I see clearly that our old age drops all it's guard to appear good, when we get too old to control all those inner feelings, the real us emerges in all its fullness, for everyone to see.
If we were crabby inside, but calm on the outside, our crabby will emerge in our old age. People do not become something they are not, all their lives, they just stop trying to impress others and the real self comes out.
Whatever you have developed in your inner being all your life, that is what others will see when we become too weary to keep up pretenses any more.
Take care to inventory your inner attitude, because one day it will expose you, not only in this life but in eternity.
If we think we can get away with pretending, remember that one day when we are too old and tired to care if anyone likes us, then we will be utterly exposed.
And, remember that God already knows, there is no fooling Him.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Our Speech Matter a Little But ONLY IF
Our speech matters only in so much as it reflects our lifestyle.
I found just recently that the word "conversation" in the old English meant your life example through attitudes and actions.
This is why I like to go back to the original text. If we are to read only the English translation we might think that it is our speech that needs to "becometh the gospel of Christ", but the actual meaning is that our entire life must reflect the gospel of Christ.
That is huge, if we speak only, but our lifestyle and attitude does not match our speech, then we are in disobedience and a reproach to the gospel of Christ.
I found just recently that the word "conversation" in the old English meant your life example through attitudes and actions.
This is why I like to go back to the original text. If we are to read only the English translation we might think that it is our speech that needs to "becometh the gospel of Christ", but the actual meaning is that our entire life must reflect the gospel of Christ.
That is huge, if we speak only, but our lifestyle and attitude does not match our speech, then we are in disobedience and a reproach to the gospel of Christ.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
America Has Lost the Battle
What had been the pattern with God, in the disciplining of the nation of Israel, when she would not obey Him?
2 Chronicles 12 tells us that God allowed wicked nations to conquer those who would not bow the knee to Him.
In the case of the United States, I can see the Lord destroying our country from within rather than from without. We have no enemies with twelve hundred chariots coming against our armies.
What we have are wicked men taking over the government making unjust laws that oppress the people, through excessive taxes and laws that attempt to force us to accept evil.
We are punished through our taxes to accept the actions of those who take our personal funds to live in a slothful and sinful manner.
We are punished through our taxes to accept the murdering of millions of unborn babies.
We are now being told that we must accept same sex marriage, that any expression against this act is hate speech and punishable.
For those of you who think we are still free, to a great extent we are, but we are slowly and methodically losing that freedom through the mismanagement of our monies, the weakening of our armies and most of all the ruination of our families through public education and apostate churches.
We don't need armies to infiltrate and conquer us. The enemy of our soul has captured the hearts of the Americans and we are falling of our own doing.
Unless we repent, and I don't think we will, we will see a dictatorship in our lifetime. When we abandon all sense of righteousness to be accepted by our culture, then we have lost the battle, and every future battle.
2 Chronicles 12 tells us that God allowed wicked nations to conquer those who would not bow the knee to Him.
In the case of the United States, I can see the Lord destroying our country from within rather than from without. We have no enemies with twelve hundred chariots coming against our armies.
What we have are wicked men taking over the government making unjust laws that oppress the people, through excessive taxes and laws that attempt to force us to accept evil.
We are punished through our taxes to accept the actions of those who take our personal funds to live in a slothful and sinful manner.
We are punished through our taxes to accept the murdering of millions of unborn babies.
We are now being told that we must accept same sex marriage, that any expression against this act is hate speech and punishable.
For those of you who think we are still free, to a great extent we are, but we are slowly and methodically losing that freedom through the mismanagement of our monies, the weakening of our armies and most of all the ruination of our families through public education and apostate churches.
We don't need armies to infiltrate and conquer us. The enemy of our soul has captured the hearts of the Americans and we are falling of our own doing.
Unless we repent, and I don't think we will, we will see a dictatorship in our lifetime. When we abandon all sense of righteousness to be accepted by our culture, then we have lost the battle, and every future battle.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Divorce and Remarriage Has Ruined the Church
Those of you who think that remarriage after adultery is a valid marriage, don't realize that God called it an ongoing state of adultery in the original languages.
No where in the Word of God will you see any statements like "if you have remarried with a piece of paper by the law of the land it is now a real marriage."
First lets establish that it is commanded by God that we tell one another the truth when it comes to sin.
There are those who would say that God is the judge and we should let Him tell them. That is true only in part, God gave us the responsibility toward our fellow believers to be His spokesman. We are to tell others the truth of His principles as surely as we are to tell others the gospel, the bad news first that they are sinful and on their way to hell, and the good news that they can be saved from that by believing in Christ.
The church is rampant with divorce and remarriage because it has been widely accepted without real Biblical grounds. All excuses for divorce and remarriage have come about by twisting and misunderstanding Scripture.
I will probably lose friends over this, but I have remained silent on this subject too long lately. May the Lord spare those who are young and have not yet committed this sin, that they may begin their married life the correct way in obedience to Christ. And, may this knowledge prevent the legitimate young marriages from falling into the trap of divorce and remarriage.
It is likely that the young marrieds will not have encouragement to stay together from the older set, who have violated this and accepted it, based on whether or not the sins of the spouses are bad enough. They will not help you stay strong in your marriage most of the time.
It is best to go to God in prayer and those who have been committed to marriage, one man, one woman for life for wisdom on this subject. All others will help you wallow and take away your hope that God can work in your marriage. They will focus on our troubles rather than God's Power. They will twist scripture to discourage you from persevering through all kinds of injustice.
The world is full of injustice, we are not called to bail out when things get rough, we are admonished to go through with Christ.
First rule that God established is that we have a responsibility to our fellow believers to rebuke, admonish, correct and discipline those who are walking sinfully.
1 Timothy 5:20
20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
Titus 1:13 "This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;"
Secondly, we are to speak the truth that others may avoid sin against God. If we love our brothers and sister in the Lord, then we warn from the Word, of pitfalls that may hinder their prayers.
1 Peter 3:7
"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
Christ said this, in Mark 10:11-12
"11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."
Christ intended that two people are more than just living together sharing life in marriage, they have actually become one person, the connotation in the original languages is "glued together" with a spiritual glue that no man can separate.
Mark 10:8
"and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh."
Matthew 19:6
"Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
Divorce and remarriage has caused many family problems and children who live a superficial Christianity, believing that God's mandates and principles don't matter, since Mom and Dad have violated this very foundational matter of marriage.
Why would a child learn to persevere in persecution for Christ when he has been taught to bail out of anything that makes him uncomfortable?
We have taught our culture to abandon and kill anyone who gets in the way of our happiness. We kill babies that inconvenience us, we throw away spouses that frustrate us, we dishonor authorities that require things of us.
We are a nation that takes only one thing seriously, our freedom to do as we please, no matter who it hurts.
Chivalry is dead! The willingness to be hurt for the sake of another is now considered foolish in our apostate and selfish culture.
Those who would defend their divorce and remarriage on the basis of "grace", does not understand God's grace.
Grace was extended to give us the ability to avoid sin. Grace was not extended so that we can be absolved of it, while still living in it.
1 Peter 5:10
"10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."
2 Peter 3:18
"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Romans 6
"1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
No where in the bible does God say that it is alright to sin as long as you are born again.
When we continue in sin, we are an example to others, especially the younger more impressionable people.
Luke 17:2
"It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."
The passage in Luke is speaking of children, our influence over young minds by our actions is much greater than we realize.
Our lifestyle teaches children even more than our words do. When we take God's Word lightly, so will our children. Why are our modern apostate churches filled with superficial and flippant entertainment seeking youth? The answer is in the lifestyles of their adult influences.
May those who justify their sin remember they will be accountable to those they lead astray. May they repent, now before they have to face Christ on judgement day.
No where in the Word of God will you see any statements like "if you have remarried with a piece of paper by the law of the land it is now a real marriage."
First lets establish that it is commanded by God that we tell one another the truth when it comes to sin.
There are those who would say that God is the judge and we should let Him tell them. That is true only in part, God gave us the responsibility toward our fellow believers to be His spokesman. We are to tell others the truth of His principles as surely as we are to tell others the gospel, the bad news first that they are sinful and on their way to hell, and the good news that they can be saved from that by believing in Christ.
The church is rampant with divorce and remarriage because it has been widely accepted without real Biblical grounds. All excuses for divorce and remarriage have come about by twisting and misunderstanding Scripture.
I will probably lose friends over this, but I have remained silent on this subject too long lately. May the Lord spare those who are young and have not yet committed this sin, that they may begin their married life the correct way in obedience to Christ. And, may this knowledge prevent the legitimate young marriages from falling into the trap of divorce and remarriage.
It is likely that the young marrieds will not have encouragement to stay together from the older set, who have violated this and accepted it, based on whether or not the sins of the spouses are bad enough. They will not help you stay strong in your marriage most of the time.
It is best to go to God in prayer and those who have been committed to marriage, one man, one woman for life for wisdom on this subject. All others will help you wallow and take away your hope that God can work in your marriage. They will focus on our troubles rather than God's Power. They will twist scripture to discourage you from persevering through all kinds of injustice.
The world is full of injustice, we are not called to bail out when things get rough, we are admonished to go through with Christ.
First rule that God established is that we have a responsibility to our fellow believers to rebuke, admonish, correct and discipline those who are walking sinfully.
1 Timothy 5:20
20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
Titus 1:13 "This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;"
Secondly, we are to speak the truth that others may avoid sin against God. If we love our brothers and sister in the Lord, then we warn from the Word, of pitfalls that may hinder their prayers.
1 Peter 3:7
"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
Christ said this, in Mark 10:11-12
"11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."
Christ intended that two people are more than just living together sharing life in marriage, they have actually become one person, the connotation in the original languages is "glued together" with a spiritual glue that no man can separate.
Mark 10:8
"and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh."
Matthew 19:6
"Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
Divorce and remarriage has caused many family problems and children who live a superficial Christianity, believing that God's mandates and principles don't matter, since Mom and Dad have violated this very foundational matter of marriage.
Why would a child learn to persevere in persecution for Christ when he has been taught to bail out of anything that makes him uncomfortable?
We have taught our culture to abandon and kill anyone who gets in the way of our happiness. We kill babies that inconvenience us, we throw away spouses that frustrate us, we dishonor authorities that require things of us.
We are a nation that takes only one thing seriously, our freedom to do as we please, no matter who it hurts.
Chivalry is dead! The willingness to be hurt for the sake of another is now considered foolish in our apostate and selfish culture.
Those who would defend their divorce and remarriage on the basis of "grace", does not understand God's grace.
Grace was extended to give us the ability to avoid sin. Grace was not extended so that we can be absolved of it, while still living in it.
1 Peter 5:10
"10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."
2 Peter 3:18
"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Romans 6
"1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
No where in the bible does God say that it is alright to sin as long as you are born again.
When we continue in sin, we are an example to others, especially the younger more impressionable people.
Luke 17:2
"It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."
The passage in Luke is speaking of children, our influence over young minds by our actions is much greater than we realize.
Our lifestyle teaches children even more than our words do. When we take God's Word lightly, so will our children. Why are our modern apostate churches filled with superficial and flippant entertainment seeking youth? The answer is in the lifestyles of their adult influences.
May those who justify their sin remember they will be accountable to those they lead astray. May they repent, now before they have to face Christ on judgement day.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
My Personal Testimony
This morning another sister asked for testimonies of our salvation experiences. As I was writing mine it occurred to me that I had never really done that here and that perhaps it was time to do that. Here is my story, in a nutshell, feel free to ask questions after reading it. Blessings to all of you!
I had been living a lifestyle of sin in my twenties. One day I decided to read the Bible I had at age 12. I began to sense deep sorrow over the way I was living and sought God for forgiveness.
I was raised in a home that had little love in it but all the family members attended church every Sunday. The teachers at church, in Sunday School, showed me the love I didn't get at home.
At age 12 I repented from my sinfulness at day camp, but I didn't live for the Lord then. I was convicted about my sin, but allowed my emotional state to keep me in it.
I married a Catholic man, and became Catholic at age 16 to marry him when I was 18.
While in that church I began to be prompted to read the Bible that I received as a confirmation gift from the church I grew up in. when I was 12. The Lord began to show me all the things in the Catholic church that were wrong.
I believe I was saved at 12, but was too immature to live for Christ, while under the oppression of my family. They all claimed to be Christians, but didn't follow the Bible in many ways.
After the Lord got hold of me in my twenties, I began to run hard after Him. I lost the companionship of all family members on both sides. But continued to follow Him.
Then along the way God sent me friends to help me, one at a time, never more than one. Those friends have moved on and some have followed after false doctrine and we drifted away.
For one year after discovering the heresies in the Catholic church, I was completely alone, no friends, no family who loved me. Even my husband was angry at me all the time. I praise God to this day for that time. I can stand alone now, and not feel anything but joy to be with my Savior. After ten years of marriage my husband became born again too.
I know now, more than ever, that being alone is preferable to being with superficial believers who detract from our walk. I also know that all that rejection I experienced in my life trained me for the road ahead.
If we cannot boldly speak the truth without being devastated by the cruelty of others, then we will be continually beaten down and useless for the kingdom.
When I began to be rejected early on, I was frequently emotionally ravaged. It made me shrink from telling the truth at times, and even backing down when there was blasphemy spoken.
As I grew in strength through Bible reading and prayer, I acquired a kind of emotional vigor that sustained me through the rejection of others. Of course I prefer not to be rejected, but the possibility of it does not deter or rule me.
The Lord has been growing me ever since that day that He got hold of me at children's camp. I remained in sin for awhile before realizing that Christ could be all I needed and He could cleanse me.
Then is when He began to work in me in an immense way, showing me things I had never heard, even things most believers wouldn't admit to. As I grew I realized how little of the Word most believers follow and how much they ignore from God's Word.
I am no scholar, but I do desire to know Him and to follow what He tells me. When I fail, I want to know it, to correct the wrong and proceed to grow.
One thing for sure, if we desire to know Him above all else, then we will have to set aside our desire to be loved by others, and to be satisfied in being loved by Christ.
Our goal should not be to get others to like or love us, our goal is to love others so much, through Christ, that we are willing to be hated by the entire world to lead one soul out of hell and into glory.
I had been living a lifestyle of sin in my twenties. One day I decided to read the Bible I had at age 12. I began to sense deep sorrow over the way I was living and sought God for forgiveness.
I was raised in a home that had little love in it but all the family members attended church every Sunday. The teachers at church, in Sunday School, showed me the love I didn't get at home.
At age 12 I repented from my sinfulness at day camp, but I didn't live for the Lord then. I was convicted about my sin, but allowed my emotional state to keep me in it.
I married a Catholic man, and became Catholic at age 16 to marry him when I was 18.
While in that church I began to be prompted to read the Bible that I received as a confirmation gift from the church I grew up in. when I was 12. The Lord began to show me all the things in the Catholic church that were wrong.
I believe I was saved at 12, but was too immature to live for Christ, while under the oppression of my family. They all claimed to be Christians, but didn't follow the Bible in many ways.
After the Lord got hold of me in my twenties, I began to run hard after Him. I lost the companionship of all family members on both sides. But continued to follow Him.
Then along the way God sent me friends to help me, one at a time, never more than one. Those friends have moved on and some have followed after false doctrine and we drifted away.
For one year after discovering the heresies in the Catholic church, I was completely alone, no friends, no family who loved me. Even my husband was angry at me all the time. I praise God to this day for that time. I can stand alone now, and not feel anything but joy to be with my Savior. After ten years of marriage my husband became born again too.
I know now, more than ever, that being alone is preferable to being with superficial believers who detract from our walk. I also know that all that rejection I experienced in my life trained me for the road ahead.
If we cannot boldly speak the truth without being devastated by the cruelty of others, then we will be continually beaten down and useless for the kingdom.
When I began to be rejected early on, I was frequently emotionally ravaged. It made me shrink from telling the truth at times, and even backing down when there was blasphemy spoken.
As I grew in strength through Bible reading and prayer, I acquired a kind of emotional vigor that sustained me through the rejection of others. Of course I prefer not to be rejected, but the possibility of it does not deter or rule me.
The Lord has been growing me ever since that day that He got hold of me at children's camp. I remained in sin for awhile before realizing that Christ could be all I needed and He could cleanse me.
Then is when He began to work in me in an immense way, showing me things I had never heard, even things most believers wouldn't admit to. As I grew I realized how little of the Word most believers follow and how much they ignore from God's Word.
I am no scholar, but I do desire to know Him and to follow what He tells me. When I fail, I want to know it, to correct the wrong and proceed to grow.
One thing for sure, if we desire to know Him above all else, then we will have to set aside our desire to be loved by others, and to be satisfied in being loved by Christ.
Our goal should not be to get others to like or love us, our goal is to love others so much, through Christ, that we are willing to be hated by the entire world to lead one soul out of hell and into glory.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Privacy is not an Option for the Believer
I have had believers tell me that their Christianity is a personal thing, that we should not correct others, God will do that.
The devil loves this! The Bible is replete with Scriptures that tell us to love our brothers and the way to do that, of which is to correct, rebuke, exhort and admonish in all longsuffering.
Why would God say "in all longsuffering"? Perhaps it is because there will be much correction and many people do not like correction, and even their friends will not accept those who correct others.
Two of my previous posts explain what real love looks like and it is nothing like all the things we have been taught in public school and even in most churches now.
No where in the Word does God say that our Christian walk is a personal thing. God makes us a family when we become born again and we should be deeply involved with and caring about the lives of our brothers and sisters.
I realize that is very hard these days because there are so few in the church who understand this and love to keep their lives private.
1 John 3:14
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
Seek God's Word for His kind of love!
The devil loves this! The Bible is replete with Scriptures that tell us to love our brothers and the way to do that, of which is to correct, rebuke, exhort and admonish in all longsuffering.
Why would God say "in all longsuffering"? Perhaps it is because there will be much correction and many people do not like correction, and even their friends will not accept those who correct others.
Two of my previous posts explain what real love looks like and it is nothing like all the things we have been taught in public school and even in most churches now.
No where in the Word does God say that our Christian walk is a personal thing. God makes us a family when we become born again and we should be deeply involved with and caring about the lives of our brothers and sisters.
I realize that is very hard these days because there are so few in the church who understand this and love to keep their lives private.
1 John 3:14
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
Seek God's Word for His kind of love!
God's Kind of Love
Thessalonians 4:1-12
"For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you
that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this
reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some
means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain."
"6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and
brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good
remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you— 7
therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted
concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the
Lord."
"9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for
all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and
day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking
in your faith?"
"11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord
Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and
abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He
may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."
1 John 5:2
"2 By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God and keep His commandments."
Acts 20:28
"28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the
flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God
Titus 3:10-11
"10 A man that is an heretick after the first and
second admonition reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth,
being condemned of himself."
2 Thessalonians 3:15
"15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as
a brother."
2 Timothy 4:2
"2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine."
1 Timothy 5:20
"20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also
may fear."
Romans 16:17
"17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them."
James 5:20
"20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the
error of his way will save a soul[a] from death and cover a multitude of
sins."
All our attempts at sparing the feelings of those who live
in sin, has caused the apostasy that dwells in the organized church today. The
most damaging mantra that has taken hold in the church is; "just love
them." As though; if we show enough friendliness the person will like us
and Jesus Christ too. This couldn't be farther from the truth.
Many people are hurting because they have not sought God for
His ways and truth. When we do not speak the truth boldly, these people are
left to feel comfortable in their sin.
Hebrews 4:12
"12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart."
We are not called to spare someone's feelings, we are called
to tell the truth, loving God and His truth more than we love to be loved.
The modern church flatters people to gain the advantage over
them, hoping the flattery will make them do what is right, but the opposite is
the result, more sin and guilt relieved.
Do not seek to avoid bad feelings, seek to honor God through
the spreading of His truth. The feelings are an indication that there is guilt,
let the guilt do it's work, then is when we can reach someone with truth.
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