Walking with Christ in Truth

If we are walking with Christ the unsaved will not influence us into becoming like them. If we find ourselves beginning to act like the unsaved then we are spending too much time with them.

It is astounding how many things in our lives are much like the culture around us. We are so accustomed to the things around us that we forget that most of it is not of God.

The more we walk with Christ the more of these useless things drop from our lives. They become distasteful to us, so much so that we are appalled by them.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

"21 Test all things; hold fast what is good."

When we ask God to expose everything that is not of Him, we will be shocked at how much the church has accepted that God actually hates.

Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

The more we ask God to show us the truth the more our eyes are opened to everything. It is shocking how distant the church as a whole has moved away from the Bible.

As others have said, the Bible has become a book of suggestions to be ignored when someone does not like something that is written in its pages. The church as a whole has removed scriptures from their context to make the verses and words say what they want them to say rather than asking God what He meant in order to obey Him.

Many Christians are claiming to believe the Bible while at the same time negating much if not most that is written in it.

Amir Tsarfati: The Tree of Life

Amir Tsarfati: All Will Be Made New

Confession is the Way to Cleansing through Christ

Did you know it is blasphemy against God to claim to be a Christian but not be interested in His Word, the Bible? Using God's name and His word as a manipulation to impress others is a sin and evidence that there has never been a born-again experience.

The idea that "I'm not so bad because I am like everyone else is a backslidden and lukewarm mentality. We do not compare ourselves with others, we compare ourselves with Christ leaving us feeling like nothing to be proud of.

Revelation 3:15-16

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

God wants us to be either hot, on fire for Him, or cool, a refreshing drink of cold water. Both of these things are for God in a very good way, refreshing the saints and paying close attention to God's Word so that we would live as Christ lived.

2 Corinthians 10:12

"12 For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding."

When we compare ourselves to Jesus Christ we have reason to feel humble and ashamed. At no time in our Christian walk can we claim to have arrived at the perfection of Jesus Christ. We are growing in holiness only in proportion to how often we confess to be cleansed. Those who never confess their sins will not grow until they do.

Many people are busy impressing others with a fake persona to appear spiritual who remain weak and beggarly because they are more invested in "appearing" holy than in actually becoming holy.

Deuteronomy 23:14

"Since the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you.:

Our holiness comes from God not from what we do with ourselves. We must confess sin, and obey the Holy Spirit, and then we will grow in holiness.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9

Notice the "IF", it is only if we confess that God will forgive and cleanse us from that sin we confess. Those who will not confess will not be cleansed or forgiven.

Adrian Rogers: 5 Ways to Draw Closer to Jesus (#2089)

Biblical Tongues, a Real Language not Babbling

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 "14 Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

2 For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.

3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.
4 The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edification."

I find it interesting that in these last days more emphasis is placed on tongues than on speaking the prophetic words of the Bible. I would rather speak clearly to those who can understand the language so that they would grow in holiness after knowing the truths of the Bible. God calls "tongues" the least of the gifts, and I believe in our day they tend to glorify self more than God. Notice those who do it regularly have to speak of it all the time. Also tongues are not the gibberish that we hear not, nonsensical babbling pretending to be tongues.

If someone is led by the Holy Spirit to speak in a tongue in their closet then perhaps they ought not to be talking about it to others. And, we know for sure God demands an interpreter in the gathering so that others can say amen. Notice too that no one has a new revelation from God because all we need is what is already in the Bible.

It is best to speak the language of the people while expounding on the prophetic words of the Bible. There are no new revelations from God, the Bible has it all already.

I once heard a man say he had a word from the Lord for the people in a gathering. He told the people "God loves you", it was downright silly, he held a Bible in his hands there was no need to speak in another language the people didn't understand and have an interpreter for what God already told us in His Word the Bible.

Perhaps people want to appear more spiritual through a tongue experience, a sort of "look at me, no one else can do what I did" mentality. Just speak the words of the Bible, because we know no one will have a word from God that is not covered in the Bible. Also, remember the Holy Spirit speaks in all believers, no one needs another person to be a mediator between them and God, Jesus Christ is that for all of us and He will tell each one the specifics of his walk, which house to buy, who to go visit and other things that the Bible is not specific about.

1 Timothy 2:5
"5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"

All of Christ's principles in the Bible cover things that help us discern the specifics of everything.

Growing Rather Than Regressing

Amen, through my contact with many people I see this problem of family angst growing rapidly in our day of apostasy. Even people who say they are Christians there is continual rebellion against God's Word.

Sister Trudi shared the problem of family hatred and what to do about it. Basically, the answer was to remain close to Christ and leave those who do not want to follow Him in the distance while praying for them.

All of us are seeing the rejection and misery unbelievers are causing. The comfort comes from knowing we are not obligated to remain friends with family merely because they are family. We can walk away and pray for them as we are led by the Holy Spirit, leaving all results with Him.

We are not responsible to nag or convince others, we are responsible to speak the truth and walk away if they do not listen.

Matthew 10:14 "And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet."

This is how we keep ourselves from being influenced by those in rebellion. The more we spend time with someone the greater chance we will begin to act the way they act.

Proverbs 13:19-21 "…19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is detestable to fools. 20 He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. 21 Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.…"

Our prosperity is not necessarily worldly wealth, our prosperity is spiritual growth and emotional maturity. Unsaved people lack both of these character qualities but a believer ought to walk in them daily while becoming wiser.