Thursday, May 26, 2016
Wisdom, Safety and Holiness
We can only be "wise, safe and holy" if we actually seek God's will and practice what He tells us. If we read the Bible to twist it into what we like, remove scriptures from their context and deny others, then we will not only not be wise, or safe, or holy, we will only be someone who knows enough of the scripture to be dangerous to other believers and useless to non-believers.
All Have Sinned
Amen Nick! It seems clear to me that so many people who say they don't believe in works to gain heaven are proud of themselves for how good they think they are. When we have been humbled by God, had to openly confess sin and ask God to cleanse us, there can be no pride left to make us think we are better than anyone else. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
Nick Bevilacqua
"People who hear the Gospel of the Grace of God (Romans 10: 3 & 4), (1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 4) and reject it, are in effect choosing to stand before God on judgment day pleading their own righteousness, (Matthew 7: 27 & 28), and shall be condemned, for by the works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God.(Romans 3: 20). (Galatians 2: 16). But those of us that seek to be found having not our own righteousness, which is of the Law,(Romans 10: 3 & 4) but having that righteousness which is of Christ as a free gift through faith, (Romans 3: 22), (Romans 5: 17 & 18),(Philippians 3: 8 & 9). shall not be condemned, but have passed from death unto life (John 5: 24).(Romans 8: 33 & 34). (Ephesians 1: 13)."
Nick Bevilacqua
"People who hear the Gospel of the Grace of God (Romans 10: 3 & 4), (1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 4) and reject it, are in effect choosing to stand before God on judgment day pleading their own righteousness, (Matthew 7: 27 & 28), and shall be condemned, for by the works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God.(Romans 3: 20). (Galatians 2: 16). But those of us that seek to be found having not our own righteousness, which is of the Law,(Romans 10: 3 & 4) but having that righteousness which is of Christ as a free gift through faith, (Romans 3: 22), (Romans 5: 17 & 18),(Philippians 3: 8 & 9). shall not be condemned, but have passed from death unto life (John 5: 24).(Romans 8: 33 & 34). (Ephesians 1: 13)."
1
Choose to Grow or Regress!
We can only grow if we obey even when it hurts. When we resist God's discipline or correction we don't grow, we even will regress.
Matthew 13:12 "…11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’…"
Matthew 13:12 "…11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’…"
America the Rebellious Woman
America the Woman
I am afraid that that woman is dead and has been dying for a long time. From the time the pilgrims came, she put up a statue of a false god in her harbor as a representation of freedom, called the statue of liberty.
She engaged in slavery in rebellion against God. Rather than working hard themselves, the people went after wealth to use others to build that wealth for them.
This woman has elevated prosperity and freedom above righteousness. Her leaders are evil and continue to get worse. Now she has indulged in the worst of the worst sexual abominations while attempting to force all her citizens to accept and even embrace them.
She had created killing chambers to murder more than 56 million babies over the past 45 years. I do not love this woman more than I love God and I want her to be punished for her evil and rebellion.
I know we are used to freedom, we are used to prosperity, even the poor of our nation have far more than the average person in other nations, but we are ungrateful. I love the people of our nation, but I hate the evil government that we have become.
We can pray for repentance but I am convinced the only way it will happen is if there is serious disaster and discipline, but even then, the hearts are so hard, it is unlikely that America will ever repent.
Those that are on their way to hell will gnash their teeth as they are going in, not because of pain, but because of the anger that remains in their heart for their plight and hatred of God.
How many times have we encountered people who were living wickedly, hoping to encourage them to evaluate their life to turn from sin, only to be met with rage or indifference? My experience is that no one will listen to correction, rebuke or instruction on any level. Everyone defends that which is evil, even those who claim to be Christian are approving of those who do evil.
Our definition of evil is far different from God's definition. Christians indulge in evil every day, defending it as normal and righteous. The greatest sign of this evil we see often, the rejection of the authority of parents and the rejection of instruction in Biblical principles.
Without the desire to be instructed by elders in holiness, there can be no spiritual growth. Most people who attend church today have no sense of total devotion to the Scriptures, no matter what they say. I know many who read their Bible every day, but negate and explain away God's principles to justify the rebellion in their hearts.
The nation used to follow many scriptural principles but it was never a "Christian" nation. There have been many Christians here, more so many years ago than now, but the nation as a government has ignored often the principles of the Bible to run after prosperity and freedom.
Prosperity and freedom have been the gods that are worshiped here. Once we thanked God for these things, but now we demand them like spoiled brat children to be able to do as we please no matter how grievous they are to God.
If you don't believe me, all you have to do is express dismay at what someone is doing that God hates and watch what comes out of them. Rage and anger dominates the inner being of most people in this country, just waiting inside to emerge as soon as there is a challenge.
Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes."
Proverbs 29:11 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. 11 A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.…"
Matthew 24:37 ""For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah."
We are in the days just like Noah's time, when everyone does what is right in their own eyes and no one will listen.
I am afraid that that woman is dead and has been dying for a long time. From the time the pilgrims came, she put up a statue of a false god in her harbor as a representation of freedom, called the statue of liberty.
She engaged in slavery in rebellion against God. Rather than working hard themselves, the people went after wealth to use others to build that wealth for them.
This woman has elevated prosperity and freedom above righteousness. Her leaders are evil and continue to get worse. Now she has indulged in the worst of the worst sexual abominations while attempting to force all her citizens to accept and even embrace them.
She had created killing chambers to murder more than 56 million babies over the past 45 years. I do not love this woman more than I love God and I want her to be punished for her evil and rebellion.
I know we are used to freedom, we are used to prosperity, even the poor of our nation have far more than the average person in other nations, but we are ungrateful. I love the people of our nation, but I hate the evil government that we have become.
We can pray for repentance but I am convinced the only way it will happen is if there is serious disaster and discipline, but even then, the hearts are so hard, it is unlikely that America will ever repent.
Those that are on their way to hell will gnash their teeth as they are going in, not because of pain, but because of the anger that remains in their heart for their plight and hatred of God.
How many times have we encountered people who were living wickedly, hoping to encourage them to evaluate their life to turn from sin, only to be met with rage or indifference? My experience is that no one will listen to correction, rebuke or instruction on any level. Everyone defends that which is evil, even those who claim to be Christian are approving of those who do evil.
Our definition of evil is far different from God's definition. Christians indulge in evil every day, defending it as normal and righteous. The greatest sign of this evil we see often, the rejection of the authority of parents and the rejection of instruction in Biblical principles.
Without the desire to be instructed by elders in holiness, there can be no spiritual growth. Most people who attend church today have no sense of total devotion to the Scriptures, no matter what they say. I know many who read their Bible every day, but negate and explain away God's principles to justify the rebellion in their hearts.
The nation used to follow many scriptural principles but it was never a "Christian" nation. There have been many Christians here, more so many years ago than now, but the nation as a government has ignored often the principles of the Bible to run after prosperity and freedom.
Prosperity and freedom have been the gods that are worshiped here. Once we thanked God for these things, but now we demand them like spoiled brat children to be able to do as we please no matter how grievous they are to God.
If you don't believe me, all you have to do is express dismay at what someone is doing that God hates and watch what comes out of them. Rage and anger dominates the inner being of most people in this country, just waiting inside to emerge as soon as there is a challenge.
Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes."
Proverbs 29:11 "…10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. 11 A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.…"
Matthew 24:37 ""For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah."
We are in the days just like Noah's time, when everyone does what is right in their own eyes and no one will listen.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Trust the Lord for Everything
Amen,
One day my husband was out hunting with his brothers and father deep in the forest. In our region a person could get lost for many days, wondering around in circles, sometimes never making it out.
While they were hunting, the brothers went up into the forest each several feet apart to come down driving the deer toward their father and another brother who was down on the road. This method often got them a deer or two for the season, it was called a "drive."
It was becoming dark, so their father called to those out in the forest to come in now. When it gets dark out there the only thing to do is sit tight until morning, there is no way to know if one could find their way out in the dark. To make matters worse it began to rain which seems to make it even darker.
My husband began to walk and walk and walk. He couldn't understand why he wasn't reaching the road. After three times of passing what looked like the same stump, he realized that he was going in circles and would never be able to see the way out, he began to panic.
All of a sudden before the panic became full blown, he saw a light coming through the trees, it seemed to be going back and forth across the trees. My husband realized that his father was shinning the flash light across the trees knowing my husband was lost and could not find his way out. My husband began to follow the light until he reached the road.
My husband has used this real life example a few times when speaking to young people. He was not saved at that time, but God gave him this story for after he became born again as an example to him and others he would speak to.
He told the young people how utterly stupid it would have been to become stubborn, ignore his father's light and continue to wander in the dark forest, maybe to never be found.
I love these verses in the Bible that show us to take each step in faith and that's all we need, that one step. When God is ready for the next step, He will shine His light again so that we can step into the light. When we shine a flashlight on the ground in pitch blackness we shine our light out a few feet but we can only take one step at a time. God gives us one step, he does not shine into the distance for us to see, we must take each step by faith and trust Him for all the other steps, knowing that He already knows whats in the distance, but we don't have to. That's what trusting Him is all about.
Some people only trust Christ for their salvation, but do not trust Him for everything after that. God knows this and must bring situations to our life that force us to seek Him. Each new experience teaches us to build our faith for more trust.
Proverbs 3:4-6 "…4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…"
Bottom Line: Ask Him, trust Him and wait for the next instruction.
One day my husband was out hunting with his brothers and father deep in the forest. In our region a person could get lost for many days, wondering around in circles, sometimes never making it out.
While they were hunting, the brothers went up into the forest each several feet apart to come down driving the deer toward their father and another brother who was down on the road. This method often got them a deer or two for the season, it was called a "drive."
It was becoming dark, so their father called to those out in the forest to come in now. When it gets dark out there the only thing to do is sit tight until morning, there is no way to know if one could find their way out in the dark. To make matters worse it began to rain which seems to make it even darker.
My husband began to walk and walk and walk. He couldn't understand why he wasn't reaching the road. After three times of passing what looked like the same stump, he realized that he was going in circles and would never be able to see the way out, he began to panic.
All of a sudden before the panic became full blown, he saw a light coming through the trees, it seemed to be going back and forth across the trees. My husband realized that his father was shinning the flash light across the trees knowing my husband was lost and could not find his way out. My husband began to follow the light until he reached the road.
My husband has used this real life example a few times when speaking to young people. He was not saved at that time, but God gave him this story for after he became born again as an example to him and others he would speak to.
He told the young people how utterly stupid it would have been to become stubborn, ignore his father's light and continue to wander in the dark forest, maybe to never be found.
I love these verses in the Bible that show us to take each step in faith and that's all we need, that one step. When God is ready for the next step, He will shine His light again so that we can step into the light. When we shine a flashlight on the ground in pitch blackness we shine our light out a few feet but we can only take one step at a time. God gives us one step, he does not shine into the distance for us to see, we must take each step by faith and trust Him for all the other steps, knowing that He already knows whats in the distance, but we don't have to. That's what trusting Him is all about.
Some people only trust Christ for their salvation, but do not trust Him for everything after that. God knows this and must bring situations to our life that force us to seek Him. Each new experience teaches us to build our faith for more trust.
Proverbs 3:4-6 "…4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…"
Bottom Line: Ask Him, trust Him and wait for the next instruction.
Let The Holy Spirit Do It
The Holy Spirit will tell us what to do and say, along with the way we are to do it. If Christ is speaking through us, who are we to decide the delivery. We have to learn to let the Holy Spirit speak rather than figuring out if people will like us or not.
1 Corinthians 2:16 "…15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
I have been told on several occasions that "we should say it (while sharing truth) in such a way that they will receive it." As though, if they do not receive it, then we must have done something wrong. This is humanistic psychology, that people automatically react right if the delivery is right. This sounds right on the surface, until we examine what happened to Christ. Did He say things the wrong way or sin so that the people hated Him? NO, He is God and said and did everything perfectly, but they still hated Him.
The apostles were persecuted and martyred, not because they didn't say it right, they were persecuted because rebellious people didn't like the message.
John 15:17-19 "17 This is My command to you: Love one another. 18 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. 19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.…"
2 Timothy 4:2 "1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 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.…"
When we are accused of not saying something in love, and believe you me, they will tell you that you were mean when you say something in the mildest terms, simply to arouse feelings of failure in us and to influence others looking on, that we are what they claim.
Their goal is merely to intimidate you into feeling bad about speaking at all. We must ignore that accusation, knowing that they hated the message, not the delivery, so they use the delivery as an excuse to demean us and negate what we say.
I can't tell you the number of times I have been accused of a mean delivery when all I did was quote Scripture. In other words, quoting God is mean if it makes them feel guilty about their sin.
The devil loves to intimidate and manipulate believers into silence. There is no more effective way to stop the mouth of anyone, than to accuse them of things they are not doing, but their enemy is doing.
Good people who love Christ are sensitive to being loving. Being accused of not being loving makes them stop what others think is the unloving act. Kind people are easily intimidated because they can't stand the thought of harming anyone, which is why the devil uses their own sensitivity to righteousness against them.
If we are not deeply in the Word and led by the Holy Spirit, we are intimidated by accusations of being unloving. The only way we can keep going in strength, ignoring the lies against us, continuing to faithfully speak truth, is if we are impervious to the false accusations, knowing they are merely lies to stop us.
We don't have to worry whether or not others accusations are true, we can go to God asking if it is true. When we have done something that is not right or in a bad tone, the Holy Spirit will convict us of it. When someone accuses us, but we don't sense any conviction from the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that the accusations are false and manipulative.
The more discerning we are, the faster we are going to be able to see if someone is attempting to intimidate and manipulate us. We will also see fewer mistakes in what we do, because we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be the one to speak through us.
Bottom line: Let Christ in us do the speaking, know His word, speak it when led by Him and do not look back to analyze it.
Romans 5:12-14 "…12 And once more, Isaiah says: “The root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.…"
1 Corinthians 2:16 "…15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
I have been told on several occasions that "we should say it (while sharing truth) in such a way that they will receive it." As though, if they do not receive it, then we must have done something wrong. This is humanistic psychology, that people automatically react right if the delivery is right. This sounds right on the surface, until we examine what happened to Christ. Did He say things the wrong way or sin so that the people hated Him? NO, He is God and said and did everything perfectly, but they still hated Him.
The apostles were persecuted and martyred, not because they didn't say it right, they were persecuted because rebellious people didn't like the message.
John 15:17-19 "17 This is My command to you: Love one another. 18 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. 19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.…"
2 Timothy 4:2 "1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 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.…"
When we are accused of not saying something in love, and believe you me, they will tell you that you were mean when you say something in the mildest terms, simply to arouse feelings of failure in us and to influence others looking on, that we are what they claim.
Their goal is merely to intimidate you into feeling bad about speaking at all. We must ignore that accusation, knowing that they hated the message, not the delivery, so they use the delivery as an excuse to demean us and negate what we say.
I can't tell you the number of times I have been accused of a mean delivery when all I did was quote Scripture. In other words, quoting God is mean if it makes them feel guilty about their sin.
The devil loves to intimidate and manipulate believers into silence. There is no more effective way to stop the mouth of anyone, than to accuse them of things they are not doing, but their enemy is doing.
Good people who love Christ are sensitive to being loving. Being accused of not being loving makes them stop what others think is the unloving act. Kind people are easily intimidated because they can't stand the thought of harming anyone, which is why the devil uses their own sensitivity to righteousness against them.
If we are not deeply in the Word and led by the Holy Spirit, we are intimidated by accusations of being unloving. The only way we can keep going in strength, ignoring the lies against us, continuing to faithfully speak truth, is if we are impervious to the false accusations, knowing they are merely lies to stop us.
We don't have to worry whether or not others accusations are true, we can go to God asking if it is true. When we have done something that is not right or in a bad tone, the Holy Spirit will convict us of it. When someone accuses us, but we don't sense any conviction from the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that the accusations are false and manipulative.
The more discerning we are, the faster we are going to be able to see if someone is attempting to intimidate and manipulate us. We will also see fewer mistakes in what we do, because we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be the one to speak through us.
Bottom line: Let Christ in us do the speaking, know His word, speak it when led by Him and do not look back to analyze it.
Romans 5:12-14 "…12 And once more, Isaiah says: “The root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.…"
Is God or are We?
The fruit of the Spirit is not absence of sin or the presence of good deeds. The fruit is character quality.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When we have the fruit, all those character qualities listed, those who are discerning will see it and it will lead to good behavior in general. When there is a laps on a hard day, then ...we will quickly confess and be cleansed to go onto obedience again.
Even non-believers can do good deeds without the fruit of the Spirit, but their character will lack the real fruit. What they do is for self glory, never for God and rarely for those they help, it is about appearances. Because non-believers do not have the help of the Holy Spirit to be selfless, they must do all their good works for self exaltation.
This is why God says "your good works are as filthy rags." When we are not born again our good works are disgusting to Christ, they don't glorify Him, but actually mock Him because they are done for self to impress man.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When we have the fruit, all those character qualities listed, those who are discerning will see it and it will lead to good behavior in general. When there is a laps on a hard day, then ...we will quickly confess and be cleansed to go onto obedience again.
Even non-believers can do good deeds without the fruit of the Spirit, but their character will lack the real fruit. What they do is for self glory, never for God and rarely for those they help, it is about appearances. Because non-believers do not have the help of the Holy Spirit to be selfless, they must do all their good works for self exaltation.
This is why God says "your good works are as filthy rags." When we are not born again our good works are disgusting to Christ, they don't glorify Him, but actually mock Him because they are done for self to impress man.
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