"Appeasing" God is not the Answer

Those who have been raised Catholic have a mind set of appeasing a frightening God. All their deeds are to keep God from being angry with them and to gain more graces to be able to get closer to, perhaps getting into heaven, while never really knowing if they make it.

Matthew 15:8 "'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME."

The sad thing is that after some Catholics become born again, they battle with this same mentality, even though they know it is wrong, they find themselves constantly doing things to appease God will a heart that doesn't really want to, but fears the wrath of God.

It is true that whatever we do for the first 18 years of our life, plagues us off and on for years after that. However with the cleansing of the Lord Jesus Christ after we are born again, we can overcome and diminish the affects of the indoctrination we endured. Some people have the residue of a pagan religion to overcome and others the residue of a terrible childhood. Everyone has something to overcome, in Christ we can overcome and subdue the failings within us that attempt to draw us away from Christ.

When Christ makes us into a new creation we love to please Him, we don't have to grudgingly with a plastic smile, work to do what we know He would want. After salvation we walk in the freedom to please God out of a heart that wants Him to be pleased with us. We don't fear wrath or punishment, we look forward to the blessing of a clear conscience and a close relationship with our Savior.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

If someone is still attempting to appease God, walking in fear, then they need to get on their knees and confess this to God. God can cleanse us from this mentality of appeasement to avoid punishment, while moving us into a restful peace that God will work in us anything need for our good and for His glory.

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things THROUGH HIM (CHRIST) who strengthens me."

Only God is Perfect!

Since there are no perfect parents and no perfectly compliant children we are all left having to choose Christ, desiring to be changed into a new creation by Him.

No parent can take credit for their children when they are good, nor can any parent take credit for their children when they are bad. Every parent must obey God, however the results are left to God. The children must make their own choice for Christ.

If we believed that it was the parents who make or break a child, then no child from an unsaved family can come to Christ. I am one of those children, raised in a family that did not teach us in the way of the Lord. And yet, the Lord got hold of me, giving me the opportunity to choose Him and when I did He change me into a new creation.

ONLY CHRIST GETS THE CREDIT FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN!

If any parent wants to boast, let them boast in the Lord, giving Him all the credit. May the children be grateful for their parents whether they are saved or not, because God used them to care for us and HE placed us in that family for His purposes.

If any parent is embarrassed because their children are not walking with God, then those parents walk in pride, thinking all along they were the vehicle by which a child is saved.....not so. They can be used, they can be obedient, but the Lord gets all the glory when a child comes to Christ.

Let us praise the Lord when children are saved, not ourselves.

It Can Happen Here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VC4ea24_mQ 

Anyone who thinks that these terrible atrocities cannot happen in America need to pay more attention to what is going on and know their Bible.

Far too many people who claim to be Christians are swimming in their worldliness, wasting time defending the sin they love, to notice what is going on in the world. They don’t know the prophesy that is being fulfilled, nor do they care.

Christians are being persecuted in horrible ways all over the world while America spiritually and emotionally live in a drowsy stupor consumed with pleasure and comfort.

America has never experienced governmental take over by other countries, we cannot think that it will happen here, but eventually it will, and I believe we are in the beginning throws of it right now.

This is the beginning of the end of America as we know it, the monster has emerged, it is too big and powerful to thwart, and the people are sluggish while it happens. And, it is God’s judgment on us for our hypnotic state of self gratification.

We are not physically, spiritually or emotionally prepared for what is coming. May the Lord have mercy on those who Love Him, may they seek His face before we have to endure the carnage.

It will only be through His power that we can remain spiritually strong. In the mean time we rest in the Lord knowing that He has control over the events of the world. Nothing escapes His notice.

Heberews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

Those of us who are born again have nothing to fear, God will take us through all He has for us, He will go through with us.

Those who do not know the Lord will be alone in their misery without help or hope. May many who do not know the Lord today, repent of their sins, receive Christ and have the hope and help that will be needed.

We Bear Our Own Sin

No adult child can blame anyone else for their sin. Each of us have to face the Lord alone on judgement day to give an account.

Ezekiel 18:20 ""The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."

Sin is More Serious than We Think

Sin is very serious to God, He never takes it lightly, He cannot be in the presence of sin, any amount of sin.

When we realize that!!!!

Luke 17:1-4
"3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Romans 6:23
"For the WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

1 John 3:4
"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness."

James 1:15
"Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

THIS IS JUST HOW SERIOUS SIN IS TO GOD!!!

Now are we ready to warn those who are headed for hell that they are in danger....after which we give them the Good news, that Christ paid the price, it didn't come cheap, and our only hope is to trust Christ, and turn from our evil ways.

Warning first, then the good news. If they will not receive it, we have our marching instructions:

Matthew 10:14
""Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet."

No One is Forgiven without Repentance!

Jeremiah 36:3
"3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin."

The Lord cannot forgive the sin of a nation when the nation is not repentant. 

Forget What You Have Been Told; Ask God!

Will everyone just go to prayer and ask God about this matter of forgiveness. Yes a believer must have it in their heart, but the superficial way it is being taught leaves the act of forgiveness impotent without purpose or teeth. Read carefully all the scriptures that pertain to forgiveness, read each word in the passages and pray over them.

We have more forgiveness in our culture than ever before, at least in words, but more filth, crime and rebellion than ever before. What do you think has happened? I am convinced it is partly because we have learned platitudes that sound good but have no power in them.

We must learn the right way to forgive and it's purpose, otherwise we will walk around with a glazed look on our face saying "I forgive, I forgive", while tearing up inside.

Please let God show you this matter of forgiveness. It is commendable that so many want to be forgiving, but if it is not understood, we can actually stand in the way of God's blessing for someone who might repent because their sin has been exposed and dealt with.

Let God show us through His Word, try to forget all that you hear in our culture and all that you have been taught seeking Christ in prayer over this matter.