Let Go and Let God

This article is right on!! Amen, Amen!!

I have felt this for some time now, that too many people are remaining silent about their children's sin to keep them in the family, knowing that they will run away if they speak truth.

So many prodigals never learn anything, feeling comfortable in their sin because they never lose anything in their families.

This article hits the nail on the head.

The Lord has made me happy and comfortable without my children until they repent. For years I agonized over their disobedience and rebellion, trying to reason with them, but getting no where, when God made it clear that I was to let them go and just pray.

How many marriages are harmed because one spouse is putting too much into rebellious children and neglecting their spouse in the process. I say to married couples, let the prodigals go and put everything into your spouse who is on your side.

I think sometimes we fear being alone in our old age so we hang onto rebellious children too long. God can be all we need in our old age and He can be our protector. We must trust Him for our children and for our own protection too.

http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?172548-How-God-Deals-with-Prodigals-Pastor-Ray-Pritchard

Two Most Neglected Commandments

The Two Greatest Commandments on which all the others hang, are the most neglected today in Christendom.

The absence of this Christ-like love is overwhelming to many believers who do demonstrate these Greatest Commandments of the Lord.

We cannot love our brethren, if we do not first love Christ. How can we love Christ or claim to, when His Word and His principles are not important to us.

Many will claim they Love God and then fight and argue when they are corrected according to the Word. Many claim to love God, but compromise many things in their lives in favor of sin.

A humble and contrite heart will hear a correction or rebuke and feel ashamed rather than defensive. If one is defensive then they are prideful and unteachable.

Matthew 22:37-40, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

hu·mil·i·ty

"1. A modest or low view of one's own importance."

James 4:6

"But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Is it any wonder so many people who attend church have little spiritual maturity. They remain babies because they refuse to be taught, they refuse to obey the Word, that tells them they need to ask the Lord to humble them. God will not teach a prideful person.

1 Peter 5:6

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,"

Colossians 3:12

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,"

Romans 12:3

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."

What is Strength?

Those who think that "strength" is maintaining control over others no matter what, are walking in darkness and deception.

Strength is not forcing others to serve us.

Strength is not speaking more than we listen to maintain control.

Strength is not obsessing over who was right to win arguments.

Strength is not hiding who we really are to impress other.

Strength is not lying to get our way.

Strength is not fighting for our rights.

Strength is leadership submitting to others as servants.

Strength is listening more than we speak, and hearing others out before

judging them.

Strength is being willing to lose to honor God.

Strength is truth telling no matter the consequences.

Strength is integrity when it hurts to maintain it.

Strength is being willing to give up our rights for the sake of another.

Christ was the strongest man that ever lived and He is God! He was humble and submissive to His Father and to those on earth. Never did He fight back when there was injustice against Him.

He endured reviling without a word, told the truth no matter what the results, went to a terrible cross, enduing it without answering those who murdered Him, while praying for them.

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

1 Peter 2:23

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:"

He whipped the money changers in the temple, defending His Father's house.

He Explained to Nicodemus the way of salvation through being born again.

No Christ was not the gooy, frightened and politically correct "man", our culture would like us to believe. He was and is not our perspective of a man, He was and is God, Who created everything, and controls everything.

When we are tempted to think of Christ the way we think of men in our culture, repent, and see from His Word what He really was and is.

Christ Who loved so much that He was willing to give up all His comfort in heaven, while coming to earth to save us from our sin.

No man could ever do what He did for mankind. However, He is our example of a real man who cared deeply for people, more than His own life.

Mark 10:45

"45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Matthew 21:12

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves,"

Notice that the only time the Lord became violent was when His Father's house was being blasphemed. His defense was not for Himself, but for His Father.

1 Peter 4:10-11

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

1 Corinthians 6:7

"Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?"

When we are held up to the standard of Christ, we are not very strong as a Christian culture. Perhaps we should pray for humility to become more Christ-like, that He would make us strong.

Arrogance Prevents Spiritual Growth

My husband and I were discussing the world today and the attitudes of yesteryear, while we were young.

My husband relayed to me an account when he had borrowed a rototiller from his father. After using it he returned it to his father in a timely manner but did not clean it up, except to knock off the large pieces of mud that clung to it during use.

A few weeks later we went to visit his parents and his mother told him that his father was angry that my husband had returned the rototiller with out properly cleaning it.

My husband's response to his mother was one of shame and sorrow that he had displeased his father, and had been inconsiderate to him by not taking care to diligently return the tiller in as good, if not better, condition than he had received it.

My husband never forgot that because the thought of displeasing his father was disheartening. He apologized to his parents, when he borrowed the machine again, this time it came back in pristine condition.

Now days when our children are confronted with wrong attitudes or actions, they fight back, justify and level revenge against the one who corrected them. Is is possible that our attitude toward our earthly father and mother is a reflection of our attitude toward God?

We are just old enough to remember the days when children wanted to please their parents, both of them.

Now there is evil favoritism toward one or the other parent, there is disrespect when corrected and subtle forms of manipulation and vengeance leveled against the one who will attempt to impart wisdom. The parent that tolerates and praises children without correction, is the one is the hero.

God said it would be this way, but we thought it would be in the distant future, not during our lifetime. Now we can see all that the scripture says coming true before our very eyes.

The longing to go home to our Lord, is increasing with great intensity. The sorrow we feel at this lack of love and respect for everyone and especially parents of adult children, is shocking and grievous.

From conversations with other older folks I am realizing how widespread this evil is, and there does not seem to be any sign of slowing.

When someone becomes angry at a correction rather than ashamed, we know we have encountered an arrogant and unteachable spirit. This seems to be the norm now.

Those who are much younger think they "know it all", when in fact there is so much more they need to learn, but remain stubborn.

They have been raised in a culture that has indulged their pride and ego continually, rather than teaching humility by learning to fail gracefully and wanting to be taught, so that they can grow in wisdom and knowledge.

My husband learned from the reaction of his father, even though the message came through his mother. He cared more about his relationship with his father than he did about his own ego.

We are living in difficult times, the times of rebellion and self indulgence.

We must continually pray that the Lord help us to not react to the hostility, but to endure as good soldiers, telling the truth as we are commanded and refusing to respond when reviled.

2 Timothy 3:1-9

"1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:"

"2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,"

"3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,"

"4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,"

"5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

"6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,"

"7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

"8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;"

"9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was."

1 Peter 2:23

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:"

When I become aware that someone is a fighter, arrogant and unteachable, I must not respond, that the sinner may only see themselves and that Christ would be the only one to speak to them.

When I see that the person is a trouble maker bent on covert forms of manipulation, then I keep away from them as much as possible.

Proverbs 22:24

"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:"

When we are constant companions with an angry person, we are in danger of responding in kind.

1 Corinthians 15:33

"Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."

When we cannot avoid an angry man, then God has addressed that with great clarity;

Luke 6:28

"Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."

I never ask the Lord to bless an evil man, except with the blessing of repentance, that the Lord would do whatever is necessary to bring him to Christ, and usually that is hardship.

However, that is God's Work, I have been commanded to bless when I cannot avoid an evil man and I have been commanded to avoid them, not becoming a companion of to them, so that I will not also be corrupted.

God has the right to hate the evil doer, He has a right to punish them, but we have our marching orders and what we are to do what He commanded us to do and leave His Work to Him.

Ritual Kills

In a post that was tagged to me, there was a picture of a man that was suppose to represent Christ, and the caption read, "if you love this man, thumbs up and share."

My comment was that I did not love the man in the picture because it was not Christ. 

These people wanted me to indulge in venerating a picture of a man depicted as Jesus. The typical artists rendition of a man with long hair.

God expressly commanded us not to make images of God, and when I said I did not love the man in the picture, because it was not Christ, they became even more staunch in defending it.

I was amazed that people who wanted Jesus were satisfied with this picture of a man who was not Christ, to represent Him. Who gave them the authority to appoint a picture of a man and call it Christ?

Religion desires to look good from the outside, but neglects the inner spiritual man.  Why would anyone be angry that I refused to bow to a picture of a man who is not God?  And not even a real man a picture of a non-existent artist depiction.

The anger at my refusing to become indulgent in this idol worship was a strong clue that the people involved were not looking for holiness, but for objects to make them "feel" spiritual.

When someone camps regularly on ritual it is a clue they are neglecting the inner man, after all, no ritual is necessary to bless the true believer who seeks to be changed by God in the depth of his soul.

We need no holidays, no rituals and no outward displays of spirituality to convince other.  What others think about us is of little consequence, it is what God thinks of us that matters. And He looks upon the heart.

Proverbs 20:27 "The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the INNERMOST parts of his being."

Ephesians 3:16 "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the INNER man"

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

2 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our INNER man is being renewed day by day."

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the HEART."

The only observance outwardly that the Lord gave us was the Lord's supper.  And, churches now days are neglecting that. The first century church mentioned in the Bible observed that every time they came together.  It is the essence of Who Christ is and what He did.

Those who think they are spiritual by virtue of the rituals they observe are missing the greatest mystery and blessing of all, and that is Christ working in our INNER MOST being to make us more like Him.

Ephesians 3:16 "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,"

Colossians 3:10 "and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--"

Do we want to be more holy?  If we do we will throw away all ritual except that which Christ gave us.  

Emotionalism at the Ball Games

I was sent a video of a sailor in uniform singing some of our favorite songs, at a recent ball game.  The songs we grew up on that gave us good feelings, often to tears. 

I wonder if the singer understands that we are under judgment?

That no matter how much we ask God to bless our country, it will fall on deaf ears because we are not repenting from our sins as a country.

Psalm 66:16-20

"16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. 17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!"

Our prayer ought not that "God bless us", but that we learn to bless God.

I used to love to hear these things, but I realize that all this wonderful emotionalism, isn't going to cause people to repent, they need the gospel and a spirit of brokenness over their sin.

Emotionalism only causes pride and solidifies our elevated opinion of ourselves.

Christianity in our country is not dedication to Christ but an emotional high that we look for, we like to feel good about ourselves.

2 Peter 2:18-22

"18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error."

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

If those people in the stands would take their focus off of their pleasurable ball games and begin to pray for forgiveness, we might have a chance at further blessing but of  righteousness, not freedom and material prosperity, but the blessing of a changed heart.

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

I wonder how many in the stands at those ball games, are on second and third marriages, how many have had abortions, how many are dressed in immoral clothing and will hit the bars after the game?

You see, that song was beautiful and the soldier’s decorum was commendable, but we have to look beyond the emotion to the reality, otherwise we may become prideful that we have changed our hearts by merely listening to a song that made us "feel good."

When our Christianity, in many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches is based on how emotional we can appear to others, then we have a fallacious, misleading and deceptive Christianity based on personal gratification.

This is not the Christianity of the Bible, nor does God desire it. He wants our hearts, quiet and gentle devotion to Him planted firmly in the foundations of the Word of God, motivated by love and desire to obey Him. Growing in grace daily as we seek His will not our own.

Emotionalism leads us astray, it causes us to think things are wonderful when they are not, it causes us to think things are bad when they are not.  We must ignore them, enjoy the song, but do not let it override our good sense based on Scripture.  

Political Swaggering

Swaggering and boasting about "lifting our voices" to change the political climate in our country has little or no effect. Our vote has no power, if you know how this system works, it is controlled by those of an elite group, that make sure that no one Christian or conservative makes it in power without lots of compromise.

The conservatives at the top, have little influence and power, we see that right now. When the powers that be, can shut down all our parks, not pay military and other forms of extortion, and end up getting their way, then we know that the conservatives are figure heads and no more.

The animal that runs our government is not just those we see on the evening news, there is a huge world wide machine that orchestrates things that never come to the surface.

All things are on schedule for the culmination of the one world government and the one world religion. You, can stand all you want and work real hard, but it will all come to naught because prophesy is in motion, there is no stopping it.

I say all this show that our efforts to "save our country", ought to be better spent praying for individuals, persecuted Christians around the world and witnessing Christ.

Our freedom in not very important in the vast configuration of things, but obedience to the Great Commission is.