Be careful to know what things mean before you adopt them as your style. I know there are other hand signs too that are indicators of occult practices, this one seems to be the most popular now. I have seen famous preachers and political figures using this and wondered where it came from. Thankfully another friend on facebook posted this in another thread. Thank you Tara, for your diligence in researching this matter of hand signs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNVJSRkt9yg&feature=youtu.be
Monday, September 8, 2014
Choose You This Day!
Revelation 3:20
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Every person has been given enough knowledge and prompting from God to turn to Him. No one will have an excuse for rejecting Christ.
I heard recently a story about the artist of a painting most of us are familiar with, the picture of a man depicting Christ knocking at a door waiting for someone to open the door. Anyone that knows me understands that I hate depictions of Christ because of it's implications of idolatry, however the story is interesting.
A man viewing the painting while in the presence of the artist who did it, told the artist that he made a mistake in the painting, he forgot the door knob on the outside. The artists told the inquirer that it was not a mistake, the scripture says that Christ is knocking he has no need of a knob, the knob is on the inside for the person to open to Christ.
God will not force anyone to love Him, nor will He force anyone to obey Him. We have a choice to trust and obey, as the song says, or to reject and refuse to open the door.
Revelation 3:19
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent."
Christ died for the entire world, He loves His creation and desires that all would come to a saving knowledge, but not all will come. Those who refuse His love will be rejected and cast into a lake of fire at the end of the earth.
Revelation 20:15
"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Psalm 26:5
"I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked."
Those who believe that everyone is saved no matter their belief system, do not know the Scriptures. When we go to funerals and people are saying "he/she is in a better place, even though they never trusted Christ are speaking things they do not know.
1 John 2:2
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
Christ became sin for us that we might be saved, but we have to choose Him. When we choose Him, He changes us into a new creation.
Christ extends the forgiveness, but we must receive it by responding in repentance and brokenness over our sinfulness. When we do this, then Christ comes to dwell in us and begins His process of cleansing that continues until the end of our lives. We are born again and on our way to heaven, spiritually, but we are still trapped in this body of sinful flesh.
Romans 8:3
"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,"
He cleanses us throughout our life after He changes our spirit. Our flesh is still a problem, He gives us challenges to help us see the dross that is within us, when we confess as He opens our eyes, we become more holy and useful for the kingdom.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
1 John 3:6-10
"6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother"
Galatians 5:19-21
"6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother"
Hebrews 12:6
"FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
1 John 2:1 Written to born again believers.
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
James 5:16
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
When God discipline, prunes and shapes us, He does it as we would a rose bush, in order for the bush to come back stronger than ever with more beautiful flowers, it must be cut way back to stubs to begin again afresh.
Joshua 24:15
"15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Every person has been given enough knowledge and prompting from God to turn to Him. No one will have an excuse for rejecting Christ.
I heard recently a story about the artist of a painting most of us are familiar with, the picture of a man depicting Christ knocking at a door waiting for someone to open the door. Anyone that knows me understands that I hate depictions of Christ because of it's implications of idolatry, however the story is interesting.
A man viewing the painting while in the presence of the artist who did it, told the artist that he made a mistake in the painting, he forgot the door knob on the outside. The artists told the inquirer that it was not a mistake, the scripture says that Christ is knocking he has no need of a knob, the knob is on the inside for the person to open to Christ.
God will not force anyone to love Him, nor will He force anyone to obey Him. We have a choice to trust and obey, as the song says, or to reject and refuse to open the door.
Revelation 3:19
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent."
Christ died for the entire world, He loves His creation and desires that all would come to a saving knowledge, but not all will come. Those who refuse His love will be rejected and cast into a lake of fire at the end of the earth.
Revelation 20:15
"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Psalm 26:5
"I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked."
Those who believe that everyone is saved no matter their belief system, do not know the Scriptures. When we go to funerals and people are saying "he/she is in a better place, even though they never trusted Christ are speaking things they do not know.
1 John 2:2
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
Christ became sin for us that we might be saved, but we have to choose Him. When we choose Him, He changes us into a new creation.
Christ extends the forgiveness, but we must receive it by responding in repentance and brokenness over our sinfulness. When we do this, then Christ comes to dwell in us and begins His process of cleansing that continues until the end of our lives. We are born again and on our way to heaven, spiritually, but we are still trapped in this body of sinful flesh.
Romans 8:3
"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,"
He cleanses us throughout our life after He changes our spirit. Our flesh is still a problem, He gives us challenges to help us see the dross that is within us, when we confess as He opens our eyes, we become more holy and useful for the kingdom.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
1 John 3:6-10
"6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother"
Galatians 5:19-21
"6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother"
Hebrews 12:6
"FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
1 John 2:1 Written to born again believers.
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
James 5:16
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
When God discipline, prunes and shapes us, He does it as we would a rose bush, in order for the bush to come back stronger than ever with more beautiful flowers, it must be cut way back to stubs to begin again afresh.
Joshua 24:15
"15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Sunday, September 7, 2014
What Are Your Thoughts?
My husband and I had a discussion this morning. He wanted me to post our thoughts and then hear yours.
My husband thinks that our president is incapable of running a country and is doing everything wrong because he doesn't know what to do. He has bad advisers and liberal incompetent congressmen and woman surrounding him. My husband believes he is a weak man without experience therefore causing the world to see us as weak.
My take is a little different, I believe that "O" came into our country to deceive us, with the intention of devastating America purposely to destroy what he thinks is the "evil empire." I believe he knew what he was doing when he came in and continues with deliberateness to ruin us as a country.
"O" is Islamic, was raised with the same hatred that the children of Hamas and ISIS are raised with every day, by example and even being taught in their educational system to hate Jews and Christians.
I have one more thought, that not only has "O" been deliberate from the beginning but that he is controlled by demons. He lacks any sense of compassion, emotion or passion for anything at all. His speeches seem canned, without personality, making me think he is not operating in his own flesh but in the spirit of demonic power.
What are your thoughts?
My husband thinks that our president is incapable of running a country and is doing everything wrong because he doesn't know what to do. He has bad advisers and liberal incompetent congressmen and woman surrounding him. My husband believes he is a weak man without experience therefore causing the world to see us as weak.
My take is a little different, I believe that "O" came into our country to deceive us, with the intention of devastating America purposely to destroy what he thinks is the "evil empire." I believe he knew what he was doing when he came in and continues with deliberateness to ruin us as a country.
"O" is Islamic, was raised with the same hatred that the children of Hamas and ISIS are raised with every day, by example and even being taught in their educational system to hate Jews and Christians.
I have one more thought, that not only has "O" been deliberate from the beginning but that he is controlled by demons. He lacks any sense of compassion, emotion or passion for anything at all. His speeches seem canned, without personality, making me think he is not operating in his own flesh but in the spirit of demonic power.
What are your thoughts?
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Search the Scriptures
There are many false humanistic teachings out there that believers are convinced are right, but are not Biblical. We must always go to the Word to prove our position, and we must be willing to give up what is proven wrong by Scripture.
A believer we may say "I am convinced of...based on the Word", but they must never be saying, "my opinion is." Once we defer to our desired opinion, we have lost our moorings and must return to the Bible for our answers.
We must be willing to challenge ourselves, all that we have learned from our culture, our church and our families, to be ready to receive what Christ has for us from His Word.
Are we willing to give up everything we were taught to know all that God teaches in His Word. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to question something, we need to go to prayer and study.
2 Timothy 2:15 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."
A believer we may say "I am convinced of...based on the Word", but they must never be saying, "my opinion is." Once we defer to our desired opinion, we have lost our moorings and must return to the Bible for our answers.
We must be willing to challenge ourselves, all that we have learned from our culture, our church and our families, to be ready to receive what Christ has for us from His Word.
Are we willing to give up everything we were taught to know all that God teaches in His Word. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to question something, we need to go to prayer and study.
2 Timothy 2:15 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."
Repent or Confess!
When Christ said on the cross "Father forgive them, they know not what they do", He was asking the Father to extend forgiveness, however they would not receive the forgiveness unless they repented.
The same is true of believers, we must confess our sins to grow in grace through God's blessing. We don't lose our salvation if we do not confess, we simply lose rewards in heaven and blessings here on earth. We may have terrible consequences for our refusal to admit and ask for cleansing, God cares too much for His children to allow them to be dishonoring to His name.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The 1 John passage was written to believers.
Acts 20:19-21 "19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
Christ will not save anyone who does not want to repent and become cleansed from their sin. He will not grow a believer who will not confess, but He will bring discipline to His children, sometimes very harsh discipline when they are stubborn.
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Do we want to be spiritually blessed by God, with heaven to look forward to? Then obey the Word, repent if you are unsaved and confess if you are already born again.
The same is true of believers, we must confess our sins to grow in grace through God's blessing. We don't lose our salvation if we do not confess, we simply lose rewards in heaven and blessings here on earth. We may have terrible consequences for our refusal to admit and ask for cleansing, God cares too much for His children to allow them to be dishonoring to His name.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The 1 John passage was written to believers.
Acts 20:19-21 "19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
Christ will not save anyone who does not want to repent and become cleansed from their sin. He will not grow a believer who will not confess, but He will bring discipline to His children, sometimes very harsh discipline when they are stubborn.
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Do we want to be spiritually blessed by God, with heaven to look forward to? Then obey the Word, repent if you are unsaved and confess if you are already born again.
Grow in the Grace We have been Given
2 Peter 3:13-16
"13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 1
5 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in ALL his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
"13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 1
5 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in ALL his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
God Answers His Way!
Perhaps all the prayers of true believers are being answered, not they way we had hoped, but what will be effective for a rebellious people to see their need for Christ.
1 Samuel 8:18-20
"18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless the PEOPLE refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
1 Samuel 8:18-20
"18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless the PEOPLE refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
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