Live by Truth Alone

Truth from God will bless us! Emotionalism will trip us up every time. We have emotions we just don't live by them.

Illegitimate Children without Discipline

If someone thinks they are doing alright because God is not disciplining them, they need to be very afraid.

We must remember that God does not discipline those who do not belong to Him. He allows their consequences to punish them but they don't even think there is anything wrong.

Hebrews 12:8

"If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."

Hebrews 12:6 "

"For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He punishes every son whom He accepts.”

Many Pentecostals think they are being blessed because they have become wealthy or they are not having any health problems. This is a dangerous way to think. Just because life seems good does not mean God's favor is on us. Often God gives people what they want that is not good for them because they are rebellious. Just because Moses allowed the Israelites to divorce does not mean they were blessed to do so. In fact, Jesus Christ said; "it was because of the hardness of your hearts that Moses granted divorce."

It is amazing how many people leave off the phrase; "because of the hardness of your hearts" thinking that means its alright to divorce. Believe me when I say the worst thing that can happen to us is to have a hard heart. The divorce allowance was not a blessing and the hard heart was a curse.

The greatest way God blesses is with wisdom and peace of mind. We are thankful for all God gives us but mostly we are thankful for His wisdom when we ask for it. Material possessions and pleasure pale greatly in comparison with wisdom.

James 1:5-6

"5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."

When we have wisdom we will want to seek the Holy Spirit for everything. We are wise enough to know that Christ knows the future and He knows the best for us. He does not operate from foolish emotion as we do, so we want Him to guide our every step.

Divorce and Remarriage Loved by the World

Romans 1:31-32 "…31 They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them."

How many times have we seen "Christians" approving of and even defending divorce and remarriage as though the second marriage is a legitimate union?

God said that remarriage after divorce is adultery and continues to be so as long as the couple remains together.

Luke 16:17-18 "17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. 18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

Many pastors are marrying divorced people and many pastors are divorced and remarried themselves. If anyone remains in a church where the pastor is in this condition of support for what God hates, they are approving of what angers God. And, they are bringing judgment in the form of leanness of their souls that often is unrecognized. The spiritual health of a body of Christ is based on their obedience to Christ's commands.

Many gatherings don't know how sick they are spiritually or the dangers to their families and the community for disobedience against God.

1 Corinthians 11:29-31 "…29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.…"

Most gatherings who have become worldly don't think they are weak and sick but they are getting weaker and less discerning as time goes on, unable to tell the difference between truth and error.

The passage in Matthew is the one divorce supporters quote all the time about "if someone commits fornication", only they change the word to say; "adultery." This passage is not supporting divorce from marriage, but rather from the Jewish betrothal, what we call engagement.

Matthew was written to the Jews who had the custom of requiring a divorce from engagement. This is why the word "fornication" is used rather than adultery. Fornication is before marriage, and adultery is after marriage when there is unfaithfulness in a relationship.

Every believer knew two generations ago that divorce was a sin and remarriage also. Today it is difficult to find "Christians" who understand the truth about this matter of the permanency of marriage.

When God makes two people one in marriage the spiritual glue He used cannot be dissolved by man. "no man can separate what God has joined." God joins all people saved and unsaved when they make their promise, it is His work, not man's.

God's commandments were for all people, the reason unbelievers are going to hell if they reject Christ is their propensity to reject Christ and His principles.

God's commands are not just for believers, they are for everyone. If we reject His commands we are rejecting Him.

Sadly many people who attend churches are smudging the name of Christ by endorsing the ways of the world while disrespecting God's Word.

Jesus Christ is called the "Word", He is the very essence of His own word. Denying His word is to deny Him. Changing His word to fit the culture is lying against Him.

John 14:15-16 "15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—…"

God will not send the Advocate for those who reject His Word.

John 14:21

"Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him."

John 14:23

"Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

John 15:10

"If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love."

These things are not hard to understand, people choose to believe what they want pretending they are obeying Christ when they change what He said.

Most Christians are dedicated to cultural Christianity but not to Christ, the very reason they fight to defend whatever the culture is doing while ignoring, demeaning, and neglecting Jesus Christ.

Let's not defend the ways of the world merely to fit into the world. Let's obey God even if no one else supports us in what we have decided to do....that is to love God above all else, even ourselves.

Narcissists will never be there for us!

When we pour out our heart to a narcissist they will eventually use it against us because they don't care about us.

They will never pour out their heart to you because they believe you would do the same thing they do and that would be to betray you to others or gossip, changing what you said to fit their desired belief about you believing you would operate the same way.

They don't trust others because they attribute to everyone their own traits of betrayal and gossip.

There are few people who will be open and honest with others because they must control the narrative, making sure they act the way they want you to see them rather than the way they really are inside. We discover their flaws through the way the narcissist portrays themselves, in a very superficial way pretending they do everything right all the time.

This is the reason narcissists can never admit their sin to others. They cannot humble themselves to resolve anything, it frightens them to have to admit a flaw. They cannot even confess small silly things that most people wouldn't even think twice about.

For humble people it is easy to say; "that was silly of me." Or, wow, I really messed up I hope to do better next time."

Those who cannot admit the truth about themselves cannot grow in emotional and spiritual maturity.

Open, honest people do not fear being transparent. If someone chooses not to like us because we admit flaws and mistakes then those people will not be our friends and do not love us.

If we have to pretend to be perfect around someone, that person is not authentic and cannot be trusted to support us when things are good and are likely to kick us when we have been down and are trying to get up again. They will never celebrate our getting up, they will continue to cogitate that we fell in the first place. They will never be there to help us up but will push us down when we are trying to get up.

When we have the love of Christ we celebrate and help those who are wanting to improve.

Galatians 6:2

"Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ."

This is why I love authentic Christians, they weep over our trials and are there to uplift us when we want to improve.

God is Disciplining America

God is disciplining our land in more ways than one. One of the ways is to give us the wicked leaders we deserve. In my opinion, Trump proved that this country cares little about God and more about their freedom, economy, and personal desires than they do about God or even this nation.

The reason I believe this is because most Christians I meet become irritated if not out and out angry when challenged to follow the Bible. And, we know that unbelievers don't care about God. So, what does this leave us? It leaves us with most people in the country who do not care about obeying God or His principles. The country is sinking into a moral morass and don't believe they are sinking, in fact they think everything is getting better as long as they can live the way they please without restraint.

It was interesting to me that the people didn't care about Trump's crassness, rude demeanor, and manipulation of the people. He got "Christians" some things we wanted but left a bitter taste in our mouths as we were aware of his immoral and wretched lifestyle.

What made me feel sick to my stomach was that many Christians thought he was one of them. The lack of repentance about his lifestyle all his years showed us he believed all his immorality, foul-mouthed expressions and demeaning of people was perfectly all right with him. He said; "I don't have anything to repent of, I've lived a good life, I am a good person." When we hear things like this it is the biggest clue of all that he is not born again. He pretended "religious" but had no idea what a relationship with Christ was all about. He acted as though what he 'says" is all that matters, not how he lives.

For years Trump financially supported liberals and specifically the Clintons. He decided to become a conservative knowing there was a voting block of people who were not casting a vote, these were the Christians. If he could pretend to be one of them he could entice them by throwing them a few conservative bones and they would follow him.

I voted for him because there was no one else and he "said" some things I agreed with, but I had no confidence in him as a man. I knew his wicked lifestyle and that there was no repentance, but based on his words alone I cast my vote while holding my nose.

I do not believe he will win again if there is someone else slightly better than him for the job.

There will be Christians who wanted a savior for the country but pay little to no attention to the Savior they really need, that is Jesus Christ.

If God is disciplining our nation and it brings us to hardship with wicked leaders, and because of all this the people will repent and trust in Christ then I say let it happen. It is not my goal to save this nation, it is a desire that God discipline evil and then perhaps some people will see their need for the Savior and repent.

Believers ought to understand that the demise of our country is not an issue, the real problem is that most who dwell in this nation are on their way to hell and no one will save them from the fires of hell except Jesus Christ and only if they repent in brokenness over their sinfulness and desire to be changed and indwelt by Him.

It is my belief that this country is over the tipping point for God's wrath. We have fallen so far that there is no return. I do not pray for the nation, however I do pray for individuals as led by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps hardship is the only answer for many to lose their arrogance and humble themselves enough to confess and trust in Christ.

God will bring starvation to a nation that rejects Him. He will remove the lampstands of the churches so they have no influence because of their rebellion against Him. Within the walls of most churches today we have more pretenders than authentic believers and we have more foolishness that mocks God than there is authentic worship.

Amos 4:6

"Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities.

And lack of bread in all your places;

Yet you have not returned to Me,"

Says the LORD."

Revelation 2:5 "

Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent."

Matthew 16:26

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

We can gain the nation, have our lavish lifestyles, play all we want, and end up in hell because we value ourselves and our desires more than we desired God. In fact, the nation has turned against God, reviling Him and His principles. We are on the brink of persecuting the people of God because their devotion to Christ irritates those who hate Him.

The message; this nation needs to repent, it most likely will not, but individuals can turn to Christ and be made clean.

Choose Either the Word or Christ, can't have both!

Those who choose the world do it because they love the world. We choose what we love. Those who choose Christ do it because they love Him. One cannot love the world and Christ too!

1 John 2:14-16 "14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 1

5 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.…"

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

James 4:4

You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

James 4:4

"You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God."

Follow the Will of God You Know

"Follow the will of God you already know and this will lead to the will of God you do not yet know." Jonathan Cahn

Walking in the will of God can only happen if we seek the will of God to obey through Bible reading and prayer that the Holy Spirit will bless us with His wisdom.

So many people are chasing after the things of this life asking God to bless them with material wealth, prestige, many friends and a legion of other things, they are missing the greatest blessing of all, which is wisdom from the heart of God.

I have experienced many people who seek to have knowledge about the Bible as they choose to understand it for their own happiness and aggrandizement, they miss the truth that is right in front of them. They seek the words of the Bible to be able to justify what they want to believe. They read and study without the help of the Holy Spirit and they mix and match verses snatching them out of their context to come up with their desired belief.

There is more fantasy going on in the churches today than there is truth.

God told us to agree, one might ask how is that even possible?

Every born-again believer can agree if they seek the Holy Spirit for the truth and believe what God said in His word, keeping all passages within their context and then the context of the rest of the Bible.

Most "Christians" today do not believe God so they change His word to mean what they wish it to mean. Many of these people do this in relationships too, they concoct in their minds what they wish to believe about someone that may not be true and act upon it as though it were true.

These people devise ideas about some people making perfect icons out of them so they can elevate and worship them. With others who speak the words of God they pretend these people are hateful and mean in order to allow themselves the freedom to ignore what they say about God, even treating contemptuously those who bring God's truth.

Why is one person elevated and the other hated?

It's evident that those who are elevated and appreciated are those who never challenge anyone to follow the Scriptures as given by God. The one who is treated with contempt is the one who brings God's Word to light in any discussion about life.

Authentic born-again believers are the rain on everyone's parade, mucking up the fun with the truth.

Matthew 15:9

"In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

John 15:18-20 "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. 20 Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.…"

Matthew 10:22

"You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved."

Psalm 118:8-9

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes."

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

"I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

2 John 1:9

"Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

What a blessing it is to know that we have the Holy Spirit living in us able to impart His wisdom to us at any time as long as we want to know Him.

John 17:3

"3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Our goal should not be to get knowledge to impress others. Our goal ought to be to glorify God, getting to know His heart that we might bless Him every day.

People say; "bless me God", when perhaps they ought to be saying; "I want to bless you God."