Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 16:9
In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.

Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

The Cultural Mentality of Our Day

Proverbs 22:11 "…10 Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease. 11 He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips will have the king for a friend. 12 The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He frustrates the words of the faithless.…"

In our modern-day of "tolerance", very few people are rebuking, correcting or even teaching to bring about spiritual and emotional growth.

Because of this mentality of messaging everyone's feelings the culture as a whole is becoming more sensitive and hostile to nearly everything.

Rather than seeing correction as a means to good things it is judged as hatred to harm. Without correction, rebuke, and punishment for sin the culture grows worse.

If anyone believes the culture is not getting worse all they have to do is correct in a mild way someone in their church gathering and watch the angst emerge.

I have been rebuked as unloving for disagreeing with people. They fight and argue to defend sin, when told that what they believed was sin the hearer reacts in anger or hurt feelings rather than rationally evaluating what has been said in terms of the Bible.

The culture is so hositle in our day that any correction or rebuke is seen as a personal attack. This is the reason the preachers in the pulpit tell jokes, soften the messages to make them sound like mild suggestions and why the large gatherings are so full of pretenders.

The "goats are entertaining the sheep" as a preacher once said. The sheep are becoming angry wolves ready to defend themselves whenever anyone chastises them, even in the mildest terms.

2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itching ears, they shall heap to themselves teachers in accordance with their own lusts."

We are living in the last days, knowing this many of us tend to look in the world to see the problems, but I am here to tell you that the world is in the church full of false teaching and angry people who only want to hear pleasurable happy things.

The Bible is full of warnings about the end times in which the people, the culture as a whole will seek pleasure rather than righteousness. These are hard times for born-again believers. We have a dearth of righteous companions who support our walk with Christ, coming alongside to encourage us to stay strong in our walk.

The encouragement is that God told us this would happen, we are living the prophecy now and we can be strong in spite of the lack of encouragement to maintain the standards of God.

Psalm 123:1 "To You I have raised my eyes,

You who are enthroned in the heavens!"

A must Watch Biblical Insight - Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat Preaches

God’s New World Order: The Millennium – Dr. David Jeremiah

Acronyms Use is the Same as Using the Phrase

Just a heads up for everyone, if I see the acronym "OMG" anywhere in a message, post, or anything else I will immediately ignore and delete it without reading or watching.

It's my personal boundary, I am appalled that so many Christians are using initials, acronyms, to express the Lord's designation in curse words or the use of filthy language by leaving out a couple of letters thinking it is not actually using the terms. If you use the letters you are using the words.

An acronym expressing the use of the Lord's name as a curse word or the use of filthy language with letters left out is the same as saying the full phrase. There is no need for any believer to use these terms.

The purpose of language is to convey a message from one mind to another, it does not matter that one is not saying the entire phrase, the use of the letters is the same as using the terms. Everyone hearing them knows which words you mean.

The desire to fit into the world is stronger than any concern about offending God with so many Christians today. I believe Christians are getting this language from television and movies, they hear it so much they think it is acceptable.

God clearly states in His Word that "bad company corrupts good character, this is why God tells us to make our companions those who love Him and reflect His ways. If the television is causing someone to speak perversely then they need to stop watching it.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 " 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.…"

It is a sin to use the disrespectful and filthy terms the world uses. Some Christians think that because they have a good "cause" or are right about something that justifies using strong worldly language, it does not.

Colossians 3:8

"But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth."

Using strong filthy and disrespectful language does not make people hear us better, in fact, it may cause some to take us less seriously, after all, why would they listen to us when we are exactly like the world around us.

It is possible people take better notice of our lives and our language when it reflects something different and more excellent than the world.

Nevertheless, the reason to refrain from the language of the world is to honor God in our speech as well as our actions.

Ephesians 4:29

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

We cannot be examples for the world of a changed and better character if we are talking exactly like the world talks. Crass language tears down our own character and validates the crassness of the world.

James 1:26

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless."

Matthew 12:36

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,"

Something to think about, perhaps cleaning up the language to reflect the godliness of the Holy Spirit might be a better course.

Bad Advice from the Devil

A dear Facebook friend shared with me that others were pressuring her to date as a divorced person. This friend is committed to remaining single as commanded by God until her spouse dies or she is reconciled to her husband just as Christ commanded.

I am sharing my response to her because I believe there are many who have been abandoned by spouses who are being pressured by others to defy God's commands for the sake of having someone in their life, a sort of dependence on a person to fulfill them rather than being satisfied and dependent on Christ.

Here was my response to her:

Amazing isn't it, "God wants you happy" is a phrase nowhere found in the scriptures. God the Father who put His own Son on the cross to die for the sins of others "wants us to be happy"?

I am always astonished at how "nosy" others can be about our lives but would be angry if we suggested to them what they should do with theirs.

Perhaps it's the devil using their mouths the way he used Peter's mouth when Christ said to him, "get thee behind me Satan." He was looking at Peter and telling the Devil to shut his mouth.

One last thing, why do so many people assume a woman cannot be happy alone with Christ? It is insulting when someone suggests that we must have a "partner" or "dating" in order to be fulfilled and happy. I suggest they are very myopic (lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight.)"

Unquote

One of the things I have noticed in these last days is that many "Christian" people are bold when it comes to suggesting others disobey the Word of God, but are not bold in supporting someone who desires to obey Christ.

Perhaps the best thing is to make it clear to these "busy-bodies" that you are not looking for suggestions on how to live your life, but that you are expecting support from God's people when choosing obedience to God. However, if there is no support from the so-called "Christians" then you can go it alone with Christ and be filled with joy even if no one goes with you.

Also perhaps a good response to unbelievers who suggest we disobey God might be, "I prefer you encourage me in the scriptures rather than attempt to influence me to dishonor God."

Perhaps we need to be bolder although kind in our delivery, making it clear that we will not receive advice that defies God.

Just something to think about.

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.

6 Do not [e]be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

9 As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."