Salvation First and Then Obedience

Obedience comes after salvation not to become saved. If Christ didn't pay it all with His brutal death on the cross then how could any wretched man pay any part of his salvation.

We cannot save ourselves through our own works and we can't keep our salvation by our own works.

 
If the death of Christ, the Perfect Sacrifice for sin, on the cross was not enough to cover the sin of the world then there is no hope that a wicked human being could do anything to save himself or keep himself saved.

1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them were not of us."

When Christ paid the price for our sins and He saved us because we repented and desired to be changed by HIm, that was all that was needed. No work of ours could match what Christ did on that cross.

 
It is Christ we depend on and believe when He said; "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

There is Either Growth or Regression, no In-Between

Those who can welcome correction as an opportunity to learn and become stronger will live a fuller and more joyful life. They do not fear the opinions of others or see correction as a personal attack, because they are willing to see themselves in reality and make changes as needed.

 
When you meet someone who cannot admit flaws and faults you will find yourself being in constant suspicion by the one who cannot tolerate seeing themselves in truth, you are watching someone who lives a lie, deeply committed to their false self.

 
The reasonable one will always be the one who is hated and demeaned by those who love their false superiority, and lack of authenticity. The burden of carrying the weight of the truthful one, is exhausting when with those who live a genuine existence based on Bible truth.

 
Those who can't admit their wrongs remain spiritual and emotional infants, not only not changing but regressing into child-like responses to small matters, growing worse as they age.

 
Accepting blame is a threat to the identity of those who protect their false image. They are deeply fragile, the very reason they cannot look at themselves in truth. They must always protect their fragile fantasy about themselves.

 
The mark of real wisdom and maturity is one who seeks after truth even if it proves them wrong or exposes a fault.

 
Proverbs 3:11-12
"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights."

If you wish to grow in holiness and all the other fruit of the Spirit, then you must ask God to show you truth. Let Him reveal all the flaws and failures within ourselves so that we will correct whatever is false.

 
Those who will not self-reflect and admit to flaws will lose the most valuable thing anyone can have and that is the pursuit of truth.

 
Those who cannot express sorrow over their flaws are walling themselves off from Spiritual and emotional growth. They do not go stagnant, but even worse they regress.

 
Mark 4:25
"For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Proverbs 9:9
"Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning."

Isaiah 55:7
"Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon."

Love is not Conditional to Performance

We will never be perfect no matter how much we fail to be perfect Godly people will love us they will accept us, going through all that we have to go through, whether it is confession of sin and forgiveness or joy for holiness. Those who cannot love someone unless they are perfect, do not love at all.

Love is not about performance, it is about caring more deeply about someone than we do ourselves, willing to come alongside one another.

 
In trials we uphold one another, in repentance we forgive one another, even weeping with those who are seeking cleansing, and we are full of joy at the successes of those we love.

 
Only those who are jealous demean those who are suffering, hold past forgiven sins against those they hate, and do not celebrate the wins of others. These are those who want those for whom they have contempt, to fail to elevate themselves. They are full of wrath when their target does not fail. This is the mentality of the devil who influences those who are walking in the flesh, those who need to become born again for all of these satanic tactics to be expunged from their hearts.

A born-again believer could never walk consistently influenced by he devil. Their heart has been changed into one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) They have the deep love of Christ within their souls and would never be comfortable treating someone so disrespectfully. If they fell out of weakness they would quickly confess it to be cleansed moving on to become more holy.

 
Thank the Lord for the born again believer who walks uprightly desiring to be pleasing to God full of His love toward everyone.

Expect Disrespect When You Speak the Truth

The Sinful Nature is the Problem

It is not particular sins that send someone to hell it is their sinful nature that can only be changed by Christ when they trust in Him.

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

We cannot make our own path straight by trying to be good. It is only Christ Who is good.

He changes us into a new creation when we trust Christ. We no longer think the way we used to think as a sinful man tainted by worldly emotions.

 
Jeremiah 17:7-8
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit."

Psalm 37:3-5
"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. / Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. / Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it."

Isaiah 26:3-4
"You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You. / Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal."

Those who are driven by emotions are not trusting in Christ, they are depending entirely on themselves falsely believing that they deserve what they want the way they want it.

 
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

What a blessing it is to know that Christ does all the work in us, redirecting us when we stray from truth and blessing us with wisdom when we ask for it.

 
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"

There is no excuse for the born-again believer to not understand the truth in God's Word. God said clearly that all we have to do is ask Him and He will not disappoint. However, we must admit we don't know everything and that He does know everything, submitting to Him when He speaks.

Calvinism is not Christianity, it is a Deception of the Devil to Confuse

God never predestined people for salvation, but He did predestine believers for particular callings. And, He determined that anyone who is born again is predestined to be holy.

 
This is far different from choosing some people to go to hell without a choice and others to go to heaven without a choice.

Once again a verse or two taken out of context has created a theology of the devil which is predestination according to Calvinism.

When people read the writings of people attempting to interpret the Bible according to the writings of men they will always come up with false doctrine.
Predestination is for those who believe, to become holy, not about salvation but about sanctification and the calling assigned to them by God.

 
If predestination for salvation were true it would make evangelism irrational and causes elitism. Those I have known who were dedicated Calvinists quoted Him more than they quoted Jesus Christ and were arrogant because of their attitude that they were one of the chosen ones merely because they chose belief in Calvin's teachings.

 
My question to the Calvinist who thinks they were one of the chosen ones would be, "How do you know you were one who was chosen, and how do you determine who is not chosen?"

Christ told us that anyone who believes in Christ and is changed by Him into a new creation is saved. He changes us in response to our repentance and desire to be changed by Him, not by any works of righteousness we do or our goodness, because we have no goodness, only Christ is good.

 
Ephesians 1:4, states that God "chose us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him,"

God is a just and loving God, to determine someone to go to hell without a choice and then punish them for not choosing is irrational and very unjust.

 
Calvinism teaches that God takes pleasure in who He sends to hell and who He sends to heaven. But the Bible contradicts this often.

Ezekiel 33:11 "11 Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ "

1 Timothy 2:4, states that God "wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth".

 
In the description of the names in the Book of Life, God says that those who reject Christ to the end of their life will be blotted out of the book. Nowhere does God say that He adds people to the book.

 
In other words, all the names of all the people in the world were in that book, they are only blotted out when they reject Christ. This fits perfectly with the character of Christ who died for the sins of every person in the world, the only requirement is that people trust in Him.

The reason it is so hard for some people to believe we don't work for our salvation is because becoming saved is so easy, just believe what Christ did for them and depend on Him to save them and change them.

 
Pride makes people think they must do something to help God save us. However, if we could do something to save ourselves then we could do something to keep our salvation, but salvation is nothing of us and all of Christ.

 
Hallelujah!!!!!

how to spot demons in your friends and family

You Tried!

You Tried, those of you who have been on Facebook warned, taught, encouraged, and explained with love what it was to be born again and what is coming if one does not choose Christ.

 
All we can do is whatever the Holy Spirit leads, the rest is up to those who hear.
You have lost family and friends, been excluded, demeaned, and mocked for your obedience to Christ but you still hang in there because you know Who you love and what He has done for you.

You also know what the unsaved person will be missing if they choose their own way instead of Christ.

 
I felt led today to encourage my brothers and sisters in the Lord, that whatever you were called to do has purposes that we cannot see now but will get to see later when we go before Christ.

 
Colossians 3:23-24 "23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, 24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Romans 8:27-28 "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. 28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose."
Hallelujah!

Interpreting Events with the Discernment of Christ

It is common for people to interpret everything according to their own desires.
Interpersonal relationships have misunderstandings because innocent words or actions may be interpreted by those who have anger issues, as bad when they were not and even people pleasers will interpret something as good that prevents them from helping with a solution.

 
Things that are bad can be seen as good and things that are good may be seen as bad based on the mindset of the hearer.

 
I have seen angry people make every little thing look like there was ill will involved. And, I have seen people who like to be seen as positive interpret bad things as mere mistakes or unintentional to avoid judging righteously.

 Often people see things the way they want to see them and will become agitated and even angry when someone comes along and tells the truth about what really happened.

The angry person wants to have an excuse to be angry at something or someone, so they reject the truth, and the people pleaser wants to feel happy so they become agitated when something or someone they like has been exposed as problematic.

 
Both people, the angry person and the people pleaser are living a fantasy to avoid admitting the truth.

 
Authentic people can see good and bad no matter how it makes them feel because they are genuine and able and willing to deal with the feelings that come with facing the truth.

 
Born-again believers are able to face the truth because they are grounded in the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Truth is more important to them than anything else.

The angry people and the people pleasers are lazy, they don't want to have to do the work that comes from knowing the truth. The authentic person is ready and willing to work things out, discuss things, give up things, even to the losing of their own lives and some lose family and friends.

 
People pleasers and angry people are not sacrificial, they will always have an excuse to avoid helping others.

 
The angry person thinks they are gaining power over others by their intimidation and the people pleaser thinks they will be more popular and liked by others if they make everyone happy. Neither one of these people are helpful to others for emotional and spiritual growth.

It is only through going through the hard things with others that we can be of help. It is through sharing the trials and the joys with others that we build quality meaningful and lifelong friendships.

 
Matthew 16:24-26 '24 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?…"

Ecclesiastes 4:10 "for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up!"

Those who walk through life intimidating and bullying others are tearing down others. So also are the people pleasers who never tell the truth that might bring someone out of their trial or encourage them in the midst of their trial. Both types of people are selfish! The people pleasers deny the truth when someone has been harmed, leaving the offended one without support.

 
Angry people work to turn people against others while the people pleaser denies the reality of the trials of others.

 
May we be led entirely by the Holy Spirit as born-again believers so that we will be an asset to others.

Meditate on this and you will remain confident and at peace!

Isaiah 41:9-11 "…9 I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said, ‘You are My servant.’ I have chosen and not rejected you.
10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
11 Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.…"

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 28:20
"and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

2 Timothy 1:7
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control."

Romans 8:31
"What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Last Days of Deep Deception

In these last days of deep deception, it is good to know the tactics of the 2 Timothy 3:1-5 mentality that many people, even most people will display regularly.

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."

Notice God says to "avoid such people." He never says to hang around with them because maybe they will like you and then like Christ. Just the opposite is true, these people if in our company too often will provoke us to be like them, engaging in silly arguments about things that are untrue or don't matter. They are an enormous distraction to our walk with Christ.

 
They will argue against God's Word while claiming to be Christians. They warp the truth to fit their agenda and bludgeon those who do not fall in line with them.
Satan did this in the beginning with Eve, causing her to doubt what God said so that she would willingly disobey Him. The devil makes us doubt our beliefs about God through the attacks of those who are controlled by Him. They do it to weaken us so they can feel superior to us.

 
John 8:43-45 "…43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.

44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!…"

The devil seeks to control and dominate us so we can no longer feel secure in our walk with Christ. He convinces us that we didn't read what God said in His Word correctly, distorting it to destroy our relationship with Christ.

 
Those who wish to control and dominate others for their own desire for superiority will lie and claim they are concerned about us but really what they want is to manipulate us into following them.

 
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
"14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds."

Those who wish to own and control us will punish us when they don't get out of us what they want.

 
Those who want to control us while attempting to make it seem as though we are always wrong, and always foolish in whatever we say and do. The tactics are very subtle but just as damaging as if they spoke them outright. They do it subtly so they can deny it if confronted, making their target the bad one for exposing them.
These controllers blame us for the chaos they create and refuse to listen to any resolution to problems. They thrive on false accusations and when we are not affected by them, they begin the gossip to turn others against us.

Pretenders are like this, they demand respect toward them but show none to others. They are hypocrites who show to the world, and even in the church how kind and giving they are, but in private with those they are jealous of, they use every tactic possible to undermine and harm the one who will not follow them like a puppy.
These people judge others harshly for past forgiven sins while they live in an attitude of sinful pride as though they have no sins of their own.

 
These people easily rage when confronted about their own self-righteousness and are ruthless with those they cannot control.

These people are addicted to admiration but have no desire for transformation, they do not self-reflect to pray for holiness.

Matthew 23:27-28
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28 So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Those who love themselves more than God and others often display entitlement tendencies. They take what doesn't belong to them, claiming they deserve it. They expect special treatment and any gift from them comes with strings attached as though now they have something over the one who received the gift, affording them the right to mistreat and disrespect the one who received the gift, a sort of control through giving.

 
Gift giving is about bringing glory to themselves not because they love the one to whom they are giving it.

 
Our fear of them is their food, they need it to continue their facade. Their grudge toward those they hate is a lifelong bitterness and resentment against those they cannot control.

 
Those who practice continual aggrandizement to appear superior are demonstrating the same pride that got the devil thrown out of heaven. Their superiority and authority is an illusion not reality.

Isaiah 14:13-14 "13 You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”…"

Those who are controlled by the devil think they are under their own control, deceiving themselves, they never forgive and never forget, they enjoy their anger the only thing that sustains their sense of self-exaltation.

 
Those who walk in this kind of anger don't just hate us they have to make sure others hate us too.

God's instruction to us with those who hate us is the following;

Romans 12:19 "19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

Those who harm others to elevate themselves, play the victim while they remain the aggressor. When they are exposed they play the victim as though you are the bad one. This tactic is the evidence they are not sorry and refuse to change.

 
These people in Christian circles will twist scripture, cry, and even blame others for their own bad behavior, after all, they claim to only be reacting to others, when they started the whole mess with their disrespect and ruthlessness. They pretend to be humble while covertly tearing others down. They hide all this from those they wish to impress and don't know what they are doing to others.

 
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."

We need not agonize over those who are pretenders and troublemakers, we can understand them, disengage, and avoid them.

Give it to God and Then Leave it with Him

We are living in times when the people are hardened. 

 
God told me that all my prayers for my children and this country for the past 50 years still count and one more prayer is not going to deter Him from His will.
I have come to understand that begging God is tantamount to not accepting His will in many cases.

 
Paul prayed three times for his infirmity to be removed, when God did not do it he accepted it and lived with it to the end of his life.

 
Christians use one passage out of context about a woman who nagged a leader to give her what she wanted, as evidence that we should nag God until we get what we want.

 
This woman was begging an unjust ruler, how does this relate to God? This passage is telling us to expect God to exact justice on our behalf, not that we keep praying for whatever we want and expect God to give it to us.

 
God knows in these last days justice will be nearly expunged from the earth by wicked men. We cannot expect justice in a time when the whole earth is evil but we can expect justice eventually when God judges the earth. Believers in Christ have no need for revenge against their enemies because they know He will eventually have their back the best way possible through His justice.

 
Luke 18:1-8 "18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,

2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person.
3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’
4 For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person,
5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge *said;
7 now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them?
8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly." However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [d]faith on the earth?”"

God is saying here that we ought not to become discouraged over injustice, and that God will bring justice in His time His way even if he has to use an unjust person to do it. However, often we do not get what we want because it is not God's will that we have it.

 
Do not feel as though you have sinned by leaving someone or a nation to God and abandoning prayer for a particular matter. I never stop praying, it is continual every day about many things but not about the same thing over and over again as though God will hear me better because I begged Him.

Matthew 6:6-8 "…6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…"

The pagans think they are righteous because they repeat mantras over and over again, God said not to be like them.

And, don't forget that the Holy Spirit leads us as to what we should pray and He prays on our behalf when we don't know what we should pray. We can trust Christ with our needs and desires, and we should accept His will and move on to other things when we know He heard and now the ball is in His court.

I hear Christians all the time chastising people to keep praying, this is not necessarily Biblical, it lacks trust in Christ that He has heard and that He will do His will in the matter.

 
Remember all the prayers you brought to God over the years still count!

"He who spares the guilty punishes the innocent." (Author Unknown)

When the offender is not confronted to repent and the offended is confronted to forgive without any sign of repentance, we are punishing the offended and coddling the offender, further supporting the evil.

God has mercy for those who are sorry and ashamed but does not have mercy for those who have no shame over their sin.

 
Jeremiah 6:15 "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done? They were not ashamed at all, Nor did they know even how to be ashamed. Therefore they will fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They will collapse,” says the Lord."

Mercy is for the repentant not for those who flaunt and defend their sin. Forgiveness is for those who are sorry, not for those who are proud of the sin.
Jeremiah 7:16, God instructs the prophet Jeremiah to "do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you".

 
Jeremiah 11:14:
"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry nor prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble".

 
Jeremiah 14:11:
"Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good".

 
Notice one important thing, God allows consequences for those who are rebellious, when we care more about our own feelings to be seen as kind, than we do about the offending person, we will be solidifying the hardness in their heart. We are not a help to them but a hindrance.

 
It is only through consequences that unrepentant people learn the tragedy and devastation of their sin on themselves and others around them.

 
In a nation that promotes happy feelings over emotional and spiritual growth, we will be soft on sin, causing the weakness of the culture to become incurable.
People don't repent anymore, if they are confronted they justify and defend their actions rather than confess to be cleansed of them.

 
Every sin that is unconfessed leads to a hardened heart until all is admitted and the desire to be changed by Christ is fully realized.

 
Proverbs 28:12-14 "…12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves. 13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy. 14 Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble."
When feelings take priority over truth and righteousness we have lost the nation.

Love God's Way

Those who are secure in Christ and can discern truth from error are not easily offended. It is a self-focus and worry about what others think of us that makes us offended. If we get rid of the people pleasing and learn to see things correctly we will not be offended.

 
I am not personally offended when people are regularly rude to me, I know it comes from their own insecurity. However, I do not choose to be around people who are easily provoked by simple things, they bring drama, chaos and broken relationships everywhere they go.

 
The only reason someone is easily provoked is if their entire existence is focused on themselves.

James 1:19:
"Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger".

 
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
"9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; 10 for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up! 11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."

Christ is that third cord in a relationship.

Friends are people we love and edifiy one another with the word of God in all matters, they always have our backs and we have theirs. This is Christian love!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 " Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
8 Love never fails; "

I Love a Good Analogy!

Do not allow the Devil to take control over your heart!

The devil wants believers to be caught up in emotions so we will not think clearly. Knowing the Word of God keeps us from following our emotions. Our natural man tends to place more emphasis on how we feel momentarily than we do no truth.
As we speak the word of God to ourselves in our hearts the emotions dissipate and are left powerless.

The devil often uses half-truths and whole lies which are both full lies, to cause us to believe things that are not true, igniting our emotions like gasoline on a fire.
Those who have Jesus Christ and are seeking Him will not be fooled by the irrational emotions, by doing this they will avoid the consequences of unreasonable and ridiculous actions that destroy relationships.

The devil is all about relationship destruction, using emotions full of lies more than anything else to motivate the words and actions that lead to hate and misery.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

When we meet petty, angry and irrational people who twist the truth to appear superior to others, we know the devil is at work in their hearts.

 
Born-again believers who walk but the Spirit of Christ in them, have His love dwelling in them and enjoy blessing and loving others His way.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.
5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,
6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails;"

When someone walks in love they do not look for the worst in others, they never consider themselves superior to anyone because they know they are not perfect themselves. Those who love others seek to edify one another, bless others with wisdom and come alongside to be support to them when they are in need.
Born-again believers love to edify, share their life experiences with one another showing empathy and joy as they walk together in agreement.

 
Galatians 6:2
"2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Romans 12:15
"15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

It is not love to demean and mock what others are experiencing, it is self exaltation and of the devil.

 
May every believer enjoy the peace that comes from sharing with one another in life's pains and joys.

 
I love a quote my husband uses: "Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow" ( A Swedish Proverb)

 
When we share with others their situations in life we are demonstrating the love of Christ. Our focus is off of self and onto those we love.

One Must Repent to be Born Again

When Jesus Christ while He was on the cross, asked His Father to "forgive them they know not what they do" it was not a prayer to forgive individuals, it was a prayer to extend forgiveness to the world because of His sacrifice on the cross.

 
When Christ forgave people who were repentant when He walked the earth He said; "your sins are forgiven", but when He prayed to the Father He asked the Father to count His sacrifice as a substitute penalty for all those who would repent and trust in Him.

 
Christ never forgave the thief on the cross who was not sorry, but He did forgive the one who defended Christ. He said; "this day you will be in paradise with me."
No one is forgiven by God who does not repent.

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Remember: "if we confess" are the key words that so many exclude from this passage.

2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

Facebook Friends Are Real Friends

There are those who mock our friends on Facebook saying they are not real friends. Others are saying they have heard this too and with the same exact verbiage I have heard by people who don't know each other.

I have to believe it is the devil attempting to discourage believers from engaging with other believers in a world that is so isolating. One of the favored tactics of the devil is to attempt to isolate us from other believers to break down our faith and joy.

We are living in the last days of apostasy, and there are few believers within our community that we have to reach outside our community to find them. God has given us the internet to connect with one another.

I have heard too that Facebook friends are not real friends. Only those who are jealous that we are connecting with people we love and who love us are saying these things.

They say, "but you have never met them in person", and I say; "I have never met Christ in person either but He lives in me."

Some of these people are involved in genealogy on the internet to find their relatives but no one is saying it is foolish because they have never met them. I have little interest in dead relatives that I have never met, they are just names on a page to me, I have no evidence of whether or not they loved Christ and I cannot communicate with them so I have no fascination with it.

Paul connected by letters that we are reading right now in our Bibles. Many believers he never met person to person but had a tender and loving heart for them because the same Christ that lived in him lived in them too.

The same people who say we should stay in long-distance communication with family because they are family will deny the wonderful connection of believers one to another on the internet.

I have to believe the purpose of those who attempt to discourage believers from connecting on the internet is being influenced by the devil to break our hearts, but it won't work because greater is God in us than Satan in them.

Believers I have connected with on the internet have encouraged and enhanced my walk with Christ while those who are family nearby have worked to undermine my walk with Christ.

I choose long-distance love, kindness, and edification through the saints on the internet over nearby mean-spirited relatives who do not love Christ, any day.

The Fool Says No to God

The fool is not denying God, he is just saying no to Him.

 
1 For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.

Here is another case in which the words "there is" have been added making the meaning incorrect.

 
The fool doesn't believe there is no God, He knows there is a God and deliberately says no to Him.

 
The correct rendering should say; "the fool says in his heart "no God."

Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

There is no reason to "hate" what you do not believe exists. The fool, as we say; the atheist, knows God and hates Him, deliberately denies Him, knowing full well He not only exists but does not want God to control his life.

Loving Christ and Truth More than Self

Weeping is God's natural stress reliever, it is there for a reason. Only pride says we should not cry, good sense says it is necessary at times.

Christ wept, and we do too!

Those who say; "don't cry" don't want to be bothered with our pain, they don't like to see it so they tell us not to do it, it's selfish!

God said this:

 
Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.…"

Those who lack empathy and kindness cannot share in the joys or trials of others, they will disappear as soon as they perceive we are doing better than they or we have a trial to endure when we need someone to stand beside us.

Harmony means to live without contentiousness, conflict and strife. It means living in agreement with those around us not compromising truth but elevating above all else.

 
It is God's will that we live in cooperation with one another. Where there is no cooperation there is no friendship.

 
When two people resolve to be an asset to one another there is joy and peace. These are those who can be lovely lifelong and eternal friends.

1 Corinthians 12:26 "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

1 Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble."

Galatians 6:2 "Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, / who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

Such a blessing when we find a friend who loves Christ and truth more than they love themselves.!

What the World Brings to Believers

Spiritual Fruit Christ's Character

Only believers can discern the fruit because of the Holy Spirit Who lives in them. The fruit is the character qualities of Christ. They are spiritually discerned and inner heart character.

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

If Anyone is Trusting in Themselves for Salvation they are not Born Again! They must stop trusting in self and begin Trusting in Christ!

Those who are still trusting in what they consider their own good works for salvation are not trusting in Christ.

When Christ changes us into a new creation it is He that does it not ourselves. He changes our nature entirely, the old nature is gone. We can never go back to the old nature again.

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 every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"

God promised that we are eternally saved, that means forever when we become born again.

There are no scriptures that say the Holy Spirit Who resides in the born again believer ever leaves us.

"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,”

He told us that we are His for eternity.

Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,
14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
The scriptures that say someone walks away from God are clearly those who have never been changed by Christ, they decided on their own without trusting in Him to join the "Christian" group wanting to come in their own way. These are those who are described in Matthew 7:21-23 where God says; "I NEVER knew you."
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.’"

Most people in our day who would say they are Christians are pretenders who have never been born again. Those who walk away do it because they do not have the strength of the Holy Spirit to follow Him, they are walking in their own fleshly way without Christ.

Christ paid it all on the cross for us, we have no part in our own salvation except to agree with God that we are sinful and desire to be changed by Him.