Resisting the World

When we resist the challenge to be like everyone else, when we desire to develop and grow spiritually and emotionally we will be excluded and rejected for daring to be different.

Most people want to be accepted and will change their thinking to fit into the world. If they have a rational thought that differs from the world they will set aside the rational to embrace the irrational merely to be accepted by the culture around them.

Christ was on the outside of every culture, and even though He brought love and emotional and Spiritual healing to those who trusted in Him, the onlookers who loved their traditions hated Him.

Notice too that the religious leaders hated Christ, they feared loss of their power over the people. People have a tendency to follow a hierarchy system so they don't have to think for themselves. This is the reason the religious leaders could intimidate others into following them instead of an unseen God. It is a weak faith that follows men instead of the Holy Spirit they cannot see.

Those who follow a system or men depend on those things to do their spirituality for them. Little do they realize that no one and nothing else can be a relationship with God on our behalf.

We will stand before God all by ourselves. If we obey the culture, a husband, parents, or the culture in disobedience to God then we alone will be held accountable for our sin of idolatry.

Whenever a person attaches more authority to a person or thing than they do to God, they have an idol in their heart.

Isaiah 44:6

"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god."

1 Timothy 2:5

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,"

When a husband, a priest, or a preacher becomes the first person we go to for counsel, then we have a false mediator between us and God.

1 Timothy 2:4-5 "…4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, "

Jesus Christ Who lives in us is the only mediator we need and hates that we turn to anyone else first. It is not a problem to listen to good counsel based on the word of God, but ultimately our search for truth must be toward the Holy Spirit.

Many "Christians" almost never pray unless they are in deep trouble they cannot get themselves out of, often these people do not pray because they do not have the Holy Spirit.

When we love God we talk to Him all day long and desire to hear from Him for His will, not our own. Those who have a laundry list of things for God to grant, do not understand a relationship with Christ Who lives in believers.

Sadly some people treat their friends the way they treat God. They only call on their friends when they want or need something. In their minds friends are to be used and things and events are to be loved more than people. In fact, many people who refuse to hear from God except when they are getting their own way, are people who use friends and love things.

Psalm 7:17

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”

Psalm 9:11

“Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!”

Psalm 18:3

“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 21:13

“Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.”

Spend a day just praising and thanking God without any requests or any self-focus, you will be amazed at the peace and joy that returns.

A Test From God

I am convinced God shut down the churches in the last couple of years, to show Christians how lame their faith has been without leaders and buildings. We allowed the leaders to take the place of the Holy Spirit.

When our Christianity is based on the feelings, rituals, and traditions of men we have idols that are keeping us from hearing from the Holy Spirit.

When we place a person or institution above Christ we will become weak in our faith.

Psalm 118:8

"8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in people."

When the Narcissist Uses Special Occasions to 'Reconnect' - Day 9

Reaching the World from our Homes

Thank the Lord for those who understand the truth of reaching the world for Christ from our homes. Hallelujah!!!

https://www.facebook.com/larryjonesdotca

The Biblical model of church attendance is around the Lord's supper.

A man prays, another man reads from the word, another one asks for a song, all doing it in an orderly but not planned by men fashion. The Holy Spirit leads in this worship time around the Lord's table. Jesus Christ is the entire focus in God's way of worship. There is no human leader in these gatherings, the Holy Spirit leads each man. The women pray, sing and prophesy (expound on the word) too, but only if they are covered. 1 Corinthians 11, allows for participation on the part of the ladies.

1 Timothy 2:12 "But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."

The men lead, the women do not lead, but they do participate.

The people of the gathering never depend on any man, the depend on the Holy Spirit and Christ is glorified throughout.

The modern model of one man paid pastor who is seen as an authority over the congregation is not Biblical nor is it pleasing to God.

Matthew 20:25-26 "25But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. 26It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,…"

The modern church has attempted to have a hierarchy the way the Catholics did, the way many religions do rather than obey God. Man seems to always think they need more rules and rulers than God commanded.

Because of this false teaching for one-man-paid pastors the people have become lazy, not reading the Word at home, and believing whatever that person preaching says. They do not check out for themselves to see if that leader has told the truth or just having his own opinion.

Also, the model of the first-century preaching in the gathering allows for the men in the congregation to interrupt the preacher with more incite or to correct wrong teaching. God says if one man is speaking and the other one interrupts the one speaking is to stop and allow the new man to speak.

1 Corinthians 14:29-31 "…29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.…"

When is the last time you saw a congregation operating Biblically? Almost never, would be the answer.

The leaders these days are for the most part arrogant and resistant to correction as well as shunning anyone who would dare to speak while the preacher is speaking, it is not allowed to interrupt for clarification or correction, this is in defiance of the Word of God. God does allow for the entire congregation of men to interrupt as they are led by the Holy Spirit.

Very few congregations understand this model that Christ gave and they don't even want to know. Welcome to the end times apostasy.

Why Don't My Prayers Get Answered? | Dr. David Jeremiah

They Obey the Traditions of Men but not of God

I find it interesting that Christ-mass is not the truth, and yet few argue against it. The gospel is the truth and many argue against it saying "you are judgmental."

When we expose popular practices that have been around for centuries we are fighting the battle against tradition. Christians love their traditions more than they love God.

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.”

When the world loves something we can automatically be suspicious of it no matter what it is.

John 15:18-19 "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."

Ask the question why so many Christians like Christmas, and the answer is simple. They love the parade of fun they are having. The decorations, the rituals, the gifts, and more. Take away all that and they wouldn't pay any attention to it anymore.

You know how I know this? It's because God commanded the Lord's supper and most Christians ignore it. The churches do it once a month if at all, when God commanded it to be done every time we meet.

The world doesn't even know about the Lord's supper because no one speaks about it, it has no significance in the life of most Christians.

Interesting isn't it! The very thing God commanded in the worship of Him is ignored and the things He never commanded are raised to the level of worship.

Take a little time to pray on this and think critically about it. Too many people have left their minds in superficial mode to embrace the feelings of the holiday God never commanded. Superficial people always think they know better than God because they are driven by their feelings.

Mark 7:9

"And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition."

Isaiah 8:20

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."