Leave Them the Best You Have

The best legacy any believer can leave behind when they go home to the Lord, is the scriptures and their thoughts about them. All that stuff that we like to inherit will be of no real use to anyone for eternity.

If the only thing you have to leave the next generation is your Bible and your thoughts about Christ, then you have left them everything they will ever need.

Fruit of the Spirit in the Soul

The fruit of the Spirit are not works, but rather character qualities.

Matthew 7:16 "16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.…"

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

God says that we shall know them by these fruits, which means that we will be able to discern spiritually, not with physical eyes but with spiritual eyes as well as fleshly responses to life. We do not judge the gift based on actions alone, but also our spirit will sense the Holy Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, in their very nature.

We Act the Way We Think

I have heard it said that "behavior is the mirror that reflects back to us our inner self."

Next time we confront someone about their behavior and others tell us we cannot know a person's heart, we can explain that we do not act in any way that is not reflective of our heart condition.

Luke 6:45 "45 The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."

An Object Does Nothing, Christ Does Everything

How many of you turn to an object before you turn to Christ in prayer? If you do then you have an idol that you attribute more power to than you do to Christ Who created you.

Can that object do something Christ can't? How silly is that!!!!

Why the World Doesn't See Jesus

Our culture is not interested in God changing their inner man, it is only interested in appearing good to others. Most of Christendom today is superficial most of the time.

Perhaps many are not born again who darken the doors of the organized church today....just sayin!

Throw Away the Amulets

Some people don't understand why I have rejected all artifacts and amulets after leaving the Catholic church. They are further perplexed that I would consider a cross an idol or amulet.

I judge no one else's spirituality based on a necklace or earrings that are crosses. However, I cannot wear them myself because there is clear direction in Scripture that we are not to place our trust in anything that we can see with our eyes.

We walk by faith, I have seen up close and personal what happens when people use amulets or artifacts. They tend to feel more secure or trust those things to help the think or do things a certain way. They attribute powers to those things in very subtle ways.

I have written several times about the conversation I had many years ago with a young man who was wearing a "WWJD" bracelet. For anyone who does not remember this craze the initials mean: "What Would Jesus Do."

I asked a young man why he wore that bracelet, he mentioned several things that he thought were helpful. He said that it reminded him what Jesus would do so he would obey Christ. Then he said that it helped him witness to others, it created a chance for conversation with others while also making them curious about the reason he wore it.

After he was finished describing what this bracelet did for him, I told him that everything he attributed to that inanimate object are the things the Holy Spirit should be doing for us instead of that chunk of rope. So now he was placing his trust in a piece of jewelry instead of Christ Who lives in Him.

When we use any object as a means to sense the presence of God, we have place our trust in it rather than Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:7 "7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"

There are many people who must have something to see to be able to feel close to God, this is idolatry. It is no longer faith when we have to see to believe.

I sense deeply the presence of the Holy Spirit every day without any objects to help me. When we know His Word, obey what we know and pray without ceasing, we will need no objects to help us.

Psalm 121:2 " 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.…"

Want to demonstrate real faith? Get rid of all the objects that give you a sense of safety and help, then you will begin to trust Christ alone.

Confess to be Cleansed

There is a modern mantra that is entirely unbiblical, that was spawned from psychology a generation ago. That belief that we are all basically good, therefore all our reactions are not based in our character but are nothing more than stimuli induced. In other words, how we are treated produces automatic responses in us. There is no right or wrong, only responses coming from the way in which we were programmed.

Along with this unbiblical teaching akin to the Pavlov dog experiment, that dogs only do what they have been programmed to do, is the thinking that man will automatically respond to positive stimuli through positive inducements. This thinking is also coming out of evolution. That we are nothing more than animals with instincts. If a person responds badly to an interaction, then the person they interacted with must have done something to cause it.

These two psychological beliefs have destroyed our culture. They have denied the truth of God’s Word that says that our responses are based on our inner heart not merely responses due to stimuli. It also denies that we are wicked and fallen human beings who cannot act or think properly without Christ.

Luke 6:45 “45The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

Jeremiah 17:9 “9"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?"

When we encounter those who act wickedly, it is natural and right to want to address their evil and correct it, so that they will learn and stop the bad behavior. Even the unsaved understand the need to confront, teach and train for people to understand proper behavior to get along in society.

Psychology has taught that if we just love them enough they will begin to see their evil and change their behavior. God does not say this, it is the “response to stimuli”, positive or negative that teaches this nonsense.

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”

An individual does not change because someone is nice to them, we tend to change when we see that we will be rejected or set aside because of bad behavior. Without consequences people generally, not only keep on doing their evil, they increase it and are empowered to intensify the behavior.

Titus 1:11 “10 For many are rebellious and full of empty talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision,11 who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.”

Notice verse 11, in which God says “they must be stopped”, this is clear that when given full reign without consequences evil men get worse.

2 Timothy 3:13 “13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

God teaches discipline and consequences to redirect a human heart. God disciplines His children and directs us to discipline ours. He also commands those in the church to discipline the brethren when they are disobedient. Going so far as to put someone out of the fellowship when they will not adhere to correction and discipline.

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

1 Corinthians 5:13 “13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Proverbs 13:24 “He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”

We do no one any favors when we will not rebuke, admonish and correct those in sin or rebellion. We defy the Word of God when we refuse to correct out of fear of what others might think of us.

Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.”

Because our culture will not obey God, we have learned to coddle and protect the wicked man while pressuring the victim to forgive when the wicked are not repentant.

What happens when we do not call to account the wicked, it is clear from Scripture that the wicked remains self-exalted and empowered even more by the loving response to his evil behavior while the victim is beaten up to forgive someone who refuses to repent as they continue their monstrous behavior.

Rewarding bad behavior spawns more bad behavior, it is easy to see in our culture that sin has increased exponentially over the past 40 years. We have managed to remove all barriers and consequences of sin allowing it to run rampant without restraint.

Galatians 5:9 “ 9A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. “
Treating the evil man with kindness when they are hurting others is tantamount to approving of his crime. It leaves the wicked man more empowered and the victim without support or acknowledgment of their pain and suffering.

Sin is not to be forgiven when there is no repentance, there are no Bible verses that say we are to forgive to avoid becoming bitter. It does not automatically follow that we become bitter when an evil man is not forgiven. We are to view sin as God views it, so seriously that all sin must be dealt with and no fellowship can continue without confession of sin to be cleansed and then the forgiveness that follows to reconcile a relationship.

When confession and forgiveness occur, then the relationship can be restored, but when one of these elements is absent, there can be no reconciliation. There must be confession first and then forgiveness extended for any relationship to be reconciled.

God does not tell us to be reconciled to Him without confession of our sin. He has given us the same model for human relationships too.
2 Corinthians 5:20 “20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.”

John 1:8-10 “…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…”

Those who refuse to confess and ask for cleansing, will not be forgiven or cleansed.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 “…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: 19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

John 5:16 “16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.”

We are commanded by God to confess our sin, which means we have to admit to it first, before God will do a work of cleansing in us. Those who refuse to confess while continuing to operate in pride, are not repentant and will not see the blessing of cleansing.

Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

It’s not really hard, all it requires is brokenness over our sin and a heart that wants to be cleansed. Sadly the modern church has removed the consequences of sin through the idea that we forgive when someone is not repentant. They have coddled, babied and enabled more sin in the lives of prideful and unrepentant sinners, for no other reason except to be loved by the evil man. Those who practice forgiveness without confession or consequences are in disobedience and partakers in the sin of those who will not repent.

James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

Acts 17:30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,”

Worldly love is not love at all. Helping to comfort someone in their sin, pretending it does not exist to be able to continue in friendly happy times, is not love, rather it is mean spirited. If we love God’s way we are deeply concerned for the state of one who is evil, our heart desires what God desires and that is for them to confess to be cleansed.

When we use the excuse to “just love them” by not confronting them, we are lying, the real concern is that someone might not like us because we corrected, rebuked or instructed, it is selfish to remain silent while someone is heading down the path to destruction.

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

When someone is in sin, they are under the control of the devil, their lives now and eternity later are in serious danger. Do we love them enough to tell them the truth, are we receptive when someone attempts to correct us? One cannot grow without self-reflection and prayer for God to work in us and on our behalf.