Do You Love the Lord Jesus Christ This Much?

I knew a man who loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all His heart. He yearned for the return of Jesus Christ or just leaving this world in death to be able to be with His Lord.

One day as he was working in his garden at the age of 95 he keeled over in a massive heart attack. A few hours later he awakened in the hospital as the faces of his family loomed over him praying that he would regain his strength and continue to live.

As he opened his eyes he heaved a huge sigh in disappointment. His family members asked if he was in pain, and his answer was "No, I am not in pain, I was hoping I would be waking up in heaven with Jesus!!!!

This is when we know how much we love Christ when we would rather go home to Him than spend one more day on this earth.

Even though the old man had family who loved him, he still loved Christ more than he loved his family.

Matthew 10:37

37 “The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."

If Jesus Christ does not take first place in our hearts over everyone else on earth then He is not important to us. Or, even worse perhaps those who ignore or neglect Him don't really believe in Him. Their confession to be a Christian is only emotionalism and words without substance.

How could we know how much Jesus Christ gave to save us, His very life and still place Him second to others?

“You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:3.

If anyone else takes priority over Jesus Christ we are engaging in idolatry.

If we have regard more for a person than we do for Jesus Christ we have left our first love. God is a jealous God.

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).

Deuteronomy 4:24

"24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

If you have placed God first in your life you know how wonderful it is to no longer be in bondage to ungodly ties that keep us locked into worldly thinking. We are free to speak the truth and leave the results to God. If no one else loves us we know He loves us and will never leave us.

Matthew 13:23-33 "23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

Weeds among Wheat

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.

26 And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident.

27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’

28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’

29 But he *said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.

30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’

The weeds have entered the church buildings in these last days of apostasy, we cannot avoid them, but we can remain faithful to God anyway, avoiding those who say they are Christians but do not have the fruit of the Spirit. We may even have to leave gatherings that will not obey the word of God.

Believers are enjoying the blessing of living in these last days. The days the prophets wrote about but didn't understand what they are writing, we are watching play out in front of our very eyes. Perhaps one day the impact of this will hit us and we will realize what a privilege it is to see it first hand. Hallelujah!

Narcissist View of Others

The narcissist's view of others is continually wrong because they must view others as less than them in order to feel superior to them.

Narcissists are Mockers

Narcissists enjoy arguments, their goal is to win over others to demonstrate their superiority. Their superiority is only in their own mind.

Proverbs 29:8-10 "…8 Mockers inflame a city, but the wise turn away anger. 9 If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution. 10 Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life.…"

Proverbs 13:20

"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."

Those who think they must remain friends with narcissists to be better Christians are not understanding that we must protect our own hearts from the influence of narcissists.

If we spend a lot of time with a narcissist we are in danger of becoming like them because of their attempts to cause anger in us through continual poking and prodding.

We don't want to be spending time with the devil, so why would we want to spend time with those who are controlled by the devil?

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 "…16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 17 “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”…"

Since we know we cannot reason with the devil we also know we cannot reason with someone controlled by the devil.

We must surround ourselves with those who love Christ as we love Christ. They will help us to remain faithful when we are tempted to respond to something in a fleshly way. Openness and honesty is the way of the born-again believer, deceit and secrets are the way of the narcissist.

It isn't easy to find those who authentically love Christ in these last days of the end times. However, there is a remnant and God will reveal them to us as needed. I thank God for Facebook where we can connect with other believers who love Christ and are filled with Him. Hallelujah!!!!

True Repentance

God never told us to forgive those who are not sorry. People who are mean do not change because we "say" we forgive them. Forgiveness is for the reconciliation of a relationship, not for our own good feelings. A relationship cannot be reconciled when one party is continually harming another without remorse.

Luke 17:3-4

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying 'I repent,' you must forgive them.”

If someone has not repented toward God they will not repent toward you, at least not authentically.

Narcissists will say they are sorry or make an excuse if they see they are having consequences that are uncomfortable but it is not authentic and is manipulative. We know this when the offense is continually repeated.

Those who are truly sorry for how they have harmed someone else don't want to repeat the same sinful behavior again.

One evidence of real repentance is forsaking the sin and never returning to it again.

John 14:15-31

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

I Heard a Voice!

Amen, Amen!!!!! We have failed God but He never fails us. I have learned that working through our self-inflicted trials is what has given me wisdom as I asked God to show me the truth, nothing but the truth, it causes me to make steps forward in holiness.

We cannot grow without confession of our sin and asking God to make us what He wants us to be. Those who give up were never born again. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. God disciplines us but He never leaves us.

Hebrews 12:6 " for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”"

Ephesians 1:13-14 "13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[b] to the praise of his glory."

2 Timothy 2:13 "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is."
Hallelujah!!!!!

Messing Lives Thinking They are Excellent

If you're like me you like cooking and cleaning hacks. Watch out though not to believe everything you see.

ROLLING ON FLOOR LAUGHING

Today I saw two videos, one was a woman showing us how to be a 1950's housewife in her home. When she was through some of the areas got cleaned but every shelf was disorganized and what I would consider to be a mess. This woman received many compliments on her "hacks" but even though the floor was swept and the dishes were done her house looked like a hurricane came through.

Then another video I saw was a man showing us hacks for cooking. Everything he showed us was twice as difficult and using more utensils than I would ever use or need that required cleaning. His kitchen was messy but he thought he was really showing us something.

I must say though there have been some very good videos with homemakers who were really taking their job seriously. Everything was folded in a special way to bring order while aesthetically pleasing. Their homes were very clean and orderly.

I have seen cooking hacks that were very good time savers.

Is it possible that many people who think they have a good way are fooling themselves? When we compare ourselves with ourselves we often are diluted into thinking we are special, even so special we would share it on Youtube, but the reality is we have a long way to go to achieve excellence.

2 Corinthians 10:12 "For we dare not number ourselves, or compare ourselves, with some who commend themselves. For in measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, they are not wise."

These videos remind me that when we become proud of ourselves we cannot be objective enough to see our own messes. Unable to learn better ways of doing things we are satisfied to be praised for messy work.

When we can see ourselves in truth we can improve rather than stagnate. False praise from people should not be satisfying, doing our best will be enough, no praise is needed.

2 Corinthians 10:12

"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance."

It is wonderful to feel good about a job we have done, but if we need praise from others then we have crossed the line into self-aggrandizement.

It is not boasting to share an accomplishment with a close friend, however, expecting praise and desiring it even more than the pleasure of a job well done is not as satisfying as so many think.

I didn't comment on the videos I watched, it didn't seem important to me but I sure felt embarrassed for the people.

Changed by Christ

Matthew 1:21

"21 She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

When someone has faith in Jesus Christ they desire to be changed by Him into a new creation. He saves us from our sinful nature, beginning the cleansing process from our salvation experience until the day we die. We are in the period of lifelong purging of the filth from our hearts.

God says our hearts are as filthy rags. Isaiah 64 6

We are made perfect in our Spirits but our flesh battles against our Spirit all the time. We have to battle the thoughts the devil places in our heads that tempt us to sin against God.

Matthew 26:41

'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. '"

We practice holiness by resisting the devil, each time we do he leaves and does not try that temptation again. However, he will attempt new temptations often using our "feelings" to make us weak.

James 4:7 "

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

If someone asks forgiveness for a particular sin while not seeking Christ, they would still go to hell. We must trust in Christ asking Him to change our very nature of sin to be born again. It is His work, not ours. Those who think they can cleanse themselves without the work of Christ cannot be born again.

Matthew 23:25-26 "

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

But how does one clean the inside of the cup? It's simple, we cannot clean up ourselves by our own efforts, it is only trusting in Christ that will cause Him to cleanse us.

Do not think you will never sin again, but remember that He can cleanse us through His discipline to be able to have fellowship with Him.

Those who are born-again and do not resist the devil and fall into sin will be disciplined by their Father in Heaven.

Hebrews 12:4-11

A Father’s Discipline

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

Nor faint when you are punished by Him;

6 For whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

And He punishes every son whom He accepts.”

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

We must not be so proud as to think we perfectly resist the devil when he tempts us. We very likely no longer commit the big sins everyone can see, but if we are proud we will exhibit the sins of pride, self-righteousness, superiority to others, lying just a little so others may not notice or be able to prove it was a lie.

Pretending to be something we are not, kind to one person we wish to impress, and rude to the person we see beneath us is the sin of pride, not to mention all the other violations of the Scriptures, assuming we know the other person when we only have snippets of gossip and guesses based on the desired belief about someone.

When we operate from a stance of superiority and judging things that are not our business we violate the following Scripture.

1 Corinthians 13 "1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.

5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,

6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails; "

How about boasting about ourselves? Lacking humility to be able to confess wrong attitudes, or being unforgiving when others confess to you.

There is the sin of coveting what doesn't belong to us through displays of jealousy and refraining from encouraging someone who is doing a good thing because of that jealousy.

There are many sins of the heart that we can hide from others but often forget God sees them even if no one else can prove it.

Covert narcissism is the most insidious sin of all. It demonstrates a person's desire to harm others so secretively that they can deny it and no one else can see what they are doing, leaving the offended person without proof or allies.

Since the sin of 2 Timothy 3 (we call narcissism), is growing so rapidly, worse with each new generation we can expect to encounter the 2 Timothy 3 mentality every day in every way.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult Times Will Come (Ragingly Insane Times)

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, 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 people as these."

The key to navigating through this world is to recognize what people are doing, knowing it has nothing to do with us and be ourselves led daily by the Holy Spirit.

The goal of the devil is to cause prideful reactions in us that manifest defeat. He wants more than anything for believers to be no different from the world. The more we look like the world the less influence we have on those around us.

When we 'love our enemies" we will tell the truth" but refrain from reacting to their response to the truth. If we are prideful we will fight back, allowing the devil to have his victory.

If we are confident and have the love of the Lord we will not fight back in a tit-for-tat argument. We will state the truth and walk away confident that God has this, He can use it without us.

Those who must win, those who fight until everyone has been upset are those who not only possess pride and self-will, but they also lack faith to allow God to do His Work. God doesn't need them, we must obey but ultimately the final say is God's.

If we do not have pride we will not fight to win as those who must win to feel superior. Our confidence in Christ will allow us to remove ourselves without having the last word. This is faith, that we allow Christ to have the last word in the lives of others, we are not responsible for them.

Born-again believers walking with God never have to use tactics such as mocking demeaning, battering, and forcing because we know we are not responsible for the outcome, God is!!!

Romans 12:19

"19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord."