Perhaps something to say to a Christian who is rude to you might be something like this: "Was that a good representation of Christ?"
It is good to challenge a believer about their attitudes so that if they are saved, they can learn that their attitude reveals their heart and shows a need for more spiritual cleansing and growth.
However, this growth cannot happen until they confess it to be cleansed by God.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
For non-believers, we can just ignore the insult and allow their own consequences to teach them. Until they repent and trust in Christ, they will not understand right from wrong. They will justify their words and actions based on their feelings, even when nothing wrong was done to them to warrant a hostile reaction.
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Darwinism is in the heart of every Christian even without realizing it!
Every child was taught Darwinism since the 1860's in schools all over America.
Darwinism teaches that man is nothing more than another species of animal; therefore, mankind operates from instinct and not reason. He taught that man is basically good and only does bad things because of some bad feelings that dwell inside of him. In other words people who do evil things are just reacting to difficult things in their life.
This is where psychology came into being, from the belief that no one is bad and anyone who does bad things is hurting in some way. This is where the saying, "Hurt people hurt people," comes from.
This teaching has ruined generations of people who treat wicked people like victims and the victims as insignificant. If the victim protests at the ill treatment toward them, then they are judged as harmful and dangerous people.
Satan was very clever when he lied to Eve and accused God of being the bad one for making rules for Adam and Eve. He is using the same tactics today, accusing those who hold a righteous standard for the perpetrator and who defend the victim.
Why did the past few generations choose the way of Satan over God, might be the question? The people believed human beings who wanted to dismiss and reject God because in their heart they loved their sin and wanted to be treated special no matter what they did to others.
Much wrong teaching has entered the traditional church system because of the teaching of Darwinism; here are a few:
1. "People are basically good" (God says man is basically evil)
2. "Hurt people hurt people" (God says wicked people harm others)
3. "Forgive so that you will be forgiven" (God told us to repent and forgive for the sake of the relationship)
4. "Women must obey their husbands even when they tell them to sin because God has a purpose" ( God says obey Him alone always)
5. "Those who do not forgive the unrepentant are bitter." (God said one must repent before being forgiven.)
6. "If someone does not go to a building called a church with a paid pastor, they must not be Christians." (God never told us to go to a building or pay salaries to one man)
7. "One must obey their pastor and adhere to their teaching, or if you don't, you are in rebellion." (God says to obey God rather than man.)
8. "One can divorce their spouse for adultery" (God said if you divorce and remarry you are committing adultery, since God is the One Who makes two people one in marriage, the melding of spirits.)
9. "You are not loving if you correct others with Scripture." (God said we are to admonish, rebuke and correct daily one another.)
10. "You must not be a Christian if you don't celebrate Christmas and Easter." (God told us not to follow pagan holidays, even if the name of Christ is added to them to make them more accepting.)
11. "Babies must be baptized in case they die before growing up" (God told us that adults become baptized when they trust in Christ.)
12. "Children at the age of 12 must be confirmed to be saved." (God never gave any command for formal confirmation.) Man does not confirm someone's salvation, God transforms them when they trust in Christ.
13. "A preacher must have an alter call at eveyr service. (God says believers are to come together to edify one another in the word. Unbelievers do not belong at these gatherings. God said to go into the world and preach the gospel, only bring new people in who have trusted in Christ. Our gatherings are not for evangelism, they are for equipping the saints and encouraging one another.)
14. "We must get people to say the words we tell them to make sure they have been saved." (God says we can trust the Holy Spirit to bring in the people, a need to make sure someone says words is lack of faith, it brings in many false Christian who think the mantra gets them saved.)
15. "We don't discipline Christians in the church; we just love them." (Sadly lack of discipline is not love; it is the opposite. God says if we love our brethren, we will discipline them to bring them back to obedience or if they refuse then it reveals a heart of rebellion.)
There are many more things that go on in the institutional churches that do not honor God at all, they are places full of self-will and disrespect for Christ.
When the Bible is negated it is the same as negating Christ. Christ is the Word, His Word is the essence of Who He is, to ignore His word is to ignore Him.
It is astounding how many people live according to Darwinism and think they don't, who claim to be Christians.
Darwinism teaches that man is nothing more than another species of animal; therefore, mankind operates from instinct and not reason. He taught that man is basically good and only does bad things because of some bad feelings that dwell inside of him. In other words people who do evil things are just reacting to difficult things in their life.
This is where psychology came into being, from the belief that no one is bad and anyone who does bad things is hurting in some way. This is where the saying, "Hurt people hurt people," comes from.
This teaching has ruined generations of people who treat wicked people like victims and the victims as insignificant. If the victim protests at the ill treatment toward them, then they are judged as harmful and dangerous people.
Satan was very clever when he lied to Eve and accused God of being the bad one for making rules for Adam and Eve. He is using the same tactics today, accusing those who hold a righteous standard for the perpetrator and who defend the victim.
Why did the past few generations choose the way of Satan over God, might be the question? The people believed human beings who wanted to dismiss and reject God because in their heart they loved their sin and wanted to be treated special no matter what they did to others.
Much wrong teaching has entered the traditional church system because of the teaching of Darwinism; here are a few:
1. "People are basically good" (God says man is basically evil)
2. "Hurt people hurt people" (God says wicked people harm others)
3. "Forgive so that you will be forgiven" (God told us to repent and forgive for the sake of the relationship)
4. "Women must obey their husbands even when they tell them to sin because God has a purpose" ( God says obey Him alone always)
5. "Those who do not forgive the unrepentant are bitter." (God said one must repent before being forgiven.)
6. "If someone does not go to a building called a church with a paid pastor, they must not be Christians." (God never told us to go to a building or pay salaries to one man)
7. "One must obey their pastor and adhere to their teaching, or if you don't, you are in rebellion." (God says to obey God rather than man.)
8. "One can divorce their spouse for adultery" (God said if you divorce and remarry you are committing adultery, since God is the One Who makes two people one in marriage, the melding of spirits.)
9. "You are not loving if you correct others with Scripture." (God said we are to admonish, rebuke and correct daily one another.)
10. "You must not be a Christian if you don't celebrate Christmas and Easter." (God told us not to follow pagan holidays, even if the name of Christ is added to them to make them more accepting.)
11. "Babies must be baptized in case they die before growing up" (God told us that adults become baptized when they trust in Christ.)
12. "Children at the age of 12 must be confirmed to be saved." (God never gave any command for formal confirmation.) Man does not confirm someone's salvation, God transforms them when they trust in Christ.
13. "A preacher must have an alter call at eveyr service. (God says believers are to come together to edify one another in the word. Unbelievers do not belong at these gatherings. God said to go into the world and preach the gospel, only bring new people in who have trusted in Christ. Our gatherings are not for evangelism, they are for equipping the saints and encouraging one another.)
14. "We must get people to say the words we tell them to make sure they have been saved." (God says we can trust the Holy Spirit to bring in the people, a need to make sure someone says words is lack of faith, it brings in many false Christian who think the mantra gets them saved.)
15. "We don't discipline Christians in the church; we just love them." (Sadly lack of discipline is not love; it is the opposite. God says if we love our brethren, we will discipline them to bring them back to obedience or if they refuse then it reveals a heart of rebellion.)
There are many more things that go on in the institutional churches that do not honor God at all, they are places full of self-will and disrespect for Christ.
When the Bible is negated it is the same as negating Christ. Christ is the Word, His Word is the essence of Who He is, to ignore His word is to ignore Him.
It is astounding how many people live according to Darwinism and think they don't, who claim to be Christians.
Friday, October 30, 2026
Signs of a Civilization that is about to collapse, it begins with Apostacy in the Church
Wise, godly people see the signs of a civilization about to collapse.
Most people see the signs and ignore them, and others embrace the mentalities and practices of the culture that are off, but don't discern the consequences. They think nothing bad will happen to them.
Our culture is so far off from Biblical Christianity that it no longer resembles the first-century gatherings or practices, and yet most will defend today's cultural religious Christianity as though they think it is as it should be, even becoming angry when someone points out the flaws.
Most people who attend churches have no clue what God spoke of in His Word about the gathering of born-again believers.
Most people who say they are Christians could not tell you what it means to be born again. They do not know that being born again means we trusted Christ and He transformed us into a new creation. Most church attendees changed themselves to fit a religious culture, thinking they were earning their own way to heaven by becoming better people.
This is the reason we see so many who do not remain following Christ, because they were trying in their own effort without the transformation that only Christ can do within us.
Those who think they are saving themselves or keeping themselves through their own effort are often very arrogant, proud of their own goodness.
This is a frightening realization that many people who are attending Christian churches today have never been born again and are practicing their own brand of Christianity that has nothing to do with Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 "I Never Knew You
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.’"
One of the clues we see in discerning false Christianity is the attitude of resistance and hostility when they are corrected with Scripture.
Authentic born-again believers love learning and correction; they love the Scriptures to know God's heart. The false Christian only wants to know enough Scripture out of context to fit their desired beliefs and to impress others who lack wisdom and knowledge of the Bible.
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.…"
1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,"
Matthew 24:11 "and many false prophets will arise and deceive many."
Acts 20:29 "I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. I glean that the people will no longer listen even in the churches but God's direction is to continue to speak the truth anyway. Some may listen but most will not."
When our experience with those around us and in the community is hostility toward the truth, we know we have reached that time in prophecy when there will be little faith on the earth. Lies abound more than truth, and we will be at odds with everyone.
So, our marching orders are to continue to tell the truth, avoid those who have heard it and refuse to listen while being content to be alone a lot.
Titus 1:9 "He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it."
1 Timothy 6:3-5 "If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain."
The takeaway is: Arguing with a fool makes us also like the fool. Do not waste your time with foolish contentious people. Move on to those who may listen and are genuinely interested in finding truth according to God's Word.
Most people see the signs and ignore them, and others embrace the mentalities and practices of the culture that are off, but don't discern the consequences. They think nothing bad will happen to them.
Our culture is so far off from Biblical Christianity that it no longer resembles the first-century gatherings or practices, and yet most will defend today's cultural religious Christianity as though they think it is as it should be, even becoming angry when someone points out the flaws.
Most people who attend churches have no clue what God spoke of in His Word about the gathering of born-again believers.
Most people who say they are Christians could not tell you what it means to be born again. They do not know that being born again means we trusted Christ and He transformed us into a new creation. Most church attendees changed themselves to fit a religious culture, thinking they were earning their own way to heaven by becoming better people.
This is the reason we see so many who do not remain following Christ, because they were trying in their own effort without the transformation that only Christ can do within us.
Those who think they are saving themselves or keeping themselves through their own effort are often very arrogant, proud of their own goodness.
This is a frightening realization that many people who are attending Christian churches today have never been born again and are practicing their own brand of Christianity that has nothing to do with Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 "I Never Knew You
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.’"
One of the clues we see in discerning false Christianity is the attitude of resistance and hostility when they are corrected with Scripture.
Authentic born-again believers love learning and correction; they love the Scriptures to know God's heart. The false Christian only wants to know enough Scripture out of context to fit their desired beliefs and to impress others who lack wisdom and knowledge of the Bible.
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.…"
1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,"
Matthew 24:11 "and many false prophets will arise and deceive many."
Acts 20:29 "I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. I glean that the people will no longer listen even in the churches but God's direction is to continue to speak the truth anyway. Some may listen but most will not."
When our experience with those around us and in the community is hostility toward the truth, we know we have reached that time in prophecy when there will be little faith on the earth. Lies abound more than truth, and we will be at odds with everyone.
So, our marching orders are to continue to tell the truth, avoid those who have heard it and refuse to listen while being content to be alone a lot.
Titus 1:9 "He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it."
1 Timothy 6:3-5 "If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain."
The takeaway is: Arguing with a fool makes us also like the fool. Do not waste your time with foolish contentious people. Move on to those who may listen and are genuinely interested in finding truth according to God's Word.
Society has been Fooled for Centuries and Sadly the Christians right along with Everyone else.
This is what Satan does: he tricks people into celebrating something that dishonors God. And when He gets an entire society to think it is harmless fun, he sends Christians to become angry with those who oppose it.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Fruit of the Spirit, the Character Qualities of Christ
The Fruit of the Spirit is not works; it is the character qualities of Christ that produce His fruit. Unbelievers often do good works to glorify themselves, but those who operate from the fruit of Christ do their good deeds as directed by the Holy Spirit and they will glorify Christ.
Galatians 5:22–23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
We can become confused if someone says they are a Christian and they have good works. Many pretenders do good works but have no interest in obeying God because Christ does not live in them.
Matthew 7:21-23 "I Never Knew You
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.’"
This is the reason I do not like to elevate someone based on the good things they do. Thank them, yes, support a good deed, yes, but do not extol someone as saved merely because they do good things.
Also, remember an unsaved person has a different idea of what "good" is than someone who thinks with the mind of Christ.
Galatians 5:22–23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
We can become confused if someone says they are a Christian and they have good works. Many pretenders do good works but have no interest in obeying God because Christ does not live in them.
Matthew 7:21-23 "I Never Knew You
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.’"
This is the reason I do not like to elevate someone based on the good things they do. Thank them, yes, support a good deed, yes, but do not extol someone as saved merely because they do good things.
Also, remember an unsaved person has a different idea of what "good" is than someone who thinks with the mind of Christ.
Works are not the Fruit of the Spirit
Works are not fruit; God tells us what the fruit is; we don't have to guess.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.…"
The fruits are the character qualities of Christ that do lead to good actions. However, even those without the fruit can have good actions, but they don't count with God because they are done in the flesh to glorify self.
The actions that come from God's fruit glorify Him and not ourselves.
Those who are born again can discern whether the good deeds are from the work of the Holy Spirit or if they are coming from a spirit of pride and self-promotion.
Matthew 7:16-20 "16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
We get confused about who is saved and who is not these days because so many Christians are as worldly as their non-Christian friends. However, when someone walks with Christ we can sense the intense connection between the Holy Spirit in us and the Holy Spirit in them.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. / I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. / For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Ephesians 5:9 "for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
What a lovely reunion when we meet up with another believer who walks in the Spirit of God.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.…"
The fruits are the character qualities of Christ that do lead to good actions. However, even those without the fruit can have good actions, but they don't count with God because they are done in the flesh to glorify self.
The actions that come from God's fruit glorify Him and not ourselves.
Those who are born again can discern whether the good deeds are from the work of the Holy Spirit or if they are coming from a spirit of pride and self-promotion.
Matthew 7:16-20 "16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
We get confused about who is saved and who is not these days because so many Christians are as worldly as their non-Christian friends. However, when someone walks with Christ we can sense the intense connection between the Holy Spirit in us and the Holy Spirit in them.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. / I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. / For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Ephesians 5:9 "for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
What a lovely reunion when we meet up with another believer who walks in the Spirit of God.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
False Christians Ruin Our Witness
When our president is rude, crass, and uses foul language in public while claiming to be a Christian, he is doing more damage to the Christian witness than any other nonbeliever could do.
It doesn't matter if we have a better economy, a safer border or less crime in the streets when Christ's name is smudged and maligned by false believers; that is greater damage to our ability to reach the lost for Christ.
When the unsaved public sees Christians acting no differently from all their unsaved friends, they have no use for Christ.
Believe it or not, unbelievers can see a difference in authentic believers from the world, and what they see is more likely to influence them to want to know about Christ.
Our president has done more damage to the witness of Christ than any other non-believer could do by claiming to be a Christian.
Our job of witnessing is harder now than it was before because of his false version of Christianity presented to the world by our degenerate president. Notice he didn't allow all this crassness to emerge until he could no longer run for office again. Now he seeks to damage the reputation of other people running for office who might be authentic Christians.
Satan is so very clever!!!! What is more important to you as a Christian, getting a better economy or seeing people repent and become born again? Just asking!
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."
Titus 1:16 "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work."
Matthew 7:15 "“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
It doesn't matter if we have a better economy, a safer border or less crime in the streets when Christ's name is smudged and maligned by false believers; that is greater damage to our ability to reach the lost for Christ.
When the unsaved public sees Christians acting no differently from all their unsaved friends, they have no use for Christ.
Believe it or not, unbelievers can see a difference in authentic believers from the world, and what they see is more likely to influence them to want to know about Christ.
Our president has done more damage to the witness of Christ than any other non-believer could do by claiming to be a Christian.
Our job of witnessing is harder now than it was before because of his false version of Christianity presented to the world by our degenerate president. Notice he didn't allow all this crassness to emerge until he could no longer run for office again. Now he seeks to damage the reputation of other people running for office who might be authentic Christians.
Satan is so very clever!!!! What is more important to you as a Christian, getting a better economy or seeing people repent and become born again? Just asking!
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."
Titus 1:16 "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work."
Matthew 7:15 "“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
The Modern Church are the New Pharisees
If Jesus Christ walked into our churches today, perhaps He would say to the people in the gatherings the same thing He said to the Pharisees.
Matthew 23:1-28 "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,
3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’
19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.
22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
Matthew 23:1-28 "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,
3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’
19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.
22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
Worship of Freedom Has Destroyed the Church
On another thread, there was a discussion that a Christian should never vote for the lesser of the two evils. I have done that for years with distaste in my mouth as I marked my ballot. I never felt led of the Holy Spirit to abstain from voting until recently. I have grown weary of voting for the lesser of the two evils, and when God says so I will stop voting.
However, I am more grieved that Christians are fighting over who to vote for instead of telling people to trust God and do what He says. Each person must seek God on their own and vote or not vote, according to their conscience.
When I hire a plumber, I do not interview him to see if he is a Christian, nor do I interview the mechanic who fixes my car or the roofer who fixes my roof. It is the same idea: we hire a president to do the things we want done. And, don't forget, God may use our votes to bring into power the one who will bring our country down because that is His will. We cannot judge anyone for their vote; they might be hearing from God.
America deserves to be punished for its false Christianity and pleasure-seeking mentality.
God told Hosea to marry a prostitute, and when she left him and was unfaithful, God told him to go and bring her back home. We never know God's plan exactly and often do not understand what he is doing.
God allowed Joseph to be thrown into a well by his jealous brothers because He had a greater purpose in mind for Joseph.
God allowed Jonah to be swallowed by a big fish and vomited out on the shore of a nation he was told to preach to, and the nation Jonah hated repented. Jonah hated Nineveh and didn't want to preach to them because of how evil they were; they were very frightening people. God told Jonah to go, and when he refused, he was swallowed by a big fish and vomited up on the shore of the nation God commanded him to preach. Jonah had different ideas than God, but God had the final say.
Placing too much importance on our vote is trusting in it instead of God. The people of the Bible never voted for their leaders; it is a modern idea that God allowed, perhaps similar to when Israel demanded a king like all the other nations. God gave them what they wanted, and it was a disaster for them.
America is full of pride, demanding that they choose their own leaders, so full of arrogance that they are satisfied voting for "the lesser of the two evils", merely to maintain their freedom to choose.
America worships freedom more than God. The people of this nation are so indoctrinated into "choosing" that it slops over into everything and negates righteousness to keep those freedoms.
We say we are a Christian nation while allowing prostitution, illegal drugs, debauchery in taverns, and filthy movies that dominate the culture. Rules and laws are disdained in this country while unrighteousness is allowed to proliferate unabated.
Divorce among practicing Christians is as high in the church as it is in the world and without shame. Christ clearly said If you divorce, do not remarry, and if you remarry, you are committing adultery. And yet Christians fight to defend their freedom to divorce and remarry.
Political Christians will chastise someone for not voting while they remain in illegitimate marriages without challenge. The freedom to sin has become the standard for America.
I have decided that whether or not I vote is between me and God, no one else is entitled to know it or judge it. As soon as I hear a preacher beginning to admonish the people to vote I no longer listen.
I wonder how many people were pressured to vote who went against their conscience to obey people. I wonder, too, how many will admit their choice for president has led this country further down the rabbit hole of superficial Christianity, defying the word of God to gain their freedom to sin and still claim they are Christians.
Christians in this country have become proud of themselves for their politics while unashamed of their other sins that they have justified.
Did you know it is a sin to pressure someone to do something against their conscience?
Romans 14:13 "13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Voting is a choice; there is no mandate in the Bible to vote for leaders. Our country does not have laws demanding that we vote. Is the faith of this country so weak that we must have freedom to have faith or we must have the freedom to vote to have faith?
The idea that God places kings and takes them out is in the Old Testament and spoken to Israel. In our day, we demanded that we rule ourselves and choose our leaders; in response, God took His hand of protection off and gave us what we wanted. It is astounding that we still complain and demand freedom after ignoring most of God's Word while claiming to be Christian; we still demand that we have the vote.
My faith is not in my vote or my Country; it is in Jesus Christ alone, no matter what is going on around me. Many people in the world do not have a vote, or their elections are so corrupted that the voting process is a sham! And, yet the Christians still live their lives for Christ; some are martyred and others die of old age. Their lives are in God's hands no matter who their leaders are or what the culture around them is doing.
I seriously doubt that American Christians would still be able to live out their Christianity if all their freedoms were taken from them. Many of them whined when their freedom to meet in church buildings were taken from them. They didn't know what to do with themselves without a paid pastor telling them what to do.
Would they be able to sing praises to God while chained in a prison as Paul and Silas did? Or would they whine and gripe that they were chained?
America has hung on so tightly to defend their freedom that they have been swallowed up in sin they cannot stop because they fear losing their own freedom.
There was an old saying many years ago when someone demands what they want that will ultimately end up harming themselves. That saying goes like this: "They have cut off their nose to spite their face."
America's love affair with personal freedom and worship of the political system has made them spiritually and emotionally weak, as they depend on what will ultimately destroy them.
Psalm 146:3 "3 Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation."
Psalm 118:8-9 "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes."
Jeremiah 17:5 "Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord."
American Christians are prideful and believe they deserve whatever they want. The very reason they fight so bitterly to dominate others to get their own way.
They hold themselves up as superior to the world while increasing in sin more every day, even defending it as though it is a right!
Galatians 6:3 "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Galatians 6:3 "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
However, I am more grieved that Christians are fighting over who to vote for instead of telling people to trust God and do what He says. Each person must seek God on their own and vote or not vote, according to their conscience.
When I hire a plumber, I do not interview him to see if he is a Christian, nor do I interview the mechanic who fixes my car or the roofer who fixes my roof. It is the same idea: we hire a president to do the things we want done. And, don't forget, God may use our votes to bring into power the one who will bring our country down because that is His will. We cannot judge anyone for their vote; they might be hearing from God.
America deserves to be punished for its false Christianity and pleasure-seeking mentality.
God told Hosea to marry a prostitute, and when she left him and was unfaithful, God told him to go and bring her back home. We never know God's plan exactly and often do not understand what he is doing.
God allowed Joseph to be thrown into a well by his jealous brothers because He had a greater purpose in mind for Joseph.
God allowed Jonah to be swallowed by a big fish and vomited out on the shore of a nation he was told to preach to, and the nation Jonah hated repented. Jonah hated Nineveh and didn't want to preach to them because of how evil they were; they were very frightening people. God told Jonah to go, and when he refused, he was swallowed by a big fish and vomited up on the shore of the nation God commanded him to preach. Jonah had different ideas than God, but God had the final say.
Placing too much importance on our vote is trusting in it instead of God. The people of the Bible never voted for their leaders; it is a modern idea that God allowed, perhaps similar to when Israel demanded a king like all the other nations. God gave them what they wanted, and it was a disaster for them.
America is full of pride, demanding that they choose their own leaders, so full of arrogance that they are satisfied voting for "the lesser of the two evils", merely to maintain their freedom to choose.
America worships freedom more than God. The people of this nation are so indoctrinated into "choosing" that it slops over into everything and negates righteousness to keep those freedoms.
We say we are a Christian nation while allowing prostitution, illegal drugs, debauchery in taverns, and filthy movies that dominate the culture. Rules and laws are disdained in this country while unrighteousness is allowed to proliferate unabated.
Divorce among practicing Christians is as high in the church as it is in the world and without shame. Christ clearly said If you divorce, do not remarry, and if you remarry, you are committing adultery. And yet Christians fight to defend their freedom to divorce and remarry.
Political Christians will chastise someone for not voting while they remain in illegitimate marriages without challenge. The freedom to sin has become the standard for America.
I have decided that whether or not I vote is between me and God, no one else is entitled to know it or judge it. As soon as I hear a preacher beginning to admonish the people to vote I no longer listen.
I wonder how many people were pressured to vote who went against their conscience to obey people. I wonder, too, how many will admit their choice for president has led this country further down the rabbit hole of superficial Christianity, defying the word of God to gain their freedom to sin and still claim they are Christians.
Christians in this country have become proud of themselves for their politics while unashamed of their other sins that they have justified.
Did you know it is a sin to pressure someone to do something against their conscience?
Romans 14:13 "13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Voting is a choice; there is no mandate in the Bible to vote for leaders. Our country does not have laws demanding that we vote. Is the faith of this country so weak that we must have freedom to have faith or we must have the freedom to vote to have faith?
The idea that God places kings and takes them out is in the Old Testament and spoken to Israel. In our day, we demanded that we rule ourselves and choose our leaders; in response, God took His hand of protection off and gave us what we wanted. It is astounding that we still complain and demand freedom after ignoring most of God's Word while claiming to be Christian; we still demand that we have the vote.
My faith is not in my vote or my Country; it is in Jesus Christ alone, no matter what is going on around me. Many people in the world do not have a vote, or their elections are so corrupted that the voting process is a sham! And, yet the Christians still live their lives for Christ; some are martyred and others die of old age. Their lives are in God's hands no matter who their leaders are or what the culture around them is doing.
I seriously doubt that American Christians would still be able to live out their Christianity if all their freedoms were taken from them. Many of them whined when their freedom to meet in church buildings were taken from them. They didn't know what to do with themselves without a paid pastor telling them what to do.
Would they be able to sing praises to God while chained in a prison as Paul and Silas did? Or would they whine and gripe that they were chained?
America has hung on so tightly to defend their freedom that they have been swallowed up in sin they cannot stop because they fear losing their own freedom.
There was an old saying many years ago when someone demands what they want that will ultimately end up harming themselves. That saying goes like this: "They have cut off their nose to spite their face."
America's love affair with personal freedom and worship of the political system has made them spiritually and emotionally weak, as they depend on what will ultimately destroy them.
Psalm 146:3 "3 Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation."
Psalm 118:8-9 "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes."
Jeremiah 17:5 "Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord."
American Christians are prideful and believe they deserve whatever they want. The very reason they fight so bitterly to dominate others to get their own way.
They hold themselves up as superior to the world while increasing in sin more every day, even defending it as though it is a right!
Galatians 6:3 "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Galatians 6:3 "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Judge Me Not?
The kind of judging we are not to engage in is guessing what might be happening when we see something we really have no information about. Or things pertaining to the choice of foods, or which day to worship.
Religion is Opposite of Christianity
Most people who say they are Christians have never been born again. They decided to join a church but never wanted Christ; they wanted religion that made them feel safe and superior, but they wanted nothing to do with obeying Christ. People like this add pagan ideas and holidays to their brand of Christianity. They pervert the word of God to accommodate their idea of religion.
Monday, October 26, 2026
A Letter From an Estranged Daughter
I just heard about a letter that was written by an estranged child to her mother, in which the letter contained all the conditions that must happen before there is a reconciliation. The conditions were everything the daughter wanted in a mother.
Basically, the list contained all the conditions the mother must be in order for a reconciliation. The mother replied, "I am not agreeing to this."
If I were the mother, I would say the basis for reconciliation would be that you never speak to me in disrespectful terms and that you accept me for me.
The Bible is very clear that children are to honor both their father and mother. This means they are never to treat one better than the other and never do or say anything to pit one parent against the other.
Favoritism often causes one parent to be blind to the rudeness of the child toward the other parent. This is wicked and deliberate.
Ephesians 6:1-3 "1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Estrangement of children from their parents today is a consequence of not raising children in the Lord and of Christians following their culture in permissiveness rather than the Biblical instructions with principles and commands of God.
Even Christian parents who attempted to raise their children in the Lord, even though imperfect, they did their best, the culture had a greater pull on them than the parents did.
Sadly, the organized church full of psychology and worldly thinking played a role in turning the children away from God and their parents.
Superficial cultural Christianity rules the day now, and we march more vigorously toward the end times full of lies brought by deceiving spirits, ruining family and the culture as a whole.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 1 Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron."
The devils know that the weaker the family, the more likely they can influence lonely, rebellious people to enjoy and promote evil in society. People look toward pleasure without relationship connections.
No one can stop what is happening in these end times, but we can keep it all from influencing us. We can read the Bible, ask God for truth, and refuse to be intimidated into becoming like the culture around us.
When God said, "come out from among them and be separated", He was telling us to follow Him and not the culture around us. It takes the courage of Christ in us to be willing to be alone, rejected, and despised by those who should love us.
Matthew 10:22 "22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."
All who have been transformed by Christ remain to the end; this is the proof we do belong to Christ. Those who do not remain to the end were never transformed by Christ; they were pretenders who wanted religion but did not want Christ.
Basically, the list contained all the conditions the mother must be in order for a reconciliation. The mother replied, "I am not agreeing to this."
If I were the mother, I would say the basis for reconciliation would be that you never speak to me in disrespectful terms and that you accept me for me.
The Bible is very clear that children are to honor both their father and mother. This means they are never to treat one better than the other and never do or say anything to pit one parent against the other.
Favoritism often causes one parent to be blind to the rudeness of the child toward the other parent. This is wicked and deliberate.
Ephesians 6:1-3 "1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Estrangement of children from their parents today is a consequence of not raising children in the Lord and of Christians following their culture in permissiveness rather than the Biblical instructions with principles and commands of God.
Even Christian parents who attempted to raise their children in the Lord, even though imperfect, they did their best, the culture had a greater pull on them than the parents did.
Sadly, the organized church full of psychology and worldly thinking played a role in turning the children away from God and their parents.
Superficial cultural Christianity rules the day now, and we march more vigorously toward the end times full of lies brought by deceiving spirits, ruining family and the culture as a whole.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 1 Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron."
The devils know that the weaker the family, the more likely they can influence lonely, rebellious people to enjoy and promote evil in society. People look toward pleasure without relationship connections.
No one can stop what is happening in these end times, but we can keep it all from influencing us. We can read the Bible, ask God for truth, and refuse to be intimidated into becoming like the culture around us.
When God said, "come out from among them and be separated", He was telling us to follow Him and not the culture around us. It takes the courage of Christ in us to be willing to be alone, rejected, and despised by those who should love us.
Matthew 10:22 "22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."
All who have been transformed by Christ remain to the end; this is the proof we do belong to Christ. Those who do not remain to the end were never transformed by Christ; they were pretenders who wanted religion but did not want Christ.
Believing is a Choice
"Believing" is a choice; we either choose the truth or we choose the lie. Those who choose the truth ask God to reveal it rather than hang on to fleshly desires or familiar things.
People want to believe what everyone else believes so they become angry at questions that challenge what they have been trained by the culture to believe, by their own choice.
Those who want to know the truth ask God. They question all things as God commanded.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 "19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil."
Holding onto what is familiar rather than questioning is two things: it is lazy and it is cowardly. Those who refuse to question what they have been taught do not want the hard work of learning something new and they fear losing friends who might mock, dismiss or reject them. And perhaps a third reason is the fear of having to say to someone they might have been wrong about something. The fear of being mocked for changing our mind is daunting for some people.
People will say foolish things like, "I need to ask my pastor", meaning instead of asking the Holy Spirit Who lives in them, they turn to someone familiar who has popular credibility through education, whom they can quote to others as the reason for their stance. When we tell people, "The Holy Spirit told me through God's Word, the Bible", it irritates them most of the time.
Those who reject us because we quote God from His Word don't want truth, they want their preferred beliefs that keep them in good standing with their friends and relatives. If they can quote a seminary-educated, paid pastor, they think it gives them more credibility and less chance of being rejected or mocked.
Those who seek man first for the answers are unlikely to ever seek the Holy Spirit. When we depend on human beings, we can see there is no need to depend on the Holy Spirit Whom we cannot see.
Matthew 6:33 "33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
In our world today and probably since the fall of man, people will tell you what they believe based on their culture and their own desires.
Mankind loves to have allies for themselves who will validate them. People rarely seek friends who will challenge them to greater holiness or wisdom.
When we make God's will, principles, and commands the highest priority we will rarely ask people for wisdom; we will ask God and share with others while gleaning from them when they share from God's Word.
It is good to discuss many things with another believer; the perspective of others can help us think more deeply. However, our first go-to person is the Holy Spirit. God may use another person to help clarify things but even what they say must be measured against the Bible.
In the times in which we live, it is rare to find someone who has not been tainted with worldly wisdom because of the pressure of their community and their families. Only One is Perfect and that is the Holy Spirit.
Then comes the next challenge: when the Holy Spirit imparts His wisdom to us through His Word, we will be rejected for not following the groupthink of others.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Most "Christians" today follow their culture and not the Bible. They violate more of God's Word than they obey and still claim to be "Bible believers."
It is easy to test this in our world, just quote the Bible pertaining to the way they live or the things they accept and what comes out of them will tell you everything.
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."
1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,"
Matthew 24:11 "and many false prophets will arise and deceive many."
Acts 20:29 "I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock."
God said this would happen in the end times and as we see it is increasing each day exponentially as we watch the anger and rebellion.
However, in spite of all this the born-again believers has great hope. We know Christ is coming soon to take His church out and then everything upon the earth will intensify with astounding, unabated wickedness, while we are in heaven enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb for 7 years. After that we will come back with Christ when He destroys the evil on the earth.
In the meantime, while we are in heaven for those 7 years, many people will trust in Christ because of the witnesses in Israel who see the miracles on their behalf and repent. Then the 144,000 will take the gospel to the rest of the world. They will see their need for Christ because of the miracles for Israel and the misery on the entire earth. These will be the tribulation saints.
There is a lot of misery coming for those who reject Christ before the rapture. And yet, there is still hope for those who realize there is nothing left on the earth to cling to when all is destroyed.
American Christianity is deplorable because of the play-and-pleasure mentality that pervades the thinking of everyone in the churches. Most churches have based their gatherings on entertainment and soft words to keep the apostates returning every week to fill their collection plates.
This monstrous worship of freedom-to-have-fun mentality cannot be reversed without disaster. People do not repent when things are easy and fun. The tribulation will allow some in the world to realize how foolish pleasure-seeking is and where it leads.
The only way to think with the mind of Christ is to ask Him to show you everything you believed that was wrong and replace it with His Word. Read the Bible, ask for wisdom and be willing to expunge from your mind anything that is not from God. Ask that all that worldly mindset and fleshly desire be exposed and repented of in order to be cleansed of it.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Because we love people, we speak the truth, some will listen but most will kick against the truth and punish those who speak it. They will not only hate the truth, but they will hate those who speak it.
Hebrews 3:13 "13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
People want to believe what everyone else believes so they become angry at questions that challenge what they have been trained by the culture to believe, by their own choice.
Those who want to know the truth ask God. They question all things as God commanded.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 "19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil."
Holding onto what is familiar rather than questioning is two things: it is lazy and it is cowardly. Those who refuse to question what they have been taught do not want the hard work of learning something new and they fear losing friends who might mock, dismiss or reject them. And perhaps a third reason is the fear of having to say to someone they might have been wrong about something. The fear of being mocked for changing our mind is daunting for some people.
People will say foolish things like, "I need to ask my pastor", meaning instead of asking the Holy Spirit Who lives in them, they turn to someone familiar who has popular credibility through education, whom they can quote to others as the reason for their stance. When we tell people, "The Holy Spirit told me through God's Word, the Bible", it irritates them most of the time.
Those who reject us because we quote God from His Word don't want truth, they want their preferred beliefs that keep them in good standing with their friends and relatives. If they can quote a seminary-educated, paid pastor, they think it gives them more credibility and less chance of being rejected or mocked.
Those who seek man first for the answers are unlikely to ever seek the Holy Spirit. When we depend on human beings, we can see there is no need to depend on the Holy Spirit Whom we cannot see.
Matthew 6:33 "33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
In our world today and probably since the fall of man, people will tell you what they believe based on their culture and their own desires.
Mankind loves to have allies for themselves who will validate them. People rarely seek friends who will challenge them to greater holiness or wisdom.
When we make God's will, principles, and commands the highest priority we will rarely ask people for wisdom; we will ask God and share with others while gleaning from them when they share from God's Word.
It is good to discuss many things with another believer; the perspective of others can help us think more deeply. However, our first go-to person is the Holy Spirit. God may use another person to help clarify things but even what they say must be measured against the Bible.
In the times in which we live, it is rare to find someone who has not been tainted with worldly wisdom because of the pressure of their community and their families. Only One is Perfect and that is the Holy Spirit.
Then comes the next challenge: when the Holy Spirit imparts His wisdom to us through His Word, we will be rejected for not following the groupthink of others.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Most "Christians" today follow their culture and not the Bible. They violate more of God's Word than they obey and still claim to be "Bible believers."
It is easy to test this in our world, just quote the Bible pertaining to the way they live or the things they accept and what comes out of them will tell you everything.
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."
1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,"
Matthew 24:11 "and many false prophets will arise and deceive many."
Acts 20:29 "I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock."
God said this would happen in the end times and as we see it is increasing each day exponentially as we watch the anger and rebellion.
However, in spite of all this the born-again believers has great hope. We know Christ is coming soon to take His church out and then everything upon the earth will intensify with astounding, unabated wickedness, while we are in heaven enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb for 7 years. After that we will come back with Christ when He destroys the evil on the earth.
In the meantime, while we are in heaven for those 7 years, many people will trust in Christ because of the witnesses in Israel who see the miracles on their behalf and repent. Then the 144,000 will take the gospel to the rest of the world. They will see their need for Christ because of the miracles for Israel and the misery on the entire earth. These will be the tribulation saints.
There is a lot of misery coming for those who reject Christ before the rapture. And yet, there is still hope for those who realize there is nothing left on the earth to cling to when all is destroyed.
American Christianity is deplorable because of the play-and-pleasure mentality that pervades the thinking of everyone in the churches. Most churches have based their gatherings on entertainment and soft words to keep the apostates returning every week to fill their collection plates.
This monstrous worship of freedom-to-have-fun mentality cannot be reversed without disaster. People do not repent when things are easy and fun. The tribulation will allow some in the world to realize how foolish pleasure-seeking is and where it leads.
The only way to think with the mind of Christ is to ask Him to show you everything you believed that was wrong and replace it with His Word. Read the Bible, ask for wisdom and be willing to expunge from your mind anything that is not from God. Ask that all that worldly mindset and fleshly desire be exposed and repented of in order to be cleansed of it.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Because we love people, we speak the truth, some will listen but most will kick against the truth and punish those who speak it. They will not only hate the truth, but they will hate those who speak it.
Hebrews 3:13 "13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
Sunday, October 25, 2026
2 Timothy 3:5 Avoid Such People
When someone is committed to misunderstanding you to make you the bad one, it's time to move on with your life without them.
Loving someone does not mean you put up with continual emotional and verbal abuse.
Loving someone does not mean you put up with continual emotional and verbal abuse.
Glorify God not Ourselves
The goal in life for the born-again believer is not to become a better version of ourselves, but to be transformed by Christ that we would reflect His image.
"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." — John 15:8
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." — Psalm 19:1
"And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." — Philippians 2:11
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." — John 15:8
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." — Psalm 19:1
"And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." — Philippians 2:11
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
God Hates Mixing
God hates "mixing", that is, mixing lies with truth to make a sin appear acceptable and even enjoyable.
Saturday, October 24, 2026
The Devil Does it and Accuses You
The devil causes problems and then accuses you!!
Revelation 12:10 "
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God."
Bullies always do rude things to cause a reaction and then say you are too sensitive when you call them out on it.
Revelation 12:10 "
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God."
Bullies always do rude things to cause a reaction and then say you are too sensitive when you call them out on it.
Friday, October 23, 2026
Arrogance and excessive pride ruin emotional and spiritual maturity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9XTox7zlSw
Only God knows the truth and He only imparts it to those who ask Him.
A discussion on another thread that blessed me!!!
Shane Irwin
Olive Craig this may sound completely crazy, but the Bible never describes the reason for our gatherings “worship”.
The early Church never viewed their gathering says worship. They never described it that way. They never spoke of it that way.
The other Church gathered for the purpose of building up and encouraging one another in the faith. Breaking bread together learning together, having true fellowship.
What about worship then? Romans 12:1 says our whole life is worship. The Bible never defines a NT gathering or an event as “worship“. 
Gwendolyn Wehage
Shane Irwin Amen, Amen! The word "worship" is associated with sacrifice. There is nothing we can sacrifice for Christ, He sacrificed for us and lives in every believer.
Olive Craig this may sound completely crazy, but the Bible never describes the reason for our gatherings “worship”.
The early Church never viewed their gathering says worship. They never described it that way. They never spoke of it that way.
The other Church gathered for the purpose of building up and encouraging one another in the faith. Breaking bread together learning together, having true fellowship.
What about worship then? Romans 12:1 says our whole life is worship. The Bible never defines a NT gathering or an event as “worship“. 
Gwendolyn Wehage
Shane Irwin Amen, Amen! The word "worship" is associated with sacrifice. There is nothing we can sacrifice for Christ, He sacrificed for us and lives in every believer.
SOME SIGNS OF A CHRISTIAN NARCISSIST
1. They appear holy but lack humility.
They focus on looking righteous while resisting correction and accountability.
2. They weaponize forgiveness.
They pressure others to forgive quickly while refusing to acknowledge or change their own harmful behavior.
3. They believe they are spiritually superior.
They act as though they are closer to God than everyone else.
4. They use Scripture to control people.
Bible verses become tools for manipulation instead of love, wisdom, and truth.
5. They demand unquestioning submission.
Any disagreement is labeled as rebellion, disrespect, or a lack of faith.
6. They lack genuine compassion.
They may speak about love and grace but show little empathy when others are hurting.
7. They seek admiration through ministry.
Serving God becomes a way to gain praise, influence, or status rather than to glorify God.
8. They refuse to take responsibility.
Mistakes are blamed on others, spiritual attacks, or misunderstandings instead of being honestly confessed.
9. They maintain a polished public image.
10. They use God to justify abusive behavior.
They claim divine authority to silence, shame, or dominate others rather than reflecting Christ's character.
A person can be deeply involved in church and still display narcissistic traits. Faith should never be used to excuse manipulation or abuse. Healthy Christian leadership reflects humility, accountability, compassion, and genuine love for others.
They focus on looking righteous while resisting correction and accountability.
2. They weaponize forgiveness.
They pressure others to forgive quickly while refusing to acknowledge or change their own harmful behavior.
3. They believe they are spiritually superior.
They act as though they are closer to God than everyone else.
4. They use Scripture to control people.
Bible verses become tools for manipulation instead of love, wisdom, and truth.
5. They demand unquestioning submission.
Any disagreement is labeled as rebellion, disrespect, or a lack of faith.
6. They lack genuine compassion.
They may speak about love and grace but show little empathy when others are hurting.
7. They seek admiration through ministry.
Serving God becomes a way to gain praise, influence, or status rather than to glorify God.
8. They refuse to take responsibility.
Mistakes are blamed on others, spiritual attacks, or misunderstandings instead of being honestly confessed.
9. They maintain a polished public image.
People at church see kindness and generosity, while family members experience control, intimidation, or emotional abuse.
10. They use God to justify abusive behavior.
They claim divine authority to silence, shame, or dominate others rather than reflecting Christ's character.
A person can be deeply involved in church and still display narcissistic traits. Faith should never be used to excuse manipulation or abuse. Healthy Christian leadership reflects humility, accountability, compassion, and genuine love for others.
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Wisdom and Faith Grow in Struggle
The greatest wisdom is gained through struggle, never knowledge alone.
The greatest faith is built through hardship, not ease of living.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Our Sins have been Buried in the Deepest Sea
We ought not to have any shame for past forgiven sins nor regret. Regret means we think God never forgave us.
Regret is a feeling of sadness, disappointment, or distress about past actions, wishing things could be different. They cannot be changed but they can be wiped from the ledger as though they never existed.
Nothing in the past can be eliminated, but it can be forgiven by God to carry on in the future with greater wisdom.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 " 10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes."
Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours."
No one can grow in wisdom who does not confess their sin, so that God will transform them into someone different from the person who committed the past sin.
Many Christians pretend they have no sin and walk around with continual guilt, defending themselves over things that would help them learn better if they would simply admit them.
We have no need to confess what God has already forgiven. Anything that has been previously confessed and forgiven ought never to be brought up again. To bring it up again is to say that God never forgave it. Especially holding past sins against others, this is the sin of pride and unforgiveness.
There are those who like to hang onto past forgiven sins of others, thinking they will bring their target down while elevating themselves.
The irony of holding past forgiven sins against others is that the one doing it has not been forgiven for theirs: the sin of accusations that no longer have any relevance.
Luke 18:11-14 "11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Do not allow others to guilt you into believing God never forgave you.
Do not make friends with people who love to elevate themselves by judging the past sins of others. God said, "Bad company corrupts good character."
What judgers do to others they will do to you; their influence is powerful, and we must avoid them. The devil uses them to ruin faith, peace, joy, and friendships.
According to God past forgiven sins no longer exist, nor did they ever exist.
Micah 7:18-19 "…18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? 19 He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea."
Walk each day blessed with the knowledge that when Christ changed us He transformed us completely.
Regret is a feeling of sadness, disappointment, or distress about past actions, wishing things could be different. They cannot be changed but they can be wiped from the ledger as though they never existed.
Nothing in the past can be eliminated, but it can be forgiven by God to carry on in the future with greater wisdom.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 " 10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes."
Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours."
No one can grow in wisdom who does not confess their sin, so that God will transform them into someone different from the person who committed the past sin.
Many Christians pretend they have no sin and walk around with continual guilt, defending themselves over things that would help them learn better if they would simply admit them.
We have no need to confess what God has already forgiven. Anything that has been previously confessed and forgiven ought never to be brought up again. To bring it up again is to say that God never forgave it. Especially holding past sins against others, this is the sin of pride and unforgiveness.
There are those who like to hang onto past forgiven sins of others, thinking they will bring their target down while elevating themselves.
The irony of holding past forgiven sins against others is that the one doing it has not been forgiven for theirs: the sin of accusations that no longer have any relevance.
Luke 18:11-14 "11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Do not allow others to guilt you into believing God never forgave you.
Do not make friends with people who love to elevate themselves by judging the past sins of others. God said, "Bad company corrupts good character."
What judgers do to others they will do to you; their influence is powerful, and we must avoid them. The devil uses them to ruin faith, peace, joy, and friendships.
According to God past forgiven sins no longer exist, nor did they ever exist.
Micah 7:18-19 "…18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? 19 He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea."
Walk each day blessed with the knowledge that when Christ changed us He transformed us completely.
Pride is a Growth Killer
Pride keeps people in an infantile state without good sense; humility does the opposite.
Robert Rowe testimony of his salvation
Robert Rowe testimony of his salvation in Christ Thank you Robert for sharing!
You all need to know I was raised by a Bandido 1% biker group in East Texas my Godmother and Godfather was president at the Fort Worth chapter.
I grew up a hardcore very rough life and as an adult I was strung out from alcohol to meth to heroin tobacco you name it. I wanted nothing to do with religion my whole life as an adult.
But in jail and at my lower blows I reached out and I called on the name of Jesus Christ at age 46 and I was hit in my heart wave after wave, physically by the Holy Spirit. That was 11 years ago. I was physically Reborn by the one true God in heaven. With everything going on in the world today all people have to do is look to the left of the right and you can see the devil everywhere. He's not hiding anymore and people do have a choice. God's grace is sufficient to forgive anyone. Even me. So that being said man I was the worst of the worst and could hold my own in a bar fight a heartbeat but I choose not to go that way anymore not for 11 years now. I have 11clean and because of Jesus Christ in my life and I pray in my heart that the truth will help just one person know the truth and save their Immortal soul.We are in a spiritual war right now that most can't see. Well anyway with all that being said I pray for you and I pray for those out there that are lost, that have been lied to Blinded and deceived by the enemy, the enemy of our soul. So have a good day y'all Oh one last thing this world's religion it's not what it's about it's about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you remembered it was religion that killed Jesus. We need Unity and folks that are Reborn that Truly walk 24/7 in SPIRIT and TRUTH. Worship is more than a song on Suday.
This is the First Poem that I've written after asking Jesus to take over my Life. Three hours after being physically hit in my heart by God's Holy Spirit I wrote this Poem in about 20 minutes. All Glory goes to God.
THE LORDS GIFT
You wake me up and I'm content.
With a smile I know what's meant.
Meant for me this day to go Gods way.
For God has Blessed Me this very day.
No longer Burdened by the trials from before.
For I know God has Squashed them at my door!!!
Left behind the sins of the past.
It's time to start My Life at last.
I've been on the Road without God for so long.
It Broke His Heart not to hear His Songs.
But by His Sons Grace He Stsrts to hear.
The Song Bird is Home I'm Freed from Fear.
And Sing I will for all to hear.
For God set Me Free, My head is now clear.
The Trials are all gone it's time for me.
To Walk Hand and Hand to Finally be Free.
No longer scared of Trifle things.
For the Lord no longer has to carry Me.
For now We Walk Together by the Sea.
This is the LORDS GIFT to You and Me.
So if You ask JESUS into your Life.
You'll feel the Holy Spirit dwell deep inside.
Satan Spit out for all to see.
That the Lords Gift is always FREE.
So do Yourself a favor, Please Listen to Me.
The Time is at hand for all to see.
Get down on your Knees and Pray before thee.
For the Lord sent His SON, by BLOOD we're clean.
This is the LORDS GIFT the time is at Hand.
So Please just Pray from across the land.
The LORDS GREATEST GIFT You soon will see!!!!
This is GODS GIFT A LIFE ETERNALLY!!!!!
Written by: Robert A. Rowe via Holy Spirit of GOD on Oct. 15th. 2016
I want to give all Credit, Glory, and Praise to JESUS CHRIST My LORD
and SAVIOR. Thank You Jesus for Every Little Thing you have done for us.
Reply
Gwendolyn Wehage
Robert Rowe Amen, Amen! No one comes to God without repenting and desiring to be changed by Christ into a new creation. The devil has nothing but evil in mind for those who follow him, but Christ has everything wonderful for those who have trusted in Him. Not the things of this world, but a Spirit that is free from the evil of this world. I had to repent too; everyone has to repent; no one is exempt and no one will be left behind who has been changed by Christ.
You all need to know I was raised by a Bandido 1% biker group in East Texas my Godmother and Godfather was president at the Fort Worth chapter.
I grew up a hardcore very rough life and as an adult I was strung out from alcohol to meth to heroin tobacco you name it. I wanted nothing to do with religion my whole life as an adult.
But in jail and at my lower blows I reached out and I called on the name of Jesus Christ at age 46 and I was hit in my heart wave after wave, physically by the Holy Spirit. That was 11 years ago. I was physically Reborn by the one true God in heaven. With everything going on in the world today all people have to do is look to the left of the right and you can see the devil everywhere. He's not hiding anymore and people do have a choice. God's grace is sufficient to forgive anyone. Even me. So that being said man I was the worst of the worst and could hold my own in a bar fight a heartbeat but I choose not to go that way anymore not for 11 years now. I have 11clean and because of Jesus Christ in my life and I pray in my heart that the truth will help just one person know the truth and save their Immortal soul.We are in a spiritual war right now that most can't see. Well anyway with all that being said I pray for you and I pray for those out there that are lost, that have been lied to Blinded and deceived by the enemy, the enemy of our soul. So have a good day y'all Oh one last thing this world's religion it's not what it's about it's about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you remembered it was religion that killed Jesus. We need Unity and folks that are Reborn that Truly walk 24/7 in SPIRIT and TRUTH. Worship is more than a song on Suday.
This is the First Poem that I've written after asking Jesus to take over my Life. Three hours after being physically hit in my heart by God's Holy Spirit I wrote this Poem in about 20 minutes. All Glory goes to God.
THE LORDS GIFT
You wake me up and I'm content.
With a smile I know what's meant.
Meant for me this day to go Gods way.
For God has Blessed Me this very day.
No longer Burdened by the trials from before.
For I know God has Squashed them at my door!!!
Left behind the sins of the past.
It's time to start My Life at last.
I've been on the Road without God for so long.
It Broke His Heart not to hear His Songs.
But by His Sons Grace He Stsrts to hear.
The Song Bird is Home I'm Freed from Fear.
And Sing I will for all to hear.
For God set Me Free, My head is now clear.
The Trials are all gone it's time for me.
To Walk Hand and Hand to Finally be Free.
No longer scared of Trifle things.
For the Lord no longer has to carry Me.
For now We Walk Together by the Sea.
This is the LORDS GIFT to You and Me.
So if You ask JESUS into your Life.
You'll feel the Holy Spirit dwell deep inside.
Satan Spit out for all to see.
That the Lords Gift is always FREE.
So do Yourself a favor, Please Listen to Me.
The Time is at hand for all to see.
Get down on your Knees and Pray before thee.
For the Lord sent His SON, by BLOOD we're clean.
This is the LORDS GIFT the time is at Hand.
So Please just Pray from across the land.
The LORDS GREATEST GIFT You soon will see!!!!
This is GODS GIFT A LIFE ETERNALLY!!!!!
Written by: Robert A. Rowe via Holy Spirit of GOD on Oct. 15th. 2016
I want to give all Credit, Glory, and Praise to JESUS CHRIST My LORD
and SAVIOR. Thank You Jesus for Every Little Thing you have done for us.
Reply
Gwendolyn Wehage
Robert Rowe Amen, Amen! No one comes to God without repenting and desiring to be changed by Christ into a new creation. The devil has nothing but evil in mind for those who follow him, but Christ has everything wonderful for those who have trusted in Him. Not the things of this world, but a Spirit that is free from the evil of this world. I had to repent too; everyone has to repent; no one is exempt and no one will be left behind who has been changed by Christ.
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Unsolicited Advice is the New Hate Speech
I have been giving unsolicited advice for years. God never said to wait for someone to ask for it. Their response tells me a lot!!
Unsolicited advice is the new hate speech! If they tell you their problems, you are free to give an answer to their problem.
If you don't want my advice, don't tell me your problems. Walls will serve as well as a person if silence is the expectation.
The god of the Modern Christian is not the God of the Bible
Modern Christianity makes the people their god, themselves their god, and anything they like to believe is their god.
Those who love to think of themselves as above God, just as the devil enticed Eve to do in the garden, reject most of God's principles in the Bible. They pick and choose what they like, change what they don't like, and ignore the rest.
They embrace divorce and remarriage with excuses God never gave. They endorse disrespect for their elders with excuses in their own minds because of their own desires. They live in worldly pleasures as though they were needs.
Those who live worldly while attending Christian gatherings regularly afford themselves the luxury of arguing to win rather than discussing to find truth. They care only about appearing superior; truth does not matter to them.
Those who love to win over others do not care about the others they think they rule over. They study the Bible to find good-sounding arguments to make themselves appear "first rate and first class" above others. They change the truth of God into a lie, judge and bludgeon those who do not fall for their tricks through gossip and lies devised in their own heads.
Truth does not matter to these self-exalted ones; only winning matters, no matter how silly the arguments become.
Many people who attend churches deny God by denying the truth of Scripture, believing they can change meanings and replace God's truth with cultural standards while claiming God said it.
While they are saying, "I am a Bible believer", they are denying Christ by their personal philosophy based on psychology and Darwinism.
When challenged to go in prayer and ask God for the truth they go to book and human beings to hear what they want to hear.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Isaiah 65:1-2 "1“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ 2All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations,"
Their claim that they are Bible believers is a lie they tell to feel good about changing what God said to make them comfortable with what they wish to believe. They act more like atheists than they do followers of Christ.
Atheism is much like a son standing in front of his mother who bore him and claiming she is not his mother. She is standing right in front of him while he is saying, "You do not exist."
Or perhaps facing his father while standing in front of him, claiming the father has no purpose or influence in his life.
Psalm 53:1 "The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good."
Romans 1:21-23 "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles."
In our culture, most people who would say they are Christians never say there is no God, but act and speak as though they do not know Him. Their god is not the God of the Bible; it is their own idea of a god to fit their cultural appetites.
These people believe they are going to heaven because they follow the rules they like, which appear to elevate them as special but have no concern about the other principles of God's Word that they violate every day without conscience. Their fate is frightening unless they realize it before they die and repent of it.
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.’"
The pride and smugness of how good they think they are based on their own idea of righteousness will lead them to a place they do not want to go, and they will not realize it until it is too late.
Those who love to think of themselves as above God, just as the devil enticed Eve to do in the garden, reject most of God's principles in the Bible. They pick and choose what they like, change what they don't like, and ignore the rest.
They embrace divorce and remarriage with excuses God never gave. They endorse disrespect for their elders with excuses in their own minds because of their own desires. They live in worldly pleasures as though they were needs.
Those who live worldly while attending Christian gatherings regularly afford themselves the luxury of arguing to win rather than discussing to find truth. They care only about appearing superior; truth does not matter to them.
Those who love to win over others do not care about the others they think they rule over. They study the Bible to find good-sounding arguments to make themselves appear "first rate and first class" above others. They change the truth of God into a lie, judge and bludgeon those who do not fall for their tricks through gossip and lies devised in their own heads.
Truth does not matter to these self-exalted ones; only winning matters, no matter how silly the arguments become.
Many people who attend churches deny God by denying the truth of Scripture, believing they can change meanings and replace God's truth with cultural standards while claiming God said it.
While they are saying, "I am a Bible believer", they are denying Christ by their personal philosophy based on psychology and Darwinism.
When challenged to go in prayer and ask God for the truth they go to book and human beings to hear what they want to hear.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Isaiah 65:1-2 "1“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ 2All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations,"
Their claim that they are Bible believers is a lie they tell to feel good about changing what God said to make them comfortable with what they wish to believe. They act more like atheists than they do followers of Christ.
Atheism is much like a son standing in front of his mother who bore him and claiming she is not his mother. She is standing right in front of him while he is saying, "You do not exist."
Or perhaps facing his father while standing in front of him, claiming the father has no purpose or influence in his life.
Psalm 53:1 "The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good."
Romans 1:21-23 "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles."
In our culture, most people who would say they are Christians never say there is no God, but act and speak as though they do not know Him. Their god is not the God of the Bible; it is their own idea of a god to fit their cultural appetites.
These people believe they are going to heaven because they follow the rules they like, which appear to elevate them as special but have no concern about the other principles of God's Word that they violate every day without conscience. Their fate is frightening unless they realize it before they die and repent of it.
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.’"
The pride and smugness of how good they think they are based on their own idea of righteousness will lead them to a place they do not want to go, and they will not realize it until it is too late.
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Why They Poke at Us
We must keep in mind that unregenerate people poke at us to make us act ungodly so they can report to others how bad we are. There is no better reason than this to remain calm and silent, and to remove ourselves.
Proverbs 22:24 "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,"
Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."
Proverbs 26:21 "Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife."
1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character."
Proverbs 22:24 "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,"
Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."
Proverbs 26:21 "Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife."
1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character."
Do not Pray to see Only Good or Only Bad, Pray to See the Truth
We all love thinking good thoughts about people. We do not look for the bad as though we are navigating a treasure hunt to expose someone. We do not count the good we see in people as a testimony of salvation. Many unsaved people do good things; they enjoy being seen as good, but have no interest in trusting in Christ.
God revealed to me some years ago that we are to: Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
However, this instruction to dwell on the principles of God does not mean we completely ignore the evil going on in the world when it crosses our path.
Focusing on the goodness and superior principles of God is not the same as focusing on good in people. Often the good in people is an act and a smoke screen because they cannot be truly good without Christ.
If we refuse to see the evil and call it what it is, then the evil will never get fixed. We are to desire truth above everything. We do not look for the evil, nor do we look for the good; we look for the truth.
In our world today, ungodly people think there is some virtue in choosing to only see good in everything. Sadly, those who do this begin to lose sight of what is good and tend to embrace things that God calls bad.
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!"
If we are afraid to face the evil and call it by its name, it is an indication we are more afraid of displeasing those who love evil. It is also an indication that a part of us enjoys the evil.
Fear of displeasing evil people demonstrates a heart that is just like theirs. We only care about being accepted by people when they are our focus and not Christ.
When Christ is our focus, we don't concern ourselves with being liked or accepted by wicked people; we only care about pleasing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Years ago I watched an Andy Griffith show when the sheriff was attempting to get a criminal to like him so he could manipulate the criminal to say or do something. Andy's son Opie asked his father, "Why would I want a criminal to like me?" This was insightful, since if a criminal likes me, then he thinks I am just like him.
Isaiah 5:21: "21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."
Some people use the excuse that if we are nice to criminals, then we can get them to like God. This is fantasy thinking! Yes, we are to treat everyone with respect, but we are not to make wicked people close companions. It has been blatantly evident that when we are c companions with fools, we become like them.
Proverbs 13:20 "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
The need to be accepted by wicked people is an indication that we want to be seen as wise in the presence of those who are full of themselves and have no regard for Jesus Christ. Who, then, is our allegiance to: man or Christ?
If you are not willing to let go of wicked companions who attempt to draw us away from Christ and His principles, and who despise wisdom from Him, then you love them more than you love God. It is time to evaluate whether or not you have become born again.
Loss of unsaved companions is common and expected when we walk with Christ. Do not be disturbed by this. God said it would happen; we can expect it and even sense our peace return to us when those who do not love Christ work to accuse and offend us, have left.
Matthew 10:36 "36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."
Matthew 10:22 "22 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
All those who have trusted Christ and been transformed into a new creation by Him will endure to the end. Those who do not endure and walk away from Him because of the trials and wicked companions were never born again. They didn't have the strength of the Holy Spirit to sustain them.
When we have Christ, He is enough!!!!
I have not been saddened by family who rejected me because of Christ; I have only been saddened that they have rejected Christ. My prayer is not that they will return to embrace me, but that they will at some point become born again. If I never see them in this life again, I am alright with that, but I do hope that one day I will see them in heaven when they have trusted in Christ.
Pray for the unsaved to repent as much as you wish, but if you become weary from the begging, stop until the Holy Spirit tells you to begin again. God heard all the hundreds of prayers before the last one, and they still count.
Hallelujah!!!!
God revealed to me some years ago that we are to: Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
However, this instruction to dwell on the principles of God does not mean we completely ignore the evil going on in the world when it crosses our path.
Focusing on the goodness and superior principles of God is not the same as focusing on good in people. Often the good in people is an act and a smoke screen because they cannot be truly good without Christ.
If we refuse to see the evil and call it what it is, then the evil will never get fixed. We are to desire truth above everything. We do not look for the evil, nor do we look for the good; we look for the truth.
In our world today, ungodly people think there is some virtue in choosing to only see good in everything. Sadly, those who do this begin to lose sight of what is good and tend to embrace things that God calls bad.
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!"
If we are afraid to face the evil and call it by its name, it is an indication we are more afraid of displeasing those who love evil. It is also an indication that a part of us enjoys the evil.
Fear of displeasing evil people demonstrates a heart that is just like theirs. We only care about being accepted by people when they are our focus and not Christ.
When Christ is our focus, we don't concern ourselves with being liked or accepted by wicked people; we only care about pleasing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Years ago I watched an Andy Griffith show when the sheriff was attempting to get a criminal to like him so he could manipulate the criminal to say or do something. Andy's son Opie asked his father, "Why would I want a criminal to like me?" This was insightful, since if a criminal likes me, then he thinks I am just like him.
Isaiah 5:21: "21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."
Some people use the excuse that if we are nice to criminals, then we can get them to like God. This is fantasy thinking! Yes, we are to treat everyone with respect, but we are not to make wicked people close companions. It has been blatantly evident that when we are c companions with fools, we become like them.
Proverbs 13:20 "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
The need to be accepted by wicked people is an indication that we want to be seen as wise in the presence of those who are full of themselves and have no regard for Jesus Christ. Who, then, is our allegiance to: man or Christ?
If you are not willing to let go of wicked companions who attempt to draw us away from Christ and His principles, and who despise wisdom from Him, then you love them more than you love God. It is time to evaluate whether or not you have become born again.
Loss of unsaved companions is common and expected when we walk with Christ. Do not be disturbed by this. God said it would happen; we can expect it and even sense our peace return to us when those who do not love Christ work to accuse and offend us, have left.
Matthew 10:36 "36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."
Matthew 10:22 "22 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
All those who have trusted Christ and been transformed into a new creation by Him will endure to the end. Those who do not endure and walk away from Him because of the trials and wicked companions were never born again. They didn't have the strength of the Holy Spirit to sustain them.
When we have Christ, He is enough!!!!
I have not been saddened by family who rejected me because of Christ; I have only been saddened that they have rejected Christ. My prayer is not that they will return to embrace me, but that they will at some point become born again. If I never see them in this life again, I am alright with that, but I do hope that one day I will see them in heaven when they have trusted in Christ.
Pray for the unsaved to repent as much as you wish, but if you become weary from the begging, stop until the Holy Spirit tells you to begin again. God heard all the hundreds of prayers before the last one, and they still count.
Hallelujah!!!!
Friday, October 16, 2026
Just Like in the Days of Noah
Remember, too, that many, many people in the waters below the ark were relatives of Noah. I find it interesting that God did not tell Noah to close the door of the ark; God closed it. I have to believe it was because God did not want Noah to go the rest of his life feeling he was the one who would not let them in to save them. He trusted in God and God did it.
Most of our relatives will reject Christ. Some will claim they have Him but do not obey Him.
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.’
Matthew 7:13-15 "13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."
The Lazy Cleaning Lady is Easier to Spot than the Phony Christian
I knew a woman who hired cleaning ladies, and each time the job was finished, she was pleased. The cleaners were pleasant, did a good job (or so she thought), and worked quickly (Maybe too quickly.
Then one day the woman's husband dropped some water on the kitchen floor; he bent down to wipe it up with a paper towel, and on the towel was a lot of dirt. The cleaners had been there just two days earlier.
The cleaning ladies had neglected to clean the floors well because they didn't look dirty. It was the kind of flooring that hid the dirt. There were other things she noticed, tables that were undusted and other things, but she passed them off as small matters.
This reminded me of the Christian life. Some people act pious and full of pride about how good they think they are while displaying false humility to others around them.
These people look clean on the outside, but on the inside they are basically lazy and counterfeit, pretending on the outside while full of anger and disrespect on the inside.
Notice that the floor didn't LOOK as dirty as it was in the case of the false cleaning ladies. The woman who hired the cleaners thought the floors had been mopped. When she discovered just the opposite was true, the floors had not been mopped; they had been spritzed a little to make it look like they had been cleaned.
Many false Christians have learned how to appear righteous; they don't do the big bad things people can point to, but they use covert and subtle tactics to harm others. One of those tactics is deliberate misinterpretation of things they observe about others.
These covert, mean-spirited, and disrespectful people would look wonderful to those who had not been the target of their covert operations.
The world is full of these types of people who play a long game of religiosity, special and pious in front of those they wish to impress while harming those they do not respect in private.
Their respect is not based on character; it is based on personal worldly accomplishments everyone can see. Those of character are despised by the covert actors; they hate the honesty and integrity of those who refuse to be manipulated into reactions that do not please God.
God spoke of these types of people in His Word, and sadly those who were the worst of all were the religious leaders of that day. We have these kinds of people in our day too, religious to the core with all their rules and man-made standards that God never commanded while acting superior to those they think are beneath them.
Matthew 23:1-28 "1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’
19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.
22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it."
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean."
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
We have modern-day Pharisees in our time, many seminary graduates who take positions in the churches demanding allegiance to them while perverting the Scriptures for their own gain. The love and admiration of the people they lead is of greater importance to them than pleasing God through obedience to Him.
These people follow the culture, not Christ.
It is vitally important that we trust Christ, not men. When we trust Christ, we will feel compelled to correct those who think they are superior to God through their negating of the Scriptures to further their own agenda.
Mark 7:13
"13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
This is the end times world we are living in; sadly, it is so familiar to us that we overlook what should be corrected. It seems as though correction is needed so constantly that we give up, realizing very few will listen. This is when we trust in the Holy Spirit on when to speak, when to remain silent, and when to just walk away so that we obey God in not throwing our pearls before swine.
We don't remain silent because we are cowardly; we do so because we know the one who defies Christ will deliberately cause a fight to be able to lie against us. We must not fight with those who want us to fight.
1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one."
I think it is wise to also stay away from Christians who support those who claim to be Christian but violate more of God's Word than they obey. Those who support the violators are the same as those who disobey God. They are one in the spirit of rebellion.
Praise God, the time is short, and soon God will come and make things right.
Then one day the woman's husband dropped some water on the kitchen floor; he bent down to wipe it up with a paper towel, and on the towel was a lot of dirt. The cleaners had been there just two days earlier.
The cleaning ladies had neglected to clean the floors well because they didn't look dirty. It was the kind of flooring that hid the dirt. There were other things she noticed, tables that were undusted and other things, but she passed them off as small matters.
This reminded me of the Christian life. Some people act pious and full of pride about how good they think they are while displaying false humility to others around them.
These people look clean on the outside, but on the inside they are basically lazy and counterfeit, pretending on the outside while full of anger and disrespect on the inside.
Notice that the floor didn't LOOK as dirty as it was in the case of the false cleaning ladies. The woman who hired the cleaners thought the floors had been mopped. When she discovered just the opposite was true, the floors had not been mopped; they had been spritzed a little to make it look like they had been cleaned.
Many false Christians have learned how to appear righteous; they don't do the big bad things people can point to, but they use covert and subtle tactics to harm others. One of those tactics is deliberate misinterpretation of things they observe about others.
These covert, mean-spirited, and disrespectful people would look wonderful to those who had not been the target of their covert operations.
The world is full of these types of people who play a long game of religiosity, special and pious in front of those they wish to impress while harming those they do not respect in private.
Their respect is not based on character; it is based on personal worldly accomplishments everyone can see. Those of character are despised by the covert actors; they hate the honesty and integrity of those who refuse to be manipulated into reactions that do not please God.
God spoke of these types of people in His Word, and sadly those who were the worst of all were the religious leaders of that day. We have these kinds of people in our day too, religious to the core with all their rules and man-made standards that God never commanded while acting superior to those they think are beneath them.
Matthew 23:1-28 "1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’
19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.
22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it."
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean."
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
We have modern-day Pharisees in our time, many seminary graduates who take positions in the churches demanding allegiance to them while perverting the Scriptures for their own gain. The love and admiration of the people they lead is of greater importance to them than pleasing God through obedience to Him.
These people follow the culture, not Christ.
It is vitally important that we trust Christ, not men. When we trust Christ, we will feel compelled to correct those who think they are superior to God through their negating of the Scriptures to further their own agenda.
Mark 7:13
"13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
This is the end times world we are living in; sadly, it is so familiar to us that we overlook what should be corrected. It seems as though correction is needed so constantly that we give up, realizing very few will listen. This is when we trust in the Holy Spirit on when to speak, when to remain silent, and when to just walk away so that we obey God in not throwing our pearls before swine.
We don't remain silent because we are cowardly; we do so because we know the one who defies Christ will deliberately cause a fight to be able to lie against us. We must not fight with those who want us to fight.
1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one."
I think it is wise to also stay away from Christians who support those who claim to be Christian but violate more of God's Word than they obey. Those who support the violators are the same as those who disobey God. They are one in the spirit of rebellion.
Praise God, the time is short, and soon God will come and make things right.
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