Discernment Comes From Exercising God's Word

Hebrews 5:14

"14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

We cannot develop discernment without using the knowledge God gives us. If we neglect His Word and prayer we will be undiscerning lacking good sense even influenced by the world.

We must be in the word and prayer in order to gain wisdom needed to discern good from evil.

Do You Love Jesus Christ or Just Your Own Idea of Him?

Friends of Christ!!!

John 15:15
"15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."

Those who have been changed into a new creation by Christ are friends of Christ. He has made us known to the Father and we belong to Him. Hallelujah!!!

Who Rules You, the Holy Spirit or Your Teachers?

If anyone is still depending on teachers to guide them after many years of being a believer, then they are still spiritual babes.

Hebrews 5:12-14

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil."

We are not to depend on teachers all of our lives as believers. We are to enjoy them, listen while evaluating what they say, and gleaning truth but never trust in them the way we should be trusting in the Holy Spirit. All of us have the Holy Spirit Who leads us all into truth if we want it. No man could ever take the place of the Holy Spirit.

If anyone believes their pastor-teacher is the ultimate authority then they have an idol.

Acts 17:11-12 " 11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.…"

The apostle Paul was inspired by God to write Scripture and yet the Bereans sought God and His Word to make sure he was telling the truth. We all need to be Bereans.

Apostasy Rules these Last Days

The state of our country and our churches within our country today.

Revelation 3:16-18 "…16 So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth!

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.…"

Apostasy Reigns in America

The American church is in apostasy! Many are diluted into thinking we are blessed because we are Christians when the fact is too much prosperity dulls the heart and causes pride.

Many ungodly people are wealthy, wealth is not the measure of godliness. What happens in our hearts when we become a wealthy country is a sign of our hearts.

We are wealthy but look what we have done with it!!!! We indulge in immense sin and even condone it in the churches.

Our wealth does not mean God is blessing us, He has tested us by giving us wealth and we have failed. We have clamored to preserve our wealth and our freedom to the exclusion of God's principles. We are a proud and rebellious nation.

Proverbs 16:17-19 "…17 The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life. 18 Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.…"

Holy Spirit Motivated People

Have you encountered a person who must control everything and everyone?

I notice that narcissists are intimidated by those who are emotionally intelligent.

They work to bring down the one who has it all together emotionally because they do not, they must feel superior to others.

We know when we have met an emotionally immature person, they become irritated in any disagreement. They are even angrier to the point of rage when they perceived that they have been shown they were wrong or in their mind "have lost."

I was chastised once because the narcissist in my life wanted me to care whether or not I won at bowling. I said I liked to do my best, but enjoy the game more than I care about winning. They truly did not understand this because narcissists are all about winning in everything, even in conversations.

Truth doesn't matter very much to the narcissist winning is all that matters. We are seeing more of this “win at all costs” in our culture and even in the church because of the self-esteem teaching that has indoctrinated most people in America.

When every child is given a prize for participating and praised ad-nausium for every little thing they accomplish, there comes a time when the culture becomes intolerant of correction. Many people cannot function unless they are going to be noticed for what they do.

A high functioning, rational, and the emotionally mature person can function well even when there are no prizes for their effort. These people gain joy and pleasure from the challenge of the work and the accomplishment at the end. They need no one else to notice or anyone else to fawn over them for their skills or products.

When we are dependent on others for adulation for what we do then we are not going to do well when that adulation is removed. Self-motivated people do well when no one is looking.

Born again believers are self-motivated because they have the Holy Spirit living in them. They have no need for human beings to support them, even though it is nice when they do, they will remain steady and productive if no one comes alongside them because Christ is everything for them and He lives in them.

That is not to say that self-motivated people don’t have their ups and downs like everyone else, they do, but they come out with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In other words, they are more “Holy Spirit-motivated” than they are self-motivated. Their strength comes from Christ Who lives in them when there is no one else who supports them. Hallelujah

John 14:25-27…25 All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.…”

Brothers and Sisters take great hope and joy in knowing this, it will carry you through when you feel alone.