The Foolishness of Women's Lib

Having pondered the whole "women's lib" foolishness, I realized that those who want to pretend they are just like men are disrespecting themselves.

 
If they think women are not good enough and must become just like men to be appreciated, they are fostering contempt for those who choose to enjoy what God made them.

 
Isaiah 5:20 "20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

There is an old saying, "they cut their nose off to spite their face", which shows that one devalues themselves just to prove they can be something they were never meant to be, which ruins them in the long run.

 
The liberal women are saying they value men above women by asserting that women must be just like men to have significance.

 
How sad that some women have managed to convince many in the culture that they are worthless the way they were born, and must become something that flies in the face of their own unique talents and personalities.

 
My challenge to women is to embrace what God made you, speak boldly against the devil who is working to destroy women while demeaning them by pretending they are less than men because they are not like men.

 
It is not only alright to be different from men, but it is a privilege to be the way God made us. Enjoy your womanhood and ignore, even chastise those women who mock and demean your choice to be who you are as a woman.

People Only Change When They Have To

People only change when they have to change. It is very rare for someone to change because they want to be a better person when their life is going the way they want it to go.

It is hardship and loss that cause most people to rethink their lives and desire something better, and only if they can self-reflect. Narcissists (2 Timothy 3:1-5) never self-reflect; instead, they blame others for the failures in their own lives.

It is common for people to only evaluate themselves if they have had conviction of the Holy Spirit and desire to grow in holiness.

Many people in our day seek to find fault in others to justify their own lack of character. Those who are the most critical of others are projecting, meaning they are looking for flaws in others to avoid facing their own.

It is a weak spirit that cannot tolerate seeing flaws in itself, even if the realization of flaws would cause maturing and transformation for the better.

Pride is a monstrous thing; it caused the devil to think he could be more powerful than God. He knew that God made him and could easily destroy him, but he followed his obsession for power, it blinded him, choosing to deny what he knew, and that was that God would never be overthrown.

Narcissists not only lie to others they also lie to themselves first. The only way one can maintain a superior attitude without conscience is if they convince themselves that their flaws and insecurities are not really theirs but belong to others.

If we are to grow in holiness or become born again, we must admit what we are and deny that we are special or good. It is normal and natural for mankind, who is basically wicked, to pretend we are good. We must deny that we are good and admit we need a Savior to be changed by Christ into a new creation. We must give up our false sense of superiority to follow Christ.

Luke 9:23 "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

Luke 10:27 "And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 6:24a "24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other."

We cannot love ourselves and God too! If we love ourselves, we will place ourselves above God.

John 13:34 "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

We are all born loving ourselves; to teach one to love themselves is to tell them to indulge in selfishness. The Bible teaches us we are to love others as much as we love ourselves. In doing that, we will be loving God the way He deserves to be loved, that is, "with all our hearts."

The false church teaches us that the Bible says to love ourselves; this is not true. The Bible teaches that we are already too selfish, that our love should be diverted from ourselves to God first and then to others, and the right kind of love, God's kind of love.

What is love: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

We become less important to ourselves when we make God and others more important.

A Pastors Perspective on Trumps Peace Deal

Eyes that were Opened and can never be Shut Again

Over the years, God has shown me many things. I have outgrown the beliefs and systems of the world as I depend entirely on the Holy Spirit to guide me.

God began to challenge me while I was in the Catholic Church, and when I left that system, He continued to challenge me in the Evangelical system.

Eventually, I left that system too and can never return to any system that promotes a form of hierarchy that usurps the Holy Spirit.

When we begin to obey the Holy Spirit walking in deeper understandings according to the Word of God, we no longer fit into any man-made system that is based on rituals and practices devised by men that those systems think are helping God.

When we rely on men for our understanding, we will see many traditions that God never commanded that tend to distract from intimacy with Christ while elevating men.

The one-man-paid-pastor system was devised by men, not God.
The pews all face forward, giving one man all the attention and power over the people. The people believed him without challenge.
One person chooses the songs while those in the pews do what they are told.
A sermon by one person while the others are expected to remain silent.
The one man in the pulpit is seen as the authority over the people rather than a servant to all while negating the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The Evangelical system is so broken the only way to fix it is to leave those groups of large people and begin again in homes as the first-century gathering practiced.

When the people in the pews below the pulpit see the man in the pulpit as above them, smarter and more educated than themselves, and worse more led by the Holy Spirit than they, we have idol worship of a man instead of the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God gave commands for the gatherings to be led by the Holy Spirit in all the believers in the gathering. No one was elevated, no one had more authority than the others. The leaders were servants, not authorities over the people.

1 Corinthians 14:26 " 26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church."

We come together to edify one another in the word, and all participate as led by the Holy Spirit. I have seen this in practic,e and it was a beautiful thing. Someone would ask for a song, others would pray, while some would read from the word, and all was done to glorify God in Christ's name. No one was elevated above anyone else, and no one was elevated above the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:19 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,"

When this was done God's way, He was glorified, no human being was.

Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Romans 12:6-8 "We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

1 Peter 4:10-11 "As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."

Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Acts 2:42-47 "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. All the believers were together and had everything in common."

In our modern system of apostasy, people are elevated, show off, and demand money from others to pay for their salaries, the buildings, uniforms for the choir, and send children on mission trips that are more like vacations than anything else. They must pay for the fun things, the useless things, and the things that elevate pleasure above the gospel. In short, they are a social club with religious leanings.

No one is edified to go into their world speaking the gospel to the lost. No one learns very much because the sermon speaks so generically and without conviction that the people are open-eyed sleeping people. They can't even remember what the sermon was about when they reach the parking lot to drive back home to their neighborhood 30 minutes away.

No one weeps in the pews from conviction; in fact, there is often laughing and clapping at the "funny" sermon or the happy story that was told to keep the people entertained. Then there is the music and the "worship leaders" who entertain too. The Holy Spirit is not the leader in these places; the people are, and they are very worldly.

Those in the building never see the others during the week, don't know their lives nor do they care. It's all about the enjoyment of the "service" and the superficial friendliness of the people as they come in or exit the building.

The one who mentions the name of Jesus Christ outside the building is ignored because of the embarrassment it brings to those who love their happy social club.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3For 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. 4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"

If you don't believe me, correct someone on doctrine or criticize their observance of Halloween and see what comes out. You will be treated as though you were rude and the one who causes division by remaining faithful to the word of God.

Christ Above All Else

So many people are staunch conservatives, attend large churches every week, but never speak the name of Jesus Christ.

They equate Christianity with conservatism and rule following, but have nothing to say about the principles and commands of Christ unless it is to justify their own desires.

In fact, most of the people who are like this have very committed views about politics as though they have placed their trust in the system and their votes more than in Christ.

Some of them have forbidden women to speak of Christ because of their gender, but have no problem with their wives speaking about politics.

Don't we speak about what is important to us? Why would politics be more important than Christ? Or, why would anything about this world be more important than Christ?

Could it be said that the interest in politics outweighs interest in Christ because safety and personal control over life are what are more important?

God said: "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's", meaning we are to pay our taxes as required by the government and obey the laws of the land that do not disobey God.

Our country has been trained for several generations now that we are good citizens if we vote because of this passage in the Bible about taxes. Those who do not vote are chastised for not being responsible citizens of this country.

However, there is one problem with equating the paying of taxes with voting. The problem is that it is the law of the land that we pay our taxes and is Biblically based, but voting is not a law of the land and is not mentioned in the Bible; it is a choice. Those who choose not to vote are not breaking any law.

This is the reason I say with conviction that if someone is a Christian and chooses not to vote, they are in right standing with God. Just as those who choose to vote may also be in right standing with God.

God has allowed this country to have a vote to show us where our heart is as a country. The country as a whole places its trust in the system of government and its own desires, but they do not place its trust in God. We know this because there is more complaining about the government and politics than there are praises to God for His provision and purpose.

Notice the mantra on our money? "In God we trust." Think about it, why has this been placed on the money and not on the facade of every government building?

I do not trust in our government or our money; I trust in Christ alone. God may take away our form of government and even our money, but neither will affect my walk with Christ. Removal of everything that is comfortable might cause the authentic born-again beleivers to become stronger in their faith, while those who are not authentic believers will abandon their faith when the going gets rough.

When people place their trust in the government, or their power over the government, they will be continually frustrated because the world as a whole does not think with the mind of Christ, nor do most Christians in our day.

We talk the most about those things that are the most important to us. Many people around the world are not allowed to vote, and many are persecuted in their countries for their faith in Christ.

These people tend to be far more dedicated to Christ than American Christians. They have everything to lose by following Christ. Americans have almost nothing to lose, except family members. The worst Americans can expect is to be excluded from events or mean looks when they mention Christ. Believers in other countries can expect to lose their lives, even tortured for their faith.

Sadly, superficial believers who are dedicated to their politics often engage in arguments that demean those who do not do what they do, pertaining to voting or activism.

I am not against activism under the direction of the Holy Spirit or voting also under the direction of the Holy Spirit. What I am dismayed in is the arrogance that others are pressured to engage in the same things or be rejected if they do not, when the things expected have not been commanded in Scripture.

Chastising someone should be reserved for sin and deviation from the Word of God. Everything judged must be according to the Word of God.

Colossians 2:16 "Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day—"

This seems applicable to anyone judging us on things that God never commanded, things based on human desires and cultural rules.

John 16:22 "22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you."

Do not tell anyone I am against voting or not voting; this was not the message here. I am saying we need to stop judging others on things God never addressed. Yes, there are principles that are not specific but apply to how we live our lives; this is not the same as adding to God's Word things He never said.

Bottom line; seek Christ in all things, depend on the Holy Spirit for your guidance, and you will not become fleshly in your judging of others.

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Those who are proud of themselves will not be used of God

Fake Repentance

Worship #7: What Do We Do Now?

Rejecting God's Principles about Marriage Ruins Relationships

Rejecting or ignoring God's principles and commands in the Bible is equivalent to rejecting Christ.

It has been my experience that those who are rebellious will attempt to find something against those who bring the Word of God. They are convicted by the challenge to reconsider their own disobedience. Instead of repenting, they make up lies about those who will not go along with their false idea of Christianity.

John 14:14-16 "14 If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever."

Those who walk disobediently always pick and choose which things they want to believe from the Bible and pressure others to follow those things while ignoring other commands, even punishing those who believe in following all the commands.

Sadly, those who walk disobediently will add ideas and verbiage to the Bible that God never placed in His Word. They negate other things God placed there and treat their beliefs as commands from God.

1 John 2:3-5 "By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:"

When the pretenders cannot sway us from the Word of God, they will attempt to ruin our reputation with others so that we have no support system. They think if they punish us for believing in God's Word, we will give up and follow them. Or, at the very least they will be able to gain other pretenders to their side to be able to feel justified in their rude treatment of those who do not accept their ways.

Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

In our day, new traditions have cropped up over the past 50 years, defying God's Word pertaining to the permanency of marriage and even the relationship between husband and wife.

Those who take marriage lightly will endorse divorce and remarriage based on the false teachings about it, but thrust upon others a false teaching of patriarchal hierarchy that ruins relationships and negates the important role of women in their home and relationships.

There is leadership in the home, leadership by example and through teaching, but these false teachers support rude oppressiveness to minimize the contribution to the family, causing disrespect and dishonor.

They say "honor your father and mother," but promote honoring only the father while negating the mother. I am not a fan of women's lib; it is an abomination to God's Work in the family. However, I can see how ungodly women would take offense to this ill treatment of women, rather than seeking God on how to rise above it in a godly manner.

When women are treated with the delicacy and respect God commanded, they would not feel the sense to "fight back", they would feel loved and honored, able to carry out their role as manager of the home with great joy.

Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ."

It is the practice of narcissists to take scripture out of context to make it say what they want as a control mechanism. There is no love in this ungodly control over others, only oppression and sadness.

Here is what God says about the marriage relationship;

1 Peter 3:7-8 " 7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 8Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.…"

Ephesians 5:25-33 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her / to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, / and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless."

Colossians 3:19 "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them."

Proverbs 31:10-31 "A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life."

If a man honors his wife "far above rubies", he will see her value and be an example to the rest of the family; they will follow his lead in honor of their mother.

Ephesians 5:22-24 "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."

Women are to submit to their husbands when they obey the Lord, never when they disobey Him. They are to help counsel him when he strays from the Word of God. If he rejects this and refuses to discuss a problem area then he disobeys God. The wife is to go to God with this concern and refuse to disobey God herself. When she obeys a man who disobeys God she is complicit. Let's not forget Ananias and Sapphira!

Acts 5:1-11 Sapphira obeyed her husband, going along with him to defraud the Holy Spirit and not only was her husband killed but she too was killed by God. Each one was responsible for their disobedience. God considered Sapphira as having conspired with her husband because she did not object to his sin.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife. Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control."

The husband and wife work together, not separately. Even their physical relationship is a picture of mutual submission and respect.
Husbands and wives are to discuss matters of the relationship, allowing each one to be respected in their God given roles, different but equal. Both are to willingly support the other in their callings.

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Both husband and wife are created in God's image; to negate one and prefer the other is to defy the purposes of God in marriage.

Matthew 19:4-6 "Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female,’ / and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? / So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Husband and wife are no longer two people but one in marriage. They each complete the other; their callings complement and support one another. The woman has talents and gifts different from the man and the man from the woman, but all come together to make the whole. The two are one; in our day of divorce and remarriage as the norm, Christians are negating God's word, pretending the two did not become one, and that God was not involved in the melding of two souls.

1 Corinthians 11:11-12 "In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. / For just as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God."

Neither husband nor wife is independent of the other, and one is not greater than or superior to the other; they are equal with roles that complement one another.

Some cultures teach that women are inferior and unworthy of respect and honor; these are pagan ideas, not from God. Sadly, this mentality has crept into the Christian church. Be aware of this because it is paganism, not Christianity.

May Christians stop following their culture in this matter of marriage and begin to obey God, it's all in His Word, but each one will need to consult the Holy Spirit because the culture is so messed up in this area of marriage, it has perverted the relationship and destroyed many.

Believing is Obeying

Rejecting or ignoring God's principles and commands in the Bible is the same as rejecting Christ.

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True Unity is Around Jesus Christ

Ephesians 412-14 "…12 to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming."

This unity is not compromised doctrine; it is everyone seeking the Holy Spirit and His Word to come to an agreement in the Spirit.

Why Christians Shouldn’t Celebrate Halloween | Biblical Truth

Halloween a Heart Breaker

The Lord placed a burden on my soul today as I watched "Christian" relatives celebrating Halloween. Yes, I used to do it too before I was saved, but after Christ changed me, I hated it. Why do those who say they are Christians remain comfortable and even happy about these celebrations that offend God?

My prayer is that God will open the eyes of those who think this holiday is "just innocent fun."

Amos 5:21-23 21 “I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your festive assemblies.
22 Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fattened oxen.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps."

Even those who say they reject these holidays will change the form of the celebrations to appear as not accepting them, but in reality they are indulging, hoping no one will notice they are still engaging in paganism out of fear of missing "fun."

They will claim it is not paganism but just innocent fun! Satan is a very clever liar, he makes wicked things seem innocent all the while teaching the next generation to continue what the parents did when they were young.

There is enough information on the internet exposing these pagan holidays that there really is no excuse, except to ignore the warnings.

My grief is heavy now. Today has been a hard day for me, knowing that so many are turning a blind eye to the truth. The question arises whether or not there was a salvation experience, and how many are cultural Christians and need to hear the gospel one more time?

Isaiah 1:11-15 “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly."

They go to large church buildings, say their prayers, sing their songs, and never speak the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but have much to say about their pumpkins, their bags of candy, and their jack-o'-lanterns. My heart is breaking!!!!

Life in the Millennium | Amir Tsarfati — What the Bible Actually Says

Accusations of the Devil and Those Controlled by Him

When you walk with Christ you will experience those who are rebellious attempting to accuse you of things they are doing but you are not.

They did it to Christ and they will do it to those who love Him.

The Pharisees accused Christ of doing His miracles by the power of the devil. When we do kind things those who hate Him and us will attempt to make what we did that was kind, as though it was foolish.

Matthew 27:11-13 "11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, who questioned Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 12 And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?”

Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth."

1 Peter 2:23 "When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly."

Mark 15:3-5 "And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things. Then Pilate questioned Him again, “Have You no answer? Look how many charges they are bringing against you!” But to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply."

Do you see the pattern? Those who hate us because we love Christ and because we tell the truth of God's Word will do to us what they did to Christ.

Christ came to earth to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. He did only good all the time and yet was accused of evil. He even healed the sick and some who were healed were not even grateful enough to come back and thank Him.

When we know they did this to Christ and will do it to us we need not take any of it personally. It's not about us at all, it is the devil working to diminish the believer who follows Christ. The devil has not changed his tactics, if anything he has doubled down in these final days before the rapture, hoping to ruin our witness so that others will not listen to us.

The devil knows he cannot harm us or cause us to turn back from Christ so he does the next best thing and that is to discredit us to others so they will not listen to the truth.

When we encounter this rejection from people, we ought to do as Christ did; that is "answer not a word" and move on.

John 19:9-10 "and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and the authority to crucify You?”

Remaining silent in the face of accusation is a powerful weapon against the devil. If no words are spoken, then there is nothing to argue against. Wicked people love to argue and they mean to win, but if there is nothing to argue against, they do not win over us.

Let the Holy Spirit be your strength; never take seriously those who are controlled by the devil, they have no power over Christ in you.

Authentic Born-Again Believers are Rare

Authentic born-again believers are rare; we are called the remnant in the Bible and have always been the remnant. The organized church system devised by men has become nearly completely apostate, teaching many doctrines of men and of demons. It is time to come out of that system and remain with a few in homes.

God never commanded that the church meet in large buildings with a one-man-paid-pastor who became the mediator between those in the pew and God. Even if those in the pew would say they don't believe that, they act as though they do.

Those in the pews are not allowed to interject and often are ignored or dismissed when they correct the one in the pulpit. This is the opposite of what God taught in His Word for the gathering of believers.

1 Corinthians 14:26 "What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification."

When people are reading and studying God's Word at home, they will have something to offer when they meet with others. All participate in one way or another and all are edified. The purpose of the gathering is to edify one another so that we are equipped to go into the world as witnesses of Christ.

Romans 12:1-2 "1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."

We no longer worship with physical rituals; our worship is in Spirit and in Truth. It is a condition of the heart all the time. Coming together to edify one another enhances this Spiritual worship and service to Christ.

John 4:24 "24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 "But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. / For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

All the outer rituals in the world do not compare to the Spiritual worship in our hearts every day, anywhere, at any time.

Nothing More Pleasurable Than Gaining Wisdom From God

We live in a culture that teaches young people to have their fun before having children because once that happens life becomes harder. Isn't this sad!!!!

If there were any young people who would listen, I would tell them to seek after wisdom, that pleasure is fleeting and offers nothing toward discernment and insight into important matters.

Proverbs 4:6-8 "…6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you. 7Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. 8Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you."

Pleasure does not gain us wisdom and is usually associated with boasting and showing off. It is pleasurable to work on a project that produces something; this is not the kind of pleasure the Bible teaches against.

When is the last time you spoke to a believing friend and they shared they were seeking wisdom, that God would bring them understanding about the things of life?

Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Ephesians 1:17 "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him."

Proverbs 3:13-18 "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her."

Colossians 1:9 "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,"

The longer we play and seek adventure the longer we delay the learning and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 "For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it."

Ecclesiastes 9:16-18 "Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard."

We live in a world that values pleasure and fun above wisdom, even becoming irritated or angry when someone with wisdom asks questions that make people think beyond the superficial.

How many of you are bored to tears with superficial banter? I am, I can do superficially some, but when it is everything, I have a sense of wanting to flee somewhere quiet to think or with someone who loves wisdom to ponder the things of God.

I have a tendency to evaluate everything to see what God thinks of it or what is its meaning. This aggravates those who want to maintain superficiality as a means of just feeling happy.

Going Spiritually deeper is considered strange and even rude in a culture that values pretense.

Proverbs 1:6-7 "…6 by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

The most important thing anyone can do in their lifetime is ask God to show them truth and wisdom while willing to set aside anything they were taught to follow Christ.

James 1:5 "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."

The peril of chasing after pleasure and superficiality is great, delaying wisdom. If delayed too long, the wisdom never comes even into old age. There are many foolish elderlly people who neglected seeking God all their lives. When this happens, they harden their own hearts against learning and against God.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

To the born-again believer, there is nothing more pleasurable than drawing close to God, leaning to evaluate everything according to His Word.

Old Age is a Blessing to Those Who are In Christ

The sad thing these days is the culture thinks being old is an insult, and we should all pretend old people are not old to make them feel better about themselves. I am old and am very happy that I am where God wants me.

Life is hard at times, but my eyes are on the prize, that being eternal life with Jesus Christ. This life is fleeting, in old age I know it won't be long until I go home.

Romans 8:17-19 "17 And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God."

According to God's Word, being old is a crown and something to be considered a blessing. Yes, sometimes it's hard, but I would never want to give up all the lessons of life to be younger.

Isaiah 46:4 " 4 Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you."

Proverbs 16:31 "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life".

Gray hair is a symbol of honor and wisdom that is earned from a life of righteousness. This life is developed over many years of failures that taught good lessons. Once those lessons are acquired, there is no way to unlearn them; they are clear and a great blessing.

2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison."

2 Corinthians 4:18 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."

When our eyes are fixed on what is coming after this life, those of us who are born again know this life is short and our homegoing is soon.

The Book of Enoch is a Fraud!!!!

Enoch was the great-great-grandfather of Noah; if he wrote anything, it would have been destroyed in the flood. The book of Enoch is a fraud! Not to mention all the foolish, blasphemous things in that book. Enoch died before Noah was born!

 
Only Noah's family was taken on the boat in the flood everyone ane everything else was destroyed in the waters below, including all of Noah's extended family. There could never have been a book that survived.

 
I am astounded that so many prominent preachers are being deceived into believing the imagination of a book so full of lies. They have taken words of the Bible out of context to make them fit that blasphemous book and pass it off as truth.

 
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.…"

If something is not in the Bible, ignore it, reject it, and even preach against it. And, resist the urge to make any secular writings fit with the Bible, squeezing it in between the lines to make it fit. This is dishonest and rebellion against God.

Blasphemy from Modern Popular Preachers

Many people, even prominent preachers, are teaching this monstrous lie about devils mating with humans. It doesn't take very much Biblical proof to debunk this nonsense.

 
It is blasphemy because it assigns to devils the same capability of the Father when He placed Christ in Mary's womb. What better way to make it look like some other being can do what God the Father did, negating the miracle of the virgin birth!!!!
The word "Nephilim" means mighty men; they were not a race of people.

 
Demons cannot procreate; they are genderless. How would a woman even know she was being messed with?

 
Spiritual beings cannot procreate with flesh. God said, "each after its own kind." A cat does not mate with a dog, a horse does not mate with a cow, and humans cannot produce something if they mate with animals. Spirit beings cannot mate with humans.

This false and damaging doctrine of devils is distracting many from Christ, even causing superficial thinkers to fight with others over something that is not proven in Scripture. Scriptural gymnastics and adding to the Word are the only ways to come up with this devilish doctrine of a race called Nephilim hybrids.

Oppression and Rudeness Have No Place in a Christian Marriage

Those men and women who are using the passage in Genesis that the woman will be dominated by her husband, "she will try to lord it over him and he will do the same to her", was a condition of the fall. It was not so before the fall and should not be in a Christian marriage.

Genesis 3:16 ""16 To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you shall deliver children;
Yet your desire (to rule over him) will be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

In other words, more accurately, according to the original language, the woman will try to rule over her husband, but he will rule over her, which makes perfect sense. We see this in our world today among non-believers who do not have Christ to remove the stain of the fall from their lives.

Born-again believers should not live like this; they have been snatched from the punishment of the fall and have been given the mandate to love one another. Domination and control are not love and do not belong in a Christian marriage.

God gave the woman the task of managing the home; she does not need her husband's permission to do that job. That job was given to her by God. Her husband has been given the task of providing for the family and does not need the permission of his wife to do that job.

However, a couple made one by God in marriage have roles given to the wife differing from the man's role that complete the relationship when working together.

A woman considers her husband as she does her job, and the man considers the woman as he carries out his role. No one dictates to the other, but they do consult with one another to come to an agreement that is best for the family.

There is no micro-managing, and there is discussion when a major decision that impacts the entire family must be made. Nothing should be done without both spouses agreeing when a major decision has to be made.

No one has to fear this model from scripture when they are both consulting God for the answer.

The husband is to consider the wife, and the wife is to support the husband when he has consulted with God and is convinced he is doing what God is telling him. The wife's heart should be at peace when the husband makes a decision from God; God will give her the peace she needs, even if she is uncertain of the decision.

Anyone who treats their wife disrespectfully, using the Genesis passage as an excuse, is walking disobediently and must repent.

Ephesians 5:22-33 "22 Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
30 because we are parts of His body.
31 For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
32 This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband."

In summary, the husband must lead by example and teaching, in a way that loves and protects the wife, and the wife is to treat her husband with respect. When both do as they should, the children will respect both the mother and the father equally.

May those who are teaching oppression of any sort in marriage repent from bringing false doctrine that destroys relationships and families.

Forgiveness and Repentance

Forgiveness is only for those who repent. Repenting will bring sorrow for harming someone else and a change of behavior. It allows the offender to grow while restoring a relationship. Without repentance, nothing changes, and the harm persists.

 
Luke 17:3-5 "…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.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!"

No one has greater character by forgiving those who are offensive. No one mends a relationship by forgiving those who refuse to be sorry enough to change their behavior. There is nothing noble in forgiving differently than God forgives.

 
No one becomes bitter because a rebellious offender will not be sorry and they must withhold forgiveness. We pray for the offender, and according to God's word, we remove ourselves so the stubborn offender will not influence our own character.

 
Psychology says to forgive so you won't be bitter, but God says not to forgive so that you are not tempted to become like the offender. Psychology often works against God's word because it was developed by men who observed behavior but came to their own conclusions about the cure.

 
Psychology does get it right about what evil mankind does, but it does not get the answers to the problem correctly. The problem is sin, and the reason is rejection of Christ.

 
God's ways often fly in the face of the culture around us. This is the reason those who love Christ and seek to obey His word are rejected by the culture, their communities, and their families.

 
When we are steeped every day in the word of God, the ways of the world become glaringly absent of good sense.

 
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."

How has God forgiven the born-again believer? This way;

 
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".

 
Repentance will bring about a change of heart; it demonstrates a sadness at having harmed someone and a desire for God to change their character.

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

Our relationship with God cannot be restored without repentance, and our relationship with others cannot be restored without confession of sin.
Psychology has perverted the way in which relationships are restored, leaving many people demanding to be forgiven when they are never contrite with a broken heart, deeply sorrowful over their offenses.

 
It is only sorrow for sin that brings about a changed character and actions. Christ will not cleanse those who don't think they need cleansing.

 
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."

Israel Remains the Wife of God the Father!

Isaiah 54:3-5 "…3 For you will spread out to the right and left; your descendants will dispossess the nations and inhabit the desolate cities. 4 Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.…"

Israel is the wife of God the Father, and the Church is the Bride of Christ. It is clear in God's Word that God is not finished with Israel, just the opposite, He is pursuing her especially in these last days and in the tribulation. Two-thirds of the people of Israel will perish in the tribulation, and the one-third that does not will trust in Christ. There will be 144,000 who will go into the rest of the world and preach the gospel during the tribulation.

 
The church has been grafted into Israel, not the other way around.

 
Isaiah 43:1 "But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!"

This is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled and it is moving quickly to this end.

 
Romans 11:11-6 "Israel Has Not Been Rejected
11 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? Far from it! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”
4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace."

Dare to be Strange Dedicated to Truth

It is astounding now the disrespect aging parents tolerate from their nasty adult children merely because they fear being alone.

I would rather be alone with Christ than surrounded by mean, disrespectful people.

Something I have noticed is that the prophets rarely spoke of their relatives. My guess is that they were too radical and beyond the fray of their own culture to fit in anywhere.

The prophets were bold but kind, they were staunch but dedicated to truth. They appeared to be strange but possessed wisdom beyond the culture surrounding them.

Proverbs 13:19-20 "…19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is detestable to fools. 20 He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."

1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Psalm 1:1 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers."

James 1:5 "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."

Born-again believers dedicated to truth will always be considered strange and avoided by others. There is no shame in this for the believer, there is only joy that they walk the path of Christ even if no one goes with them.

Atheism is Irrational and Hypocritical

Atheism is not rational, and it is always hypocritical. They have faith in nothing except themselves and claim they do not need faith at all. Their faith is in themselves, and they have no reason to trust in themselves other than their elevated view of themselves.

 
They mock others for their faith in God while pretending they have no faith in anything. They know there is a God they just refuse to validate Him.
Just as the devil wanted to be more powerful than God, he has convinced the atheist that he can be his own god.

 
Romans 1:28-29 "28 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips.

I have never heard an atheist mock the Easter bunny, Santa Claus or any other man-made fantasy because they are not threatened by what is not real. I have only seen an atheist mock God because God is the One they are the most angry at and fear the most.

 
Ephesians 4:18-19 "They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more."

Atheists are angry because they are full of shame but refuse to confess it to be cleansed; they bow to no one but themselves.

Elevating Culture Above Christ is the Danger

Many people say they don't want to debate when there is disagreement. Sadly, it shuts down communication so that the one who will not discuss things does not have to evaluate their own thinking. They use the excuse "I don't want to debate" to shut down any honest and rational communication that might shed light.

I don't "debate", which has the connotation of discussing for the purpose of winning. I enjoy honest, open discussions, looking at all sides to be able to come to an agreement and always with Scriptural backing.

 
1 Corinthians 1:9-11 "9 God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. 11My brothers, some from Chloe’s household, have informed me that there are quarrels among you."

There is only one way to agree, and that is to look at Scripture, leaving out all traditions of men to study what God said in His Word.

 
In our modern Christianity, most have been trained to never correct someone else out of fear of their feelings. Feelings have become more important than honest, open discussion.

 
When the culture has been raised to protect their feelings more than a desire to learn, they will be hypersensitive to any form of correction. Since the people are full of pride, they resist correction as though it were the new evil. It is the reason the school system is failing, giving good marks to children for trying, rather than for achievement.

 
The culture has become less intelligent and more obstinate than ever before because of the propensity to withhold proper teaching and challenges that force someone to try harder or to evaluate their own way of thinking.

 
Children now believe they know everything; any correction at all makes them angry. They assign bad motives to those who tell the truth to help them grow. They gossip, lie, and punish anyone who attempts to explain why there was a correction.
In short, the culture has become more irrational, less contemplative, and highly vengeful.

 
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."

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "But understand this: In the last days, terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,"

1 Timothy 4:1-2 "Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron."
Acts 20:29-30 "I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them."

Romans 16:17-18 "Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive."

Division is created when scripture is ignored in favor of worldly cultural Christianity that elevates errors above the truth while punishing those who bring the Word of God as the evidence of truth.

Freedom in Christ is Great Joy

So much of the way people act and what they believe is based on a lifetime of false Christianity and false doctrine. The only way to overcome it all is to ask God to reveal all that is wrong and be willing to discard anything that is not of God when He reveals it to them.

The reason people remain in a system that has been wrong for hundreds of years is that the rest of the culture around them would call them insane if they deviated from what the culture has always practiced.

Mark 7:13 "So much of the way people act and what they believe is based on a lifetime of false Christianity and false doctrine. The only way to overcome it all is to ask God to reveal all that is wrong and be willing to discard anything that is not of God."

Matthew 15:8-9 …7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ "

I recall a few times when I quoted scripture to an old woman who had been attending a modern church all her life until she became too ill to leave her home. This woman often spoke unbiblical things based on the culture, and was irritated when I would give her scripture that clarified or corrected her thinking. She resisted the scripture because it came from someone she considered to be a fanatic.
Sadly, this is the state of many people who have attended large gatherings all their lives. They go to a large building, sit in the pews for years without interjecting or participating except when told to repeat after the pastor in the pulpit or to sing a song the leader told them to sing. Nothing was led by the Holy Spirit, and no one was allowed to speak except those who were considered to be in authority over the people.

The pews all faced forward toward the designated preacher, who was elevated on a platform as though superior to the others below.

The people below in the pews treated the one in the pulpit as though he were the mediator between them and God. The people dared not speak without permission, or they would have been considered rebellious by the rest of the group.

God's model for the church gathering was for all to participate; there would be several leaders who led by example and teaching, but had no authority over the others. The elders served, not dominated.

Matthew 20:24-26 "…24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,…"

1 Corinthians 14:26 " 26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church."

Everyone participates, and the Holy Spirit is the leader in the gathering of believers. The groups are small, so that this can happen decently and in order. The leaders are servants of all to help with guidance, and they are subject to correction themselves as are all the rest.

 
No person is greater than another; only the Holy Spirit is above all.

 
Ephesians 5:19 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,"

Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Romans 12:6-8 "We have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

In the gathering as described by God in the Word is vibrant, each person participates according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, not according to rules instituted by men. No one is forbidden to speak as is in the institutionalized churches.

 
I have experienced this a few times in my life and was so blessed that I cannot describe the fullness of the time spent with others who love to edify one another in the Word. There were leaders who were men, and no one was considered superior to anyone else, because Christ was elevated not people.

1 Peter 4:10-11 "As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."

God does command us not to forsake gathering together, but that does not mean we must gather in the way of the culture. God told us that where two or three are together, He is in the midst, and that it can be anywhere on any day of our choosing, it can be every day or any day chosen. There are no rules about when to meet or with how many. The example in Scripture was in homes; no special building was required.

 
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The purpose of the gathering was to edify one another, building one another in the faith so that everyone would leave that place having grown in wisdom and holiness.

 
Sadly, the modern gatherings have reverted back to the Catholic model with a hierarchy of men negating the Holy Spirit in every other believer who was considered less than the one in that elevated pulpit. The clues are those pews all facing forward and that man elevated above the others in a pulpit as though an authority.

 
There is great freedom in following Christ; the bondage of organized religion, based on man's ideas, is eliminated when we obey the Word of God in our gatherings.

Only Two Generations to Brainwash America

It only took a couple of generations to brainwash people to believe government schools were necessary; they never were, but parents liked the idea because now they were free from the task of raising their own children.

 
Deuteronomy 6:6-8 "…6 These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads."

God commanded parents to teach and train their own children. Passing this task off to non-family caused the children to place their trust in those who spent the most time with them. It began the great divide between children and parents.

Teachers tend to pass on their own values, often not the same as their parents' values.

 
2 Timothy 2:2 "And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well."
The mentality that we cannot teach one another slopped over into the church gatherings, that specially trained men had to teach everyone else.

 
Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."

Fathers and Mothers were to be the teachers of their own children in everything. Both Father and Mother were to be respected and honored.

Proverbs 1:8-9 "Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. 9 For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck."

The Government Class Room a Modern Idea

The classroom idea is a relatively new idea. The first public school was established in 1635 in Boston. Up until that point for hundreds of years children were taught by their parents in the home. Within the family structure is the best way to learn.

I was once asked by a candidate for Governor of our state, "What about socialization"? In reference to homeschooling? My answer was: "You mean drugs, alcohol, disrespect for adults, and filthy language? our children don't need that."

Pray as Led by the Holy Spirit

Even if I never utter another prayer for family, I know that all the prayers of the past 50 years still count!!!! Don't feel bad for taking a rest from continually begging God.

 
Sometimes prayer becomes a ritual to make us feel better. Sometimes God does not answer our prayers because they go against His will. Sometimes God says we pray in vain because we ask with selfish motives.

 
Sometimes God tells us to stop praying for someone because He has already heard the many other prayers and knows the outcome.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "17 pray without ceasing,"

 
God tells us to pray without ceasing, but this is not necessarily praying for the same things or the same people all the time. We are to maintain an attitude of prayer about everything, but not necessarily many times over and over again for the same things.

 
Paul stopped praying for the thorn in his flesh because after three times he realized it was God's will for him to have the thorn.

 
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 "7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.…"

Jeremiah 7:16 “Therefore 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."

The modern idea that we should never stop praying for family members is not Biblical. We pray as we are led by the Holy Spirit, not just according to our own desires, but we pray for God's Will.

 
Never allow the pressure of others to bring guilt upon you to pray about something if you are not led to do so. Our culture says many unbiblical things and places pressure and guilt on us all to do what they beleive is right in their own eyes.
Sometimes, continuing to pray when it is not the Holy Spirit leading you to do so, you may be praying against God's Will.

 
Jesus Christ prayed in the will of the Father the following:

Matthew 26:39
Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Matthew 26:42
A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”

If we are led by the Holy Spirit, what to pray, we will not be worried about how many times we utter the same prayer.

 
Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Romans 8:26 "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."

Do not fall into the trap of being pressured by what the "Christian culture" is doing or teaching; be led by the Holy Spirit, and you will not go wrong.