For those who have been born again.
I know you did not become born again without confessing your sin and desiring forgiveness.
Why would you deny others this very important blessing?
Having to face our sin, own it, and become cleansed from it, is a blessing. All those who have done it are free from the guilt of their sin, not because we forgave them but because they saw the need and answered the call of repentance.
May we stop forgiving people to feel better about ourselves, and obey God His way, not the way of the world. May we have a greater concern for the welfare of others, than we do for our own feelings.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Forgiveness is for the Purpose of Reconciliation
I hear this all the time, "if I don't forgive I will become bitter." Where is that in the Bible?
I feel no resentment toward those who have offended me and are not sorry. It is a psychological teaching that makes our culture think that it automatically follows that if we "say" we forgive, then the process has occurred.
When I encounter an offender, I don't treat them any differently than anyone else on the street. The thing I feel the most is sorrow that they don't see their sin and that God has not yet forgiven them.
I have no right to forgive what God has not forgiven, that makes me better than God.
God says "IF they repent forgive them." He also says "IF they come to you and ask seven times in a day." Notice in all the verses about forgiveness, the offender is coming to ask for forgiveness. No where will you find one scripture that says forgive them even if they are not repentant.
Our ultimate example is Christ. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, but we were not yet forgiven, He extended forgiveness, but we have to want it. Throwing your forgiveness at the unrepentant person does nothing.
If you want to avoid bitterness toward someone, stop trying to throw your forgiveness into the air hoping it will land on the offender, and just pray for them.
If we have a heart for the lost and for the sinning brethren, then we will not be bitter, we will be on our knees. When there is love for mankind in our hearts, bitterness is not a part of our thinking, but reconciliation to God is first and foremost.
When we do not require repentance for sin, we leave the offender in a place of comfort with his sin, allowing him to believe it wasn't so bad after all. Every encounter teaches, we must continually obey the principles of God for anyone to grow.
Yes, by all means be ready to forgive when someone comes to ask, desire that they repent so that the relationship will be restored. Pray to this end, seek it, even if it means having to confront the sin, perhaps the offender doesn't realize they have sinned and need to be shown.
We need to stop throwing God's principles of operation under the bus in favor of the psychological mantras of our modern day. Man's way only leaves everyone feeling comfortable in their sin, God's way brings conviction and repentance. When we shortcut the principles to be able to "feel better", we miss the blessings of changed lives.
1 John 1:9 "IF we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Luke 17:3-4 "3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and IF HE REPENTS, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, SAYING I REPENT’ forgive him.”
I feel no resentment toward those who have offended me and are not sorry. It is a psychological teaching that makes our culture think that it automatically follows that if we "say" we forgive, then the process has occurred.
When I encounter an offender, I don't treat them any differently than anyone else on the street. The thing I feel the most is sorrow that they don't see their sin and that God has not yet forgiven them.
I have no right to forgive what God has not forgiven, that makes me better than God.
God says "IF they repent forgive them." He also says "IF they come to you and ask seven times in a day." Notice in all the verses about forgiveness, the offender is coming to ask for forgiveness. No where will you find one scripture that says forgive them even if they are not repentant.
Our ultimate example is Christ. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, but we were not yet forgiven, He extended forgiveness, but we have to want it. Throwing your forgiveness at the unrepentant person does nothing.
If you want to avoid bitterness toward someone, stop trying to throw your forgiveness into the air hoping it will land on the offender, and just pray for them.
If we have a heart for the lost and for the sinning brethren, then we will not be bitter, we will be on our knees. When there is love for mankind in our hearts, bitterness is not a part of our thinking, but reconciliation to God is first and foremost.
When we do not require repentance for sin, we leave the offender in a place of comfort with his sin, allowing him to believe it wasn't so bad after all. Every encounter teaches, we must continually obey the principles of God for anyone to grow.
Yes, by all means be ready to forgive when someone comes to ask, desire that they repent so that the relationship will be restored. Pray to this end, seek it, even if it means having to confront the sin, perhaps the offender doesn't realize they have sinned and need to be shown.
We need to stop throwing God's principles of operation under the bus in favor of the psychological mantras of our modern day. Man's way only leaves everyone feeling comfortable in their sin, God's way brings conviction and repentance. When we shortcut the principles to be able to "feel better", we miss the blessings of changed lives.
1 John 1:9 "IF we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Luke 17:3-4 "3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and IF HE REPENTS, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, SAYING I REPENT’ forgive him.”
We Are Only The Messengers
Let all those who say they are born again, evaluate what they do and what they believe, according to the Scriptures, so as to remove from our lives all those things that we love because of the feelings they give us.
How much of what we do is based on what we get out of it, or how it makes us "feel?"
God wants us to follow His principles to glorify Him, we don't always understand what He is doing, but we can obey anyway. The more we obey, the more our faith builds.
We also don't know what is in the future. Will someones become born again, that we don't know about, because we obeyed God? Will someone's life be saved because we obeyed, even though we never know about it?
We cannot see into the future, nor can we see into the hearts of all those we come in contact with. If we have faith we can know that God will use whatever we do in obedience to Him, and no one knows to what extend, that is His business.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
2 Corinthians 4:18 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Isaiah 55:11 "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
No matter what we go through, people may hate us for speaking truth, they may disregard us in various ways because they don't like our message, none of that matters, God already knows about it and He will take care of the results, after all, it is His work, we are merely the messengers.
How much of what we do is based on what we get out of it, or how it makes us "feel?"
God wants us to follow His principles to glorify Him, we don't always understand what He is doing, but we can obey anyway. The more we obey, the more our faith builds.
We also don't know what is in the future. Will someones become born again, that we don't know about, because we obeyed God? Will someone's life be saved because we obeyed, even though we never know about it?
We cannot see into the future, nor can we see into the hearts of all those we come in contact with. If we have faith we can know that God will use whatever we do in obedience to Him, and no one knows to what extend, that is His business.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
2 Corinthians 4:18 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Isaiah 55:11 "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
No matter what we go through, people may hate us for speaking truth, they may disregard us in various ways because they don't like our message, none of that matters, God already knows about it and He will take care of the results, after all, it is His work, we are merely the messengers.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Did You Believe Moses?
The more we stand firm unwavering in our resolve to follow Christ the stronger we get. Soon it becomes more distasteful to depart from this to be liked by men than it is to be rejected by them.
John 12:43 "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
The more we give into the pressure of men to lighten up in our determination to follow Christ the more we will be like the world, lifeless and useless for the kingdom, and even worse than that, perhaps unsaved without realizing it.
John 5:39-47 "39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
41 I do not receive glory from men;
42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.
46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
John 12:43 "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
The more we give into the pressure of men to lighten up in our determination to follow Christ the more we will be like the world, lifeless and useless for the kingdom, and even worse than that, perhaps unsaved without realizing it.
John 5:39-47 "39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
41 I do not receive glory from men;
42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.
46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
A Dramatic Increase
Has anyone noticed that individuals are becoming more intense than ever before?
Those who love the Lord are separating themselves from the world, while being more bold.
Those who have demonstrated superficial Christianity are engaging in lukewarm responses and relationships, more disinterested than even in their past, in the things of the Lord.
I have also noticed an increase in demonic-like manifestations in the form of various kinds of mental illness. Our culture does not acknowledge many forms of mental illness as being demonic, however, as the growth of sin and wickedness increases, so do these illnesses.
It seems dramatic to me, I wondered if anyone else is seeing this too. I have believed for awhile now, that prophesy is moving quickly, even preparing the unsaved, those who think they are, into a state of deception, that God says will happen when the believers are removed through the rapture of the church.
I am not convinced that the delusion that God sends will necessarily be instantaneous, I am thinking it will be a gradual changing of the mind as many let their guard down, no longer caring what others think of them including God. These people have learned in the past few years, from their culture, that anything goes and they will still be enjoyed by people. God doesn't matter very much as long as they "enjoy" their life and are accepted by men.
Perhaps the pretending is nearly over and everyone will be on the outside whatever is really on the inside.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"
John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
John 12:43 "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
Luke 10:27 "And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
James 4:4 "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
John 4:19-24 "The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him."
John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
Now is the time to evaluate our priorities, while drawing closer than ever to our Lord. I am not sure we have to try to do this, it seems that the Lord is drawing us closer and pulling us out of the mess just in time for His return.
Luke 21:28 "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
Those who love the Lord are separating themselves from the world, while being more bold.
Those who have demonstrated superficial Christianity are engaging in lukewarm responses and relationships, more disinterested than even in their past, in the things of the Lord.
I have also noticed an increase in demonic-like manifestations in the form of various kinds of mental illness. Our culture does not acknowledge many forms of mental illness as being demonic, however, as the growth of sin and wickedness increases, so do these illnesses.
It seems dramatic to me, I wondered if anyone else is seeing this too. I have believed for awhile now, that prophesy is moving quickly, even preparing the unsaved, those who think they are, into a state of deception, that God says will happen when the believers are removed through the rapture of the church.
I am not convinced that the delusion that God sends will necessarily be instantaneous, I am thinking it will be a gradual changing of the mind as many let their guard down, no longer caring what others think of them including God. These people have learned in the past few years, from their culture, that anything goes and they will still be enjoyed by people. God doesn't matter very much as long as they "enjoy" their life and are accepted by men.
Perhaps the pretending is nearly over and everyone will be on the outside whatever is really on the inside.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"
John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
John 12:43 "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
Luke 10:27 "And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
James 4:4 "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
John 4:19-24 "The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him."
John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
Now is the time to evaluate our priorities, while drawing closer than ever to our Lord. I am not sure we have to try to do this, it seems that the Lord is drawing us closer and pulling us out of the mess just in time for His return.
Luke 21:28 "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Scriptural Integrity or Human Lies?
Do you want to watch an amazing movie that will bring tears to your eyes and conviction to your heart? I recommend a movie called "Sheffey." The story of a man who dedicated His life as an itinerant preacher in the late 1800's until 1902.
He made a very good point about the state of the organized church, even in his time.
Our freedom to practice our Christian faith has not been taken away from us, we have given it away, little by little as we ignored the principles of Christ in favor of modern methods and liturgical man made mantras.
Pride has caused us to figure things out according to our own desires and the acceptance of the culture around us. We have integrated psychology along with manipulative technique, to engage the populous, making popular opinion the focus of our attentions much more than the principles of Christ.
Rather than being attentive to God's heart and depending on His provision, we have pushed Him out of our thinking replacing Him, with what others have pressured us to promote.
Psalm 143:10
"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
The problem with the mainstream gatherings today is that they do not seek God for His Will, but they do persist in having their own way and tacking God's name onto the end of their activities as though He endorses them.
John 16:13
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Isaiah 30:21
"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
Did we see any protests in the organized church when the leaders deviated from the Word of God in their methods or preaching? The answer to this question is that there may have been one or two in a gathering who protested the errors, but the leadership would not listen to those who would correct, but rather they were disciplined for causing division. The congregations regularly decided to follow the preachers instead of God, thinking they were God's "Vicors" on earth.
Yes, even the "evangelical" churches were and are acting this way thinking they are different than the Catholics in this respect, but they really are not .
1 Timothy 2:5
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
The errors increased in increments so small and insidious that barely anyone noticed. The leaders got away with this because the congregations were not reading their Bibles or praying in their homes. Those who were ignored, when they challenge others to get back to the Bible, could no longer stand the rebellion and narcissism in the church, and left. Now the errors are monstrous and still no one notices.
We are left with so few people who care about Scriptural integrity and obedience to God's principles, that those who do care are leaving these "ego inflated" gatherings to either worship in home groups or are not attending a gathering at all.
When error in the body is not challenged it grows. Nothing that is fed stays small. When we feed the body with the pure milk of the word, paying close attention to God's heart, then we will see spiritual growth. If we ignore God's Word, effectively negating it by making it seem unimportant, the only thing that grows is the sin of self will.
Most people I meet who claim to be believers are embarrassed at attention to the detail of God's word. They call it legalism, not realizing that legalism is obeying man's rules, while obedience is obeying God's principles, desiring to know the heart of God.
Interestingly enough, those who cry legalism the loudest are in bondage to the whims of the culture, obeying what everyone else is saying and doing at the same time negating God's Word entirely, the ultimate legalists, declaring that we should do things man's way.
One of the devils tactics is to accuse the believer of things they are not doing but he is doing.
Never listen to those who claim "legalism" when we obey God, Satan is using their mouth, just as he did with Peter when Christ said to him, "get thee behind me satan." Men's hearts and minds are being controlled by satan in these last days, they will quote scripture out of context to make it say the opposite of what is actually written. They will torment the believers who love God's Word and the integrity of obedience to it.
Romans 12:1-2
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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."
He made a very good point about the state of the organized church, even in his time.
Our freedom to practice our Christian faith has not been taken away from us, we have given it away, little by little as we ignored the principles of Christ in favor of modern methods and liturgical man made mantras.
Pride has caused us to figure things out according to our own desires and the acceptance of the culture around us. We have integrated psychology along with manipulative technique, to engage the populous, making popular opinion the focus of our attentions much more than the principles of Christ.
Rather than being attentive to God's heart and depending on His provision, we have pushed Him out of our thinking replacing Him, with what others have pressured us to promote.
Psalm 143:10
"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
The problem with the mainstream gatherings today is that they do not seek God for His Will, but they do persist in having their own way and tacking God's name onto the end of their activities as though He endorses them.
John 16:13
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Isaiah 30:21
"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
Did we see any protests in the organized church when the leaders deviated from the Word of God in their methods or preaching? The answer to this question is that there may have been one or two in a gathering who protested the errors, but the leadership would not listen to those who would correct, but rather they were disciplined for causing division. The congregations regularly decided to follow the preachers instead of God, thinking they were God's "Vicors" on earth.
Yes, even the "evangelical" churches were and are acting this way thinking they are different than the Catholics in this respect, but they really are not .
1 Timothy 2:5
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
The errors increased in increments so small and insidious that barely anyone noticed. The leaders got away with this because the congregations were not reading their Bibles or praying in their homes. Those who were ignored, when they challenge others to get back to the Bible, could no longer stand the rebellion and narcissism in the church, and left. Now the errors are monstrous and still no one notices.
We are left with so few people who care about Scriptural integrity and obedience to God's principles, that those who do care are leaving these "ego inflated" gatherings to either worship in home groups or are not attending a gathering at all.
When error in the body is not challenged it grows. Nothing that is fed stays small. When we feed the body with the pure milk of the word, paying close attention to God's heart, then we will see spiritual growth. If we ignore God's Word, effectively negating it by making it seem unimportant, the only thing that grows is the sin of self will.
Most people I meet who claim to be believers are embarrassed at attention to the detail of God's word. They call it legalism, not realizing that legalism is obeying man's rules, while obedience is obeying God's principles, desiring to know the heart of God.
Interestingly enough, those who cry legalism the loudest are in bondage to the whims of the culture, obeying what everyone else is saying and doing at the same time negating God's Word entirely, the ultimate legalists, declaring that we should do things man's way.
One of the devils tactics is to accuse the believer of things they are not doing but he is doing.
Never listen to those who claim "legalism" when we obey God, Satan is using their mouth, just as he did with Peter when Christ said to him, "get thee behind me satan." Men's hearts and minds are being controlled by satan in these last days, they will quote scripture out of context to make it say the opposite of what is actually written. They will torment the believers who love God's Word and the integrity of obedience to it.
Romans 12:1-2
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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."
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Lying is no Innocent Matter
Do you really think that you can raise your children on lies about "santa" and the "easter bunny" and expect them to take stories about Christ seriously.
When we tell lies to children about mythical magical creatures, they will place Christ in the same category when they hear of Him.
Do children have any reason to believe their parents about anything when they know that Dad and Mom have been lying to them, and does anyone stop to consider that when we lie to our children we can expect them to learn to lie to us and to God, even about God?
Think about it.....It is not nearly as innocent as we might think.
When we tell lies to children about mythical magical creatures, they will place Christ in the same category when they hear of Him.
Do children have any reason to believe their parents about anything when they know that Dad and Mom have been lying to them, and does anyone stop to consider that when we lie to our children we can expect them to learn to lie to us and to God, even about God?
Think about it.....It is not nearly as innocent as we might think.
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