A person without God can do good deeds on the outside but they cannot be good on the inside. Those who do good deeds on the outside without God, are doing them to self glorify. God wants the glory for our behavior and that can only happen if Christ is working in us.
Matthew 6:1-2 "1 Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward.…"
It is the hypocrites who do their good deeds to be seen by others. Verse 2
Friday, October 21, 2016
Only One Hope For America
We don't see the public at large imitate the Lord's Supper as we do so many other holidays that were implemented and orchestrated by human institutions.
The Lord's Supper is completely Christ centered, ordained of God to recognize Christ as our propitiation for sin as well as our helper and mentor after we have become born again. This is the very reason the apostate church and the unsaved public have no interest in it. In fact, most churches today either ignore the Lord's Supper or do it so infrequently that it is hardly noticed.
Celebrating life is the focus of Christ, celebrating death is the focal point of Halloween. Every man made holiday is designed to foster pleasure seeking, the opposite of holiness, the antithesis of blessings for others. Pleasure seeking is always associated with personal fulfillment even to the exclusion and mocking of those who do not indulge in it.
Holidays in our culture concentrate on self and pleasure. Christ is concerned about holiness and blessing to others. Those who do not know Christ lack the understanding that brings great joy from obedience to the principles of Christ in His Word. Superficial fun is the desire of those who need these man made holidays, they have little tolerance for an expectation of selflessness.
Happiness that comes from self seeking pleasure is superficial, does not last and is somewhat like a sugar high. The temporary uplift from a sweet and tasty candy only lasts until the sugar is quickly absorbed, after which there is a let down, only to be satisfied with another dose of sugar.
Those who derive enjoyment from the use of cultic practices such as Halloween, horoscopes and necromancy, are only as thrilled as the duration of each event, in the same way hard drugs control the bodies of those that use them. There must be a continual supply to perpetuate the feeling of ecstasy during the use of external stimuli such as drugs and the occult.
Has anyone else noticed that the holidays have become increasingly intense and bizarre? From Christmas trees hanging upside down in the window to a tree that can double for both Christmas and Halloween depending on which topper is placed on the tree, either an angel or a witch.
If anyone really thinks that this country can come back from the brink of disaster, perhaps they are not thinking about all the practices that are prevalent in the culture as a whole, from ungodly holidays to the murder of the unborn and everything in between, pornography, couples living together without the benefit of marriage, children born out of wedlock at an astounding rate. Let's not forget the encouragement of the young people to treat their elders as equals without respect for them.
Anything that is holy and Christ centered in our culture is either ignored or disdained continually. Those that attend "Christian" gatherings are hardly indistinguishable from an unsaved heathen.
The only hope for this country is mass brokenness and confession of sin. The shame that comes from knowing we have offended the Holy God is what is necessary to take us to the place of brokenness and confession of sin.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. "For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.
Revelation 21:8
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
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."
James 5:16
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Acts 19:18
"Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices."
James 4:17
"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
We Never Know What God Will Do
Rodger and I have just returned from a trip that took us over 4,575 miles across the country and back again. There was a prophesy conference in Minnesota that we attended with a dear friend. We had the pleasure of staying with she and her husband for several days while there. It was such a blessing to spend time with other believers who were in agreement about many if not most things.
While on our way back from the trip we stopped to visit a small town called New Munich Minnesota, 320 people in residence. As we drove around the few and short streets of that flat country town we came across a man who was working in the yard. Stopping to visit with the man we discovered that he was the keeper of the key to the nearby Catholic church. By near by I mean within a block of this man's home. He had the keys to the church and was one of the keepers of the large clock that was displayed on the outside and top of the church. He had the job, along with one other man, of winding that clock twice a day.
Rodger was looking for the old church in that town in which his great grandfather had been married.
Our new friend who had the keys to the church building, took us up to see the clock and show us how it was to be wound. We went way up to the top of the building in the clock chamber to watch him wind it. It was as though we were watching the winding of Big Ben in London. Very large cables were wound around the drums that held them to keep that old clock running all these years more than 100 now. The church building was constructed in 1910.
It has been a long time since I saw a building so ornate and beautiful as this one was. However, I felt a sadness as we looked around at all the lavish stained glass windows and the idols that stood everywhere in it. I thought throughout the pleasant visit with this lovely unsaved Catholic man, that I wish we could share the gospel with him. Then it happened! Our conversation led us into why we were in Minnesota and the end times prophesy of Revelation. The man asked us what the "rapture and the tribulation" were; he had never heard of this.
We stood in the Catholic church for another half hour sharing the clear gospel as the man listened intently even excited about what he had heard. He told us when it was time to leave that he felt that our meeting was of God. As far as we know he had not trusted Christ then, but I believe he was right when he said he thought the chance meeting was not chance at all.
Please pray for Dan in New Munich Minnesota! I believe he will become born again and if he does, there is an entire town that will follow his lead.
We never know why God takes us where we go, but we can be sure He has a purpose and it will glorify Him.
Mark 16:15-16 "5 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.…"
While on our way back from the trip we stopped to visit a small town called New Munich Minnesota, 320 people in residence. As we drove around the few and short streets of that flat country town we came across a man who was working in the yard. Stopping to visit with the man we discovered that he was the keeper of the key to the nearby Catholic church. By near by I mean within a block of this man's home. He had the keys to the church and was one of the keepers of the large clock that was displayed on the outside and top of the church. He had the job, along with one other man, of winding that clock twice a day.
Rodger was looking for the old church in that town in which his great grandfather had been married.
Our new friend who had the keys to the church building, took us up to see the clock and show us how it was to be wound. We went way up to the top of the building in the clock chamber to watch him wind it. It was as though we were watching the winding of Big Ben in London. Very large cables were wound around the drums that held them to keep that old clock running all these years more than 100 now. The church building was constructed in 1910.
It has been a long time since I saw a building so ornate and beautiful as this one was. However, I felt a sadness as we looked around at all the lavish stained glass windows and the idols that stood everywhere in it. I thought throughout the pleasant visit with this lovely unsaved Catholic man, that I wish we could share the gospel with him. Then it happened! Our conversation led us into why we were in Minnesota and the end times prophesy of Revelation. The man asked us what the "rapture and the tribulation" were; he had never heard of this.
We stood in the Catholic church for another half hour sharing the clear gospel as the man listened intently even excited about what he had heard. He told us when it was time to leave that he felt that our meeting was of God. As far as we know he had not trusted Christ then, but I believe he was right when he said he thought the chance meeting was not chance at all.
Please pray for Dan in New Munich Minnesota! I believe he will become born again and if he does, there is an entire town that will follow his lead.
We never know why God takes us where we go, but we can be sure He has a purpose and it will glorify Him.
Mark 16:15-16 "5 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.…"
Thursday, October 6, 2016
A Stuffed Bear He is Not
For those who think God is a squishy stuffed bear that smiles and wags His head in approval about everything.
Psalm 11:6
Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup!!!!!!!
Psalm 11:6
Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup!!!!!!!
Weeping With the Repentant
For those who say, "I can forgive but I cannot forget."
We cannot forget but the feelings of betrayal lose their power when we have been rightly reconciled. Anyone who says I forgive you but I can't forget is really saying "I don't forgive you." To continue to hold something over another persons head when they have repented and confessed, is a wicked person hoping to heap more guilt upon the repentant person.
If we are a humble person seeking God, our heart melts when someone confesses their sin against us. We are more likely to weep with them as they sorrow over their wrong.
Those who do not sorrow over a repentant person, walks in pride, despising the broken person with only one aim in mind and that is to hold over the head of the confessor their past, it's called bitterness and unforgiveness no matter what they may say.
Saying "I forgive but I can't forget" is a mechanism of control over another person, tantamount to kicking someone when they are down.
Same on those who use such a phrase as this to control and demean someone who is making things right. The repentant person continues to grow in holiness, while the wicked one who is hell bent on getting their pound of flesh, walks deeper into bitterness, themselves in need of repentance and confession of their own sin.
We cannot forget but the feelings of betrayal lose their power when we have been rightly reconciled. Anyone who says I forgive you but I can't forget is really saying "I don't forgive you." To continue to hold something over another persons head when they have repented and confessed, is a wicked person hoping to heap more guilt upon the repentant person.
If we are a humble person seeking God, our heart melts when someone confesses their sin against us. We are more likely to weep with them as they sorrow over their wrong.
Those who do not sorrow over a repentant person, walks in pride, despising the broken person with only one aim in mind and that is to hold over the head of the confessor their past, it's called bitterness and unforgiveness no matter what they may say.
Saying "I forgive but I can't forget" is a mechanism of control over another person, tantamount to kicking someone when they are down.
Same on those who use such a phrase as this to control and demean someone who is making things right. The repentant person continues to grow in holiness, while the wicked one who is hell bent on getting their pound of flesh, walks deeper into bitterness, themselves in need of repentance and confession of their own sin.
What Does Christ's Love Look Like
I know many people who run from God in conflict, in hopes that the trouble will go away by itself, if they seek God then they might find out their are at fault and in need of an attitude change.
Conflict cannot be resolved by ignoring it, it either solidifies the effect by lack of resolution or grows bitterness in someone's heart.
Pretending we have no need of working out problems, is the same as lying. Unresolved problems destroy relationships. Relationships grow stronger when two people discuss things, admit their part and ask forgiveness if they are guilty as well as forgiving if the other party is repentant.
Those who embrace the love of God want to resolve matters. It is only those who hold tight to pride and self will, who often hope the trouble will work itself out and dissipate over time. They count on acting differently to accomplish this aim without ever having to admit or change.
What these people fail to realize is that the longer an offense is ignored, the greater the chance the relationship will end. As long as there has been no admission of sin, there is always the doubt that nothing has changed and the same things will be repeated.
Confession and forgiveness is for the purpose of mending a broken relationships. Without both of these elements, there is no relationship, only superficial acquaintance without closeness is possible.
When we love God's way, and we know we have committed an offense, we are driven to admit it while seeking resolution to restore. When there is no confession there is no desire to be restored, only the need to be right for appearances sake.
Our walk with God is far deeper than appearances, we care about our spiritual integrity far more than how others will perceive us or fooling others into believing things about us.
James 5:16 "16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
There is no personal spiritual healing without confession and there is no healing of personal relationships without integrity, honesty and confession. Game playing and pretending within relationships are ruinous.
Those who love Christ love people also, with a drivenness to bless others rather than control them. There is no sense of control in the heart of one who Loves Christ and others.
John 13:34
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.
1 John 3:13-15 "…13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.…"
What is the evidence that someone loves? They are not in competition with others, nor do they feel a need to appear superior. Manipulating and intimidating people is not in the heart of one who has the love of Christ dwelling in them.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 [a]bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away."
Conflict cannot be resolved by ignoring it, it either solidifies the effect by lack of resolution or grows bitterness in someone's heart.
Pretending we have no need of working out problems, is the same as lying. Unresolved problems destroy relationships. Relationships grow stronger when two people discuss things, admit their part and ask forgiveness if they are guilty as well as forgiving if the other party is repentant.
Those who embrace the love of God want to resolve matters. It is only those who hold tight to pride and self will, who often hope the trouble will work itself out and dissipate over time. They count on acting differently to accomplish this aim without ever having to admit or change.
What these people fail to realize is that the longer an offense is ignored, the greater the chance the relationship will end. As long as there has been no admission of sin, there is always the doubt that nothing has changed and the same things will be repeated.
Confession and forgiveness is for the purpose of mending a broken relationships. Without both of these elements, there is no relationship, only superficial acquaintance without closeness is possible.
When we love God's way, and we know we have committed an offense, we are driven to admit it while seeking resolution to restore. When there is no confession there is no desire to be restored, only the need to be right for appearances sake.
Our walk with God is far deeper than appearances, we care about our spiritual integrity far more than how others will perceive us or fooling others into believing things about us.
James 5:16 "16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
There is no personal spiritual healing without confession and there is no healing of personal relationships without integrity, honesty and confession. Game playing and pretending within relationships are ruinous.
Those who love Christ love people also, with a drivenness to bless others rather than control them. There is no sense of control in the heart of one who Loves Christ and others.
John 13:34
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.
1 John 3:13-15 "…13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.…"
What is the evidence that someone loves? They are not in competition with others, nor do they feel a need to appear superior. Manipulating and intimidating people is not in the heart of one who has the love of Christ dwelling in them.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 [a]bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away."
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Better to Judge than to be Deceived
The same people who say "don't judge" often judge that something is right and good. If we are not to judge at all then we shouldn't judge something as good or right either. This kind of thinking is illogical if not insanity.
God told us to expose evil, we can only do that if we use the principles of God to discern good from bad and right from wrong.
Everyone makes judgments every day. The very people who say don't judge, judge those who do have analytical thinking, as judging.
If we don't judge, we lack discernment and are vulnerable to every scam that comes to us. Do we receive a half eaten candy bar from a stranger on the street? NO, because we are judging that something could be wrong with it, that the person might have a disease that we don't know about. The act of offering a half eaten candy bar is strange, so our judgment tells us there might be danger, we refuse the offer to protect ourselves.
One cannot go through life without making judgments, often life saving ones. It is only a fool who believes everything they hear and see without analyzing it to make sure of the information that comes to them.
A detective would be a fool if he merely looked superficially at a matter and didn't dig deeper. He would be wrong more times than right if he did not investigate and make judgments.
God told us in 2 Timothy 3:5 to "get away from such people." What people? People who act in certain ways as described in the previous verses. A judgment has to be made whether or not someone is acting in these ways to know heed the warning.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of [b]godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
John 7:24 "24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”"
Malachi 3:18: "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."
When the culture as a whole is raised in the "don't judge" mentality, they are much more likely predisposed to accepting sin. The best way to make someone feel guilty about rejecting sin in ourselves and others is to shout "don't judge" every time someone attempts to tell the truth.
It is common for disobedient and rebellious hearts to point an accusing finger at the truth teller, to intimidate them into silence. Unruly people feel better when they are not faced with having to answer for their sin.
They do not shout "don't judge" to protect the one we are assessing, they are shouting "don't judge" because they don't want to be accountable to anyone themselves.
Our culture as a whole is hyper-sensitive to any form of correction or evaluation. They are weak in their souls because they are full of unrepentant sin.
Everyone needs correction from time to time, we are imperfect and have blind spots. Those who love the Lord with all their heart, do not rage when told they might be wrong, but rather they will go to prayer to see if it is true, readily admitting their error if God confirms it.
James 4:10
"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."
Micah 6:8
"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?"
Colossians 3:12
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;"
Proverbs 16:19
"It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud."
Romans 12:3
"For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."
God told us to expose evil, we can only do that if we use the principles of God to discern good from bad and right from wrong.
Everyone makes judgments every day. The very people who say don't judge, judge those who do have analytical thinking, as judging.
If we don't judge, we lack discernment and are vulnerable to every scam that comes to us. Do we receive a half eaten candy bar from a stranger on the street? NO, because we are judging that something could be wrong with it, that the person might have a disease that we don't know about. The act of offering a half eaten candy bar is strange, so our judgment tells us there might be danger, we refuse the offer to protect ourselves.
One cannot go through life without making judgments, often life saving ones. It is only a fool who believes everything they hear and see without analyzing it to make sure of the information that comes to them.
A detective would be a fool if he merely looked superficially at a matter and didn't dig deeper. He would be wrong more times than right if he did not investigate and make judgments.
God told us in 2 Timothy 3:5 to "get away from such people." What people? People who act in certain ways as described in the previous verses. A judgment has to be made whether or not someone is acting in these ways to know heed the warning.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of [b]godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
John 7:24 "24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”"
Malachi 3:18: "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."
When the culture as a whole is raised in the "don't judge" mentality, they are much more likely predisposed to accepting sin. The best way to make someone feel guilty about rejecting sin in ourselves and others is to shout "don't judge" every time someone attempts to tell the truth.
It is common for disobedient and rebellious hearts to point an accusing finger at the truth teller, to intimidate them into silence. Unruly people feel better when they are not faced with having to answer for their sin.
They do not shout "don't judge" to protect the one we are assessing, they are shouting "don't judge" because they don't want to be accountable to anyone themselves.
Our culture as a whole is hyper-sensitive to any form of correction or evaluation. They are weak in their souls because they are full of unrepentant sin.
Everyone needs correction from time to time, we are imperfect and have blind spots. Those who love the Lord with all their heart, do not rage when told they might be wrong, but rather they will go to prayer to see if it is true, readily admitting their error if God confirms it.
James 4:10
"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."
Micah 6:8
"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?"
Colossians 3:12
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;"
Proverbs 16:19
"It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud."
Romans 12:3
"For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."
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