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Saturday, March 23, 2019
God's Formula for Forgiveness.
An excellent article on God's meaning of forgiveness. Please watch the video within the article to listen to the short message.
Christians in the Closet
Christians have gotten in that closet with the wicked through their silence. When we do not speak out against evil we empower it.
The Apostasy is Growing
We lived in a small basement apartment when we were first married. Once in awhile I would walk out to the kitchen in the dark to get a drink of water, one time I felt something under my foot. When turning on the light I lifted my foot to find a roach.
You can imagine what my response was, I screamed, ran about the room looking for something to kill it. I found a can of "Raid." I guess I had injured it with my step that it could not run away so I drown it in raid to make sure it was dead.
One thing I learned is that if I had turned on the light before entering the kitchen that horrid looking creature would have run so fast under the counters or in the cracks that I would never have caught it.
The lesson here is that when we live as born again believers our light of Christ is always shinning. Those who hate the light hate us. They scatter like roaches when we come near.
The unsaved hate the light, this is why we see the taverns dark and dreary, there is a sense that sin will be safe in the dark.
This is also why unbelievers want no discussion to resolve problems. They are convinced if they hide the truth, refuse to face it or discuss it, it will be hidden from view. They can hide it from most people but the signs are clear for the discerning born again believer.
When someone will not discuss a problem openly, that is the clue that they love their secrets and the darkness. They know that they would fight and expect us to because they do. They expect us to do what is normal for them.
When someone attempts to convince us to embrace the world's standards, setting aside the Word of God to follow after worldly doctrines we know they are in darkness.
When we begin to pray for truth no matter where it takes us, God will show us things that astonish us. We will be astonished at the unbilbical principles that many Christians have embraced and defended. The apostate condition of most churches will stand out like a sore thumb.
It is astonishing how many things have crept into the church unnoticed by most Christians. They didn't notice these things because they liked how it all sounded. It allowed them to remain popular with everyone.
Last year on Halloween we read an article in the news paper of a local Baptist church that had a "tail gate" party in their parking lot. They set up the cars of parishioners with trunks open and goodies inside to allow the children to go "trick or treating" in a safe place.
That was not bad enough, then the pastor preached a sermon on honoring head relatives. He encouraged people of the church to bring pictures of their dead relatives. These pictures were placed on tables with candles and other paraphernalia to honor them. The parishioners were told to say something to their dead relative.
These practices using candles, photos of dead people and the trick or treating was as paganistic as it gets. AND YET, this was done in a "Christian" church with the title of "Baptist."
What is wrong with those who participated in these things? How could a born again believer indulge in this nonsense without any reservations at all, even embracing it with vigor as though it were something good?
This is how far the modern church has fallen. They see these things as perhaps something to disagree with but not a big enough problem to leave the church or even complain about it to their designated one man salaried pastor. After all, he's paid to do his job, so he must know what is right to do. Anyone else complaining is a divisive person only wanting to make trouble.
The truth is that it is not the one who rebukes these pagan things that is divisive. It is the one who brings these abominations into the church who is divisive, that is the apostate one man salaried pastor.
There is every reason to believe that the melding of Catholicsm and Protestantims is moving rapidly. Since there is a the mentality in our world today that every religion has something to offer, there must be a coming together to share all this wisdom. Sadly its not wisdom at all, its apostasy, a departing from the truth to embrace the devils' schemes.
Apostasy and demeaning of God's Word has been embraced in nearly every gathering everywhere. We are in the end times when hearts are hard, pride is huge and no one will listen.
Jeremiah 7:26-28 "…26 Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.’ 27 When you tell them all these things, they will not listen to you. When you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore you must say to them: This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the LORD their God and would not receive correction. Truth has perished; it has disappeared from their lips.…"
Yes there is a form of godliness that in reality is satanic. There are many who will claim to love God but they do not. Their Jesus is a different Jesus, a Jesus of their own making in their own mind, not the Jesus Christ of the Bible.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”…"
You can imagine what my response was, I screamed, ran about the room looking for something to kill it. I found a can of "Raid." I guess I had injured it with my step that it could not run away so I drown it in raid to make sure it was dead.
One thing I learned is that if I had turned on the light before entering the kitchen that horrid looking creature would have run so fast under the counters or in the cracks that I would never have caught it.
The lesson here is that when we live as born again believers our light of Christ is always shinning. Those who hate the light hate us. They scatter like roaches when we come near.
The unsaved hate the light, this is why we see the taverns dark and dreary, there is a sense that sin will be safe in the dark.
This is also why unbelievers want no discussion to resolve problems. They are convinced if they hide the truth, refuse to face it or discuss it, it will be hidden from view. They can hide it from most people but the signs are clear for the discerning born again believer.
When someone will not discuss a problem openly, that is the clue that they love their secrets and the darkness. They know that they would fight and expect us to because they do. They expect us to do what is normal for them.
When someone attempts to convince us to embrace the world's standards, setting aside the Word of God to follow after worldly doctrines we know they are in darkness.
When we begin to pray for truth no matter where it takes us, God will show us things that astonish us. We will be astonished at the unbilbical principles that many Christians have embraced and defended. The apostate condition of most churches will stand out like a sore thumb.
It is astonishing how many things have crept into the church unnoticed by most Christians. They didn't notice these things because they liked how it all sounded. It allowed them to remain popular with everyone.
Last year on Halloween we read an article in the news paper of a local Baptist church that had a "tail gate" party in their parking lot. They set up the cars of parishioners with trunks open and goodies inside to allow the children to go "trick or treating" in a safe place.
That was not bad enough, then the pastor preached a sermon on honoring head relatives. He encouraged people of the church to bring pictures of their dead relatives. These pictures were placed on tables with candles and other paraphernalia to honor them. The parishioners were told to say something to their dead relative.
These practices using candles, photos of dead people and the trick or treating was as paganistic as it gets. AND YET, this was done in a "Christian" church with the title of "Baptist."
What is wrong with those who participated in these things? How could a born again believer indulge in this nonsense without any reservations at all, even embracing it with vigor as though it were something good?
This is how far the modern church has fallen. They see these things as perhaps something to disagree with but not a big enough problem to leave the church or even complain about it to their designated one man salaried pastor. After all, he's paid to do his job, so he must know what is right to do. Anyone else complaining is a divisive person only wanting to make trouble.
The truth is that it is not the one who rebukes these pagan things that is divisive. It is the one who brings these abominations into the church who is divisive, that is the apostate one man salaried pastor.
There is every reason to believe that the melding of Catholicsm and Protestantims is moving rapidly. Since there is a the mentality in our world today that every religion has something to offer, there must be a coming together to share all this wisdom. Sadly its not wisdom at all, its apostasy, a departing from the truth to embrace the devils' schemes.
Apostasy and demeaning of God's Word has been embraced in nearly every gathering everywhere. We are in the end times when hearts are hard, pride is huge and no one will listen.
Jeremiah 7:26-28 "…26 Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.’ 27 When you tell them all these things, they will not listen to you. When you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore you must say to them: This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the LORD their God and would not receive correction. Truth has perished; it has disappeared from their lips.…"
Yes there is a form of godliness that in reality is satanic. There are many who will claim to love God but they do not. Their Jesus is a different Jesus, a Jesus of their own making in their own mind, not the Jesus Christ of the Bible.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”…"
Do Not Chase Them, Leave Them to God
We cannot chase after someone who refuses to want cleansing. We cannot make someone else stop sin by dogging them. We must tell the truth and let them go where they choose.
It takes faith to let go of someone who will not listen. We must believe that God is the only one who can reach them. We have no power to "reason" a person out of their sin or foolishness.
The real faith is in realizing we cannot be someone else's righteousness for them. They must want it so badly they are ready and willing to turn from their sin toward Christ.
Sometimes we have the idea that love means either accepting them in their sin or dogging them until they finally get tired of us. The truth is that this is lack of faith that God can do it without us and we must allow Him. Sometimes we get in His way, keeping the sinning one's focus on us instead of seeking God.
Perhaps a part of us enjoys the elevated status of being the one to rescue another person, this is pride.
God does not need us and only He knows exactly what is to be done, we do not.
Proverbs 19:19-20 "19 A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again. 20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.…"
If we allow someone to rely upon us to continually rescue them they will keep relying on us, and never be healed. It is Christ they need to rely on, so there are times when we need to get out of God's way and leave Him to His work.
It takes faith to let go of someone who will not listen. We must believe that God is the only one who can reach them. We have no power to "reason" a person out of their sin or foolishness.
The real faith is in realizing we cannot be someone else's righteousness for them. They must want it so badly they are ready and willing to turn from their sin toward Christ.
Sometimes we have the idea that love means either accepting them in their sin or dogging them until they finally get tired of us. The truth is that this is lack of faith that God can do it without us and we must allow Him. Sometimes we get in His way, keeping the sinning one's focus on us instead of seeking God.
Perhaps a part of us enjoys the elevated status of being the one to rescue another person, this is pride.
God does not need us and only He knows exactly what is to be done, we do not.
Proverbs 19:19-20 "19 A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again. 20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.…"
If we allow someone to rely upon us to continually rescue them they will keep relying on us, and never be healed. It is Christ they need to rely on, so there are times when we need to get out of God's way and leave Him to His work.
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