Cannot Imagine!

Yes, and I cannot imagine a born again believer who wept over their own sinfulness ever holding a forgiven sin against another believer.

Dawn Martin said:

"I cannot imagine a single believer not weeping over their sins when they are saved. It is very likely that the Holy Spirit has never convicted them and never shown them their sinfulness and the depths of their depravity. (Jeremiah 17:9) When the weight of one's sin is lifted from one's shoulders at conversion, it is like a 1,000-pound weight lifted from one's shoulders! I confess I do not understand so-called believers when they cannot shed a tear over what Jesus Christ has done for this wicked, sinful, sin-cursed world. Let us remember the cross every day of our lives and be thankful!"

Scripture Twisting is Common Now

Far too many scriptures are being ignored in order to accommodate sin in the body.

The Faith of the Born Again Believer

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
'2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

3 By faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death, and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
6 And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith, even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had an opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
18 it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac, your descendants shall be called.”
19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.
28 By faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab, the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

32 And what more shall I say? For the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
40 because God had provided something better for us so that apart from us they would not be made perfect."

Tested, Tempted and Yet Faithful

This is a time when believers will be tested and tempted to focus on this world and all that is going on. I am no exception.

The Lord began to work on me with thoughts of being overwhelmed with all that I see and hear around me. I was focusing laterally instead of vertically.

When I began to wake up from my state of astonishment I realized my focus had been deterred from Christ to the end times events and attitudes.

From here on out we can expect all things and people to grow worse. This is not our business, we must keep our eyes on Christ.

We have one mandate from God, that is to speak often of the Lord as we remain faithful to His Word.

The more things progress toward the one-world government the less we will fit into this world. We will be excluded, abandoned and mocked for loving Christ, the same way the apostles were in their day.

Noah preached 120 years and the people would not listen. We are dealing with the same mentality right now. People would rather depend upon their fantasies to console them than turn to Christ.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"

You might say; "but what can I do, where can I go to speak of the Lord?" Its simple, get on your computer, speak to the people you know the strangers you meet on Facebook and blogs. We are quarantined now, you can do all this from your chair in your home.

Imagine reaching the entire world in minutes without leaving your home. Don't worry about where it is going because God will take it wherever He wants it to go.

In 2 Timothy 4, God said that people will not listen and yet we are to speak anyway. However, some may listen and that's God's business too.

Hallelujah

Pretenders and Their Fate

For those who think they are born again but are living out a form of Christianity in the flesh rather than the Spirit of Christ, are not born again and will hear some very fearful and terrifying words:

Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

Imagine getting to heaven expecting to enter only to be turned away into hell. There is nothing more frightening than that.

Dawn Martin

April 3 at 12:38 PM

I’m not going to sugarcoat the truth. To put it bluntly, you’re going to have 7 years of hell on earth if you reject Christ!

Pride of Good Works

There is a measure of pride involved in believing someone must "do" something to be a good person as if they actually could be good enough.

And there is a lack of faith in not believing Christ could make us into a new creation, doing away with the old and replacing it with the new person.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.…"

Which deeds are good enough to keep us out of hell?
Which deeds will gain us heaven?
Which deeds will keep us saved?
How big do the good works have to be?
How many good deeds must we do to make it into heaven?

God does not tell us these things because none of it would earn us heaven.

Perhaps we should ask the thief on the cross to explain why he got into heaven without any good deeds at all.

All the thief on the cross did was believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Christ proclaimed; "This day you will be in paradise with me." That thief wasn't even baptized!

When we believe in Christ as our only way to heaven He then changes us into a new creation.....He does that, we do not.

2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

When we believe in Christ as our only way to heaven He sends His Holy Spirit to come and live in us as our promise that we will be taken to heaven when we die.

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.…"

When we believe in Christ as our only way to heaven He begins the cleansing process. He disciplines us when we stray, He instructs us, He gives us wisdom and tells us what to say when to say it and what to do and when to do it.

One way we know we are walking in the Spirit is when our deeds glorify God and not ourselves.

One way we know we are walking in the Spirit is when we have the fruit of that Spirit. What is the fruit?

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

When we walk in the Spirit we don't have to work at these character qualities, they will be automatic, we are these things within our very bone and sinew. These qualities go to the very core of who we are, not just temporary and superficial but a continual way of life.

When we fail we hate what we have done and come back to obedience.

1 John 3:9 "9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. "

Anyone who fights to defend sin and refuses to reject it without conscience about it cannot be born again. They have not lost the salvation they never had it in the beginning.

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?…"

Born again believers who have trusted Christ hate to sin, when they do they return to obedience. Those who are not born again love and defend their sin.

Our culture is only confused about salvation because so many people who claim to be "Christians" do not walk with God nor do they want to, they are pretenders amongst the sheep.

Some People Have Gone Crazed with Conspiracies!

Overwhelmed by Conspiratorial Hype?

No one seems to be embarrassed about having a broken leg. They go to the doctor to have the broken leg set and are careful with it for a few weeks until it heals.

But what if we had a broken spirit, a spirit that has been deeply in sin for many years leaving discouragement and scars that seem impossible to heal? Or how about a broken spirit because of the people around us who do not love God.

Did you know that your spiritual condition is far more important than your physical condition?

Who do we go to when our spirit is broken? When we have a broken spirit the best place to go is to Jesus Christ.

We might be able to go to a trusted friend, but it is only wise to consult with a friend if that friend understands you and is Christ-minded to encourage you in the way of righteousness.

There are few of these kinds of people around who believe we need Christ. Most friends these days would point us to psychology to deal with the condition of the mind. They might even give bad advice for us to go against the principles of God to alleviate our bad feelings.

What's wrong with this? Only Christ can know our heart and our mind. The psychologists only have guesses based on what they can see and what we tell them. Often friends only have bandaide solutions that make things worse but relieve our hurt feelings.

We are very clever in sharing with people what we want them to see, our good side, or what we believe about ourselves rather than what is real about us.

We tend to have a higher opinion about ourselves than God knows about us. It is human nature to believe we are good and everything we do is right.

The reality is that we deceive ourselves often, justifying what we do based on what we believe rather than on the deepest truths within us, the truth God knows about us.

We do not know our own hearts, this is why we must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our hearts. If we cannot be honest about ourselves or ask to be revealed then we will not grow in holiness.

Psalm 139:23-24
"23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way."

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Isaiah 40:31
"o wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

When we think too highly of ourselves we tend to focus on that which does not need fixing or that which is not even real in us. It is best to focus on what needs fixing and ask the Lord to heal our spiritual ills.

Romans 12:3
"For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."

Being satisfied with ourselves does not bring about strength in us. When we are satisfied with ourselves we tend to camp on how great we think we are and neglect the leaks, the flaws and the weaknesses that only God can repair.

Perhaps all that is going on in the world now are distractions that keep us focused on safety, self-preservation and the social and economic problems that we can do nothing about. When we are talking about these things we will not be talking about Christ.

Recently I found myself searching for news on various things going on in the government, I felt lost, as though nothing I could ever do or say would make anything better. Even worse I cannot believe anything I see on the internet, liberal or conservative.

God brought to mind that the best way for me to survive this was to pray, do what He tells me to do and leave the rest of the mess to God.

Back in the day before the internet, we didn't have access to so much information. All we had was the radio and the evening television news. It wasn't possible to see all that was going on in the world. Or at least someone else's version of what was going on. Truly, I doubt most of what I hear but so many people are convinced about what they hear. What's wrong with me?

Perhaps Ignorance is bliss? We are living in a world filled with disinformation on every side. There are a million theories out there but very little hard evidence for most of what is seen on the internet. We have testimonies of those who are supposed to know but we don't know them, we only have what they say and what their friends say.

I have come to the conclusion with the help of the Holy Spirit that it would be best to hear no theories, hear no hype and to keep focused on Jesus Christ, His principles and His commands.

Remember the old adage "take everything with a grain of salt"? Unless it is the truth from the Bible and clear end times prophesy being fulfilled, it is not worth spending energy over.

It is not bad to know some things going on in the world but to know too much is to worry about too much. You might say I am overwhelmed and distrusting of so much that is called "information."

Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Our faith is not in this world or its system, our faith is in Christ, His principles and the future He has for us.

2 Corinthians 1:9
"Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."

Psalm 119:66
"Teach me good judgment and knowledge, I believe Your commandments."

Romans 15:14
"Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."

2 Corinthians 10:5
"casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,"

Seven Types Of Narcissists