2 Kings 2:23-24
23 From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of young men came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the young men.…
Friday, January 18, 2019
To those whom I have loved!
The reason I have been so vocal and grieved about all that I see in family and former friends is because of my love for them.
It is harder to endure contempt from those we have loved and whom we thought loved us.
When we point out a flaw in others to help them see a need for spiritual growth, we have already been there and seen what trusting Christ did for us. When Christ in us showed us flaws that needed mending, we listened, we grew and we carried on a little better than we were before. Everyone must do this to grow spiritually.
We pray for those who have not yet chosen to see their own flaws. We agonize over the foolishness they allow in their lives and the things we know will destroy them. We loved them and still do, but they will not recognize that love. They do not recognize it because they do not have a proper Biblical understanding about the nature of love. They sense no need for change in their heart as many of us saw in our own hearts.
The best people to listen to are those who have been down the sinful road, found the narrow path and went on to greater cleansing by Christ Who lives in them.
God agonized so much over the nation of Israel that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to them first/ When they killed Him His death was for them and for the Gentiles too. The death was to cover the sins of those He loved, that was the entire world for all time. His blood was available to cover all that sin, but most will not see His death as love nor will they repent to be cleansed.
And yet, He will send into hell all those for whom He died who refuse His offer of grace. He died for them, His love was beyond any love a human being could have for anyone, and yet He will cast into hell all those who reject Him.
When we are rejected for extending correction, discipline and counsel to those who are perishing, we can to some degree identify with the rejection Christ endured from the very people for whom He died. The hard part is when we realize many of those who reject Christ are in the church, they want His perks, His protection and material wealth but they do not want Him.
The pretenders are many, far more than authentic believers who have been changed into a new creation. They have a form of religion but are not interested in Christ working in them.
The burden to pray for the believers to be strong and for the repentance of many to become born again is grave now as we reach the end of the church age. Time is running out, this age of grace will be at an end and there will be no more opportunity for stubborn hearts to turn to Christ.
After the rapture there will be others who will trust Christ, mostly the nation of Israel after heavy losses. May those reading this who are not born again or think they are but were never changed, please confess your sinfulness and trust Christ before it is too late.
John 3:1-21
"3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God So Loved the World
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
One last important thought!
When someone does not believe the truths as given to us in the Bible, twisting them, adding to them or denying them, then they have not trusted in Christ. Their trust remains in themselves and others just like them.
It is harder to endure contempt from those we have loved and whom we thought loved us.
When we point out a flaw in others to help them see a need for spiritual growth, we have already been there and seen what trusting Christ did for us. When Christ in us showed us flaws that needed mending, we listened, we grew and we carried on a little better than we were before. Everyone must do this to grow spiritually.
We pray for those who have not yet chosen to see their own flaws. We agonize over the foolishness they allow in their lives and the things we know will destroy them. We loved them and still do, but they will not recognize that love. They do not recognize it because they do not have a proper Biblical understanding about the nature of love. They sense no need for change in their heart as many of us saw in our own hearts.
The best people to listen to are those who have been down the sinful road, found the narrow path and went on to greater cleansing by Christ Who lives in them.
God agonized so much over the nation of Israel that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to them first/ When they killed Him His death was for them and for the Gentiles too. The death was to cover the sins of those He loved, that was the entire world for all time. His blood was available to cover all that sin, but most will not see His death as love nor will they repent to be cleansed.
And yet, He will send into hell all those for whom He died who refuse His offer of grace. He died for them, His love was beyond any love a human being could have for anyone, and yet He will cast into hell all those who reject Him.
When we are rejected for extending correction, discipline and counsel to those who are perishing, we can to some degree identify with the rejection Christ endured from the very people for whom He died. The hard part is when we realize many of those who reject Christ are in the church, they want His perks, His protection and material wealth but they do not want Him.
The pretenders are many, far more than authentic believers who have been changed into a new creation. They have a form of religion but are not interested in Christ working in them.
The burden to pray for the believers to be strong and for the repentance of many to become born again is grave now as we reach the end of the church age. Time is running out, this age of grace will be at an end and there will be no more opportunity for stubborn hearts to turn to Christ.
After the rapture there will be others who will trust Christ, mostly the nation of Israel after heavy losses. May those reading this who are not born again or think they are but were never changed, please confess your sinfulness and trust Christ before it is too late.
John 3:1-21
"3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God So Loved the World
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
One last important thought!
When someone does not believe the truths as given to us in the Bible, twisting them, adding to them or denying them, then they have not trusted in Christ. Their trust remains in themselves and others just like them.
Goodness is Trampled While Evil is Pampered
Sometimes its hard to be in this world when all around us are lies. The media lies about everything, even if only by leaving out important information.
Our culture seems comfortable these days with half truths. As though if they tell half of the truth that's good enough. They don't seem to understand that half truths are all lies.
When the purpose of a tale is to make someone believe the opposite of what is truth, then the half truth is a lie.
Mixing some truth with mostly lies is the same as a little poison in the casserole. No one wants to eat the casserole if they know even a slight amount of poison is in it.
When relationships, news stories or anything else is based on half truths then they are based on all lies. These relationships cannot be sustained nor can any nation that is steeped in lies.
Lies lead people into irrational thinking. So many these days think as long as they "feel" a certain way about something, then that feeling is truth. This is why we have the monstrous nonsense of gender identity these days.
It never came to mind only a few years ago that thee would be people who refuse to call themselves by their birth gender while would choosing another, as though there are more than two.
Completely irrational thinking has captivated the minds of so many, even in the church as people justify sin because of their "feelings."
We are now a feelings driven culture leading most into nonsensical and irrational thinking.
Feelings are not facts they are based on stimuli and often lie to us. They tell us things are good when they are bad and that things are bad when they are good. Just look around you every day and watch how this is playing out.
Decent God fearing people are being called bad while evil people are being called good.
Evil people are being coddled in their wickedness while decent God fearing people are pressured to forgive those who are unrepentant. These mentalities fly in the face of God's principles allowing evil to grow while the good is being thrown under the bus.
Isaiah 5:20
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"
Our culture seems comfortable these days with half truths. As though if they tell half of the truth that's good enough. They don't seem to understand that half truths are all lies.
When the purpose of a tale is to make someone believe the opposite of what is truth, then the half truth is a lie.
Mixing some truth with mostly lies is the same as a little poison in the casserole. No one wants to eat the casserole if they know even a slight amount of poison is in it.
When relationships, news stories or anything else is based on half truths then they are based on all lies. These relationships cannot be sustained nor can any nation that is steeped in lies.
Lies lead people into irrational thinking. So many these days think as long as they "feel" a certain way about something, then that feeling is truth. This is why we have the monstrous nonsense of gender identity these days.
It never came to mind only a few years ago that thee would be people who refuse to call themselves by their birth gender while would choosing another, as though there are more than two.
Completely irrational thinking has captivated the minds of so many, even in the church as people justify sin because of their "feelings."
We are now a feelings driven culture leading most into nonsensical and irrational thinking.
Feelings are not facts they are based on stimuli and often lie to us. They tell us things are good when they are bad and that things are bad when they are good. Just look around you every day and watch how this is playing out.
Decent God fearing people are being called bad while evil people are being called good.
Evil people are being coddled in their wickedness while decent God fearing people are pressured to forgive those who are unrepentant. These mentalities fly in the face of God's principles allowing evil to grow while the good is being thrown under the bus.
Isaiah 5:20
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"
The Evidence is Clear
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Acts 5:29
"But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."
1 Peter 1:14
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,"
1 John 5:3
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."
The evidence that we are born again is that we love God's commandments. When we fail we hate it and quickly confess to return to obedience.
Exodus 23:22
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries."
Those who are an enemy of God are our enemies too. Those who are our enemies because of Christ will be God's enemies too.
1 John 3:24
"Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us."
We do not become born again because we keep God's commandments. We keep God's commandments because we are born again.
Luke 11:28
"But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Acts 5:29
"But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."
1 Peter 1:14
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,"
1 John 5:3
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."
The evidence that we are born again is that we love God's commandments. When we fail we hate it and quickly confess to return to obedience.
Exodus 23:22
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries."
Those who are an enemy of God are our enemies too. Those who are our enemies because of Christ will be God's enemies too.
1 John 3:24
"Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us."
We do not become born again because we keep God's commandments. We keep God's commandments because we are born again.
Luke 11:28
"But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
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