack us for not coming and if we come they will say we should have written or called first.
Do you see how it works? If someone has contempt for us and for God, they will think up an excuse to be against us or Him. The excuse will not have to be rational but nonetheless they will hold to it anyway.
Have you been told the details of a friends comings and goings and then told to "stay out of their business" when sharing your opinions, views or Biblical perspective on what you heard?
LOL, notice that our culture has an unspoken rule, that is, we are suppose to listen intently to everything but we are not to voice our perspectives on what we heard unless they validate the person sharing, by validation they expect for us to respond in words they like to hear.
God clearly tells us to share our views, encourage when someone is right and challenge when things are amiss. It's called "sharing for the purpose of growing in holiness."
2 Peter 3:17-18 "…17 Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard not to be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Colossians 3:15-17 "…15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.…"
If we send an enemy a letter, they will attack us for not calling, if we call, they will attack us for not coming and if we come they will say we should have written or called first.
Do you see how it works? If someone has contempt for us and for God, they will think up an excuse to be against us or Him. The excuse will not have to be rational but nonetheless they will hold to it anyway.
Have you been told the details of a friends comings and goings and then told to "stay out of their business" when sharing your opinions, views or Biblical perspective on what you heard?
LOL, notice that our culture has an unspoken rule, that is, we are suppose to listen intently to everything but we are not to voice our perspectives on what we heard unless they validate the person sharing, by validation they expect for us to respond in words they like to hear.
God clearly tells us to share our views, encourage when someone is right and challenge when things are amiss. It's called "sharing for the purpose of growing in holiness."
2 Peter 3:17-18 "…17 Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard not to be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Colossians 3:15-17 "…15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.…"
We are Living in an Idiocrity!
I have decided that we no longer live in a "Democracy" but rather in our present condition, we are enduring an "Idiocrity", in which nearly all decisions that are made by the "powers that be" are literally and fully idiotic.
The matter of gender identification has reached a new low. Claiming that anyone, beast or man can decide which gender they want to be, demonstrates an intense hatred and contempt for God.
Not only do these wicked powers claim things that are not true, they work to force others to speak or do what they want, by intimidation, mocking and manipulation. They cannot tolerate that others may not join them in their disrespect for God, they must bring others along whether the others like it or not.
The very idea that no one else has the right to have their own thoughts and ideas is predominate in the liberal and ungodly ruling classes.
Just as strongly as they refuse to listen to rational thoughts and ideas they will work to make others irrational as they are irrational. It matters not to them if someone really believes what they have forced them to say or do, only that they say or do them.
Sadly there are many pew warmers and pretenders who will fall in line with irrational thinking merely to be accepted and happy. There is no honor is following others, but they are willing to release their honor in favor of acceptance.
When we give a gift to someone and we see that they didn't take care of that gift, even showing disrespect for it, by ruining it, in some way, we are looking at contempt and a devaluation for the giver.
To declare that we are determined to decide which gender we want to be, is to spit in the face of Christ Who made us. We devalue Him by mocking and ruining His gift. The gift has not changed, it remains what He made it, only now it is destroyed, causing further degradation of the person who ruined it as well as the ruination of the culture in which they exist.
We know who is at the bottom of all this devaluation of Christ, that is the devil himself, working to twist the minds of unsuspecting non-believers, making them think these actions of foolishness are actually a good thing.
Some who go along with the devaluing and contempt for God, don't know what they are doing and others know fully well and revel in the evil against God.
May the Lord come Quickly!!!!
The matter of gender identification has reached a new low. Claiming that anyone, beast or man can decide which gender they want to be, demonstrates an intense hatred and contempt for God.
Not only do these wicked powers claim things that are not true, they work to force others to speak or do what they want, by intimidation, mocking and manipulation. They cannot tolerate that others may not join them in their disrespect for God, they must bring others along whether the others like it or not.
The very idea that no one else has the right to have their own thoughts and ideas is predominate in the liberal and ungodly ruling classes.
Just as strongly as they refuse to listen to rational thoughts and ideas they will work to make others irrational as they are irrational. It matters not to them if someone really believes what they have forced them to say or do, only that they say or do them.
Sadly there are many pew warmers and pretenders who will fall in line with irrational thinking merely to be accepted and happy. There is no honor is following others, but they are willing to release their honor in favor of acceptance.
When we give a gift to someone and we see that they didn't take care of that gift, even showing disrespect for it, by ruining it, in some way, we are looking at contempt and a devaluation for the giver.
To declare that we are determined to decide which gender we want to be, is to spit in the face of Christ Who made us. We devalue Him by mocking and ruining His gift. The gift has not changed, it remains what He made it, only now it is destroyed, causing further degradation of the person who ruined it as well as the ruination of the culture in which they exist.
We know who is at the bottom of all this devaluation of Christ, that is the devil himself, working to twist the minds of unsuspecting non-believers, making them think these actions of foolishness are actually a good thing.
Some who go along with the devaluing and contempt for God, don't know what they are doing and others know fully well and revel in the evil against God.
May the Lord come Quickly!!!!
Next Year in Jerusalem
For those who are looking for the Rapture as promised by God.
There are those who would say "Rapture" ready believers are "escapists."
Sadly those who would negate the fact of the rapture as being pre-trib would have us believe we should not be looking for it, but they fail to realize that Christ told us TO look for it. And yet, these same people are looking for the anit-christ. The anti-christ is not our hope why would we look for him?
Titus 2:12-13 "Titus 2:12-13
"12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 "…17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words."
When we hear that the Jews had a saying before they were given their own nation of Israel; that saying was this; "next year in Jerusalem." They believed that one day they would be given back the city that was taken from them, it was their hope that they hung onto up until the very day that Israel became a nation in 1948, when they saw the miracle of God in returning their land to them. I don't know if anyone called them "escapists" but it would have been silly to assign this to them.
Followers in Jesus Christ are not "escapists" they are merely expressing their hope as promised to them by Christ in the Dispensation of Grace, that being that He would come back for them in the clouds as He promised He would.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 "…16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.…"
There are those who would say "Rapture" ready believers are "escapists."
Sadly those who would negate the fact of the rapture as being pre-trib would have us believe we should not be looking for it, but they fail to realize that Christ told us TO look for it. And yet, these same people are looking for the anit-christ. The anti-christ is not our hope why would we look for him?
Titus 2:12-13 "Titus 2:12-13
"12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 "…17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words."
When we hear that the Jews had a saying before they were given their own nation of Israel; that saying was this; "next year in Jerusalem." They believed that one day they would be given back the city that was taken from them, it was their hope that they hung onto up until the very day that Israel became a nation in 1948, when they saw the miracle of God in returning their land to them. I don't know if anyone called them "escapists" but it would have been silly to assign this to them.
Followers in Jesus Christ are not "escapists" they are merely expressing their hope as promised to them by Christ in the Dispensation of Grace, that being that He would come back for them in the clouds as He promised He would.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 "…16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.…"
He Does the Coal Heaping!
Have you ever heard the phrase, "heap hot coals of kindness" as a demonstration of love and acceptance for an evil person?
We have been deeply indoctrinated that blessings are almost always "material." When God speaks of blessing, most often in this age of grace it is associated with spiritual matters and holiness.
Job 5:17 "17 “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;
therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty."
Ephesians 1:3 "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,"
Yes, God does bless with material possessions and safety, but blessing is not always associated with these things, often it is a correction, redirection, even a severe spanking that changes our course from sin to obedience.
I learned just recently that "heaping hot coals" is a Jewish idiom that explains the phrase much more fully, even exposing the fact that our modern culture of psychology has changed that meaning to be almost opposite of what we were taught, almost!
We were taught that "heaping hot coals of kindness" as mentioned in Proverbs 25:21-22 "…21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you."" means to act friendly, happy around them while providing something material to them.
What we as westerners didn't know is that when the priest found someone sleeping and neglecting their duties, he would take hot coals and pour it over their head to shake them awake while showing the foolishness of their folly.
Psalm 140:9-11
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
May the mischief of their lips cover them.
10 “May burning coals fall upon them;
May they be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.
11 “May a slanderer not be established in the earth;
May evil hunt the violent man speedily.
Psalm 140:9-11
9 [As for] the head of them that compass me,
the mischief of their lips shall cover them.
10 Coals of fire shall fall upon them on the earth;
and thou shalt cast them down in afflictions:
they shall not bear up [under them].
11 A talkative man shall not prosper on the earth:
evils shall hunt the unrighteous man to destruction.
Romans 12:19-20
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Our modern church psychology teaches that we heap hot coals of kindness so the sinning person involved will feel bad about their behavior and begin to like the person who blessed them and possibly God. This is not Biblical, but antithetical to good understanding of that phrase, "heap hot coals of kindness." God is the One Who brings down the coals, we do not do that with our actions. We must remain faithful to God and He in turn will do what is needed with the wicked man.
We know this by this verse: 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. "
Giving material possessions to a wicked man only solidifies the rebellion in his heart. When we bless someone with food who is hungry, we are responsible for our own heart, not for the responses of the one we bless. We should never give a gift to heap hot coals. We are to obey God, and the hot coal heaping is God's work.
When a wicked man will not repent we are responsible to tell them the truth and leave the results of for the hearing to Christ. Continually attempting to convince a wicked man through giving them good things, is in modern terms, "becoming an enabler."
When we bless with our friendship and possessions we are validating the lifestyle of the one we bless. We do not take food as an expression of "heaping coals" to one who is not hungry.
It is a curse rather than a blessing to help a wicked person feel good about themselves when their lifestyle is rebellion against God. It is not alright with God that we become a willing partner in sin with others by validating their rebellion by not speaking truth about it.
If a wicked man is comfortable with us and enjoys our company, then we can be sure we are not demonstrating our Christianity in the presence of the evil man. Evil men cannot stand to hear truth, if we speak and demonstrate truth when in the presence of the wicked man, he will hate it and remove himself or become so vile that we will have to remove ourselves.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
Proverbs 13:5-6 "5 A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. 6 Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness subverts the sinner."
Psalm 11:5-6 "5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.…"
When we do our "coal heaping", remember that it is not us doing the heaping of hot coals, but God. We obey the Holy Spirit in blessing with truth and possibly with "needed" food. I am convinced that food can not only be the kind we eat but it can also be of the Spiritual nature.
We have been deeply indoctrinated that blessings are almost always "material." When God speaks of blessing, most often in this age of grace it is associated with spiritual matters and holiness.
Job 5:17 "17 “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;
therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty."
Ephesians 1:3 "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,"
Yes, God does bless with material possessions and safety, but blessing is not always associated with these things, often it is a correction, redirection, even a severe spanking that changes our course from sin to obedience.
I learned just recently that "heaping hot coals" is a Jewish idiom that explains the phrase much more fully, even exposing the fact that our modern culture of psychology has changed that meaning to be almost opposite of what we were taught, almost!
We were taught that "heaping hot coals of kindness" as mentioned in Proverbs 25:21-22 "…21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you."" means to act friendly, happy around them while providing something material to them.
What we as westerners didn't know is that when the priest found someone sleeping and neglecting their duties, he would take hot coals and pour it over their head to shake them awake while showing the foolishness of their folly.
Psalm 140:9-11
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
May the mischief of their lips cover them.
10 “May burning coals fall upon them;
May they be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.
11 “May a slanderer not be established in the earth;
May evil hunt the violent man speedily.
Psalm 140:9-11
9 [As for] the head of them that compass me,
the mischief of their lips shall cover them.
10 Coals of fire shall fall upon them on the earth;
and thou shalt cast them down in afflictions:
they shall not bear up [under them].
11 A talkative man shall not prosper on the earth:
evils shall hunt the unrighteous man to destruction.
Romans 12:19-20
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Our modern church psychology teaches that we heap hot coals of kindness so the sinning person involved will feel bad about their behavior and begin to like the person who blessed them and possibly God. This is not Biblical, but antithetical to good understanding of that phrase, "heap hot coals of kindness." God is the One Who brings down the coals, we do not do that with our actions. We must remain faithful to God and He in turn will do what is needed with the wicked man.
We know this by this verse: 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. "
Giving material possessions to a wicked man only solidifies the rebellion in his heart. When we bless someone with food who is hungry, we are responsible for our own heart, not for the responses of the one we bless. We should never give a gift to heap hot coals. We are to obey God, and the hot coal heaping is God's work.
When a wicked man will not repent we are responsible to tell them the truth and leave the results of for the hearing to Christ. Continually attempting to convince a wicked man through giving them good things, is in modern terms, "becoming an enabler."
When we bless with our friendship and possessions we are validating the lifestyle of the one we bless. We do not take food as an expression of "heaping coals" to one who is not hungry.
It is a curse rather than a blessing to help a wicked person feel good about themselves when their lifestyle is rebellion against God. It is not alright with God that we become a willing partner in sin with others by validating their rebellion by not speaking truth about it.
If a wicked man is comfortable with us and enjoys our company, then we can be sure we are not demonstrating our Christianity in the presence of the evil man. Evil men cannot stand to hear truth, if we speak and demonstrate truth when in the presence of the wicked man, he will hate it and remove himself or become so vile that we will have to remove ourselves.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
Proverbs 13:5-6 "5 A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. 6 Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness subverts the sinner."
Psalm 11:5-6 "5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.…"
When we do our "coal heaping", remember that it is not us doing the heaping of hot coals, but God. We obey the Holy Spirit in blessing with truth and possibly with "needed" food. I am convinced that food can not only be the kind we eat but it can also be of the Spiritual nature.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Evil Within The Church Gathering
If your church gathering is encouraging Pokemon by being a place for the monsters to dwell for those who play;
If your church is showing the C.S. Lewis movie, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" as an evangelical outreach;
If your church is defending the use of books like "The Shack";
Then get out of those places, they are not walking in the Holy Spirit, they are promoting evil within their own congregations to bring in the unsaved using the worlds evil to do it, and chances are good they will not listen to correction on these matters.
These things are very big clues that leadership does not understand what it is to seek the Holy Spirit and obey Him.
Deuteronomy 12:3-5
"…3 "You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 "You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5 "But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.…"
If your church is showing the C.S. Lewis movie, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" as an evangelical outreach;
If your church is defending the use of books like "The Shack";
Then get out of those places, they are not walking in the Holy Spirit, they are promoting evil within their own congregations to bring in the unsaved using the worlds evil to do it, and chances are good they will not listen to correction on these matters.
These things are very big clues that leadership does not understand what it is to seek the Holy Spirit and obey Him.
Deuteronomy 12:3-5
"…3 "You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 "You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5 "But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.…"
It's Not About the Preacher!
Preachers would be more interested in hiding behind Christ than they are in receiving accolades from others, if they walked deeply with Christ. There are far too many preachers looking for popularity and results than there are seeking Christ to glorify Him.
As for the Pokemon Craze!
As for the churches that are using themselves and their buildings to accommodate the "Pokemon" craze, this is what God has to say about it.
Deuteronomy 12:4 "…3 "You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 "You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5 "But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.…"
Deuteronomy 12:4 "…3 "You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 "You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5 "But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.…"
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Cultural Christianity Negates Christ
Those who have difficulty building Christian relationships in a Biblical manner, very likely do not have a relationship with Christ.
Many people today are relying on an appearance of cultural Christianity as a religion when they should be focusing on Christ!
These people are satisfied with merely following a pattern of rules, but angered when called to trust Christ in a very real life experience of obedience to the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
"19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil."
Many people today are relying on an appearance of cultural Christianity as a religion when they should be focusing on Christ!
These people are satisfied with merely following a pattern of rules, but angered when called to trust Christ in a very real life experience of obedience to the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
"19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil."
Don't Look For Results Just Obey
"Rejoice in the Lord Always!"
God has been dealing with me in the area of idols in my life. Idols that walk, talk and move among us.
Agonizing over the loss of someone who refuses to obey God, is the same as placing that person above God.
Yes, pray for them, grieve occasionally, but we must refrain from keeping them continually on our mind. We have those with us that need our attention, to waste time on continual thoughts of those who have rejected God's ways, is nothing less than idolatry.
When we focus on those who walk with Him, those who need our encouragement and companionship, they will have our attention, we will praise God together while seeking Him for His work in our lives.
Never count it a waste to share when someone would not listen. Our obedience to Christ is not in the "results" but rather in the obedience itself.
Romans 6:16
"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
All results are God's business, obedience to Him is our business.
Joshua 1:8
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
No where in the Word of God do we find instructions in getting results!
Romans 5:1-21
"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. ..."
1 Corinthians 3:6-8
"6 I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."
All the stress and worry is removed when we are not responsible for the results, only for the obedience to the promptings and principles of the Holy Spirit. God knows far better than we what each person needs and where He wants us to be.
God has been dealing with me in the area of idols in my life. Idols that walk, talk and move among us.
Agonizing over the loss of someone who refuses to obey God, is the same as placing that person above God.
Yes, pray for them, grieve occasionally, but we must refrain from keeping them continually on our mind. We have those with us that need our attention, to waste time on continual thoughts of those who have rejected God's ways, is nothing less than idolatry.
When we focus on those who walk with Him, those who need our encouragement and companionship, they will have our attention, we will praise God together while seeking Him for His work in our lives.
Never count it a waste to share when someone would not listen. Our obedience to Christ is not in the "results" but rather in the obedience itself.
Romans 6:16
"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
All results are God's business, obedience to Him is our business.
Joshua 1:8
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
No where in the Word of God do we find instructions in getting results!
Romans 5:1-21
"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. ..."
1 Corinthians 3:6-8
"6 I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."
All the stress and worry is removed when we are not responsible for the results, only for the obedience to the promptings and principles of the Holy Spirit. God knows far better than we what each person needs and where He wants us to be.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Do Not Elevate People Instead Love Them
When we elevate people as though they are gods, we are reflecting an attitude of wanting to be elevated ourselves.
When we know we are not special, only Christ is, then we are free to love others even with what we might think are flaws and warts.
Love is not deserved, God died for us while we were yet sinners. He loved us when we were unlovable, should we not love others this way!
This does not mean that we allow everyone into our lives no matter how wicked they are, it simply means that we choose to love God's way, which may mean discipline or removing ourselves from someone so that God can do His work without our interference.
So often we think we need to help God, but those we want to reach will not hear us, but perhaps they will hear God, because He knows exactly what they need. We can only guess as to need, but God will do the perfect things and only He knows when the person is unreachable.
So, the moral of the story is this, love God's way, stay or leave based on what the Holy Spirit is telling us. Never do anything in the flesh based on emotion and we will be able to walk in peace and joy knowing God is going to do what is right.
When we know we are not special, only Christ is, then we are free to love others even with what we might think are flaws and warts.
Love is not deserved, God died for us while we were yet sinners. He loved us when we were unlovable, should we not love others this way!
This does not mean that we allow everyone into our lives no matter how wicked they are, it simply means that we choose to love God's way, which may mean discipline or removing ourselves from someone so that God can do His work without our interference.
So often we think we need to help God, but those we want to reach will not hear us, but perhaps they will hear God, because He knows exactly what they need. We can only guess as to need, but God will do the perfect things and only He knows when the person is unreachable.
So, the moral of the story is this, love God's way, stay or leave based on what the Holy Spirit is telling us. Never do anything in the flesh based on emotion and we will be able to walk in peace and joy knowing God is going to do what is right.
God Is Showing Us
God said that no man has an excuse. When God said; "a fool says there is no God", the true rendering of that verse is "a fool says no to God."
Atheists know there is a God, they are deliberately denying Him out of rebellion.
When you sense the rejection of your extended family and your children, you are experiencing what God must feel like when the culture as a whole has rejected Him.
Let's turn our life experiences into lessons, everything that has been done to us, our culture as a whole, and we, have done to God.
Rather than agonizing continually as we do, it is good to put things back into perspective to regain our peace and joy through prayer and study of God's Word. When we experience the trials and rejection of life, we know that God is allowing us new insight into the culture and ourselves, while showing us His heart!
Atheists know there is a God, they are deliberately denying Him out of rebellion.
When you sense the rejection of your extended family and your children, you are experiencing what God must feel like when the culture as a whole has rejected Him.
Let's turn our life experiences into lessons, everything that has been done to us, our culture as a whole, and we, have done to God.
Rather than agonizing continually as we do, it is good to put things back into perspective to regain our peace and joy through prayer and study of God's Word. When we experience the trials and rejection of life, we know that God is allowing us new insight into the culture and ourselves, while showing us His heart!
Thursday, August 18, 2016
To Abide in Christ!
"Abiding in Christ" means to stay close to Him, it does not have to do with salvation.
Our position in Christ is secure when we trust Him and become born again. But "abiding" is dependent on our relationship based on our desire to seek Him and obey what He tells us.
We do not return to what we were before He changed us into the new creation, however we can silence the Holy Spirit by our resistance to His voice.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 "…18 Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt,…"
There are many believers today who only seek God for their own will. They believe in Him and are born again, but are not willing to be trained by Him.
James 4:2-3 "…2 You crave what you do not have. You kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. "
God is speaking to His children when He gave us the instruction in these passages.
We have children, they will always be our children, but our relationships with them is dependent on their desire to engage with us. Those who show little or no interest in their parents will probably not have a close relationship and even be estranged from them.
God says that He will not hear us if we regard sin in our hearts. We are not going to hear from God if we will not listen to Him. We listen to Him through His Word and promptings from the Holy Spirit.
If we desire and expect to have an abiding relationship with Christ we must seek Him and obey what He tells us.
Revelation 2:3-5 "…3 Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name. 4But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. 5 Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.…"
Again, God is speaking to believers in Christ who are born again and whose salvation is secure.
Our position in Christ is secure when we trust Him and become born again. But "abiding" is dependent on our relationship based on our desire to seek Him and obey what He tells us.
We do not return to what we were before He changed us into the new creation, however we can silence the Holy Spirit by our resistance to His voice.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 "…18 Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt,…"
There are many believers today who only seek God for their own will. They believe in Him and are born again, but are not willing to be trained by Him.
James 4:2-3 "…2 You crave what you do not have. You kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. "
God is speaking to His children when He gave us the instruction in these passages.
We have children, they will always be our children, but our relationships with them is dependent on their desire to engage with us. Those who show little or no interest in their parents will probably not have a close relationship and even be estranged from them.
God says that He will not hear us if we regard sin in our hearts. We are not going to hear from God if we will not listen to Him. We listen to Him through His Word and promptings from the Holy Spirit.
If we desire and expect to have an abiding relationship with Christ we must seek Him and obey what He tells us.
Revelation 2:3-5 "…3 Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name. 4But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. 5 Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.…"
Again, God is speaking to believers in Christ who are born again and whose salvation is secure.
Living in Idiocratic Times!
A new term came to mind the other day when I was sitting quietly!
The new word is "idiocrity." We are living in idiotic times, times of complete irrational thinking and actions.
The new companion word is "Idiocratic" times.
The root word is "idiocy."
The human definition of "idiot" is this: "a foolish and stupid person."
We can conclude that since we are living in "idiocratic" times leads me to believe that many if not most people are idiotic in their words, actions and attitudes. Yes there are some who love the Lord Jesus Christ and do not live in the realm of foolishness, however so many have bought into ridiculously unBiblical practices and thinking that it is some times overwhelming.
Luke 21:28 "28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The new word is "idiocrity." We are living in idiotic times, times of complete irrational thinking and actions.
The new companion word is "Idiocratic" times.
The root word is "idiocy."
The human definition of "idiot" is this: "a foolish and stupid person."
We can conclude that since we are living in "idiocratic" times leads me to believe that many if not most people are idiotic in their words, actions and attitudes. Yes there are some who love the Lord Jesus Christ and do not live in the realm of foolishness, however so many have bought into ridiculously unBiblical practices and thinking that it is some times overwhelming.
Luke 21:28 "28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Following Men or Following Christ?
"Religious people" follow men!
"Born Again Believers" follow Christ!
"Born Again Believers" follow Christ!
The Drunken Sailor
When we lean into our emotions, thinking with feelings rather than rational thought, we are acting a little like a drunken sailor.
Someone who is drunk knows right from wrong, but ignores it to enjoy their momentary feelings. They may even see a pink elephant in the room where there are no animals.
The drunk choses not to see the sin involved or the consequences of their actions, because their discernment has been quenched while all inhibition to do evil is removed temporarily.
Those who say emotion is good, do not understand that emotions are "stimuli" rather than substance. They come and go most often without thought, while being amazingly inaccurate in terms of truth. Sometimes they are brought on by an imaginary thought life to keep the feelings current.
We know this is true because of our reactions to situations that aren't even real. In watching a movie last night, having seen it before in past years, called "Fiddler on the Roof", I was reminded of all the emotion that was generated by the events in the movie.
WAIT....but the movie was not real, it wasn't even based on the lives of real people, and yet I cried during some of the sensitive scenes.
Why did I cry even at a fictional account? I cried because my mind cannot tell the difference between fiction and reality when it comes to emotions. Emotions are fleshly and often not based on true or accurate information, they are based on stimulation.
Sometimes we cry when someone else is crying even if we don't know what they are crying about. Our empathy for the pain of others is based on how we see them responding rather than on the information we know about situations.
Anyone can work themselves into emotion by sitting in a chair and thinking thoughts that make them cry. Sometimes we are hurt by the comments of others because we have incorrectly interpreted their meaning, that's why we must assess things rather than roll with emotions.
I wonder how many relationships were destroyed because of inaccurate assessment of events based on emotions that ruled the day rather than rationale!
Christ never endorsed or commanded us to enjoy "feelings", just the opposite. That is not to say that if we cry something is wrong, crying can be a wonderful stress reliever for difficult times. However we cannot trust the emotions that cause the tears, we must evaluate them based on truth.
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."
Isaiah 26:3
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (God)."
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete."
Someone who is drunk knows right from wrong, but ignores it to enjoy their momentary feelings. They may even see a pink elephant in the room where there are no animals.
The drunk choses not to see the sin involved or the consequences of their actions, because their discernment has been quenched while all inhibition to do evil is removed temporarily.
Those who say emotion is good, do not understand that emotions are "stimuli" rather than substance. They come and go most often without thought, while being amazingly inaccurate in terms of truth. Sometimes they are brought on by an imaginary thought life to keep the feelings current.
We know this is true because of our reactions to situations that aren't even real. In watching a movie last night, having seen it before in past years, called "Fiddler on the Roof", I was reminded of all the emotion that was generated by the events in the movie.
WAIT....but the movie was not real, it wasn't even based on the lives of real people, and yet I cried during some of the sensitive scenes.
Why did I cry even at a fictional account? I cried because my mind cannot tell the difference between fiction and reality when it comes to emotions. Emotions are fleshly and often not based on true or accurate information, they are based on stimulation.
Sometimes we cry when someone else is crying even if we don't know what they are crying about. Our empathy for the pain of others is based on how we see them responding rather than on the information we know about situations.
Anyone can work themselves into emotion by sitting in a chair and thinking thoughts that make them cry. Sometimes we are hurt by the comments of others because we have incorrectly interpreted their meaning, that's why we must assess things rather than roll with emotions.
I wonder how many relationships were destroyed because of inaccurate assessment of events based on emotions that ruled the day rather than rationale!
Christ never endorsed or commanded us to enjoy "feelings", just the opposite. That is not to say that if we cry something is wrong, crying can be a wonderful stress reliever for difficult times. However we cannot trust the emotions that cause the tears, we must evaluate them based on truth.
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."
Isaiah 26:3
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (God)."
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete."
They Just Think So
I enjoyed a line out of the "Fiddler on the Roof" movie last night.
That line went something like this; " If you are rich, you don't have to know, if you are rich they think you really know."
We could almost suggest changing the wording a little to describe another problem in our culture.
"If you are a Bible school graduate you don't actually have to have truth, they will think you know truth."
That line went something like this; " If you are rich, you don't have to know, if you are rich they think you really know."
We could almost suggest changing the wording a little to describe another problem in our culture.
"If you are a Bible school graduate you don't actually have to have truth, they will think you know truth."
Flattery Diminishes Discernment
Proverbs 26:24-28 "Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin."
When we focus on the "feelings" we have because someone praised us or elevates us, it disarms our senses to be unable to see things objectively.
We have a tendency to see only the good about someone who uses flattery to control us. The favored person in a relationship will not be able to see the plight of others who are demeaning and mocking others, because he is so full of the praise that was served him, he refuses to see how the manipulator is treating others.
The praised one will interpret anything he sees the manipulator doing as justification in some way for their contemptuous responses. He/she will believe that the unkind act of the narcissist must have somehow been misunderstood or provoked by the targeted scapegoat.
We need to look at everything in truth, ignoring our feelings, good or bad to be able to think clearly, objectively and concisely.
We must never allow ourselves to be the "golden" favored one or we should never allow ourselves to be the disfavored scapegoat. Either condition is a mess waiting to happen in our relationships.
Prosperity preachers and motivational speakers have the ability to manipulate very effectively, crowds that love to "feel good", can be made to do almost anything the speaker wants. They know that almost anyone can be manipulated into almost anything when they have been disarmed by flattery or positive stimuli.
Animals are like this too! Even though we are suppose to be above animals, often we can be induced to do what others want because they give us something we like, that is praise, adulation and encouragement to do what will make us wealthy, healthy or special in some way.
All we have to do to train an animal is praise them constantly and give them the treat they like. All it takes is consistent praise and reward for the animal to love to follow our commands.
God tells us to "think with the mind of Christ", when we allow others to manipulate our minds, we are no longer thinking with His mind, in fact we are not even thinking with our own minds, but rather we are being controlled by the minds of others. These "other minds" have ulterior motives, that is to gain something from us. They can get us to give more money to their organization or give them the worship they desire.
Beware of those who flatter and beware of those who manipulate to make us feel "less than." Both conditions will ruin our walk with Christ while empowering those who control through manipulation.
When we are secure in Christ, we can make our choices based on good information form seasoned believers, the Bible and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah we are free as born again believers, free from all those who do not have our best interest in their hearts.
When we focus on the "feelings" we have because someone praised us or elevates us, it disarms our senses to be unable to see things objectively.
We have a tendency to see only the good about someone who uses flattery to control us. The favored person in a relationship will not be able to see the plight of others who are demeaning and mocking others, because he is so full of the praise that was served him, he refuses to see how the manipulator is treating others.
The praised one will interpret anything he sees the manipulator doing as justification in some way for their contemptuous responses. He/she will believe that the unkind act of the narcissist must have somehow been misunderstood or provoked by the targeted scapegoat.
We need to look at everything in truth, ignoring our feelings, good or bad to be able to think clearly, objectively and concisely.
We must never allow ourselves to be the "golden" favored one or we should never allow ourselves to be the disfavored scapegoat. Either condition is a mess waiting to happen in our relationships.
Prosperity preachers and motivational speakers have the ability to manipulate very effectively, crowds that love to "feel good", can be made to do almost anything the speaker wants. They know that almost anyone can be manipulated into almost anything when they have been disarmed by flattery or positive stimuli.
Animals are like this too! Even though we are suppose to be above animals, often we can be induced to do what others want because they give us something we like, that is praise, adulation and encouragement to do what will make us wealthy, healthy or special in some way.
All we have to do to train an animal is praise them constantly and give them the treat they like. All it takes is consistent praise and reward for the animal to love to follow our commands.
God tells us to "think with the mind of Christ", when we allow others to manipulate our minds, we are no longer thinking with His mind, in fact we are not even thinking with our own minds, but rather we are being controlled by the minds of others. These "other minds" have ulterior motives, that is to gain something from us. They can get us to give more money to their organization or give them the worship they desire.
Beware of those who flatter and beware of those who manipulate to make us feel "less than." Both conditions will ruin our walk with Christ while empowering those who control through manipulation.
When we are secure in Christ, we can make our choices based on good information form seasoned believers, the Bible and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah we are free as born again believers, free from all those who do not have our best interest in their hearts.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Religious Fervor or Christ Fervor?
Religious fervor is not Christ fervor!
Religion leads to pride and unbiblical rules and commands that Christ never gave.
Faithfulness to Christ leads to obedience, not from obligation but from the insatiable desire to love Him, His way!!!!
Matthew 22:36-38 "…36 “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.…"
And yes......"Evangelicalism" as a religion in which the Bible is largely ignored while man's rules reign supreme.
One can be evangelical according to the Bible and still not be entrenched in "Evangelicalism."
I was once asked if a Catholic can be saved, I answered with a question; "Can a Protestant be saved?"
In short, there are just as many unBiblical beliefs and rituals in the Protestant church as in the Catholic church, they are just a different set of unBiblical mandates.
The freest day of my life was the day I realized I don't have to obey what others think or join any particular system, but rather I was free in Christ to seek Him and obey Him, without all the prejudices and human traditions that keep so many people in bondage.
Hallelujah I am free indeed, to follow Christ!
Religion leads to pride and unbiblical rules and commands that Christ never gave.
Faithfulness to Christ leads to obedience, not from obligation but from the insatiable desire to love Him, His way!!!!
Matthew 22:36-38 "…36 “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.…"
And yes......"Evangelicalism" as a religion in which the Bible is largely ignored while man's rules reign supreme.
One can be evangelical according to the Bible and still not be entrenched in "Evangelicalism."
I was once asked if a Catholic can be saved, I answered with a question; "Can a Protestant be saved?"
In short, there are just as many unBiblical beliefs and rituals in the Protestant church as in the Catholic church, they are just a different set of unBiblical mandates.
The freest day of my life was the day I realized I don't have to obey what others think or join any particular system, but rather I was free in Christ to seek Him and obey Him, without all the prejudices and human traditions that keep so many people in bondage.
Hallelujah I am free indeed, to follow Christ!
Freedom In Christ
Religious fervor is not Christ fervor!
Religion leads to pride and unbiblical rules and commands that Christ never gave.
Faithfulness to Christ leads to obedience, not from obligation but from the insatiable desire to love Him, His way!!!!
Matthew 22:36-38 "…36 “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.…"
And yes......"Evangelicalism" as a religion in which the Bible is largely ignored while man's rules reign supreme.
One can be evangelical according to the Bible and still not be entrenched in "Evangelicalism."
I was once asked if a Catholic can be saved, I answered with a question; "Can a Protestant be saved?"
In short, there are just as many unBiblical beliefs and rituals in the Protestant church as in the Catholic church, they are just a different set of unBiblical mandates.
The freest day of my life was the day I realized I don't have to obey what others think or join any particular system, but rather I was free in Christ to seek Him and obey Him, without all the prejudices and human traditions that keep so many people in bondage.
Hallelujah I am free indeed, to follow Christ!
Religion leads to pride and unbiblical rules and commands that Christ never gave.
Faithfulness to Christ leads to obedience, not from obligation but from the insatiable desire to love Him, His way!!!!
Matthew 22:36-38 "…36 “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.…"
And yes......"Evangelicalism" as a religion in which the Bible is largely ignored while man's rules reign supreme.
One can be evangelical according to the Bible and still not be entrenched in "Evangelicalism."
I was once asked if a Catholic can be saved, I answered with a question; "Can a Protestant be saved?"
In short, there are just as many unBiblical beliefs and rituals in the Protestant church as in the Catholic church, they are just a different set of unBiblical mandates.
The freest day of my life was the day I realized I don't have to obey what others think or join any particular system, but rather I was free in Christ to seek Him and obey Him, without all the prejudices and human traditions that keep so many people in bondage.
Hallelujah I am free indeed, to follow Christ!
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