Informed Judgments not Gossip

Amen, and, to pass through each gate one must have all the information and never from gossipers, but only from the source.
To be able to make informed judgments one must ask questions respectfully with love in their hearts. Those who love their gossip will never ask questions of those gossiped about, they will just enjoy the negativity and assume what they wish to believe.

Gossipers are more interested in connecting with the other gossipers than they are in truth.

Here is what love looks like:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "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."

Someone who is loving wants to get to the truth and does not delight in hearsay that ruins the reputation of others. Those who love do things to help not to harm.

Proverbs 10:12
"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions."

Proverbs 17:9
"Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends."

Only Christ can teach us to love others the way He loves us.

The Bible is the Book of the Heart of Christ

1 Corinthians 4:6
"Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another."

May Christians in our day ignore much scripture and pay attention to other passages to make the Bible say what they want it to say.
Taking passages out of context is common and distorts the Word of God, adding to it and subtracting from it is very serious.

The Bible is not a book of recommendations or some good ideas, it is a book of commands from God. He expects us to seek Him and obey Him.

If God Appeared Today, People Would Still NOT Believe… (They’d Say THIS)

Is He Worthy - Cover

Jonathan Edwards on Evidence

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Y5aQnsYrRZI

Eyes Wide Open Learning Every Day

For those who want to know the truth more than anything might want to ask God to show them the truth and expose all they believed before that is not Biblical.

Those who do this are amazing and excited about what they see that they did not see before. They are no longer in bondage to the traditions of men or the pressure of the culture to do what everyone else is doing.

This is when they will find out who their friends really are and how much they care about us. Those who love us will allow us to grow in holiness and encourage us in our quest for truth even if they don't see what we see they will appreciate our movement forward in understanding, and, perhaps even want to understand us.

When we find out something interesting or exciting from God's word we want to share it with others who are also searching and praying for the truth.

Not many people will have the desire to know truth, most are comfortable with their traditions since remaining with things they are familiar with will allow them to maintain their family and friendships.

Discovering more about God and His principles will lose us friends, even friends we thought were loyal, will reject us because we are moving away from the traditions of men and the false beliefs of the culture.

Mark 7:13 " 13Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”"

Notice God said; "and you do so in many such matters." When God began to open my eyes it was astonishing how many things we were taught by the organized church, that were not only not Biblical but even against Christ's teachings.

It was also astonishing how many "Christians," thought I was strange and someone to be avoided because of what God told me in His Word. Even using His Word to prove what I was saying was ignored or dismissed as just my opinion.

Many things cultural Christians believe have been added to the Word or misinterpreted to fit the culture around them. Also many things the modern Christian believes have been added to the Bible to make it fit the culture.

Some of the people will call us legalists for wanting to obey God. Even when I define the difference between legalism and obedience they still do not accept it.

Legalism is obeying man's rules God never commanded and obedience is following God's principles as shown in Scripture.

Revelation 22:18-19

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."

Proverbs 30:5-6

"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."

Deuteronomy 4:2

"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you."

May we develop a godly curiosity about everything we were taught to compare it with God's Word. God can open our eyes so wide that they can never be closed or dimmed again.

Who and What Do We Worship?

One woman placed a picture of a man depicting Jesus Christ on her wall. When I asked her why she had a picture of the man on her wall she said; "every time I look at that picture it reminds me of my Lord."

On a Facebook post I wrote some time ago a woman was offended that I didn't like pictures depicting Christ. I asked the woman this question: "what if you put a picture of a man on the wall that was not your husband and told your husband "every time I look at that man it reminds me of you", wouldn't your husband be offended that you were looking at picture of another man pretending he was your husband? Looking longingly at a man wishing your husband looked like that would be offensive, even a form of adultery."

The woman I write about here was a missionary for many years. She became angry that I would suggest that perhaps a picture depicting Christ was not only improper but an idol. I didn't say all that I was thinking, I was feeling the grief of the message she was sending others about idols by having one.

Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

When we longingly look at a picture of a man depicting Christ we are worshiping an idol. If we pray in front of the picture of Christ we are praying to a false god.

We were told in scripture not to make images of God. We know there were no pictures of people from the days of Christ, therefore any idea we had in our head about him would be an idol and idle imagining.

Exodus 20:3-5 "…3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,"

When we have Christ living in us we have no need to "see" something to feel close to Him. How much closer to Christ can we get than for Him to be inside of us.

2 Corinthians 5:7

"7 For we walk by faith, not by sight."

What's next?, praying to that picture to feel as if we have communicated with Jesus Christ?

When we look at a picture of a family member we know that was really that person. But when there are many pictures of various men depicting Christ we know none of them are Him because there were no cameras in His day.

I am convinced God never left behind any artifacts or images of Himself because it is human nature to assign power to objects rather than walking by faith based on our trust in Him. Christ is Spirit and we worship Him in Spirit and Truth not with objects. Faith is believing without seeing.

Deuteronomy 4:16

"that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,"

This passage makes it clear that statues and pictures of a god to speak to or bow to are deeply offensive to Him, it is adultery against Him.

Isaiah 53:2

"2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him."

God didn't want people following Christ because of His appearance. He wanted us to trust in Christ and follow Him because He is God and worthy to be worshiped. God did not want anyone lusting after Christ as they would lust after a man who is attractive.

When we worship in Spirit and in Truth there is great reverence for Him because He is God not because He was physically desirable. All the pictures depicting Christ are handsome and attractive, not at all what the Bible says about Him.

Many people hang onto artifacts and pictures as though they are sacred even becoming angry with those who question the use of those objects. When we see this happening we know the faith of a person who does this is based on the object and not Christ Himself.

Obeying God's Word is far more than just saying we believe it is the Word of God, it is a matter of taking seriously everything He said to us to implement its practice in our lives.

Changing God's word to justify our own desired belief is a form of rejecting Christ Who is called "The Word", using His Bible anyway we want is to deny Him in practice.

If we say we believe in Christ then we ought to take very seriously everything He said and pray about the things that are not clear to us. It also means rejecting the false teachings of those who add to the Word and subtract from it, to suite their own purposes.

When we are not sure about something in the Bible we ought to be praying first and then read, if the answer does not come right away, I know it will because God will not deny His children wisdom if they want to hear from Him.

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 get answers from God after our prayers we can be sure that most "Christians" will come against us to defend their traditions instituted by men, their comfortable space.

I can tell you that when God answers the prayer for truth and only truth it has not always been comfortable because friends and family will not agree and will even reject us, however, t it is more satisfying to understand the principles of Christ and to walk in them, than it is to have friends who cherish and follow their traditions of men.

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 we follow Christ diligently because we love Him we will not be angry at a challenge to follow His principles, we will be excited we learned something new. In fact, we will be yearning for more of His wisdom everyday, our joy is full and we need nothing more than this to be satisfied.