We Think Entirely Different From the Culture Around Us

Do not be surprised when family and their friends don't understand you, it is to be expected. Believers think very differently from the world, even the opposite.

We process things in light of God's Word not in what the culture likes. We are not in bondage to the opinions of the culture as are the unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 2:14 "But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Get used to the idea that we will never fit into the world around us but we can be innocent in our ways and actions toward them. Even when they are raging at us we can remain calm, unaffected and unmoved by those who hate us.

What an incredible freedom we have to be who we are in Christ no matter what the enemy throws at us.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 "…57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Everything that happens to the believers has a purpose, nothing is wasted and nothing goes unnoticed by God.

Proverbs 21:21

"He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor."

1 Corinthians 16:10

"If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am."

Galatians 6:9

"Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

2 Peter 3:14

"Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace--spotless and blameless in His sight."

When Christ Changes Us

When Christ changes us after trusting in Him, He makes us completely different from what we were before. No child of God keeps on living a lifestyle of sin when they have been changed by Christ. They hate what God hates, sin, and love what He loves, the righteousness of Christ.

Those who think they can still enjoy sin and have Jesus too, have not been born again. Christ changes all those who want to be changed by Him. Those who only want to be safe and happy but don't want Him will not be changed by Christ. These people are attempting to come into heaven through the wrong door of their own attempts at goodness.

1 John 3:6

"6 No one who remains in Him sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or [a]knows Him."

Those who fight against correction from the Bible do not know God.

Matthew 7:15-20

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

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."

1 John 3:8-10 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone 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. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother."

Pretenders are those in the church who attend the services, do all the things expected of them to appear spiritual but have not trusted in Christ. They love the idea of a church gathering it makes them feel safe and secure, but it has no saving grace.

Matthew 7:17-19- "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. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

May each person reading this evaluate themselves to see if they are a pretender of a born-again believer in Christ.

When the People Gave Up Their Faith

During the COVID shutdown people didn't know how to worship at home, they were forced out of the buildings and didn't know what to do with themselves.

When they became used to not attending and could go back many did not. I believe it was a test that those who loved God could worship without that building and those crowds, they could continue in Spiritual ways without all the trappings of modern Christianity but those who were superficial dropped their faith when they could no longer go to a building.

The one-man-paid-pastor system made the people feel like they needed that "pastor" as the mediator between them and God, they depended on him instead of the Holy Spirit.

When our spirituality is based on tradition, organized religion and men, we will not seek the Holy Spirit. The rituals of religion will take priority over the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.

John 14:17

"the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you."

John 14:26

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you."

1 Timothy 4:1

"Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,"

If a believer depends on a man more than the Holy Spirit then they have an idol!

America Had an Opportunity and Has Lost It!

America had the opportunity to be the most Spiritual nation in the world with all the blessings of truth God has given us but we squandered it while placing our trust in the freedom to sin above everything else even Christians defend sin rather than rebuke it.

America is so far gone there is no return from the attitude of sin and self-gratification.

It is hard to convince "Christians" in our country that "freedom" is not the main objective of Christians. It might be that trials and hardship are the only way God can make us see just how far gone we are, we do not recognize how bad it is because we are used to all of it.

I have encountered "Christians" who boast about their sin and even defend it more than I have encountered those who speak the truths of the Bible and actually want to follow it.

If God would tell Jeremiah to stop praying for a nation because it was too far from God He would no longer answer, what makes us think we are better than the nation in his day?

Jeremiah 11:14 "14 As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me in their time of disaster. "

Most people who say they are "Bible believing" are not telling the truth, if we followed the Bible and cared deeply about God's principles would never defend their violation and even throw under the bus those who speak the truth.

Disaster is coming to America very soon. American Christians will not be prepared for it and most will be shown to be pretenders when they lose their faith because they will be losing their freedoms to ignore God.

1 John 5:16

"If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin."

Psalm 66:18

"If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."

Jeremiah 7:16

"As for you, do not pray for these people, do not offer a plea or petition on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you."

Jeremiah 11:11

"Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them."

Jeremiah 14:11

"Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people."

God gave us the example in Jeremiah's day that relates to the condition of America today. God's heart and principles do not change. He is patient but the time of His patience is nearly over with America.