The evidence of the born again experience will be in the spiritual growth of character, not the good deeds, those will be there too but the character will drive the deeds. It is the character qualities of Christ that others will see in us.
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."
There will be those who admire the difference and see the progress, but there will also be those who hate the new you, they will be jealous that you are making progress and will attempt to deny and thwart what God is doing.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Are You Ready for Christ's Return?
The only way to be ready for the rapture is to be born again. It is not our works that determine our salvation or whether we go up in the rapture.
If Christ lives in you, then you are ready for the rapture, which is going to be very soon.
The prophesy as spoken of in the Bible is ramping up, culminating in every way, be sure you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior so that you can experience the blessing of His protection and love.
How to be born again:
John 3:18-20 "18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”"
When we trust Christ, that He paid the penalty for our sin, then He will come into you, begin the cleansing process, guiding you, instructing and correcting you to help you grow in holiness.
He will be the One to work in us in every way possible and necessary.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
If Christ lives in you, then you are ready for the rapture, which is going to be very soon.
The prophesy as spoken of in the Bible is ramping up, culminating in every way, be sure you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior so that you can experience the blessing of His protection and love.
How to be born again:
John 3:18-20 "18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”"
When we trust Christ, that He paid the penalty for our sin, then He will come into you, begin the cleansing process, guiding you, instructing and correcting you to help you grow in holiness.
He will be the One to work in us in every way possible and necessary.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
The Gleaning Time is Almost Over
We are in the gleaning times now, very few will hear and respond to the gospel, so many are hearing a false gospel of salvation without confession of sinfulness. This is the reason we have so many fights among Christians, the born again believers tell the truth and the pretenders fight against it.
The born again believers know their own need for Christ and inability to be good without Him. They have authentic humility based on Who Christ is.
The pretender believes they are so wonderful, without flaws that God wants them because of their goodness. They admit nothing, love themselves and judge others harshly.
Here is what God says about each kind of person;
Luke 18:9-14 "9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”"
The born again believers know their own need for Christ and inability to be good without Him. They have authentic humility based on Who Christ is.
The pretender believes they are so wonderful, without flaws that God wants them because of their goodness. They admit nothing, love themselves and judge others harshly.
Here is what God says about each kind of person;
Luke 18:9-14 "9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”"
The Atheist Hates God
I heard a preacher say this on the Jan Markel show this morining;
"The atheist says 'there is no God and I hate Him.'"
Atheists are lying to themselves, they know there is a god, but they refuse to dignify Him by acknowledging Him. They want to frustrate Him by mocking, demeaning and dismissing Him through claims that He is nothing, that he is unworthy of honor and respect.
Romans 1:28-32 "28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."
This is also the tactic of the narcissist toward their target, they know what they are doing and their resolve is clear, to make sure their target knows they prefer to ignore and diminish the person-hood of the one they hate. A narcissist loves to invite you to the party so you can see them ignoring you. They are angry when you don't show up, when their trick no longer works. To remove ourselves from narcissists is to thwart their plan of continual emotional abuse.
The devil is not satisfied with getting people to mock and reject God, he wants them to completely ignore Him.
Atheists and narcissists are one and the same, they hate those they cannot control, while preferring those they can control. As soon as the one they control begins to think for themselves, that one also becomes a target. These people cannot control God, they cannot make Him go away, so they pretend they don't see Him.
Satan hates for people to use rational and wise decisions based on God's Word. The more he can mock and diminish the importance of God's Word the better he likes it. His plan is working in these last days of apostasy, many are treating the Bible as an optional guide book. They think they can take any verse, interpret it the way they want to and their good to go.
2 Peter 1:20-21 "20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever brought about through human initiative, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.…"
Why is it important to know the tactics of the devil? The reason is easy, when we know our enemy we don't have to be intimidated, we can avoid them or learn to ignore their tactics remaining calm and steady in the face of these attacks while clearly speaking truth.
Interesting isn't it, those who don't know Christ, and do not acknowledge Him, are the first to run to someone who does know Him when life becomes unbearable. These deniers want God's people available to them in case they have a special "in" with God, in frightening times where their own "self will" cannot protect them. They become angry at the suggestion that they need Him when nothing difficult is happening.
It has always been a wonder to me, the way in which rebellious people hate and despise their targets, until they need something from them. Many people in our culture today act this way toward God.
They don't understand that the only way to have God's help is to trust Christ and develop a relationship with Him. Those who have no relationship with God will not have His help in time of need.
Proverbs 1:25-26 "…25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
Would we know what to say to people in a disaster, when people are devastated and feel a sense that there is no one left to turn to for help?
I am convinced that a time is coming, perhaps soon, when we will have to be ready with answers for those who have survived a major disaster. Our answers will not necessarily include how to survive the devastation, but rather answers to comfort those who know they will not survive. They will want to know where they will be going when the time comes to face God, and deep in their soul they know they WILL face Him.
Those who have been made righteous because of Christ Who lives in them, have no fear, they know where their strength comes from and are ready for whatever they must endure and above all, they know where they are going when they die. Dying for the believer is the greatest blessing we can enjoy.
Philippians 1:20-21 "20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness, so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. "
Psalm 34:15
"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry."
Psalm 102:2
"Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly."
2 Chronicles 16:9
"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
Proverbs 15:3
"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good."
"The atheist says 'there is no God and I hate Him.'"
Atheists are lying to themselves, they know there is a god, but they refuse to dignify Him by acknowledging Him. They want to frustrate Him by mocking, demeaning and dismissing Him through claims that He is nothing, that he is unworthy of honor and respect.
Romans 1:28-32 "28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."
This is also the tactic of the narcissist toward their target, they know what they are doing and their resolve is clear, to make sure their target knows they prefer to ignore and diminish the person-hood of the one they hate. A narcissist loves to invite you to the party so you can see them ignoring you. They are angry when you don't show up, when their trick no longer works. To remove ourselves from narcissists is to thwart their plan of continual emotional abuse.
The devil is not satisfied with getting people to mock and reject God, he wants them to completely ignore Him.
Atheists and narcissists are one and the same, they hate those they cannot control, while preferring those they can control. As soon as the one they control begins to think for themselves, that one also becomes a target. These people cannot control God, they cannot make Him go away, so they pretend they don't see Him.
Satan hates for people to use rational and wise decisions based on God's Word. The more he can mock and diminish the importance of God's Word the better he likes it. His plan is working in these last days of apostasy, many are treating the Bible as an optional guide book. They think they can take any verse, interpret it the way they want to and their good to go.
2 Peter 1:20-21 "20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever brought about through human initiative, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.…"
Why is it important to know the tactics of the devil? The reason is easy, when we know our enemy we don't have to be intimidated, we can avoid them or learn to ignore their tactics remaining calm and steady in the face of these attacks while clearly speaking truth.
Interesting isn't it, those who don't know Christ, and do not acknowledge Him, are the first to run to someone who does know Him when life becomes unbearable. These deniers want God's people available to them in case they have a special "in" with God, in frightening times where their own "self will" cannot protect them. They become angry at the suggestion that they need Him when nothing difficult is happening.
It has always been a wonder to me, the way in which rebellious people hate and despise their targets, until they need something from them. Many people in our culture today act this way toward God.
They don't understand that the only way to have God's help is to trust Christ and develop a relationship with Him. Those who have no relationship with God will not have His help in time of need.
Proverbs 1:25-26 "…25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
Would we know what to say to people in a disaster, when people are devastated and feel a sense that there is no one left to turn to for help?
I am convinced that a time is coming, perhaps soon, when we will have to be ready with answers for those who have survived a major disaster. Our answers will not necessarily include how to survive the devastation, but rather answers to comfort those who know they will not survive. They will want to know where they will be going when the time comes to face God, and deep in their soul they know they WILL face Him.
Those who have been made righteous because of Christ Who lives in them, have no fear, they know where their strength comes from and are ready for whatever they must endure and above all, they know where they are going when they die. Dying for the believer is the greatest blessing we can enjoy.
Philippians 1:20-21 "20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness, so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. "
Psalm 34:15
"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry."
Psalm 102:2
"Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly."
2 Chronicles 16:9
"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
Proverbs 15:3
"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good."
Trusting Christ Through It All
Admit your feelings honesty, then go to the Word of God to find out if your feelings match with the truths of the Bible. Often we interpret things in terms of our own failings or fears rather than what is really happening.
Many people see the actions of others the way they are feeling inside or scanty evidence based on their biases rather than what is really going on.
If a person chooses to dislike you, for whatever reason, they will work at viewing all that you do in negative ways. Any language you use, any action you take will be seen in terms that delight the evil one. An example of this are the accusations against Christ, when He healed those who had faith, He was accused of doing it by the power of the devil. Even His most loving and kind acts were deliberately diminished and mocked in the eyes of those who wanted to hate Him.
God gives us everything we need to discern the accuracy of all that we encounter. He also gives us all the proper responses to every situation.
When we don't know how to respond, rather than reacting, we must take a pause and make no response until the Holy Spirit gives us the answer. Often, if we are walking with Christ, we will respond properly without thinking, it will be the Holy Spirit in us that gives us what we need when we need it.
John 16:13 "However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come."
Matthew 10:19-20 "…19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. 20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."
The key to our responses to provocation, is in trusting the Holy Spirit while at the same time deeply knowing His mind through the study of His Word.
Psalm 119:10-11 "…10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.…"
We don't have to sin in our responses to abuse against us, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us to keep us from sinning against those who are hell bent on causing us to fall.
The world wants the believer to fall, it validates in it's own mind, the need for them to discredit our testimony. I have witnessed many times over the years, wicked people who deliberately taunted, mocked and covertly demean, simply to cause an ungodly reaction in the believer.
We cannot allow the unholy world to goad us into acting in ways that discredit Christ. We can become strong, un-reactive and steadfast to stand against these wiles of the devil.
I say "wiles of the devil" because he is the source of the tactics of the world.
1 Peter 5:7-9 "…7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.…"
If your reputation has been maligned, if you have been under attack while doing what you know to be right according to God's Word, do not fret, see it as a challenge to become more Christlike in the face of adversity.
When we no longer have a need to be accepted by man, we lose the desire to make them understand. We more easily walk away without guilt when someone demonstrates lack of respect, using covert tactics to cause a reaction. We can be free of these people, moving on to more healthy and kind godly relationships that we can grow up with, those who love what and Who we love.
When two people walk together loving Christ, there will be pleasure in honest communication, manipulation and intimidation will be absent from all our encounters.
When there is manipulation and intimidation to control others there is no love.
Here is what love looks like according to God:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for the wicked person, bent on destroying us, is to give the truth once and then walk away praying that God will work in them. It is not love to remain in their lives allowing them to continue their evil without any consequences.
God can do a better job than we, when it comes to handling difficult and stubborn people.
Many people see the actions of others the way they are feeling inside or scanty evidence based on their biases rather than what is really going on.
If a person chooses to dislike you, for whatever reason, they will work at viewing all that you do in negative ways. Any language you use, any action you take will be seen in terms that delight the evil one. An example of this are the accusations against Christ, when He healed those who had faith, He was accused of doing it by the power of the devil. Even His most loving and kind acts were deliberately diminished and mocked in the eyes of those who wanted to hate Him.
God gives us everything we need to discern the accuracy of all that we encounter. He also gives us all the proper responses to every situation.
When we don't know how to respond, rather than reacting, we must take a pause and make no response until the Holy Spirit gives us the answer. Often, if we are walking with Christ, we will respond properly without thinking, it will be the Holy Spirit in us that gives us what we need when we need it.
John 16:13 "However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come."
Matthew 10:19-20 "…19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. 20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."
The key to our responses to provocation, is in trusting the Holy Spirit while at the same time deeply knowing His mind through the study of His Word.
Psalm 119:10-11 "…10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.…"
We don't have to sin in our responses to abuse against us, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us to keep us from sinning against those who are hell bent on causing us to fall.
The world wants the believer to fall, it validates in it's own mind, the need for them to discredit our testimony. I have witnessed many times over the years, wicked people who deliberately taunted, mocked and covertly demean, simply to cause an ungodly reaction in the believer.
We cannot allow the unholy world to goad us into acting in ways that discredit Christ. We can become strong, un-reactive and steadfast to stand against these wiles of the devil.
I say "wiles of the devil" because he is the source of the tactics of the world.
1 Peter 5:7-9 "…7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.…"
If your reputation has been maligned, if you have been under attack while doing what you know to be right according to God's Word, do not fret, see it as a challenge to become more Christlike in the face of adversity.
When we no longer have a need to be accepted by man, we lose the desire to make them understand. We more easily walk away without guilt when someone demonstrates lack of respect, using covert tactics to cause a reaction. We can be free of these people, moving on to more healthy and kind godly relationships that we can grow up with, those who love what and Who we love.
When two people walk together loving Christ, there will be pleasure in honest communication, manipulation and intimidation will be absent from all our encounters.
When there is manipulation and intimidation to control others there is no love.
Here is what love looks like according to God:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for the wicked person, bent on destroying us, is to give the truth once and then walk away praying that God will work in them. It is not love to remain in their lives allowing them to continue their evil without any consequences.
God can do a better job than we, when it comes to handling difficult and stubborn people.
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