Christ Changes the Heart

Since we do not change our own hearts Christ gets all the credit for who we have become when He saves us! We only change our mind He does all the work in us!

Ephesians 2:9-10 "…9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."

What a blessing to know that we do not have to "try real hard" to be what we should be, we merely have to ask God to do it and He will answer that prayer.

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."

It is wisdom in the heart that leads to right actions. No one can be different on the outside than what is in their hearts.

When we fail in our heart, then is when we fail in our actions, attitudes and responses. If we show an angry heart then we have an angry character that Christ needs to cleanse. He will only cleanse us if we admit our problem and ask Him to change our hearts.

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."

A very important phrase in this passage is "if we confess", Christ will never force us into anything, but He will bring circumstances to bear so that He breaks our will, we give up our stubborn pride and decide to confess.

Those who think they can intimidate, mock and demean someone into changing do not understand the ways of Christ. He wants us to choose because we are ready not because someone shamed us into it for an outward confession that is not an inward desire.

1 John 1:5-10 "5And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

6 If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."

It is not possible to have fellowship with Christ or any other Christian as long as we harbor dishonesty, disrespect for God's Word and resistance to His principles.

There are believers who do not have fellowship with Christ and other Christians because they resist the Holy Spirit when He speaks causing the Holy Spirit to go silent. God will not speak to someone who will not listen. But beware, He will bring about corrective circumstances to break a stubborn will if someone is born again but harbors pride in their heart.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

"19 Do not quench (extinguish the fire of) the Spirit,

20 do not utterly reject prophecies (divinely inspired Word of God), 21 but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good,

22 abstain from every form of evil."

The Worldly Person is Threatened by the One Who Walks with Christ

Amen!!! Love is not a feeling, its at state of being. Believers who have been changed into a new creation have the love of Christ. This is why we see the fruit of Christ's Spirit in them.

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 non-believers are offended by us its because they see the fruit in us that they do not have and are jealous and convicted by our heart changed by Christ.

Ecclesiastes 7:8

"The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one."

A proud spirit hates a humble one. A proud spirit is angry all the time at the righteous heart.

1 Corinthians 2:14

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

The natural man interprets the righteous man as a threat to them.

The natural man wants no restraints on them to act decently, so they attempt to lie against the one who walks uprightly, discrediting their wisdom and resolve to follow Christ through lies and distortions.

The natural man loves the things of this world and feels threatened by those who do not want or need the things of the world.

The natural man needs to be validated and accepted by the world and is intimidated by those who need no validation or acceptance from the world because Christ in them is enough.

If the natural man would become born again they too would understand the things of God and hate the world.

John 12:24-26 "… 24 Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If Anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.…"

What We Should Know About Christ

The Religious Leaders of Yesterday and the Religious Leaders of Today Have Some Things in Common

It was the religious leaders of Christ's day who came against Christ. They led the people as mediators for God but rejected Christ.

Somewhat like our "religious" leaders today with all their man-made criteria for church gatherings and their educated-by man, mentality where the only ones accepted as worthy teachers are those who have been in seminaries indoctrinated by people who are often unsaved themselves. Do not be fearful of the leaders who use intimidation and manipulation to control the people under them. No one should control us except the Holy Spirit.

God made it clear that leaders are to lead by their own example and by teaching, they have no authority over the born-again believer. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer, if the leader had authority over someone with the Holy Spirit this would make them above the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 23:12-36 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’

19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.

22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.

28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,

30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."

The leaders of our churches today do not physically attack authentic believers but they try to control them in other ways, spiritually and emotionally demeaning those who bring the truth. They have anger and hatred in their hearts for anyone who will correct their wrong doctrine. We know this because of the shameful way they treat those who call them out for their sin of pride and elevation of self above God.

Hebrews 3:13-14 " 13 But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.…"

Every born-again believer has the Authority of the Holy Spirit in them to be able to correct and admonish any other believer no matter what their status.

Women are not to be the teachers and leaders in the church gathering where men are present but they are free to speak to unbelievers about Christ, to teach in gatherings of unbelievers in evangelism, and to lead women and children to the Lord and in truth.

Those who attempt to silence women outside the church gathering are quenching the Holy Spirit. All born-again believers have a calling and all are indwelt with the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 3:28-29

"28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise."

Women are to obey Christ in the matter of silence within the gathering of believers. It is not that they are less intelligent or to be demeaned, it is merely the order God gave for the gathering. It is more of a protective stance for the woman than an oppressive one.

Proverbs 6:20-7:27

"My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress."

Men and women have different roles, when each one carries out their role as given by God, things work smoothly and flawlessly. When men take God's word and attempt to bring oppression because of the role just because they are bigger and stronger, then they are abusing the principles of Christ.

Women are to be cherished, treated with gentility and respected for their roles given to them by God. Does it make sense to demean a woman for her role when that role was given to her by God? Those who elevate one role over another are acting in pride not love and humility.

The woman's role is not higher than the man and the man's role is not higher than the woman, they are just different but equal in their status before God.

1 Peter 3:7

"Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."

Men are to honor their wife as someone to be protected. This is true in the church too, men should honor women as delicate vessels to be protected.

Proverbs 31:28 "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her."

If the men in the church and the husband at home do not treat women respectfully then the children will not respect them either. Children have a natural tendency to follow a man more than a woman. This is the natural away of life in our humanity.

This is why it is so important that the husband and the leaders teach respect and honor for the women.

Anyone my age remembers the day when a man stood up when a woman entered the room and why the man gave his seat to the woman if there were no other seats. I remember when the man helped a woman with her chair when she sat down, when he removed his hat when a woman approached and he opened doors for her. These were acts of honor to help someone who is the weaker vessel.

Now the women have become harsh wanting to be a man instead of enjoying how God made them. Because of this, the men have reverted to primal responses treating women without respect. The men no longer respect the woman's frailties, in fact, the men expect the woman to do what the men do and the women want it this way. Honor is gone for the women and the men have given into it.

When someone begins treating others as lesser than they, it becomes an overall trend because the heart of man desires to be superior to others just like the devil desires to be superior to God.

The godly men I have met never treated women disrespectfully, they were humble and kind, it is only those who are self-indulged who desire to act superior and dominant. The Pharisees were of this type, wanting to be given priority over everyone else to feel special. They were rude and mean to those under them in order to control others.

Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…"

The Pharisees of old are much like the leaders of our day, they love to be treated with respect but give no one else respect.

I write these things not to upset anyone but to help us see what has happened to the genders and encourage each of us to walk in the Spirit instead of our sinful flesh.

We do not have to become like this, if we are like this we can destroy the work of the devil in our hearts by seeking Christ to root out of us any remnant of our culture that condones prideful superiority.

I praise God for what He has shown me. He did not tell me to fight against it, not at all, He told me to become more like Him so that He will deal with my frailties and feelings orientation within my heart so that they do not become actions. We all battle these things because we are bombarded on all sides every day with wrong attitudes in the culture. The more we see it the more likely we are to become what we see. This is why we must fight it in the Spirit of Christ so that the devil will not have the victory over us, destroying what God began in us.

Philippians 1:6

"6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus."

1 Corinthians 1:6-8

"6 just as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,

7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Embarrassment at the name of Jesus Christ is a Clue

I am convinced most people who attend churches today are embarrassed by the name of Jesus Christ. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

Why is not every born-again believer using their social media to spread the gospel and the wisdom of God's Word as He wrote it?

I can't think of a better way to get the gospel to the world and the principles of Christ to other brothers and sisters in Christ than social media. It goes world wide and once it is in cyberspace it never leaves, it just keeps going and going.

Why would we use the excuse that too much foolishness is on social media, because of that we will not participate? Is it possible believers know that if they are bold about Christ publically they will be rejected and excluded? Perhaps many believers walk in fear that someone will not like them or they won't be able to discern the character of those they encounter.

Social media is much like "taking it to the streets", in that we don't know what the reaction is going to be of those on the streets and we are sure family and friends will begin to look at us sideways because we are too radical and strange in their eyes.

I have been excluded from nearly all family members for my boldness about Christ and His principles and many of them attend the modern churches. I never hear the name of Jesus Christ roll off their tongues when we are together and I see embarrassment on their face when I speak His name.

Welcome to our world, the world of false Christianity and worldly platitudes disguised as godly wisdom. There is more deception in the churches and among the Christians than there is truth. Those who expose it are isolated, repudiated and disrespected by nearly everyone we come in contact with.

Ephesians 5:11

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."

Romans 12:2

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

1 Peter 5:8

"8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

We need not live in fear or pay any attention to rejection. We can live free in Christ even if no one comes with us.

2 Corinthians 12:9 "9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

The Last Days Are Here

We are living in the last days described in the Bible. Christ is going to come in the clouds very soon and take out His church.

The signs of the times: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "Difficult Times Will Come

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 word "difficult" in this passage means "ragingly insane" in the original language. We are watching this right now just as God described it.

In our day narcissism (deep and insidious love of self) is growing and everywhere all the time. We must be vigilant to be close to God so that we are not drawn into the attacks from the devil and the people He uses to cause us to become like them through our responses.

The devil loves nothing better than to make us angry, self-absorbed and discouraged.

Choose to obey the fruit of the Spirit, Reject the enticements of the world to be like them and know that when we are born-again we have the fruit and must walk in Him, Jesus Christ.

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."

Allow Christ to Control us and People will not be able to Affect our Walk with Him.

Self-control is strength and calmness are the goal in any Christian life. We have to get to the point that our mood doesn't change based on the actions of others.

Don't allow others to control the direction of your life or your emotions, Christ should be directing us all the time.

Do not allow your emotions to overpower our Christ-like mindset.

Remain silent a lot when others are attempting to goad you into a snarky response.

At the end of our lives no one else will determine our destination, only Christ will do that. It doesn't matter if others go with us or if we pleased them, it only matters that Christ is pleased with us.

For Christ to be pleased we must care deeply what is in His heart and seek Him in all matters.

Do not become addicted to the validation of people, they do not know God's will for you.

As born-again believers, our goal is to please Christ, listen to His counsel, and reject all other suggestions from people which do not line up with His purpose for our lives.

Our friends ought to be those who encourage us in the way Christ has directed us. Anyone who attempts to discourage us from following Christ must be avoided, they will only derail what Christ is doing in us. They will even treat us with contempt for not doing things their way.

Galatians 5

Follow the Spirit

"5 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."

It is a form of bondage to be subject to others who do not love to follow Christ with the intensity you desire to follow Him.

Galatians 5:6-8 "…6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love. 7 You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the One Who calls you.

Galatians 5:10

I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be persuasion does not come from the One who calls you.…"

Be encouraged when you find yourself feeling nothing when those who do not love our Lord come against us. If we feel trampled and discouraged by them, then more work is needed in us, because people are more important to us than God when we take seriously their attacks on us.

Make Christ so important that you are unaffected by the personal attacks knowing they are really attacking Christ in us and not us personally.

Matthew 13 describes the seed sown in us, whether it is shallow or deep depending on our resolve to trust Christ fully in our walk. The more we must endure difficulties, and the more we stand firm the greater our faith becomes.

Hallelujah!