Each born again believer must do what God tells them to do in their witnessing and service to Christ.
Paul wrote letters while imprisoned. Those letters were inspired by God and sent to the churches they were written to.
Those very letters are in the Bible today having reached millions of people over the 2000 years.
I am sure Paul didn't know that would happen. What seemed small to him was one of the biggest things that could have happened to mankind.
Never underestimate God's plan!!!! He knows things we cannot see!!!!
Saturday, April 18, 2020
God's Timeline
Yes, and a description of this age is as follows:
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ( we are even seeing this in the churches)
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 godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…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. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"
Romans 1:29
"They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,"
1 John 4:20
"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ( we are even seeing this in the churches)
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 godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…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. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"
Romans 1:29
"They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,"
1 John 4:20
"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."
The Most Clever Distraction by the Devil
It grieves my heart how many Christians are focused almost entirely, perhaps 80% of their posts and time spent is on the conspiracies that supposedly expose government for its schemes.
We are in the last days, 80% of our time ought to be spent on Scripture, the gospel message for unbelievers and the principles of God in life for the believer.
I watched a popular show this morning as I do every Saturday, that speaks of the end times on every show. That is not a problem for me except that every show recently has to do with politics and conspiracies and how to combat what is going on.
Prophesy will not be thwarted, there is a lot of bluster and boasting against it without any teeth to combat it, nor should we try.
This obsession with government, freedoms, economies and walls has managed to very effectively deter the believers from the principles of God and holiness.
So many use the phrase "make America great again" without defining what "great" means. I have no interest in making America great again if it ever was in the first place.
Let's see how America was great: The Civil War, the Roaring Twenties, the Bootlegging thirties, lust for power, lust for possessions, lust for movies and media that entice the senses to engage in immoral activities, porn rampant, divorce and remarriage rampant, abortion rampant, homosexuality on the rise, and churches defending all these sins while claiming to be "loving God."
Of course, there were some good things going on but for the most part we have ignored God's truth in favor of self-exaltation. When the time came for it to be popular to be "number one" most people leaned into it as though it were a virtue. Many Christians shouted "God bless America" as though it were a right we had in this country.
We should either define "blessings" or stop saying "God bless America" and begin shouting "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand."
It grieves my heart how many Christians are focused almost entirely, perhaps 80% of their posts and time spent, are on the conspiracies that supposedly expose the government for its schemes.
Yes, we have had laws based on Judeo-Christian values but there was no propensity in most of the people to seek Christ and His Word for their direction.
Let's see how America was great: The Civil War, the Roaring Twenties, the Bootlegging thirties, lust for power, lust for possessions, lust for movies and media that entice the senses to engage in immoral activities, porn rampant, divorce and remarriage rampant, abortion rampant, homosexuality on the rise, churches defending all these sins while claiming to be "loving God."
As a born again believer the word "great" would mean that the culture as a whole was following Christ. It would have nothing to do with the economy, freedoms or being powerful in the world.
America is a nation full of pride, clamoring to be better than every other nation in prosperity but lacking the spiritual aspect of godliness. Even the believers have been caught up in this whirlwind of arrogance to be special and better than everyone else.
We still have rampant porn, divorce, and remarriage, abortion, the arrogant younger generation who won't listen to anyone who corrects them as well as continual self-praise.
Boasting has become acceptable and embraced by most of our culture. They boast of their sins as though they were good. They become angry when anyone points out their sin, even exacting revenge on anyone who dares to call sin out!
Even "Christians" have learned to boast about themselves as though boasting is a good thing. Having been raised on "self-esteem, the younger Christians have been indoctrinated to believe "confidence" in their abilities is the same as having the abilities whether or not they actually do. Acquiring trophies for merely attending has caused many young people to think all one has to do is "say what they want to believe about themselves" and that alone makes it true. In other words, "feelings are facts", even if nothing happens to prove they are what they say they are.
Many people in our country operate this way, that is "feelings are facts." The idea that everything we say is necessarily truth is no longer understood as foolishness.
Born again believers are citizens of heaven. In these last days especially we ought to be looking vertically fare more than horizontally. We are not going to change the state of the world but we can influence someone else to come out of the world to be born again.
Our focus ought to be far more on our home going and helping others who are not yet saved to trust Christ so they can come with us.
Jude…22And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others, show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—…
The devil knew he could not convince born again believers to forsake Christ so he thought up a way to distract them from worship, to distract them from witnessing and to keep them focused on the ills of this world rather than worshiping God through Christ.
We are in the last days, 80% of our time ought to be spent on Scripture, the gospel message for unbelievers and the principles of God in life for the believer.
I watched a popular show this morning as I do every Saturday, that speaks of the end times on every show. That is not a problem for me except that every show recently has to do with politics and conspiracies and how to combat what is going on.
Prophesy will not be thwarted, there is a lot of bluster and boasting against it without any teeth to combat it, nor should we try.
This obsession with government, freedoms, economies and walls has managed to very effectively deter the believers from the principles of God and holiness.
So many use the phrase "make America great again" without defining what "great" means. I have no interest in making America great again if it ever was in the first place.
Let's see how America was great: The Civil War, the Roaring Twenties, the Bootlegging thirties, lust for power, lust for possessions, lust for movies and media that entice the senses to engage in immoral activities, porn rampant, divorce and remarriage rampant, abortion rampant, homosexuality on the rise, and churches defending all these sins while claiming to be "loving God."
Of course, there were some good things going on but for the most part we have ignored God's truth in favor of self-exaltation. When the time came for it to be popular to be "number one" most people leaned into it as though it were a virtue. Many Christians shouted "God bless America" as though it were a right we had in this country.
We should either define "blessings" or stop saying "God bless America" and begin shouting "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand."
It grieves my heart how many Christians are focused almost entirely, perhaps 80% of their posts and time spent, are on the conspiracies that supposedly expose the government for its schemes.
Yes, we have had laws based on Judeo-Christian values but there was no propensity in most of the people to seek Christ and His Word for their direction.
Let's see how America was great: The Civil War, the Roaring Twenties, the Bootlegging thirties, lust for power, lust for possessions, lust for movies and media that entice the senses to engage in immoral activities, porn rampant, divorce and remarriage rampant, abortion rampant, homosexuality on the rise, churches defending all these sins while claiming to be "loving God."
As a born again believer the word "great" would mean that the culture as a whole was following Christ. It would have nothing to do with the economy, freedoms or being powerful in the world.
America is a nation full of pride, clamoring to be better than every other nation in prosperity but lacking the spiritual aspect of godliness. Even the believers have been caught up in this whirlwind of arrogance to be special and better than everyone else.
We still have rampant porn, divorce, and remarriage, abortion, the arrogant younger generation who won't listen to anyone who corrects them as well as continual self-praise.
Boasting has become acceptable and embraced by most of our culture. They boast of their sins as though they were good. They become angry when anyone points out their sin, even exacting revenge on anyone who dares to call sin out!
Even "Christians" have learned to boast about themselves as though boasting is a good thing. Having been raised on "self-esteem, the younger Christians have been indoctrinated to believe "confidence" in their abilities is the same as having the abilities whether or not they actually do. Acquiring trophies for merely attending has caused many young people to think all one has to do is "say what they want to believe about themselves" and that alone makes it true. In other words, "feelings are facts", even if nothing happens to prove they are what they say they are.
Many people in our country operate this way, that is "feelings are facts." The idea that everything we say is necessarily truth is no longer understood as foolishness.
Born again believers are citizens of heaven. In these last days especially we ought to be looking vertically fare more than horizontally. We are not going to change the state of the world but we can influence someone else to come out of the world to be born again.
Our focus ought to be far more on our home going and helping others who are not yet saved to trust Christ so they can come with us.
Jude…22And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others, show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—…
The devil knew he could not convince born again believers to forsake Christ so he thought up a way to distract them from worship, to distract them from witnessing and to keep them focused on the ills of this world rather than worshiping God through Christ.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Humility is the Key
There are many "Christians" who are constantly seeking more knowledge to be able to impress others but seemingly missing the simple truths of the Word that change their hearts. Knowing facts does not make a heart grow in holiness.
A heart that loves Christ and seeks to be continually cleansed by Him will not be in competition with anyone else to feel superior. They are too busy humbling themselves before the Lord to be evaluating every small matter in another persons's life.
We correct, we instruct and we rebuke, and we do it for the purpose of helping one another grow, never to make our selves elevated above others.
If we are easily offended by a rebuke then God has more work to do in us.
If we are angry when our traditions are challenged then God has more work to do in us.
If we hold to traditions of men so tightly that we cannot evaluate them, then God has more work to do in us.
If we fear the things going on in the world around us, then God has more work to do in us.
If our focus is more on the thigns of this world, then God has more work to do on us.
If our focus is more on the things of this world, then God has more work to do on us. has more work to do in us.
We all have areas within ourselves that God is working on, we must lean into those lessons rather than resist them.
James 4:9-11 "…9 Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. 11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the Law, you are not a practitioner of the Law, but a judge of it.…"
Humility and seeking Christ is the key to everything!
A heart that loves Christ and seeks to be continually cleansed by Him will not be in competition with anyone else to feel superior. They are too busy humbling themselves before the Lord to be evaluating every small matter in another persons's life.
We correct, we instruct and we rebuke, and we do it for the purpose of helping one another grow, never to make our selves elevated above others.
If we are easily offended by a rebuke then God has more work to do in us.
If we are angry when our traditions are challenged then God has more work to do in us.
If we hold to traditions of men so tightly that we cannot evaluate them, then God has more work to do in us.
If we fear the things going on in the world around us, then God has more work to do in us.
If our focus is more on the thigns of this world, then God has more work to do on us.
If our focus is more on the things of this world, then God has more work to do on us. has more work to do in us.
We all have areas within ourselves that God is working on, we must lean into those lessons rather than resist them.
James 4:9-11 "…9 Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. 11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the Law, you are not a practitioner of the Law, but a judge of it.…"
Humility and seeking Christ is the key to everything!
Knowledge or Truth They are Different
Biblical Knowledge does not save a person. One must be born again! The thief on the cross had no Biblical knowledge.
1 Corinthians 8:1b-2
"Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;"
1 Corinthians 8:1b-2
"Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;"
Illusive World or Relationships?
Narcissists often have huge concerns about what is going on in the world that might slightly affect them but have no empathy or kindness for someone suffering right in front of them.
Appearances and accomplishments mean more to them than relationships. As long as they are receiving accolades for their own accomplishments they have no encouragement or compliments for the successes of others.
One way to be able to identify a narcissist is recognizing their propensity to talk about themselves continually while showing no interest in the person standing right in front of them.
Philippians 2:3-5 "…3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:…"
Over the years the best friendships I have enjoyed were ones in which both people were happy at one another's successes as well as engaging with tears at the disappointments. Each one cared deeply about the other. Each one had empathy and joy right along with the other.
Also one of the elements of these friendships of mine, was the allowance for differences. Each one could openly speak their mind even if they disagreed without feeling hurt or angry. Loving people runs deeper than just an agreement on something.
Hurt and anger over differences is a matter of pride. If we cannot feel good about someone unless they completely agree with us then we are full of pride. Our friendship would be based on elevating us instead of attempting to understand the other person.
Sadly we see believers fighting and blocking frequently on Facebook merely because someone expressed their opinion that was different from ours. I block people for fighting, not for disagreeing.
My policy in recent years has been to speak my mind and be tolerant and kind to those who disagree, without causing me to diminish what I believe. If someone rejects me because of my views then they will not be a good friend who will be there through thick and thin.
Very likely those who will diminish us over a disagreement will discard us when we are "inconvenient." After all, when comfort and self-elevation are the goals there cannot be empathy for others.
In these last days, were are watching the world and the church display more of these traits of narcissism. The church is being influenced more by the world than by the Word of God. We know this because of the filthy language many believers are using. Our language and our snootiness is a big red flag that something is amiss in the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
Colossians 4:6
"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."
Malachi 2:7
"For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."
1 Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
We are God's representatives on earth, how we act shows the world that we belong to Christ or it can smudge God's name.
John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” "
Romans 12:10
"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. "
1 John 1:7
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."
1 Peter 1:22-23 "21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.…"
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
When we love one another we have little time to think of ourselves.
Philippians 2:3-4 "3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.…'"
John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. 35 By this, all men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” "
Appearances and accomplishments mean more to them than relationships. As long as they are receiving accolades for their own accomplishments they have no encouragement or compliments for the successes of others.
One way to be able to identify a narcissist is recognizing their propensity to talk about themselves continually while showing no interest in the person standing right in front of them.
Philippians 2:3-5 "…3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:…"
Over the years the best friendships I have enjoyed were ones in which both people were happy at one another's successes as well as engaging with tears at the disappointments. Each one cared deeply about the other. Each one had empathy and joy right along with the other.
Also one of the elements of these friendships of mine, was the allowance for differences. Each one could openly speak their mind even if they disagreed without feeling hurt or angry. Loving people runs deeper than just an agreement on something.
Hurt and anger over differences is a matter of pride. If we cannot feel good about someone unless they completely agree with us then we are full of pride. Our friendship would be based on elevating us instead of attempting to understand the other person.
Sadly we see believers fighting and blocking frequently on Facebook merely because someone expressed their opinion that was different from ours. I block people for fighting, not for disagreeing.
My policy in recent years has been to speak my mind and be tolerant and kind to those who disagree, without causing me to diminish what I believe. If someone rejects me because of my views then they will not be a good friend who will be there through thick and thin.
Very likely those who will diminish us over a disagreement will discard us when we are "inconvenient." After all, when comfort and self-elevation are the goals there cannot be empathy for others.
In these last days, were are watching the world and the church display more of these traits of narcissism. The church is being influenced more by the world than by the Word of God. We know this because of the filthy language many believers are using. Our language and our snootiness is a big red flag that something is amiss in the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
Colossians 4:6
"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."
Malachi 2:7
"For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."
1 Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
We are God's representatives on earth, how we act shows the world that we belong to Christ or it can smudge God's name.
John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” "
Romans 12:10
"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. "
1 John 1:7
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."
1 Peter 1:22-23 "21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.…"
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
When we love one another we have little time to think of ourselves.
Philippians 2:3-4 "3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.…'"
John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. 35 By this, all men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” "
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