If You Want to be Wise Repent and Trust in Christ

If we want to be truly wise we must give up trusting in ourselves and focus on Christ Who lives in us.

HOWEVER, we can only depend on Christ living in us if we have confessed our sinful nature and desire to be changed by Him into a new creation. When we have confessed to Him we are sinful and asked Him to change us into a new creation He does it and from then on He is the One Who works in us.

Ephesians 2:10

"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

To be wise trust in Christ and not ourselves. Only He can make us wise. If we try to make ourselves wise we will be fools.

Proverbs 12:15-19

"15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But a person who listens to advice is wise.

16 A fool’s anger is known at once,

But a prudent person conceals dishonor.

17 One who declares truth tells what is right,

But a false witness, deceit.

18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,

But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

19 Truthful lips will endure forever,

But a lying tongue is only for a moment."

Isaiah 5:21

"Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!"

Proverbs 26:12

"Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

Separate From Those Who Would Discourage You

Very often the people who say they are Christians are the ones we ought to separate from. These people are those who want to remain superficial and disobedient to the word, making up their own truth and claiming it came from God. These people will hold us back, attempt to intimidate us into remaining infantile in our walk. 


Proverbs 13:19-21
19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
20 One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 Adversity pursues sinners,
But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.

“Will Only a Few Be Saved?”

Adrian Rogers: Counterfeit Christianity (#2284)

It’s About Over: The Times of the Gentiles – Olivier Melnick and Trevor ...

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Be Bold, Be Strong and Never Allow the Pretender to Rule over the Believers

"Ezekiel 33:14-15

"14 But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, 15 if a wicked person returns a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing injustice, he shall certainly live; he shall not die."

Ezekiel 33:17-18

17 “Yet your fellow citizens say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their own way that is not right. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, then he shall die in it.

When a nation is past the tipping point in sin, without remorse for it, even defending it as a right the nation as a whole is no longer Christian if it really ever was so.

The only nation in the world that will ever be entirely Christian is the nation of Israel at the end of the tribulation when the entire nation will trust in Christ and evangelize the rest of the world. There has never been an entire nation that was Christian and will never be until the end of the time of Jacob's trouble.

We are past the tipping point in the United States. We have murdered over 60 million babies as well as entrenched sins of every stripe rampant to the point of becoming the social norm. Rampant sin of every form of debauchery is the cultural norm while Christianity is the fringe, demeaned, mocked and excluded every day now by those in power.

The wicked have been warned and yet they grow in numbers taking over every venue in every agency as more people who claim to be Christian are influenced by those irrational satanic ideas.

The Christians have been warned as preachers on the internet, the ones who remain faithful to God's word have warned and pleaded with the people to repent and instead of repenting they dig their heels in slipping deeper into sin, worse sin than ever before just as Sodom and Gomorrah did back in the day.

What are so many "conservatives" wanting us to "get back to" in America? The way it used to be when just 50 years ago began the teaching of self-esteem became mandated, all rules about family were expunged from the training in schools while the parents abdicated their responsibility to train their children in righteousness? Do they want to go back to the days when Christianity was taught as a better life choice based on cultural standards rather than on a transformation by Christ?

If we were to write a book outlining all the violations of the word of God down through the centuries in our country it would be lengthy. Our culture could not have become as wicked as it is if the people had dedicated themselves to prayer and Scripture study with the emphasis on Christ changing hearts.

Our form of cultural Christianity had trained people to follow good rules without Christ. The emphasis was on following the rules to appear righteous without the power of Christ changing hearts. This led to pride as well as harshness on those who did not adhere to the prescribed rules by those in authority.

Without the power of Christ in changing hearts the rules are easily changed when the culture as whole changes. If we are not motivated by the direction of the Holy Spirit our actions and attitudes are fleshly, easily manipulated without the power to remain strong, that power being Jesus Christ. When the culture applies pressure on cultural Christians to accept something other than the truth they readily cave to be accepted by others.

When Christ is our strength no one can deter us from the truth or cause guilt over our desire for righteousness.

How would it be possible to return the bodies we have stolen through abortion? We can never bring back those babies. We remain under judgment even if the nation as a whole were to repent we must still pay the consequences for our sin of rampant murder.

For those who think we can get our country back through political pushback must not realize how entrenched the wicked are within our nation and they must not realize just how sinful the nation has been having passed the tipping point.

We cannot payback what we have stolen, we cannot bring back more than 60 million babies, we must pay for our sin, whether or not we repent, but we will not because the nation has turned it's back on God, even in the houses of worship where the attendees claim to be Christian but care little if anything about obeying the Holy Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

Did you notice this phrase in the 2 Timothy 3 passage; "HOLDING TO A FORM OF GODLINESS ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE DENIED IT'S POWER"

Did you notice this phrase in the 2 Timothy 3 passage;

"4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,"

Did you know this is a description of the end times church? Obviously, the world has come into the church, so much so that it is likely that most who attend gatherings today came to Christianity based on culture and have never been born again.

No one becomes a Christian merely by choosing to become a part of a local church. A born-again believer is transformed by Christ at the time they confess their sinful nature and desire to be changed by Christ into a new creation. It's not so much about our individual sins, it's about our sinful nature being changed by Christ into the new creation, He does that we do not change ourselves in our own effort. We are changed by Him because of our desire to be changed.

One way to pray might be this: "Lord I hate my sinful nature, please change me into a new creation that I might serve you."

When we have been "contrite" meaning crushed over the realization that we are so sinful is what motivates God to change us.

When we are changed by Christ into a new creation we no longer think the same way we did before. We think with the mind of Christ, we interpret everything in terms of how Christ thinks, rather than a fallen sinful mindset of the old nature.

2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"

"All this is from God", is the key phrase, is anyone attempting to become a Christian by their own power, they will come with their fallen sinful mind misinterpreting everything God said according to worldly thinking. When we have the mind of Christ we will see all matters in terms of how God thinks, not according to the ideas of the world.

The modern church is filled with people who "became a Christian" culturally but were never born again and their sinful hearts were never changed. These people bring error, rebellion, and contention to the gathering, causing division and sadly often unchallenged by others in the group.

Pretenders often learn enough Biblical lingo to confuse and deter others from the truth. Sadly in our day many Christians are afraid of offending man more than God and allow the error to be taught in favor of protecting the "feelings" of the pretender. The pretender is empowered by the lack of challenge. The believers are fearful of being seen as rude or mean by challenging error so the pretender wields more power than the born-again believers.

This is the reason the modern church grows further away from truth while intimidating weak believers into silence.

Now that we know the condition of the church we ought to never back down or feel guilt over telling the truth, boldly and without apology.

Our God, He Is Alive

Sing to Me of Heaven

Two Supporting One Another for their to be Honor and Respect

The man leads either toward God or away from God in a family. It is natural for the household to go the way of the man whichever way he walks.

He leads when he does nothing at all, he leads by example. Leading by example is far more powerful than words.

There is an old saying: "More is caught than taught." This is the truth, whichever way the man walks, is the way that influences the children the most.

This is also true of leaders in the church too, they will lead far more by their example than by their teaching.

1 Peter 5:3

"Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."

1 Peter 5:2

"Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;"

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,:

If a man demonstrates a life attitude of following Christ his children are more likely to follow Christ too. If a man is lazy in his walk, unconcerned about his example to others his children will do the same.

A mother's teachings bear little weight with children if the father is not supporting her as an authority in the lives of the children.

When a man demeans or ignores his wife the children will learn to disrespect their mother. The way the man treats his wife influences the children in the way they treat their mother.

Proverbs 1:8-9 "8

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. 9For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.…"

Notice in this passage in Proverbs it is both the instruction of the father and the law of the mother that is needed for the children to be emotionally and spiritually healthy. Each must support one another in the way of the Lord.

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Building Quality Relationships

There is only one way to build a quality relationship that lasts a lifetime.

I am sure many people in our culture would say "just letting things go" will keep the relationship intact. This could not be farther from the truth.

Quality relationships are built by expressing concerns and discussing them, with the willingness to place ourselves in someone else's shoes.

Sadly very few people today want to be honest because honesty brings vulnerability. When we are honest we open ourselves to criticism, criticism makes us feel attacked if we are prideful and defensive.

If we are humble and interested in growing in wisdom we will see criticism as an opportunity for self-reflection. Those who are narcissistic are weak inside, unable to expose the slightest flaw within themselves. They see every look at flaws as a devastating weakness. They do not realize a strong person is able to look at all sides of themselves, the good and the ugly.

Strong people are not devastated by facing needed change in their character, they grow as they face warts and flaws. There is only one way to grow in wisdom and that is to regularly self-reflect to evaluate whether there is needed change.

Weak people cannot admit their own flaws, their weakness is seen in their defensiveness. We live in a culture now that considers it foolish to admit flaws. We must remember that the culture as a whole says the opposite of what God says.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11

"9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

10 Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

11 I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was in no respect inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody."

The happiest people are those who know their own weaknesses, admit their flaws, and grow as they experience progress in their walk. There is great joy in changing and growing. It is a wonderful freedom that comes when we are invested in our growth without a need to control anyone else.

There is continual sadness for those who walk in pride having to justify the intimidation and mocking that spills out of their wicked hearts as they seek to control others.

Psalms 1:1-4

"1 Happy is the man who does not go in the company of sinners, or take his place in the way of evil-doers, or in the seat of those who do not give honour to the Lord.

2 But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and whose mind is on his law day and night.

3 He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time, whose leaves will ever be green; and he will do well in all his undertakings.

4 The evil-doers are not so; but are like the dust from the grain, which the wind takes away."

When Jesus Christ is our focus we have no need or desire to control anyone even ourselves, we allow the Holy Spirit to be in control of us. When He is in control we do not walk in guilt or guile, just pure joy all the time.

Romans 7:22

"For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,"

LWF Program - Strength in Times of Crisis - RA2162

Believing Without Seeing is Faith

John 20:29 "Jesus said unto him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.”

Anyone who desires to constantly see miracles to keep their faith alive has little faith.

Those who continue to believe God's Word even when they don't see a miracle or when they don't understand is the one with greater faith.

Ignoring Jesus Christ is Serious!

Jesus Christ is called the Word!!!! To ignore His Word, the Bible is to ignore Him.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth"

John 1:1
"1, In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning."

Leaders, What is their Role?

Men are to lead their families the way the leaders lead the church, that is through example and teaching. They must allow God to work in the lives of people without human intimidation.

We can intimidate someone into doing what we want but it will not change their heart. God is looking for loving men to lead by example and teaching while allowing people to make their own choice.

Cultural Christianity has managed to pressure people to be what the leaders wanted but look where it has led, as soon as the pressure is lifted the people revert back to their real selves, the pretense is gone and the sin in the heart is exposed, openly and brazenly practiced without conscience.

We have known many people who were staunchly against "shacking-up" when we were young. 50 years ago decent people never did this. Now half of the couples we know have either lived together outside of marriage or approve of family members who are doing it. This is what comes when the leaders in churches stop teaching against sin and even lovingly embrace Christians who are blatantly living in sin. If we love people God's way we warn those who are sinning and remove ourselves from them if they will not stop.

I have an aunt who would never have lived outside of marriage in her day but embraced the shack-up living arrangement of her daughter because her daughter was so in love with her boyfriend. This aunt has attended church all her life, now in her 90's and has no problem with shacking up as long as the people involved are "in love."

Those who will not make a marriage commitment are not loving, they are using one another with the intention of bolting when things get rough.

Wouldn't it be better to show loving discipline as members of God's body before God disciplines them with harsh consequences?

Laws are for the lawless, we need laws, however, church rules to intimidate people are not Biblical. Many of the church rules imposed on people have no basis in Scripture. Or they have been manipulated to appear scriptural by snatching them out of their context to make them say what the leaders want them to say.

Many human rules have been instituted in the church that is not Biblical while coddling people concerning their sin has become the norm. The church has become more afraid of losing a rebellious sinner than they are about displeasing God.

We know we have moved into the apostate age when scripture is disdained in the church in order to coddle the sinner. When sin is unchallenged it grows as we see has happened exponentially in the past 50 years.

When we married more than 50 years ago people hid their sin, now they are coming out blatantly flaunting them with great gusto, proud that they can sin openly without challenge. They even mock and treat with contempt Christians who bring scripture to bear in answer to the sin.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult (ragingly insane)Times Will Come

"3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

For the born again believer who loves holiness and wants to grow to the end of their lives these end times are not a discouragement but an encouragement that we are going home soon.

As Adrian Rogers once said; "the world is growing gloriously dark", hope that soon it will all be over and justice will be done. God wins and we go with Him!!!!

What to Pray?

Romans 8:25-27 "…25 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.…'"

Have you ever wanted to pray about something but could not find the words because you were not sure what God's will was in the particulars?

I have prayed often for people for God to do what is needed for them because I didn't know if what they wanted or what I wanted for them was His will.

I am so thankful that God knows our weaknesses and intercedes for us!!!! Hallelujah!

Walk in Obedience to God not in Fear of Man

Adrian Rogers said this;

"There are those strutting into hell thinking they're too good to be damned."

He also said, " Feelings are the shallowest part of our being."

Interesting isn't it? So many people in our days of apostasy make "feelings" more important than facts. This is the very reason there is so much arrogance, fighting, and devouring going on today in church gatherings.

When we seek God with all our heart, soul and mind, we will be rejected for speaking the truth that convicts hearts of sin.

We don't even have to address anyone personally, all we have to do is quote from the Bible and many people listening will become unhinged calling us rude when we were not rude, just factual. Never take this to heart, it isn't about us when someone rages at us for telling the truth, it does however say a lot about them.

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.…"

Never stop speaking the truth, it may help someone trust in Christ.

If our focus is Christ we will not be intimidated into silence by people of wrath. If our focus is being appreciated by men then we will become silent to make wicked men like us.

Are we more concerned about men appreciating us than we are about pleasing God? It is a good question for all of us to ask ourselves and bring to God. Pleasing God has eternal rewards and inner peace on this earth, pleasing men keep us continually fearful of people never knowing if they will like us.

Matthew 10:26-28

26 “So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

27 What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.

28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Walk in love and fearlessness, it is the only way we can thwart the schemes of the devil.

Adrian Rogers: Three Things That You Cannot Learn in School #1999

Insult Management

Our automatic response to an insult is the real us. Our automatic response to kindness is the real us.

How we act when challenged or praised says a lot about our inner character.

If our initial response to a correction is anger or rage, then there is anger that lives inside, unseen until the challenged.

If our initial response to a correction is humility and self-reflection, then there is love, peace and kindness deep inside.

If our initial response to praise is to gloat and boast then we need to learn humility.

This is why it is good for us to be our authentic selves in receiving a challenge or challenging others, we cannot grow without these challenges.

If the challenge is not legitimate we can dismiss it, if it is true then we will want to ask the Lord to cleanse our hearts so that we might grow in holiness. And, I believe we already know if a challenge is warranted or not, we know if we have been wrong, the very reason a person would rage is that they hate they have been discovered.

A humble person, unless used to being gaslit, will know if they are guilty of anything or not. They will readily admit their guilt quickly. If they are not guilty they might recognize the challenge as manipulation to control their "feelings" to disarm them.

We must have challenges in our lives to grow in maturity, spiritually and emotionally. Those who remain spiritual and emotional infants do so because they refuse to self-reflect or receive a challenge as an opportunity to grow a character that is more Christ-like.

We ought never to become angry at a challenge whether it is true or not. If we are wrongly accused of something we can see it as a time to learn greater patience, remaining calm and never returning evil for evil. If we never had false challenges we might never learn how to handle them when they raise their ugly heads.

Whatever emerges when someone is challenged is an indicator of their inner character, whether it is prideful and stubborn or humble and pliable.

Let's be people who love to learn, looking at the lesson rather than the offense, as practice for growth in our character. Wisdom is the greatest thing we can gain and there must be trials, nasty contentious people, and challenges of all kinds in our lives from time to time to help us use the Spiritual skills God gives us.

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Hallelujah!!!!!