Rejecting the cultural Christianity I grew up with to embrace and enjoy a relationship with Jesus Christ. A place to come and share thoughts about almost anything. Especially things of the Lord. Please no Anonymous posts, I enjoy knowing who is writing to me.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Unbalanced and Unbiblical
Why do so many people say, "forgive, forgive", while we rarely hear "repent, or "confess,, confess? Seems unbalanced!!!!
Life Passes as a Vapor
James 4:14 "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away."
The young do not realize how fast life flies until they are old, then they look back with astonishment at how time raced by.
The young do not realize how fast life flies until they are old, then they look back with astonishment at how time raced by.
Confession is Required to be Forgiven
Confession of sin must happen before forgiveness can be extended. They are a set as in two sides of the same coin, one cannot have one without the other.
The reason so many Christians are confused about this matter of forgiveness is because psychology teaches that we forgive so we feel better ourselves. This is not Biblical. Forgiveness extended because someone confessed their sin and wishes to be forgiven reconciles a broken relationship.
A relationship in which there has been extended forgiveness but the offender is not sorry, remains broken.
We do have a benefit when we forgive genuinely and that is a reconciled relationship and a blessing from heaven, but we do not forgive without the confession of sin merely to feel good about ourselves.
There is no blessing from heaven for forgiving superficially without a restored relationship.
Luke 17:3-4 "3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”…"
Notice the "returns to say, 'I repent," it's not hard but is so often ignored.
When we forgive man's way there is no accountability, no justice and no change of attitude or behavior.
Jeremiah 6:13-15 "…13“For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit. 14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all. 15 Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD.…"
When a culture gets to the point that the offender is coddled and forgiven without confession of sin we have lost the culture and justice has been perverted.
We are now living in times when people want more than anything to "feel" good all the time without "being" good. They want to be admired and accepted even while they are defiant against God.
The people of today refuse to listen to the truth, rage at those who speak the truth, and plot revenge on righteous people to make themselves feel better about their sin. In order to remain in sin to enjoy it the sinner must devalue and diminish the truth and those who speak God's Word.
Isaiah 30:10
They say to the seers, "Stop seeing visions!" and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
Welcome to the Second Timothy Three end times mentality. We must stay close to God, reject evil and stay true to the principles of the Bible if we are to remain unaffected by the world in which we live.
Expect rejection, mocking, misunderstandings that lead to family exclusion, even in the body of Christ. We need not become sad or depressed when we encounter this when we know who is behind it, that is the devil, and that it is directed at God not us.
The reason so many Christians are confused about this matter of forgiveness is because psychology teaches that we forgive so we feel better ourselves. This is not Biblical. Forgiveness extended because someone confessed their sin and wishes to be forgiven reconciles a broken relationship.
A relationship in which there has been extended forgiveness but the offender is not sorry, remains broken.
We do have a benefit when we forgive genuinely and that is a reconciled relationship and a blessing from heaven, but we do not forgive without the confession of sin merely to feel good about ourselves.
There is no blessing from heaven for forgiving superficially without a restored relationship.
Luke 17:3-4 "3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”…"
Notice the "returns to say, 'I repent," it's not hard but is so often ignored.
When we forgive man's way there is no accountability, no justice and no change of attitude or behavior.
Jeremiah 6:13-15 "…13“For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit. 14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all. 15 Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD.…"
When a culture gets to the point that the offender is coddled and forgiven without confession of sin we have lost the culture and justice has been perverted.
We are now living in times when people want more than anything to "feel" good all the time without "being" good. They want to be admired and accepted even while they are defiant against God.
The people of today refuse to listen to the truth, rage at those who speak the truth, and plot revenge on righteous people to make themselves feel better about their sin. In order to remain in sin to enjoy it the sinner must devalue and diminish the truth and those who speak God's Word.
Isaiah 30:10
They say to the seers, "Stop seeing visions!" and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
Welcome to the Second Timothy Three end times mentality. We must stay close to God, reject evil and stay true to the principles of the Bible if we are to remain unaffected by the world in which we live.
Expect rejection, mocking, misunderstandings that lead to family exclusion, even in the body of Christ. We need not become sad or depressed when we encounter this when we know who is behind it, that is the devil, and that it is directed at God not us.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Friday, November 26, 2021
Don't Let Your Name Be Blotted Out, Trust Christ Now
God wished that all would be saved so everyone's name was written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Names are only blotted out when someone refuses Jesus Christ. This is why we don't see any Scripture that says, "your names are added to the book" and you don't see any Scripture that says names that were blotted out were added back.
When Christ changes us into a new creation we are a completely different person and our names will never be blotted out.
Luke 10:20
"Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Psalm 67:27-28 "…27 Add iniquity to their iniquity; let them not share in Your righteousness. 28 May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous."
Revelation 3:5
"Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels."
Hebrews 6:5-6 "…4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
Those who have been in church all their lives, having tasted the good fruit but did not eat it, are the pretenders. They knew the gospel, walked with those who were born again but were never born again themselves.
These were the Judas of the world who have been with believers but have no interest in being changed into a new creation by Christ. These people are even used of the devil to disrupt the gathering of believers through false doctrine and contention. Sadly the number in this group is far more than those who have authentically trusted in Christ and have been changed by Him. They come in speaking the right things some of the time to confuse people.
Hebrews 10:29
"29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?"
We are living in an apostate age in which many people think all they have to do is "say" they are Christian and everyone else should just believe them.
God makes it clear that we are to test the spirits of people to see if they walk with God. Judas was proven to be a pretender, Christ said he was a "devil", meaning he was controlled by the devil and yet the other apostles didn't know it.
When Christ said "one of you is a devil," they asked Him, "is it I, Lord." Judas looked just like them, he was even the treasurer of the group, and yet he was controlled and motivated by the devil. The apostles didn't know who the devil was even though they spent much time with him.
We live in an age when the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can know what He knows.
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 told us we can know who the pretenders are by their 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."
Matthew 7:16-18 "…16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.…"
Those who love the Lord and have been changed by Him will live a lifestyle of goodness. When they mess up it is out of weakness not hate. They hate that they have displeased God and desire to make it right through confession and forgiveness.
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
One who is a pretender is not sorry for their hate and rudeness, they justify it and even demonstrate pride that allows them to blame others for their own sin.
Those who have been born again no longer think the way they thought before Christ changed them. They hate the evil in the world and have empathy for those who need to be saved from their sin and hell.
If there is no desire to see souls saved there probably isn't salvation in the heart of the one who claims to be a Christian.
Those who have confessed their sinfulness desiring to be changed by Christ want very much for others to experience the same blessing. We know the amazing peace, purpose, and inheritance we have when we have trusted Christ and we want everyone we know to have the same thing, so we pray for them. We cannot hate someone for whom we are praying.
May the Lord bless those who have been cleansed by the knowledge of the love Christ has for them. May those who have not yet trusted Christ, may the Lord bring many things into their lives that will help them see their need for Him.
There is nothing more important than a person's salvation, eternity is far longer than this short life on earth.
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Set the Politics Aside and Worship God!!!
Why are so many Christian leaders leaning politically in their sermons and their teaching videos? I am appalled at those who are distracting believers from the Bible while focusing on all the foolishness going on in the world.
God didn't give us details of the evil that would come because with the Holy Spirit we can easily see when something is off!
I understand people warning others about general things that are going on but the many details of that evil are not edifying nor are they useful for us.
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen."
Romans 14:19
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."
1 Corinthians 10:23
"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."
When we dwell constantly on the things happening in the world just to know what they are, we are defiling our minds. So many say they like to be informed but are becoming unpeaceful and agitated by knowing the things the world is doing.
It is my belief that those who continually rant about all the ills of the world and then add at the end of the rant, "we must do something" are loving the drama of it all and justifying repeating it by telling people to "do something about it."
When God described in His Word all that would happen in the end times He was not telling us to march, overthrow or battle this world. He was telling us to be about our business of the gospel and edifying the believer with the Word. That is our job while we are here on earth. We are not here to save a government or overtake the world politically.
I am observing believers becoming frustrated about things that are happening, even depressed but at the same time looking constantly on the internet to find all the garbage they can whine about.
I told one brother and sister they should stop searching for all that disinformation and political hype, especially if it is going to make them depressed. The response was to shun me as though I did something wrong in suggesting that they return to thoughts about Jesus Christ.
When Jesus Christ is on our minds continually nothing that happens in the world will affect our joy or peace.
Philippians 4:8
"8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
It doesn't make sense to me to keep our minds on the world when our blessings have been immense, our salvation secured and our home going soon. We have nothing but joy and peace and hope when we see that the world is falling apart because we know it means the prophecy is being fulfilled and our redemption from this world is soon. It's all in God's plan and His plan is perfect.
Luke 21:27-28 "…27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
It is sheer foolishness to think we can stop what God said was going to happen. We are living in prophetic times rampant with the fulfillment of the prophecy the writers of the Bible wrote about but didn't understand. We can understand much of what was written because we are living in the middle of it now.
Instead of becoming immersed in the wickedness of the world though digging for knowledge about it, we ought to be speaking of Christ more, praying more, singing praises more. Because these are the end times there is a greater need to preach the gospel, expound on His Word and pray before God takes us out.
More of God and less of the world ought to be our mantra. If we are "looking up" as God said to do we will be so joyful and peaceful that others may notice and wish to have what we have.
Why would a non-believer want what the Christian has when they are no different, full of anger, rage, disappointment and fear.
Authentic believers are different and their love for God grows stronger as they watch the world fall apart.
Hallelujah!!!!
Christ Our Best Friend!
When we know that Christ in us is our best friend it matters little if anyone else loves us. It matters that we love others but it does not matter if they love us back.
Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Romans 8:9
"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."
Do not Allow Them to Turn You into Them.
John 15:1-27
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. "
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."
It seems there are many people we meet even in churches today who do not have this fruit that God describes must be in every believer.
No one is perfect but the character qualities of Christ as seen in this fruit should be so much a part of our life we are deeply convicted when the flesh shows up in violation of one of these qualities.
Those who have the character qualities of Christ and mess up want to confess to be cleansed and mend whatever riff between friends by confessing it and resolving not to treat the offended party that way again.
When we see someone say they are sorry for offending us because they notice we are pulling away we are witnessing manipulation. Someone who is sorry because of the consequences but continues to act the same way that was offensive, we have met a manipulator. They want the friendship without any need to change how they treat the one who is offended.
We are witnessing much foolish and rude behavior in these last days. The challenge is to remain faithful to God ourselves no matter what the culture is doing. We must not become what we see all around us, we must be led by the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:4
"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
1 Peter 3:8-10 "8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.…"
Keep looking up!!!!
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Love Even When They Don't Love Us Back
We are called as born-again believers and carriers of the gospel to love and treat with respect everyone we come in contact with no matter their position or status in life.
If we only treat people with respect whom we like or are doing what we think they should do then we have a "performance-based" love, not God's kind of Love.
Remember Christ going to the cross while we were all still sinners and dying for us there?
People will not necessarily love us back because we have love in our hearts, but they will not be able to say we didn't treat them with love and kindness if we are obeying Christ.
To be a person who loves based on performance is arrogance at its worst. These are people who think they were never unworthy of love believing they have always been good.
Everyone is unworthy of love, ourselves included but we love anyway because Christ first loved us while we were unlovable.
Loving someone God's way does not guarantee they will love Jesus because of our love or that they will love us back. We love because God told us to do it. If we do not love then we slide back into the ways of the heathen ultimately becoming a bad witness for Christ.
Let's be clear about what love is, it is doing what is best for the person who is the object of our love. It may be tender kind words as they are going through hard things or it may be a rebuke to protect them from themselves and destructive actions.
Romans 12:17-21
"17 Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people.
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Proverbs 27:5-6 "Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful”
Many people will not be at peace with us because of their hatred toward God but we can always be at peace with them because we do not act the way they act. We do not retaliate when we are reviled. There is peace in our hearts whether or not others return peace to us.
An open rebuke is a sign of true love and friendship. Love entails many aspects, it is not what so many people think. Love is not smiling all the time nodding heads in agreement no matter what is said or done, in bobblehead fashion to be accepted by others. If we love others we are willing to take a chance on being treated disrespectfully to help someone.
We cannot change anyone else but we can be changed by Christ ourselves as we seek Him to root out of us anything that displeases Him.
Most of all we never have to fear the responses of others when we have obeyed the Holy Spirit. When our life is not about ourselves we are not easily offended. We do however choose our friends who can help us walk more closely with Christ.
May our every word and every action be guided by the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!!!
WHEN GOD DOESN'T WANT YOU WITH SOMEONE | THESE THINGS WILL HAPPEN
When we see that we can no longer communicate with someone without being shut down or dismissed, then is when communication is no longer possible. When normal rational discourse, each person having their say in kindness, cannot be achieved then communication is one-sided. There cannot be a friendship with those who talk all they want but do not allow you to speak without being punished for your views. When we attempt to communicate with those who only accept you if you are just like them we have encountered a cult-like situation and must remove ourselves. Love and kindness must be present among two friends. When respect, love and kindness are missing there can be no friendship.
Monday, November 22, 2021
Hearing From the Holy Spirit
If anyone comes to you claiming to have a message from God for you just answer them by saying; "thank you, please go back to God and ask Him to tell me personally."
Since there are no mediators between God and me, only Jesus Christ, I will have to hear directly from Him.
Prophetic Messages
I believe most people who claim to have prophetic messages are not getting them from God.
I notice many people who have predicted something saying they had a word from God and that something never came true, they never returned to say they were mistaken or presumptuous, they merely ignored the failed prophesy and pridefully hoped others would forget.
This is a clue the person is a false prophet, there are a lot of them. God said when a person claims to be a prophet and what he said never comes true we are to ignore that person as a false prophet.
We do not need future tellers, God even forbids it, because we can live by faith using the Bible. We need not know what tomorrow holds. God often instructs my next steps before I know why I need them. I don't walk in fear or anticipation of the future, I trust Christ for each day, do what He says and leave all the tomorrows to Him.
Leviticus 20:6 “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people."
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 "…21 You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” 22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him."
Brothers and sisters we walk by faith, not by sight. If we must see a miracle or desire to know the future then we lack faith.
When we know the Word of God and His promises to us we can depend on that, nothing more is needed other than the Bible.
Deuteronomy 18:20
"But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death."
Future telling without God's direction is dangerous and presumptuous. In the days of the prophets before the Bible was written God spoke to people through them. However, we all have the Holy Spirit as our guide, we need not have another prophet tell us something about the future.
There are no human mediators between us and God, only Jesus Christ is our mediator. God would not tell someone else something to tell me when He can tell me through the Holy Spirit Himself.
Can a self-proclaimed prophet tell us more than the Holy Spirit Who lives in us? Of course not!!!!
If someone comes to you and says; "I have a word for you from the Lord", quickly remind them that there is only one mediator between God and man and that is Christ Jesus.
Our husbands or wives are not our mediators nor is anyone else. Jesus Christ lives in every born again believer and He is the One Who brings messages to His children.
What a relief to know that messages from God do not lie in the hands of any human.
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