Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Cultural Christianity Rules in These Last Days
Many who say they are Christians are not born-again. They are cultural Christians who do not care about obeying God but they want to feel safe pretending to be protected by Him.
We live in a world full of fantasy now, people think they are something merely by believing in it without any proof in their lifestyles that they are really that thing.
I have noticed something, I never hear "cultural Christians" confess Christ with their mouths. They will say "I attend church" if asked but they rarely offer the information. They also never say words like "born again" or "Christ follower." I have been told a few times "I go to such and such church", when I ask if they are born-again. Most Christians now see their "church group" as their identity not Christ.
Cultural Christians will speak with glowing words about their pastor or the music at their gathering but never about Christ. This suggests to me that cultural Christians do not have a "relationship" with Christ but instead, they have a relationship with their church group and their pastor.
We can discern the mindset of a person by their responses to questions about their life and what they love the most.
Many people I have met who say they are conservatives speak about their political party, political news, and healthy food but rarely does the name of Christ flow from their mouths. They will judge a person based on politics, food, and health care never giving a thought to the character or mental disposition concerning Christ.
And, even more disturbing than this is that those who attend church gatherings every week almost never speak of the Holy Spirit. They mention their decisions in life without consulting the Holy Spirit. I have even been mocked for asserting that we must ask the Holy Spirit as though I was being silly for it.
The Holy Spirit should be everything all the time in our lives. He is the Spirit of Christ living in us to guide us, change us, teach us, and give us discernment, without Him, we are left to our own failing human thought processes not to mention the influence of the failed culture around us.
Living in the apostate age is difficult for believers who want more than anything else to seek Christ in all things and surround themselves with those who love Him as much as we do. Those who love Christ are few so we are left without dedicated companions much of the time. We are not lonely nor are we in need of validation from people but we do grieve at times that so many do not love Christ.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"
We must keep speaking, teaching, and obeying Christ even if we do it alone. But we are not completely alone because the Lord has given us the Holy Spirit and the internet to connect with other dedicated believers. I praise Him continually for this blessing to us.
2 Timothy 1:13
"Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 4:1-3
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; ."
We are in Spiritual boot camp being prepared for the time when we will rule with Christ in the Millennium. I have to believe that all we learn on this earth, all that we go through that teaches us great lessons will not be lost when we leave this world.
Hallelujah!
A culture of Emotional Immaturity
Emotional maturity has become rare in our culture now. Many people are hyper-sensitive because of their elevated view of themselves.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 clearly shows how this generation has become brutal and vengeful over nothing that should be offensive.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "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."
We do not always agree with one another but we can treat one another with respect and deference when we do disagree. Sadly, those who are narcissistic judge people based on very little information about them because of their desired belief about them rather than anything they have seen for themselves.
Empathy, kindness, understanding and other godly qualities are nearly absent in most of the culture now.
People refuse to correct wrong thinking out of fear of being rejected. And, they are right, when we correct wrong thinking these days we are labeled, maligned and gossiped against as though we are the ones who are doing something wrong.
We cannot change these end times but we can learn to navigate through them righteously and cleanly adhering to the Bible when few others are doing it. We can do this......we can act respectfully, boldly and honestly even if no one else is doing it.
When we stop worrying about being loved and accepted we are free to be ourselves in Christ. We have no need to be loved and accepted by others as long as we have Christ.
These are the last days people are generally selfish and mean more than ever before. They no longer care how they come across to people and those who do care operate covertly to offend and harm those they dislike without allowing others they wish to impress to see what they are doing.
I no longer say things like: "that person is a nice person", because I don't know how they are treating others. Just because they were friendly to me for a few moments in public does not mean this is who they are to everyone. I might say something like: "that person seemed friendly, that was a fun encounter." But I will never declare anything positive about anyone else without knowing their family life, their community life and how they respond to those who do not see things their way.
I am a strong believer in not judging people without enough information, whether the judgment is good or bad, we cannot know if we don't live with them. However, we can judge the acts that we see as being right or wrong.
We can also discern an attitude when we encounter people. Those who are rude on a regular basis are "rude people", and it might be good to say to them; "you are very rude."
Because we have stopped addressing bad behavior openly people have become worse, more entitled to be mean and rude because they know it will not be called out.
Often we have to ignore rudeness because it will cause the narcissist to exact revenge and gossip against us. However, there are times when we can call it out and ignore whatever they will do. All must be led by the Holy Spirit and we must choose to remove ourselves from constant trouble makers. We know who they are and are free to ignore them.
Monday, February 19, 2024
Matthew 7:21-23 I" Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" Matt. 7:21-23
Many "Christians" decided to join the Christian club because it appealed to them and made them look like good people and was an even better lifestyle for them, but they had no desire to be changed by Him and didn't care about what He commanded in His Word. We might say they are Christian in name only without any fruit of the Spirit.
Born-again believers love the principles and commands in God's Word. They hate the wicked ways of the unsaved and love what God loves. They want to be cleansed by Christ.
Matthew 7:15-20
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
What is that fruit?
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
If someone acts continuously without this fruit, as a lifestyle, then they have never been born again.
Pretenders will be able to play the role, acting the part for a time but eventually, the burden of their pretense will be too much to bear and the real them will leak out over time. This is why we see people who have been Christians all their lives seem to change back into their old rude selves when they grow older. They no longer have the need or desire to impress anyone so they revert to their old ways which is the real them on the inside that they have been hiding.
Romans 8:6
"For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."
1 John 4:8
"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Ephesians 4:1-3
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Romans 13:10
"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Colossians 3:12
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,"
Those who walk with Christ may fall at times, confess to be cleansed, and then quickly return to obedience because they hate and are convicted by the sin, they do not remain in it and are authentically ashamed of their sin.
The narcissist justifies and excuses their sin as though they had a good reason, and even worse they continue this way as a lifestyle.
They never apologize and never admit their flaws. These people live a life, tell lies and defend lies on a regular basis without guilt.
Born-again believers can freely admit their flaws because they are authentic people who do not like to lie even about themselves.
Born-again believers openly and freely confess their sins and flaws because they desire to change what is wrong in themselves.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
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