Nagging an Unjust Judge is not the same as Nagging God

All my prayers for the past 50 years for my children have been heard by God. I can rest assured that if I do not say one more prayer for them, the other thousands of the past still count. 

When I die and leave this earth God remembers my prayers. Anyone who says NEVER stop praying for the family doesn't understand that the number of prayers we speak to God is not the issue, it is the desire of our heart that He is looking at not numbers.

 
We are not heard because of our many prayers we are heard because Christ lives in us and knows our desires before we speak them.

Nagging God about something we want is tantamount to not accepting His will, and we are not responsible for whether or not our children obey Christ.
No one sends someone else to hell, those who go there do it because of their own choice to disobey Christ.

 
The one scripture that comes to mind is the widow who nagged the ruler and because of her nagging the ruler gave her what she wanted. This scripture has been used as an example that we "must" nag God until He gives us what we want. This is a classic example of taking scripture out of context to justify humanistic thinking.

 
I have actually experienced people nagging me to keep praying about one issue that has been resolved in my heart to accept God's will.
God will not thwart His own will just because we nag Him.

 
Notice something about the parable of the widow nagging the judge and getting what she wanted. Note that the judge was an unjust judge, we could never say that God is unjust.

 
God is not unjust ever!!!!! The passage was referring to our dealings in an unjust world, not with Him.

 
It is important that we not make mandates and pressures to do things based on scripture taken out of context and used as though it is a rule from God.
Jesus Christ can actually tell us to stop praying for those who have rejected Him. And, He never encourages us to continue to pray for things that are against His will.

 
Remember Paul the apostle? He stopped praying for an answer to a trouble after three times, accepting God's will for that problem.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10: Paul asked the Lord to take away the thorn, but God replied, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"
We must be careful not to make rules and promote ideas that God never taught. It is wonderful to pray as led by the Holy Spirit but it is also futile to pray when God does not want us to pray. Sometimes He wants us to turn someone over to satan to be buffeted so that they learn to turn to Christ.

 
How many things do Christians believe today that God never said, but they hang onto because of all the years they were taught something and it feels so right but is inaccurate.

Love for the Family of Christ

I appreciate the invitations I have had to join Christian groups on Facebook, however, I cannot possibly vet them all and do not have the time to spend responding to everything on them. I don't feel I have to join to participate as led by the Holy Spirit.

I really hate ignoring people and if I join a group I feel obligated to respond to the things in the group so I decline all of them, it's nothing personal or disapproving, it is just logistics.

I wish the best for those who are busy doing what God has led them to do in the groups, edifying the saints is a big part of our life as believers in Christ.

Edward Hale said this:

""I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by God's grace, I will do".

I love all those who are busy on the internet doing what God has called them to do and I pray for them. Each one of us can only do what we can do as led by the Holy Spirit and we can support in prayer those who are not doing what we do.

I praise God for the internet, it is an opportunity to reach the entire world for Christ from our homes. It is also a wonderful opportunity to edify the believers, many of whom are isolated and rejected in need of the love and kindness of Christ in their brothers and sisters.

I think often of the day we will meet at the marriage supper of the Lamb in person. Even those we have only met on the internet we will recognize because it is their Spirit we are connecting with daily.

I welcome any and all questions and comments on my page and to my chat, if you wish to communicate with me this way I am delighted to hear from you.

May the Lord bless all those who are doing their best to obey the command to bring the gospel to the world and to edify the saints in these last days before Christ takes us all home.

Hallelujah!!!

The Nature of Cults

Cults always place unbiblical rules on attendees. They will pressure others to do things exactly their way or those who do not adhere to their rules are shunned and dismissed, even put out of the group.

When there is contempt for those who speak boldly about the word of God it is a clue that you are in a narcissistic group bent on controlling others.

There is much gossip in cults, those who are in leadership fixate on making sure everyone is doing things their way while enlisting others in the group to follow their lead in pressuring others.

Cults always have a "leader" who dictates to others, God's church ought not to be this way. Our leader is the Holy Spirit.

Scriptural leaders in the church are not authorities over the people, only the Holy Spirit is the leader in each believer. Leaders as described in Scripture lead by their own example and by teaching, they do not have authority over the Holy Spirit Who lives in every believer.

John 14:26-27 "26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.…"

Everyone can be led to teach the Word to every other believer and every believer has the Authority of the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to the lost.

John 16:13

"However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come."

1 John 2:27

"And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught."

1 Corinthians 2:10-13

"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. / We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. ."

God said it is the Spirit of Christ Who searches all things, even the deep things. We listen to those who bring the Word of God as He meant it to be heard, and we evaluate and correct someone who brings teaching that is not in accordance with what Christ meant in His Word.

Too many "pew people" sit like lumps in the group every week and never search the scriptures to see if that preacher up front is telling the truth. They act as though that preacher has ultimate authority over the Word, He does not!!!! And, in many cases the people don't actually follow Scripture, they seem to be satisfied with just knowing it, obedience to them is an option.

Isaiah 11:2

"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD."

I don't see any indication here in these scriptures that we should believe everything a man says who claims to have authority over us.

Acts 17:11

"11 Now these people (the Bereans)were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."

All of us are called to search the scriptures and pray for the understanding of the Word of God. This is not left to an elite few who have appointed themselves chief over everyone else.

1 Timothy 4:12

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity".

1 Peter 5:3

"Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example".

Philippians 2:3-4

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others".

Titus 2:7

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness".

Proverbs 10:9

"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out".

Leading is not "authority over", it is teaching, correcting, rebuking and admonishing and in all of this it is edification so that every believer will be equipped to live their life in Christ as they move through this world led by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:26: "What is it then, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying".