Irrational paranoia leads to very bad decisions. When people are fearful of the environment they create statutes and laws that make life more difficult but have no real effect in improving things for anyone.
Friday Whine Day!
I have a top loading "water saver" clothes washer. The clothes don't get wet enough to do a good job, there is barely six inches of water in the bottom to clean an entire load of clothing.
Who ever has designed these machines have never washed clothes. Rant, rant, rant!!!!!
Stay at home women who do laundry nearly every day should be instructing the makers of these machines.
I guess I should be thankful that I don't have to go to the river and pound my clothes on rocks, but like most Americans who pay money to have a machine in their house we expect to have one that actually washes the clothes.
Even my mothers ringer washer was more efficient and did a better job of cleaning the clothes than these new water saver machines.
I learned a trick today on line, that is before starting the machine get a bucket and slowly wet all the clothes so they are heavier. Then the washer will fill with more water thinking there are more clothes. Sad when we have to trick a machine into giving us water.
You can thank our liberal government for all these extra unnecessary rules that not only inconvenience us and do not get the clothes clean but cost us money for something that does not do the job well. Paranoia about the use of water in a nation where water is plentiful has created problems that need not be.
Also, when the machine uses less water, that ridiculous six inches in the bottom when there is a full load, we have to learn to wash fewer clothes to get them clean. So then, in washing fewer clothes at a time we will have to do more loads which will mean more water. So.....Why not have one load with enough water to be able to wash one load as apposed to five loads.
This is what I mean by irrational thinking. The simple minded person thinks less water saves us water, but in fact may use more water by having to wash five loads as apposed to one.
I don't know about you but I prefer to see my clothes floating in ample water rather than sitting in the bottom half dry because the bottom towels soaked up all the six inches of water while the top towels remained dry.
UGH!!!!!!!! May the Lord help me with my attitude today.
The rant is over, suddenly I feel better. LOL
Friday, May 31, 2019
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Joining a Church Does Not Save Anyone
One cannot just "join a church" and think they are a Christian. Born again status is a work of the Holy Spirit. Christ changes us into a new creation we cannot do that to ourselves. He sanctifies us, we cannot do that to ourselves. He keeps us until He comes for us, we cannot do that ourselves. Our response to the gospel is to trust Christ and then He does all the work in us.
If anyone is attempting to make themselves clean apart from the work of the Holy Spirit they are engaged in self worship. The pride that comes from thinking they are doing everything right will destroy their ability to see themselves in truth, that truth being that we are incapable of being good apart from the work of Christ.
Those who believe they have done a good job of following all the rules are involved in a work based religion not followers of Christ.
Those who are works based often place unbiblical rules on others just like the Pharisees did. They make rash and harsh judgments, even guess as to our spirituality or our actions. They treat with contempt those who do not think they way they do or do the same things they do. They require allegiance to them, their ways and their words without deference to others to learn if their ways are actually biblically based.
It is alright to have a standard that is not in the Bible, as long as one knows that it is their standard for God not His command to others.
Romans 14:1-12 "14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess[b] to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."
A mother was once chastised by her adult "Christian" children because she stated boldly that her children and her husband were going to watch a movie that had filthy language as well as the Lord's name in vain in it.
She was instructed by these children that she was unsubmissive by not obeying her husband in watching this movie with all of them. This was an abuse of the scripture that says a woman should obey her husband. The husband and the children should have honored the mother by deferring to her counsel.
We are never to obey our husband when he asks us to do something that violates our own conscience before God. Any husband who will not honor his wife is violating her conscience and violating God's law to honor, protect and love with understanding his wife.
A husband who will side with the children in their contempt for the mother for following her own conscience is not obeying God, in fact he is working against her relationship with her God. As well as her relationship with her children. The father should have honored the wife, chosen not to look at the movie and instructed the children that Mother was right.
If anyone is attempting to make themselves clean apart from the work of the Holy Spirit they are engaged in self worship. The pride that comes from thinking they are doing everything right will destroy their ability to see themselves in truth, that truth being that we are incapable of being good apart from the work of Christ.
Those who believe they have done a good job of following all the rules are involved in a work based religion not followers of Christ.
Those who are works based often place unbiblical rules on others just like the Pharisees did. They make rash and harsh judgments, even guess as to our spirituality or our actions. They treat with contempt those who do not think they way they do or do the same things they do. They require allegiance to them, their ways and their words without deference to others to learn if their ways are actually biblically based.
It is alright to have a standard that is not in the Bible, as long as one knows that it is their standard for God not His command to others.
Romans 14:1-12 "14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess[b] to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."
A mother was once chastised by her adult "Christian" children because she stated boldly that her children and her husband were going to watch a movie that had filthy language as well as the Lord's name in vain in it.
She was instructed by these children that she was unsubmissive by not obeying her husband in watching this movie with all of them. This was an abuse of the scripture that says a woman should obey her husband. The husband and the children should have honored the mother by deferring to her counsel.
We are never to obey our husband when he asks us to do something that violates our own conscience before God. Any husband who will not honor his wife is violating her conscience and violating God's law to honor, protect and love with understanding his wife.
A husband who will side with the children in their contempt for the mother for following her own conscience is not obeying God, in fact he is working against her relationship with her God. As well as her relationship with her children. The father should have honored the wife, chosen not to look at the movie and instructed the children that Mother was right.
In another case a wife was instructed by a "Christian" to watch the pornography with her unsaved husband because she needed to obey her husband even if he asked her to do evil. This was a lie from the devil. We are never to disobey God to honor someone above Him. Husbands are not gods, they are human beings with flaws like all of us, we are never to worship our husbands as gods.
Exodus 20:3-5 "3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
My response to this wicked "Christian" was to rebuke him strongly that he placed a terrible burden on this new believing woman that could defile her soul.
God said that woman can win an unsaved husband by their obedience to Christ. When the husband sees their dedication to the Lord, even willing to be hated to follow Christ, the husband might think about his own sinful heart and choose to trust Christ.
When you meet "Christians" who pervert the message of the Bible to dominate others we have seen people we need to avoid. These are people who are listening to the devil's whispers rather than seeking God for truth.
When we love God more than any other human being we will not disobey God to obey the human being.
Acts 5:29
"29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
Shame on those Christians who have used and twisted the Bible to be able to guilt others into entering into sin with them. Shame shame!!!!
Exodus 20:3-5 "3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
My response to this wicked "Christian" was to rebuke him strongly that he placed a terrible burden on this new believing woman that could defile her soul.
God said that woman can win an unsaved husband by their obedience to Christ. When the husband sees their dedication to the Lord, even willing to be hated to follow Christ, the husband might think about his own sinful heart and choose to trust Christ.
When you meet "Christians" who pervert the message of the Bible to dominate others we have seen people we need to avoid. These are people who are listening to the devil's whispers rather than seeking God for truth.
When we love God more than any other human being we will not disobey God to obey the human being.
Acts 5:29
"29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
Shame on those Christians who have used and twisted the Bible to be able to guilt others into entering into sin with them. Shame shame!!!!
If You are Looking for Peace You Might Miss Christ
Matthew 10:33-35 "33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn ‘A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
A Persons Character and His Eternal Destiny is all that Matters!
Several times over the years Christians have told me how "nice" a person was, boasting about how much they liked this person.
Even worse some Christians would tell me how "classy" a person was when I asked "is that persons born again" they would say "no, but they are really nice." Or, "they are a classy person." What good is that person to be nice or classy when they are on their way to hell.
Anyone can be nice to someone else, it does not mean they are righteous or special. When how a person treats us personally is the measure of a good person we have lost our moral compass.
When how a person appears, that is dressing in classy fashion, driving the right cars, going the popular places, is the first thing that comes to mind when describing someone, I have to believe that the heart of the one who is evaluating their friend is focused on materialism and appearance more than on character.
Any child of God who is deeply walking with Christ would have a focus on character first before any outer appearance.
When someone asks me about a person my first thought is if they are born again or not. I hardly notice a person's appearance unless it is extreme in some way, even then I see their character more than what they are wearing or what car they drive.
Colossans 3:1-3 "1 Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.…"
Why do so many Christians feel compelled to speak about the ills of the world and the fallenness of the family? Because we live in a world as in the time of Noah and similar to the time of Lot, we grieve frequently over the attitudes and actions of most people around us.
Those who are only looking for the good are fixated on their own happiness. How could one be a born again believer running hard after God and ignore or miss entirely all the evil that is going on in the world today.
We are devastated by the evil around us but we sense its pressing in on us every day. So many people, even those who say they are Christians acting as though nothing is wrong. They are going about their business every day seeking pleasure and enjoyment without any interest that most people around them are on their way to hell.
How could a born again believer not be interested in the end of this life and the beginning of eternity? Eternity is really all that matters.
Yes we live in this life and we have to carry on with daily chores and relationships, but when our focus is heaven we take much less seriously the things of this life. Everything we do is evaluated in terms of eternity. How will we fare in eternity because of how we conducted ourselves on this earth ought to be the determination of every born again believer.
I am convinced that everything we do on this earth will be measured in terms of our appointed position in the Millennium. This life is boot camp for the job we will hold in the kingdom of Christ when He rules on this earth and we rule with Him.
Revelation 20:4-6
"4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years."
When our mind is fixated on Christ, how could very much matter on this earth except the winning of souls and the uplifting of the saints in truth?!!!!
Even worse some Christians would tell me how "classy" a person was when I asked "is that persons born again" they would say "no, but they are really nice." Or, "they are a classy person." What good is that person to be nice or classy when they are on their way to hell.
Anyone can be nice to someone else, it does not mean they are righteous or special. When how a person treats us personally is the measure of a good person we have lost our moral compass.
When how a person appears, that is dressing in classy fashion, driving the right cars, going the popular places, is the first thing that comes to mind when describing someone, I have to believe that the heart of the one who is evaluating their friend is focused on materialism and appearance more than on character.
Any child of God who is deeply walking with Christ would have a focus on character first before any outer appearance.
When someone asks me about a person my first thought is if they are born again or not. I hardly notice a person's appearance unless it is extreme in some way, even then I see their character more than what they are wearing or what car they drive.
Colossans 3:1-3 "1 Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.…"
Why do so many Christians feel compelled to speak about the ills of the world and the fallenness of the family? Because we live in a world as in the time of Noah and similar to the time of Lot, we grieve frequently over the attitudes and actions of most people around us.
Those who are only looking for the good are fixated on their own happiness. How could one be a born again believer running hard after God and ignore or miss entirely all the evil that is going on in the world today.
We are devastated by the evil around us but we sense its pressing in on us every day. So many people, even those who say they are Christians acting as though nothing is wrong. They are going about their business every day seeking pleasure and enjoyment without any interest that most people around them are on their way to hell.
How could a born again believer not be interested in the end of this life and the beginning of eternity? Eternity is really all that matters.
Yes we live in this life and we have to carry on with daily chores and relationships, but when our focus is heaven we take much less seriously the things of this life. Everything we do is evaluated in terms of eternity. How will we fare in eternity because of how we conducted ourselves on this earth ought to be the determination of every born again believer.
I am convinced that everything we do on this earth will be measured in terms of our appointed position in the Millennium. This life is boot camp for the job we will hold in the kingdom of Christ when He rules on this earth and we rule with Him.
Revelation 20:4-6
"4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years."
When our mind is fixated on Christ, how could very much matter on this earth except the winning of souls and the uplifting of the saints in truth?!!!!
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Speak Truth Not Feelings
Trump clearly said he didn't think he has done anything in his life that he would be sorry for.
Romans 3:23
"23 for all [a]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
He had affairs on his first two wives, married the affairs and married a third time to a woman who was a prostitute, by that I mean posed nude in girly magazines.
There has been no rejection of his hotels where there are mostly naked lap dancers. He has not repented of his affairs and remarriages. He does not strongly come against divorce and remarriage, He has embraced the homosexual agenda, he swears like a drunken sailor, walks over people to gain great fortune and most of all he rejects a need to repent and place his trust in Christ. There has been enough evidence to fill one of his high rise buildings that this man is not a godly man.
Pretending someone is something we like that defies the evidense is not honest.
John 7:24 "24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
Why do the conservatives like Trump? Its simple he has learned the things to say that got him that voting block that was not voting in past years, that is conservative Christians.
If you think God is going to bless America or save it, think again. The people are wanting Trump because of the economy, a wall and abortion. While I am glad about these things implementing them will not cause people to repent, confess their sinfulness and trust Christ. In fact they very well make the conservatives a little more comfortable in their sin as well as enraging the far left to riot and scheme even more deeply than they have before.
My only interest is in unsaved people repenting and confessing their sin. America is showing no signs of this happening, in fact the signs are that the country is going deeper than ever into sin, debauchery and willfulness against God. Deception has overtaken most people in many forms.
Mankind is such that for the most part that they see what they want to see, negating all the evidence to feel superior or righteous when in fact they are just the opposite.
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” Benjamin Franklin
When the evidence is placed before us, even declared by the few, and yet those who love their fantasies continue to fight to justify belief in something that is clearly wrong there is willful ignorance. Choosing to believe what we like only leads us further into darkness.
America is going to fall because many if not most people are living in a self exalted fantasy world of make believe, as long as they feel good they don't care what the evidence shows.
I voted for Trump but know how foolish it would be to declare him a righteous man. Even more foolish thinking that he can save America when the people within their own little lives are completely self absorbed dedicated to their own aggrandizement.
Before an entire nation can turn to God there must be repentance on the part of every person. I see just the opposite happening. I see the evil growing, the attitudes more hardened than ever before. If you don't believe me just once speak the truth of Christ in any family gathering and watch the reaction.
Of course there are exceptions but as a rule family gatherings are secular and resistant, even embarrassed to hear anything about Christ or the Bible, even the ones in which there are "church goers."
Galatians 6:7-8
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
America has sown to the flesh and is reaping what they have sown, devastation.
Romans 3:23
"23 for all [a]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
He had affairs on his first two wives, married the affairs and married a third time to a woman who was a prostitute, by that I mean posed nude in girly magazines.
There has been no rejection of his hotels where there are mostly naked lap dancers. He has not repented of his affairs and remarriages. He does not strongly come against divorce and remarriage, He has embraced the homosexual agenda, he swears like a drunken sailor, walks over people to gain great fortune and most of all he rejects a need to repent and place his trust in Christ. There has been enough evidence to fill one of his high rise buildings that this man is not a godly man.
Pretending someone is something we like that defies the evidense is not honest.
John 7:24 "24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
Why do the conservatives like Trump? Its simple he has learned the things to say that got him that voting block that was not voting in past years, that is conservative Christians.
If you think God is going to bless America or save it, think again. The people are wanting Trump because of the economy, a wall and abortion. While I am glad about these things implementing them will not cause people to repent, confess their sinfulness and trust Christ. In fact they very well make the conservatives a little more comfortable in their sin as well as enraging the far left to riot and scheme even more deeply than they have before.
My only interest is in unsaved people repenting and confessing their sin. America is showing no signs of this happening, in fact the signs are that the country is going deeper than ever into sin, debauchery and willfulness against God. Deception has overtaken most people in many forms.
Mankind is such that for the most part that they see what they want to see, negating all the evidence to feel superior or righteous when in fact they are just the opposite.
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” Benjamin Franklin
When the evidence is placed before us, even declared by the few, and yet those who love their fantasies continue to fight to justify belief in something that is clearly wrong there is willful ignorance. Choosing to believe what we like only leads us further into darkness.
America is going to fall because many if not most people are living in a self exalted fantasy world of make believe, as long as they feel good they don't care what the evidence shows.
I voted for Trump but know how foolish it would be to declare him a righteous man. Even more foolish thinking that he can save America when the people within their own little lives are completely self absorbed dedicated to their own aggrandizement.
Before an entire nation can turn to God there must be repentance on the part of every person. I see just the opposite happening. I see the evil growing, the attitudes more hardened than ever before. If you don't believe me just once speak the truth of Christ in any family gathering and watch the reaction.
Of course there are exceptions but as a rule family gatherings are secular and resistant, even embarrassed to hear anything about Christ or the Bible, even the ones in which there are "church goers."
Galatians 6:7-8
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
America has sown to the flesh and is reaping what they have sown, devastation.
Judging is Necessary
We are not judging people when we see in them something God described in His word. All we are doing is seeing God's judgment and discerning it in life.
Those that say we are not to judge are most often those who don't want to be judged by others because they know the sin in their own lives.
Notice the scripture they use to proclaim "don't judge" is two little words snatched out of context. When we read the rest of the passage we see that God tells us not to judge other for doing what we are doing ourselves. This would be hypocrisy.
Matthew 7:1-6 "7 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 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.
God says to remove the problem in your own life so that you can go without being a hypocrite to the person who needs correction.
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
Notice in verse 6 we read that we are not to give wisdom to the dogs, that is rebellious unsaved people. How would we be able to know if someone is a "dog" if we didn't judge through discernment of truth whether or not they are dogs.
The devil loves the lies that modern Christians use to intimidate born again believers into silence, here are a few:
"Don't judge" so that no one feels bad about their sin.
"Just love them" meaning ignore their sin and make them happy.
"We are all under grace", as though grace is a license to sin, God doesn't really care about the sin anymore. This one is so silly its beyond belief. Christ had to spill all His blood to pay for that sin, doesn't seem that it doesn't matter any more. If Christ had to pay for it, then He would have made a way to avoid sinning... and He did that.
"We must be careful to make sure we say things the right way so the hearer will receive it." This one is down right silly! Christ and the apostles were hated by most people and Christ promised that this would be the case. Shall we judge that Christ and the apostles must have done something wrong because the hearers didn't receive it? God said that most would not receive it! The Holy Spirit is the One Who determines our delivery, we do not "think it through with our human mind hoping we don't offend anyone."
All of these modern day mantras came about to threaten us with verbal and emotional abuse if we dare to speak truth. The modern Christian will not accept anything but praise and adulation, anything else is met with anger and rage.
Proverbs 12:1-2 "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. 2 The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil."
Proverbs 1:22 "22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.…"
Those that say we are not to judge are most often those who don't want to be judged by others because they know the sin in their own lives.
Notice the scripture they use to proclaim "don't judge" is two little words snatched out of context. When we read the rest of the passage we see that God tells us not to judge other for doing what we are doing ourselves. This would be hypocrisy.
Matthew 7:1-6 "7 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 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.
God says to remove the problem in your own life so that you can go without being a hypocrite to the person who needs correction.
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
Notice in verse 6 we read that we are not to give wisdom to the dogs, that is rebellious unsaved people. How would we be able to know if someone is a "dog" if we didn't judge through discernment of truth whether or not they are dogs.
The devil loves the lies that modern Christians use to intimidate born again believers into silence, here are a few:
"Don't judge" so that no one feels bad about their sin.
"Just love them" meaning ignore their sin and make them happy.
"We are all under grace", as though grace is a license to sin, God doesn't really care about the sin anymore. This one is so silly its beyond belief. Christ had to spill all His blood to pay for that sin, doesn't seem that it doesn't matter any more. If Christ had to pay for it, then He would have made a way to avoid sinning... and He did that.
"We must be careful to make sure we say things the right way so the hearer will receive it." This one is down right silly! Christ and the apostles were hated by most people and Christ promised that this would be the case. Shall we judge that Christ and the apostles must have done something wrong because the hearers didn't receive it? God said that most would not receive it! The Holy Spirit is the One Who determines our delivery, we do not "think it through with our human mind hoping we don't offend anyone."
All of these modern day mantras came about to threaten us with verbal and emotional abuse if we dare to speak truth. The modern Christian will not accept anything but praise and adulation, anything else is met with anger and rage.
Proverbs 12:1-2 "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. 2 The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil."
Proverbs 1:22 "22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.…"
Influencing Children Against God is Very Serious!
Matthew 18:5-7 "…5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!…"
Those parents who come against their Christian spouse in the raising of the children in the Lord, are in danger for deterring the children from following Christ.
God said that mocking God to children is rebellion against Him and will be dealt with severely.
6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!…"
Those parents who come against their Christian spouse in the raising of the children in the Lord, are in danger for deterring the children from following Christ.
God said that mocking God to children is rebellion against Him and will be dealt with severely.
Bullying is not Leading
Men who think bullying is leading are ignorant of the Word of God and not real men. In fact they are children in men's bodies.
Bullying Others is not God's Way
There is a growing faction within Christendom that practice "bullying" as their form of leadership in the home and in the church.
This mentality that real men bully, is demonically inspired as well as the opposite of what Christ taught in His Word the Bible.
1 Peter 5:3
"Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
Titus 1:7
"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,"
1 Peter 5:1-4 "5 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
When we encounter a bully in the pulpit or in families we know they are not obeying God. Christ commanded the leaders of families and in church gatherings to be humble, sacrificial and loving.
There lacks humility and love in anyone who thinks they need to bully to force others to adhere to their idea of righteousness. When the Bible is ignored in order to follow man's traditions, or when the Bible is twisted to justify sin, we know that leader does not belong in a leadership position.
Those who dominate over others, punish and coerce those who are under them are using human desire to control others, this si not of God nor is it helpful.
God told the leaders of families to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Christ died for the church, He taught and encouraged in the way of righteousness. He never at any time forced people through manipulation or demeaning to do His will. He spoke truth and left the decision to the hearer.
Notice an interesting truth, our heart is never changed by bullying. Our outward actions can change to avoid further bullying, but the heart remains the same. When the heart is allowed to be what it is, it can choose to believe truth or not. When a heart decides to believe truth the outer actions will change. The bullying does nothing for the heart, but it might get people to do things our way so we are fulled into believing there has been a change, but only the actions have changed not the heart.
Those who depend on outward appearances to "feel" better or as thought they had an affect, that some actions have changed are living a dilution. These narcissists who believe in bullying others to think as they do are not doing it to honor God, but rather merely to feed their pride that they were able to get someone to do what they wanted.
Bullying to force people to accept your own way is not godly it is demonic.
James 3:1-18
"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ..."
This mentality that real men bully, is demonically inspired as well as the opposite of what Christ taught in His Word the Bible.
1 Peter 5:3
"Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
Titus 1:7
"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,"
1 Peter 5:1-4 "5 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
When we encounter a bully in the pulpit or in families we know they are not obeying God. Christ commanded the leaders of families and in church gatherings to be humble, sacrificial and loving.
There lacks humility and love in anyone who thinks they need to bully to force others to adhere to their idea of righteousness. When the Bible is ignored in order to follow man's traditions, or when the Bible is twisted to justify sin, we know that leader does not belong in a leadership position.
Those who dominate over others, punish and coerce those who are under them are using human desire to control others, this si not of God nor is it helpful.
God told the leaders of families to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Christ died for the church, He taught and encouraged in the way of righteousness. He never at any time forced people through manipulation or demeaning to do His will. He spoke truth and left the decision to the hearer.
Notice an interesting truth, our heart is never changed by bullying. Our outward actions can change to avoid further bullying, but the heart remains the same. When the heart is allowed to be what it is, it can choose to believe truth or not. When a heart decides to believe truth the outer actions will change. The bullying does nothing for the heart, but it might get people to do things our way so we are fulled into believing there has been a change, but only the actions have changed not the heart.
Those who depend on outward appearances to "feel" better or as thought they had an affect, that some actions have changed are living a dilution. These narcissists who believe in bullying others to think as they do are not doing it to honor God, but rather merely to feed their pride that they were able to get someone to do what they wanted.
Bullying to force people to accept your own way is not godly it is demonic.
James 3:1-18
"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ..."
Who is Your Hero?
There is no room for "heroes" in our lives. Those who have heroes often are living vicariously off of the accomplishments of others.
God is no respecter of persons, He loved everyone and wanted a relationship with them. but holds no one higher than anyone else.
Romans 3:23
"23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
When we spend more time admiring people who seem to have done great things, than we do admiring and praising God then we have moved into the realm of idolatry.
We can love people and we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, a far greater love for Him than any person. When we do this we will never see any person as more special than anyone else.
We have all had to come to Christ the same way, that is in brokenness over our sinful nature to be cleansed by Christ.
Often the narcissist will elevate people who have worldly accomplishments but treat with contempt and disrespectfully the person who brings scripture to bear on all situations.
Those who look horizontally comparing themselves with others, while desiring to be great vicariously through them, are empty souls.
I know of many people in my life who spent far more time praising people with accomplishments than speaking about Christ. There is a sort of "hero worship" that makes them feel superior to others merely by their association with those accomplished people.
When we see all people the same, that is desperately wicked in need of a Savior, we will not be elevating anyone according to their worldly accomplishments. We will not be judging anyone based on their outward actions so much as we will see their Spirit that witnesses to us that they belong to Christ.
We are all serving Christ in one way or another, no one's task in that service is greater than another. When we see someone who has accomplished a lot for Christ it is Christ we praise not the person.
Galatians 1:10
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
John 12:43
"For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."
Narcissists tend to interpret our lack of praise for them as hatred toward them because praise is the most important thing to them.
We can appreciate and love people because their Spirit is that of Christ, but praising them as special is to give the glory for their life to man rather than to Christ.
Good works in the believer are the works of Christ in them not of man all by himself.
We can more fully love people when we do not have to evaluate their "worthiness" to be loved. We love them while they are whatever they are without expectations and human rules to make sure they measure up.
However, if a human being has heard the gospel, will not listen and continues to live in rebellious ways, then God's love is spurned then we have no choice except to walk away and leave them to God.
We agonize over the person who rebels because of our love for them, but we must walk away to leave them alone with Christ. Their ability to continue to undermine our own walk is far too intense to ignore.
Colossians 3:23-24 "23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, 24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.…"
There are those who elevate others because they secretly with they could be elevated. It is akin to praising a ball player, withing you could be in his place as the hero. Those who do not need to be seen as a hero don't generally have heroes in their thinking.
Remember: Love God first and fully and love man God's way! That is to never elevate one man over another. God's love for man is to share truth that one might grow in holiness. This is the love of God.
Hebrews 10:21-25 "…23 Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. 25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.?
God is no respecter of persons, He loved everyone and wanted a relationship with them. but holds no one higher than anyone else.
Romans 3:23
"23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
When we spend more time admiring people who seem to have done great things, than we do admiring and praising God then we have moved into the realm of idolatry.
We can love people and we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, a far greater love for Him than any person. When we do this we will never see any person as more special than anyone else.
We have all had to come to Christ the same way, that is in brokenness over our sinful nature to be cleansed by Christ.
Often the narcissist will elevate people who have worldly accomplishments but treat with contempt and disrespectfully the person who brings scripture to bear on all situations.
Those who look horizontally comparing themselves with others, while desiring to be great vicariously through them, are empty souls.
I know of many people in my life who spent far more time praising people with accomplishments than speaking about Christ. There is a sort of "hero worship" that makes them feel superior to others merely by their association with those accomplished people.
When we see all people the same, that is desperately wicked in need of a Savior, we will not be elevating anyone according to their worldly accomplishments. We will not be judging anyone based on their outward actions so much as we will see their Spirit that witnesses to us that they belong to Christ.
We are all serving Christ in one way or another, no one's task in that service is greater than another. When we see someone who has accomplished a lot for Christ it is Christ we praise not the person.
Galatians 1:10
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
John 12:43
"For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."
Narcissists tend to interpret our lack of praise for them as hatred toward them because praise is the most important thing to them.
We can appreciate and love people because their Spirit is that of Christ, but praising them as special is to give the glory for their life to man rather than to Christ.
Good works in the believer are the works of Christ in them not of man all by himself.
We can more fully love people when we do not have to evaluate their "worthiness" to be loved. We love them while they are whatever they are without expectations and human rules to make sure they measure up.
However, if a human being has heard the gospel, will not listen and continues to live in rebellious ways, then God's love is spurned then we have no choice except to walk away and leave them to God.
We agonize over the person who rebels because of our love for them, but we must walk away to leave them alone with Christ. Their ability to continue to undermine our own walk is far too intense to ignore.
Colossians 3:23-24 "23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, 24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.…"
There are those who elevate others because they secretly with they could be elevated. It is akin to praising a ball player, withing you could be in his place as the hero. Those who do not need to be seen as a hero don't generally have heroes in their thinking.
Remember: Love God first and fully and love man God's way! That is to never elevate one man over another. God's love for man is to share truth that one might grow in holiness. This is the love of God.
Hebrews 10:21-25 "…23 Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. 25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.?
Monday, May 27, 2019
Deceptions in the church
1. Acceptance of divorce and remarriage.
2. Yoga
3. Prosperity Preaching
4. Holidays God never commanded
5. Gospel in the Stars
6. Christian Astrology
7. Calvinism
8. Reform Theology
9. Holy Laughter
10. Replacement Theology
11. Women in the Pulpit
12. One Man Salaried Pastor
13. Appearances over Substance
14. Worship Teams
15. Secular Music to Draw People
16. Depending on human strategies rather than the Holy Spirit
17. Elimination of preaching on Hell
18. Elimination of preaching on Holiness
19. Appearances over Substance
20. Relegating truth of the Bible to "back then"
21. Children separated from parents in Worship
22. Elimination of the Lord's Supper
23. Super Bowl in God's House
24. Levity Preaching to entertain the flock
25. Preaching more about politics than Christ
26. Dumbing Down of Instruction to entice non-believers
27. Modern songs that have 7 hooks and no substance
28. Christian Witches
29. Pagan symbols used in worship
30. Using Scripture out of context to fit into the culture
5. Gospel in the Stars
6. Christian Astrology
7. Calvinism
8. Reform Theology
9. Holy Laughter
10. Replacement Theology
11. Women in the Pulpit
12. One Man Salaried Pastor
13. Appearances over Substance
14. Worship Teams
15. Secular Music to Draw People
16. Depending on human strategies rather than the Holy Spirit
17. Elimination of preaching on Hell
18. Elimination of preaching on Holiness
19. Appearances over Substance
20. Relegating truth of the Bible to "back then"
21. Children separated from parents in Worship
22. Elimination of the Lord's Supper
23. Super Bowl in God's House
24. Levity Preaching to entertain the flock
25. Preaching more about politics than Christ
26. Dumbing Down of Instruction to entice non-believers
27. Modern songs that have 7 hooks and no substance
28. Christian Witches
29. Pagan symbols used in worship
30. Using Scripture out of context to fit into the culture
31. Increasing anti Israel Mentalities
I am sure there are many more you could come up with if you have been someone who seeks after Christ with your whole heart. These are just a few that have infiltrated the gatherings of believers.
Psalm 95:1-11
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."
Psalm 24:8-10
Seminary: A Concoction of Men
God never intended for men to learn from seminaries. Godly men were to learn from the Bible guided by the Holy Spirit. Now we have pastors in the pulpits who were looking for a career and were never born again. I see no commands in the Bible for men to go to a formal school to learn how to run a church. I do see in there the command to teach and preach as led by the Holy Spirit.
God never said; "seminary will lead you into all truth."
He did say this:
John 16:13-14
"13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
God never said; "seminary will lead you into all truth."
He did say this:
John 16:13-14
"13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
Sunday, May 26, 2019
The Holy Spirit Convicts
Celeste Ruppelt said this:
"Sometimes we don't even have to speak those judgments. The spirit within those who we are with recognizes the presence of Christ in us, and that is enough to start the negativism on their part."
When you experience irritation or rage from others and can't figure out the reason, those who rage are probably encountering the Holy Spirit in us.
Sometimes they accuse us of what the Holy Spirit is convicting them in order to avoid the guilt they sense. They believe we are doing something to cause their guilt but it is not us, its the Holy Spirit.
Next time you encounter someone who acts uncomfortable around us and we have not said a word, then very likely they are sensing the Holy Spirit in us.
Acts 7:51
51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did."
John 16:8
"8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:"
We are hated by many people not because we have done something wrong, but because the Holy Spirit is convicting hearts through us.
"Sometimes we don't even have to speak those judgments. The spirit within those who we are with recognizes the presence of Christ in us, and that is enough to start the negativism on their part."
When you experience irritation or rage from others and can't figure out the reason, those who rage are probably encountering the Holy Spirit in us.
Sometimes they accuse us of what the Holy Spirit is convicting them in order to avoid the guilt they sense. They believe we are doing something to cause their guilt but it is not us, its the Holy Spirit.
Next time you encounter someone who acts uncomfortable around us and we have not said a word, then very likely they are sensing the Holy Spirit in us.
Acts 7:51
51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did."
John 16:8
"8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:"
We are hated by many people not because we have done something wrong, but because the Holy Spirit is convicting hearts through us.
The Salvation Experience for Born Again Believers
Amen, this is my story too and I believe the story of every born again believer. If this did not happen to one who says they are a Christian then perhaps they never became born again.
Karen said this:
"I have, in the past, seen my own wickedness and sin as God saw it and how it not only hurt the ones closest to me but also God Himself!"
"I have been like Peter, literally following the Lord from a distance and yet denying Him as I did... And, like Peter, when I had denied Jesus I saw Him look at me and I knew He knew what I had done! That was the most shameful and horrifying experience in my life! And also like Peter, Jesus later made a way for me to return to Him!"
"So, the desire of my heart NOW is to NEVER dishonor or to bring pain to the heart of my Heavenly Father again! That is the supreme choice of my heart everyday and the motivation behind all my thoughts and actions."
Karen said this:
"I have, in the past, seen my own wickedness and sin as God saw it and how it not only hurt the ones closest to me but also God Himself!"
"I have been like Peter, literally following the Lord from a distance and yet denying Him as I did... And, like Peter, when I had denied Jesus I saw Him look at me and I knew He knew what I had done! That was the most shameful and horrifying experience in my life! And also like Peter, Jesus later made a way for me to return to Him!"
"So, the desire of my heart NOW is to NEVER dishonor or to bring pain to the heart of my Heavenly Father again! That is the supreme choice of my heart everyday and the motivation behind all my thoughts and actions."
Friday, May 24, 2019
Food and Water
Do you work real hard to make sure you desire food to eat and water to drink?
When we have the Holy Spirit we do not have to work hard to follow the commands of God, we want them as naturally as we desire food and water.
The Word of God is our spiritual food, it comes as naturally to us as the physical food and water.
When we have the Holy Spirit we do not have to work hard to follow the commands of God, we want them as naturally as we desire food and water.
The Word of God is our spiritual food, it comes as naturally to us as the physical food and water.
Do Not Let the Betrayer Control Your Character
If you have trusted someone and they have betrayed you, don't let it change your loving nature.
When we share our inner most heart and someone betrays us, it is on them not us. The devil would love to cause us to be paranoid about sharing openly with others. Pride wells up in us to avoid ever sharing again. Do not let pride overtake you, just keep being you in the Lord.
If someone betrays us then they are only one person, it does not mean that all others will do the same.
We can trust others until they prove us wrong. That's alright, just move on to others we can trust. We may never trust the betrayer again, especially if they have done this consistently. Lets not allow the betrayer to define our character with all other people.
Proverbs 13:20
'20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm."
Choose your companions carefully! We tend to chose friends that enhance what we want to be. The kind of people we choose for friends say a lot about us.
We are not required to keep company with anyone who does not love the Lord. Some non-believers are kind people, they may be good friends. Some believers are mean people they will not be good friends. The best friends to have are those who love to talk about the things of the Lord and agree with us on most important Biblical principles, or should I say, agree with God!
Unbelievers who fight and argue with everything we believe are not good friendship candidates.
Proverbs 18:24
"24 A man of too many friends comes to [a]ruin,
But there is a [b]friend who sticks closer than a brother."
A person who has a lot of diverse friends most likely are compromising their values and principles to maintain these friendships.
Hebrews 4:12
"12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
1 Corinthians 2:14
"14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."
Hosea 14:9
9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them."
When we share our inner most heart and someone betrays us, it is on them not us. The devil would love to cause us to be paranoid about sharing openly with others. Pride wells up in us to avoid ever sharing again. Do not let pride overtake you, just keep being you in the Lord.
If someone betrays us then they are only one person, it does not mean that all others will do the same.
We can trust others until they prove us wrong. That's alright, just move on to others we can trust. We may never trust the betrayer again, especially if they have done this consistently. Lets not allow the betrayer to define our character with all other people.
Proverbs 13:20
'20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm."
Choose your companions carefully! We tend to chose friends that enhance what we want to be. The kind of people we choose for friends say a lot about us.
We are not required to keep company with anyone who does not love the Lord. Some non-believers are kind people, they may be good friends. Some believers are mean people they will not be good friends. The best friends to have are those who love to talk about the things of the Lord and agree with us on most important Biblical principles, or should I say, agree with God!
Unbelievers who fight and argue with everything we believe are not good friendship candidates.
Proverbs 18:24
"24 A man of too many friends comes to [a]ruin,
But there is a [b]friend who sticks closer than a brother."
A person who has a lot of diverse friends most likely are compromising their values and principles to maintain these friendships.
Hebrews 4:12
"12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
1 Corinthians 2:14
"14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."
Hosea 14:9
9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them."
Romans 16:17-18 The Flatterers
"17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. BY SMOOTH TALK AND FLATTERY THEY DECEIVE the minds of naive people. '"
18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. BY SMOOTH TALK AND FLATTERY THEY DECEIVE the minds of naive people. '"
The Torah or The Bible
A facebook friend asked me what I think of a born again Jew who uses the Torah instead of the Bible, here was my answer:
"The Torah is the books of the Law. Since the Bible contains the books of the Law there is no need to use the Torah.
The New Testament gives the salvation message, the account of Christ's walk on earth and much more about character building in our walk.
We need the NT even more than the Law because we are no longer under the condemnation of the Law.
The Law has been written on our hearts, we love it but we don't have to work to follow something that is a very part of our being, it now comes naturally to us to want to walk with Christ.
Christ is the essence of His Law and He lives in us. Born again believers are no longer focused on the Law we have changed to focusing on Christ Who directs us, teaches us and guides us."
Romans 2:14–15
"14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their …"
Galatians 2:16
"16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."
"The Torah is the books of the Law. Since the Bible contains the books of the Law there is no need to use the Torah.
The New Testament gives the salvation message, the account of Christ's walk on earth and much more about character building in our walk.
We need the NT even more than the Law because we are no longer under the condemnation of the Law.
The Law has been written on our hearts, we love it but we don't have to work to follow something that is a very part of our being, it now comes naturally to us to want to walk with Christ.
Christ is the essence of His Law and He lives in us. Born again believers are no longer focused on the Law we have changed to focusing on Christ Who directs us, teaches us and guides us."
Romans 2:14–15
"14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their …"
Galatians 2:16
"16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."
God's Commands
God has commanded us to raise our children in the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6 "6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
This verse is a general rule and not a promise. There are many children who have been raised in the Lord in varying degrees, act as though they are receiving it while in the home, but when they leave the home they abandon all they were taught. This is common in our day, its always been common. Even attracted to and marrying other rebellious people, because this was their practice to rebel and be with those who also rebel.
We think of David's son Absalom, he despised his father even attempting to kill him and take over his throne. And, yet David was called "the apple of God's eye." David love the Lord with all his heart, even though he had sins and flaws.
David was not a perfect father, there is no such thing as a perfect father. All people have flaws and all people make mistakes and commit sins. Those children who accuse their parents of not being the perfect parents are acting hypocritically since they would not be perfect parents either. NO ONE CAN BE THE PERFECT PARENT. These narcissistic children have no ability to self reflect to evaluate their own heart for change.
The problem is not whether or not a parent is perfect, the problem is when children do not accept the parent as an authority in their lives to be respected and obeyed.
Exodus 20:12 "12 Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. "
Children who reject the training of their parents, hated the "lectures" and chose to go with the world rather than listen to their parent. Their entire lives they were trained by the culture that the culture was right and any parent who defied the culture to embrace the truth of God was considered ignorant and unworthy of respect.
When counseled in Biblical matters they didn't even remember it because while the teaching was going on they were rolling their eyes, projecting anger in their heart in rebellion closing off their heart to their parent. They had been trained by the culture that anyone who was determined to follow Christ should be demeaned, mocked and rejected. These people didn't fit with the superficial Christianity that surrounded their children.
Because of that rebellion in their heart they could not remember or perhaps just deny anything good that their parent did for them. When the entire culture mocked and demeaned "Mom" or "Dad", extended family, church and even public school, then there was a massive support system for the children to think in worldly and in contemptuous ways that resisted the things of God.
We have the account of the brothers Cain and Able, in which Cain was raised with the same parents as Able was and yet one brother pleased God and the other brother did not please God. Cain did not please God, became jealous of his brother who received blessing from God and killed him.
These two accounts of David and Absalom, as well as Cain and Able tell us that we should do the best we can in raising our children but when the culture and extended family come against us, the heart of our children are revealed by their acceptance of the cultural standard that hates us. If the heart of the child is inclined toward God then they will respect and honor the parent as they should.
Those who are pretenders, perhaps only caring to appear as godly people will have outward rules but remain rebellious in their heart. These people will demonstrate an attitude of superiority to dominate, mock and use covert means of manipulation to control their aging parents.
I recall an incident of a mother in a family in which an aunt demeaned the training of her girls by mocking what the mother had been teaching them. This mother wanted her girls to be dedicated to their husbands, children and home. She believed and still does that women ought not to leave their domain, that is the home to neglect their families. This young child was telling the aunt that she wanted to be a homemaker like her mother. The aunt mocked it and attempted to re-train this young girl by negating her mother's training. We see this all the time, the liberals who think they have a right to train our children but would become enraged if we instructed their children.
The young child really did want to be a homemaker but because of the negativity toward her mother she learned to despise and diminish the mother because of the negative feelings she received from extended family.
Children naturally assume something must be wrong with Mom if all these other people are treating her as though she is wrong and stupid.
When we attempt to pass on the wisdom that God has given us only to be treated with contempt for it, we have met a rebellious heart.
Far too many parents in my generation are left standing with a confused look on their face while asking the question what did I do that caused all this hatred. The truth is we did what we believed in, we walked our walk and the child was so deeply influenced by the culture that they rejected the ways of God to embrace the fun pleasurable ways of the world.
Lets face it Mother and Fathers out there, we can no longer expect to be loved by our children. The culture has gone mad with self love and hatred toward truth.
The way of our children's generation has gone the way of Cain. Jealousy and contempt for those who have Biblical standards. Wishing we were dead they neglect, demean and torment with covert manipulations to shame us for standing for God's Word.
If you have doubts about this just declare the word of God on the subject of divorce and remarriage. This arrogant and rebellious generation will adamantly defend the right to divorce and remarry as though it were a sacrament from God. They will block you, dismiss you and gossip against you.
Just a generation ago, my parents generation all believers rejected divorce and remarriage as a sin against God and a spouse. Only worldly wildly fringe people divorced and remarriage and there were none in the church who did this.
This tells you how far the apostate church has progressed in their rebellion against God. There are many other things that could be spoken of here that are continual violations of God's Word. When we declare the scriptures in answer to them we are treated in shameful ways as though we were the evil ones.
Proverbs 12:1-2 "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. 2 The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.…"
This generation has become a generation of fools who call authentically born again believers fools. They are projecting, accusing us of what they are to further diminish us and God. Remember all this mess is not against us personally, its against God.
1 Peter 2:15-16 "15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."
The solution for the born again believer is to ask the Holy Spirit to give you the responses He wants from you, to know the Word of God well while reveling in the joy as you remain without guilt in. When we know what is happening we no longer have to take it personally or allow it to change who we are in the Lord.
The devil and his narcissists want us to act like the narcissist in response. He counts it a win if he can manipulate us into reducing our Christian witness. DON'T LET HIM.
Luke 6:27-28 "27 But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. "
When we must be in company with the narcissist we must not allow them to train us how to act by reacting to them.
If at all possible it is best to avoid the narcissist, they are nothing but trouble and our walk with Christ is hindered by their antics and presence.
Proverbs 14:6-8 "…6 A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. 7 Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them."
Here is why we stay as far away from these mockers as possible:
Isaiah 26:10-11 " 10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD. 11 O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people, and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!…"
The narcissist will never learn, their heart has been hardened and their conscience seared. We must remain kind and steadfast in their presence if we must be with them, but we do not have to respond to them or engage with them in their manipulations. When we have an opportunity to remove ourselves we must do so.
Notice something: God didn't "suggest" that we remove ourselves, He "commanded" it.
Children are often a misery to many in this generation. If they reject God and us, then we must move forward in serving God without them. Pray for them they are lost and do not know that they are miserable. Pray for their repentance that God might deliver them from the devil.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
Remember it is the devil behind all this mess. He is the one twisting minds and causing rage in many people.
Ephesians 6:12
"12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
When we look at the narcissist, don't see them, see the devil who is using their mind and their mouth to cause ruin, not only in you but also in them.
When Christ addressed Peter because of his lack of faith and understanding, he didn't say "get thee behind me Peter", He said; "get thee behind me satan." Christ did not speak to peter when peter spoke, He spoke to the devil who was using Peter's mouth.
Remember Judas? Christ did not say he was a bad man, He addressed the devil and said "one of you is a devil." Judas was a bad man but Christ addressed the devil who enticed Judas.
The point in this is that behind every narcissists is a devil placing false thoughts, false feelings and much turmoil to destroy relationships.
YES, the devil influenced them, but they chose to listen without consulting God.
Proverbs 22:6 "6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
This verse is a general rule and not a promise. There are many children who have been raised in the Lord in varying degrees, act as though they are receiving it while in the home, but when they leave the home they abandon all they were taught. This is common in our day, its always been common. Even attracted to and marrying other rebellious people, because this was their practice to rebel and be with those who also rebel.
We think of David's son Absalom, he despised his father even attempting to kill him and take over his throne. And, yet David was called "the apple of God's eye." David love the Lord with all his heart, even though he had sins and flaws.
David was not a perfect father, there is no such thing as a perfect father. All people have flaws and all people make mistakes and commit sins. Those children who accuse their parents of not being the perfect parents are acting hypocritically since they would not be perfect parents either. NO ONE CAN BE THE PERFECT PARENT. These narcissistic children have no ability to self reflect to evaluate their own heart for change.
The problem is not whether or not a parent is perfect, the problem is when children do not accept the parent as an authority in their lives to be respected and obeyed.
Exodus 20:12 "12 Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. "
Children who reject the training of their parents, hated the "lectures" and chose to go with the world rather than listen to their parent. Their entire lives they were trained by the culture that the culture was right and any parent who defied the culture to embrace the truth of God was considered ignorant and unworthy of respect.
When counseled in Biblical matters they didn't even remember it because while the teaching was going on they were rolling their eyes, projecting anger in their heart in rebellion closing off their heart to their parent. They had been trained by the culture that anyone who was determined to follow Christ should be demeaned, mocked and rejected. These people didn't fit with the superficial Christianity that surrounded their children.
Because of that rebellion in their heart they could not remember or perhaps just deny anything good that their parent did for them. When the entire culture mocked and demeaned "Mom" or "Dad", extended family, church and even public school, then there was a massive support system for the children to think in worldly and in contemptuous ways that resisted the things of God.
We have the account of the brothers Cain and Able, in which Cain was raised with the same parents as Able was and yet one brother pleased God and the other brother did not please God. Cain did not please God, became jealous of his brother who received blessing from God and killed him.
These two accounts of David and Absalom, as well as Cain and Able tell us that we should do the best we can in raising our children but when the culture and extended family come against us, the heart of our children are revealed by their acceptance of the cultural standard that hates us. If the heart of the child is inclined toward God then they will respect and honor the parent as they should.
Those who are pretenders, perhaps only caring to appear as godly people will have outward rules but remain rebellious in their heart. These people will demonstrate an attitude of superiority to dominate, mock and use covert means of manipulation to control their aging parents.
I recall an incident of a mother in a family in which an aunt demeaned the training of her girls by mocking what the mother had been teaching them. This mother wanted her girls to be dedicated to their husbands, children and home. She believed and still does that women ought not to leave their domain, that is the home to neglect their families. This young child was telling the aunt that she wanted to be a homemaker like her mother. The aunt mocked it and attempted to re-train this young girl by negating her mother's training. We see this all the time, the liberals who think they have a right to train our children but would become enraged if we instructed their children.
The young child really did want to be a homemaker but because of the negativity toward her mother she learned to despise and diminish the mother because of the negative feelings she received from extended family.
Children naturally assume something must be wrong with Mom if all these other people are treating her as though she is wrong and stupid.
When we attempt to pass on the wisdom that God has given us only to be treated with contempt for it, we have met a rebellious heart.
Far too many parents in my generation are left standing with a confused look on their face while asking the question what did I do that caused all this hatred. The truth is we did what we believed in, we walked our walk and the child was so deeply influenced by the culture that they rejected the ways of God to embrace the fun pleasurable ways of the world.
Lets face it Mother and Fathers out there, we can no longer expect to be loved by our children. The culture has gone mad with self love and hatred toward truth.
The way of our children's generation has gone the way of Cain. Jealousy and contempt for those who have Biblical standards. Wishing we were dead they neglect, demean and torment with covert manipulations to shame us for standing for God's Word.
If you have doubts about this just declare the word of God on the subject of divorce and remarriage. This arrogant and rebellious generation will adamantly defend the right to divorce and remarry as though it were a sacrament from God. They will block you, dismiss you and gossip against you.
Just a generation ago, my parents generation all believers rejected divorce and remarriage as a sin against God and a spouse. Only worldly wildly fringe people divorced and remarriage and there were none in the church who did this.
This tells you how far the apostate church has progressed in their rebellion against God. There are many other things that could be spoken of here that are continual violations of God's Word. When we declare the scriptures in answer to them we are treated in shameful ways as though we were the evil ones.
Proverbs 12:1-2 "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. 2 The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.…"
This generation has become a generation of fools who call authentically born again believers fools. They are projecting, accusing us of what they are to further diminish us and God. Remember all this mess is not against us personally, its against God.
1 Peter 2:15-16 "15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."
The solution for the born again believer is to ask the Holy Spirit to give you the responses He wants from you, to know the Word of God well while reveling in the joy as you remain without guilt in. When we know what is happening we no longer have to take it personally or allow it to change who we are in the Lord.
The devil and his narcissists want us to act like the narcissist in response. He counts it a win if he can manipulate us into reducing our Christian witness. DON'T LET HIM.
Luke 6:27-28 "27 But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. "
When we must be in company with the narcissist we must not allow them to train us how to act by reacting to them.
If at all possible it is best to avoid the narcissist, they are nothing but trouble and our walk with Christ is hindered by their antics and presence.
Proverbs 14:6-8 "…6 A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. 7 Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them."
Here is why we stay as far away from these mockers as possible:
Isaiah 26:10-11 " 10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD. 11 O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people, and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!…"
The narcissist will never learn, their heart has been hardened and their conscience seared. We must remain kind and steadfast in their presence if we must be with them, but we do not have to respond to them or engage with them in their manipulations. When we have an opportunity to remove ourselves we must do so.
Notice something: God didn't "suggest" that we remove ourselves, He "commanded" it.
Children are often a misery to many in this generation. If they reject God and us, then we must move forward in serving God without them. Pray for them they are lost and do not know that they are miserable. Pray for their repentance that God might deliver them from the devil.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
Remember it is the devil behind all this mess. He is the one twisting minds and causing rage in many people.
Ephesians 6:12
"12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
When we look at the narcissist, don't see them, see the devil who is using their mind and their mouth to cause ruin, not only in you but also in them.
When Christ addressed Peter because of his lack of faith and understanding, he didn't say "get thee behind me Peter", He said; "get thee behind me satan." Christ did not speak to peter when peter spoke, He spoke to the devil who was using Peter's mouth.
Remember Judas? Christ did not say he was a bad man, He addressed the devil and said "one of you is a devil." Judas was a bad man but Christ addressed the devil who enticed Judas.
The point in this is that behind every narcissists is a devil placing false thoughts, false feelings and much turmoil to destroy relationships.
YES, the devil influenced them, but they chose to listen without consulting God.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Trust Only Christ No Man
Sin ruins people but when we have confessed our sinfulness and trusted Him, He saves us and cleans us up. The stain of sin is taken away. If there is still guilt then it is because we are not believing God when He said this:
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."
God will save and cleanse anyone who wants to believe on Him. When we believe on Him we want to be cleansed.
If anyone holds our sin against us we can say; "Christ cleansed me from that, I am born again and free from that sin. No one but the devil accuses the brethren of what is in the past and gone.
Sadly in our day there are those who are absolving people of their sin when they have not repented. It leaves many wicked people feeling justified in their sin, as though the sin is not a problem. The mentality of entitlement, "you have to forgive me", is present in a lot of people these days.
I have only had one person say to me "you have to forgive me." They were not sorry for anything even continuing in that sin, but thought I should forgive them anyway.
My answer to entitled people who believe they don't have to be repentant for their sin is this; "no, I don't have to forgive you for unrepentant sin. And, God will not forgive anyone who refuses to repent, even while remaining in that sin.
The "just let it go" mentality serves only to defend and encourage sin to grow. These people are enablers, removing guilt and shame before there is repentance.
Guilt and shame over sin is a good thing. God designed our beings to hide when we have sinned. After Adam and Eve sinned they went and hid from God. They did this because they knew what they had done and could not face Him.
He didn't say; "I forgive you." He said the garden would be cursed and the rest of humanity until the end of time would feel the consequences of that sin.
Notice what Adam and Eve did rather than confessing! They blames each other. Adam blamed God and Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Because they blamed others instead of owning their own sin, they were cursed to die.
Does anyone see how serious sin against God is? Its so serious that Adam and Eve were not allowed to live in paradise anymore. They were shamed to have to wear cloths when they didn't need to anymore. Their world was cursed to a fallen state forcing them to wander and work hard to be able to live.
Why would we think our sin is any less important than the sin of Adam and Eve?!!! All Adam and Eve did was eat fruit they were told not to eat. Their sin doesn't seem all that bad compared to what our world does today. Our world does the same things today. Those who are rebellious blame God, blame others, make excuses and become angry when someone confronts sin in them.
All Adam and Eve did was eat fruit they were told to avoid. Just as mankind simply will not obey God in the simplest matters, even worse defending their sin claiming they are under grace.
God has not changed, sin has not changed! Sin of any amount no matter how small keeps someone out of heaven and into hell because God cannot be in the presence of sin.
The only solution is that mankind believe Christ, obey His command to repent and desire to be cleansed by Him. If there is no sorrow over the sin, no repentance and no desire to be cleansed then there is no salvation. Its so simple that a small child can understand it.
John 14:6
"6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
How to make our way to heaven, just believe in Christ and He will do all the work in us. In order to know His heart and His will we must read the Bible and pray for the understanding to discern truth.
Depend only on the Holy Spirit, trust no man for the answers, only Christ. God may send other people from time to time whom Christ is speaking through but everything that is said must be filtered through the Word of God. If what they say does not match the Word then we ignore what they said and go with God.
Psalm 28:7
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him."
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."
God will save and cleanse anyone who wants to believe on Him. When we believe on Him we want to be cleansed.
If anyone holds our sin against us we can say; "Christ cleansed me from that, I am born again and free from that sin. No one but the devil accuses the brethren of what is in the past and gone.
Sadly in our day there are those who are absolving people of their sin when they have not repented. It leaves many wicked people feeling justified in their sin, as though the sin is not a problem. The mentality of entitlement, "you have to forgive me", is present in a lot of people these days.
I have only had one person say to me "you have to forgive me." They were not sorry for anything even continuing in that sin, but thought I should forgive them anyway.
My answer to entitled people who believe they don't have to be repentant for their sin is this; "no, I don't have to forgive you for unrepentant sin. And, God will not forgive anyone who refuses to repent, even while remaining in that sin.
The "just let it go" mentality serves only to defend and encourage sin to grow. These people are enablers, removing guilt and shame before there is repentance.
Guilt and shame over sin is a good thing. God designed our beings to hide when we have sinned. After Adam and Eve sinned they went and hid from God. They did this because they knew what they had done and could not face Him.
He didn't say; "I forgive you." He said the garden would be cursed and the rest of humanity until the end of time would feel the consequences of that sin.
Notice what Adam and Eve did rather than confessing! They blames each other. Adam blamed God and Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Because they blamed others instead of owning their own sin, they were cursed to die.
Does anyone see how serious sin against God is? Its so serious that Adam and Eve were not allowed to live in paradise anymore. They were shamed to have to wear cloths when they didn't need to anymore. Their world was cursed to a fallen state forcing them to wander and work hard to be able to live.
Why would we think our sin is any less important than the sin of Adam and Eve?!!! All Adam and Eve did was eat fruit they were told not to eat. Their sin doesn't seem all that bad compared to what our world does today. Our world does the same things today. Those who are rebellious blame God, blame others, make excuses and become angry when someone confronts sin in them.
All Adam and Eve did was eat fruit they were told to avoid. Just as mankind simply will not obey God in the simplest matters, even worse defending their sin claiming they are under grace.
God has not changed, sin has not changed! Sin of any amount no matter how small keeps someone out of heaven and into hell because God cannot be in the presence of sin.
The only solution is that mankind believe Christ, obey His command to repent and desire to be cleansed by Him. If there is no sorrow over the sin, no repentance and no desire to be cleansed then there is no salvation. Its so simple that a small child can understand it.
John 14:6
"6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
How to make our way to heaven, just believe in Christ and He will do all the work in us. In order to know His heart and His will we must read the Bible and pray for the understanding to discern truth.
Depend only on the Holy Spirit, trust no man for the answers, only Christ. God may send other people from time to time whom Christ is speaking through but everything that is said must be filtered through the Word of God. If what they say does not match the Word then we ignore what they said and go with God.
Psalm 28:7
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him."
Monday, May 20, 2019
Resisting Correction and Instruction will Lead to Hell
Correction often is an expression of caring. If we are not disciplined by God then we do not belong to Him. Those parents who do not discipline or correct their children don't love them.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not 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?…"
Proverbs 13:24
"24 He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Hebrews 12:11
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Ephesians 6:4
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Those children who resist the correction of their parents, fighting to disregard their counsel will be disciplined by God.
I once told my children it is better to be disciplined by me than for them to be disciplined by God later. My discipline is far less frightening than the discipline of the Lord when He deals with a rebellious heart. They didn't believe me, because the culture all around them mocked God's principles.
We are all trained by God through various trials. However when we have to go through training its far less emotionally draining than if we are rejected by God for rebellion.
When we are in training because we are obedient and he wants to grow us, we know He is going through with us. However, when God leaves us to our own consequences because of rebellion, He does not go through with us. He does not impart His strength to us to be able to withstand, we are on our own alone in our sin. After all isn't that what a rebellious person says to God? "I don't need you, nor do I want you." God does not play silly manipulative games with foolish people. When we tell Him we don't want Him He goes away.
Proverbs 12:1
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid."
James 4:2-4 "…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. 4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God."
Notice the rebellious person turns to God in a crisis but they reject Him any other day of the week. God will not hear the prayers of these people.
Proverbs 1:26-28
"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.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,"
God hates to be mocked and then used when things get rough. He will not help those who hate Him every day of the week when things are easy but turn to Him when they want something.
Many of us know what this feels like. Our own children will turn their backs on us when we no longer have anything to offer them. When we have been giving all our lives and in return we received anger that we cannot give one more time, we lose interest in attempting to continue with them. This is normal and natural, God does this too.
Christ gave all He had, that is Himself to die a terrible death for those who were still in their sin. He offered us everything and all we had to do was admit our sinfulness and ask Him to come into us as our guide, our helper, our peace and joy. That's all, just believe Him and He comes in to do all the hard work in us for us. All we have to do is submit when He speaks. Its not hard, but we see the depth of stubbornness in those who will not be told by anyone what they need to do.
Romans 5:7-9 "…7 It is rare indeed for anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!…"
The fool is angry over nothing and believes lies just to show they are in charge of their own life. Talk about cutting off ones nose to spite their own face.
Christ died for all of us while we were still sinners, when we trust Him He counts us as His children and then the sanctification begins. The trials and the learning commence and continue for a lifetime until He takes us home.
Those who do not trust Christ, those that are still trusting in their own strength, thinking they know better than God does, will be left to their own feeble and beggarly devices to muddle through. They may be able to carry on with out Him now, but when judgement day comes they will end up in hell. They then will have no control over their fate. All that control they thought they had will come to worse than nothing, it will be the eternal consequences of hell.
Revelation 21:8
"8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
"5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you
7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not 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?…"
Proverbs 13:24
"24 He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Hebrews 12:11
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Ephesians 6:4
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Those children who resist the correction of their parents, fighting to disregard their counsel will be disciplined by God.
I once told my children it is better to be disciplined by me than for them to be disciplined by God later. My discipline is far less frightening than the discipline of the Lord when He deals with a rebellious heart. They didn't believe me, because the culture all around them mocked God's principles.
We are all trained by God through various trials. However when we have to go through training its far less emotionally draining than if we are rejected by God for rebellion.
When we are in training because we are obedient and he wants to grow us, we know He is going through with us. However, when God leaves us to our own consequences because of rebellion, He does not go through with us. He does not impart His strength to us to be able to withstand, we are on our own alone in our sin. After all isn't that what a rebellious person says to God? "I don't need you, nor do I want you." God does not play silly manipulative games with foolish people. When we tell Him we don't want Him He goes away.
Proverbs 12:1
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid."
James 4:2-4 "…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. 4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God."
Notice the rebellious person turns to God in a crisis but they reject Him any other day of the week. God will not hear the prayers of these people.
Proverbs 1:26-28
"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.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,"
God hates to be mocked and then used when things get rough. He will not help those who hate Him every day of the week when things are easy but turn to Him when they want something.
Many of us know what this feels like. Our own children will turn their backs on us when we no longer have anything to offer them. When we have been giving all our lives and in return we received anger that we cannot give one more time, we lose interest in attempting to continue with them. This is normal and natural, God does this too.
Christ gave all He had, that is Himself to die a terrible death for those who were still in their sin. He offered us everything and all we had to do was admit our sinfulness and ask Him to come into us as our guide, our helper, our peace and joy. That's all, just believe Him and He comes in to do all the hard work in us for us. All we have to do is submit when He speaks. Its not hard, but we see the depth of stubbornness in those who will not be told by anyone what they need to do.
Romans 5:7-9 "…7 It is rare indeed for anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!…"
The fool is angry over nothing and believes lies just to show they are in charge of their own life. Talk about cutting off ones nose to spite their own face.
Christ died for all of us while we were still sinners, when we trust Him He counts us as His children and then the sanctification begins. The trials and the learning commence and continue for a lifetime until He takes us home.
Those who do not trust Christ, those that are still trusting in their own strength, thinking they know better than God does, will be left to their own feeble and beggarly devices to muddle through. They may be able to carry on with out Him now, but when judgement day comes they will end up in hell. They then will have no control over their fate. All that control they thought they had will come to worse than nothing, it will be the eternal consequences of hell.
Revelation 21:8
"8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
"5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you
7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."
Sinless Perfectionists are in Sin!
The Bible does not teach sinless perfection. Those who teach this false doctrine will be blocked. Yes, we should avoid sin and confess if we do it, but no one is perfect except Christ in us'
Those who think they never sin after salvation are denying the ongoing lifelong need for sanctification and confession. Those who think they never sin after salvation will never confess sin to grow in holiness. They will claim their sins are mistakes and grow only in pride.
This was written to believers:
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Romans 7:23-25 "…23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.…
Those who declare they are sinless make terrible spouses and friends. These people are deeply prideful and superior to those they think are beneath them. They tend to be harsh and arrogant toward others who have fallen even after they have confessed and turned from their sin. They also tend to judge little matters as though we have fallen off the cliff.
There is a sense of shaming people for small matters, even things that are not sins but just not the way they would handle things. These people are not teachable, their nose is so lifted up that they would drown in the next good rain.
I rebuke those who think they never sin!!!
1 John 1:7-9 "…7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 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."
Those who think they never sin after salvation are denying the ongoing lifelong need for sanctification and confession. Those who think they never sin after salvation will never confess sin to grow in holiness. They will claim their sins are mistakes and grow only in pride.
This was written to believers:
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Romans 7:23-25 "…23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.…
Those who declare they are sinless make terrible spouses and friends. These people are deeply prideful and superior to those they think are beneath them. They tend to be harsh and arrogant toward others who have fallen even after they have confessed and turned from their sin. They also tend to judge little matters as though we have fallen off the cliff.
There is a sense of shaming people for small matters, even things that are not sins but just not the way they would handle things. These people are not teachable, their nose is so lifted up that they would drown in the next good rain.
I rebuke those who think they never sin!!!
1 John 1:7-9 "…7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 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."
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