Walking with Christ will Cost us Friendships

I learned over the years the only way to be able to be bold is to not care if people like us.

 
Galatians 1:10
"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."

Acts 5:29
"But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."
We can be loving and kind and bold, but many people we speak to will hate the boldness and not even see the loving-kindness. They will say we were mean and hateful because we were bold.

 
Ephesians 6:6
"not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart."

1 Thessalonians 2:4
"but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

Luke 16:15
"And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God."

When we live in a society now that considers it rude to correct or disagree we will be at odds often with those around us. It isn't that we are argumentative it's that the hearers interpret us as fighting because they are fighting. They see every disagreement or correction as a personal attack rather than a way of learning and growing spiritually and emotionally.

 
We encounter far more emotionally immature people now than in past generations.

 
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."

We grow emotionally and Spiritually mature when we seek God on everything. He promised He would give wisdom liberally to those who ask. He will not bother giving wisdom to those He has already spoken to when they will not obey what He has already given.

 
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."

Born-again believers have no excuse for not knowing what to do or how to think when they have the Holy Spirit, the very nature of Christ living in them. If we do not know how to be or what to do then we are not asking, that's on us.

If we continually worry about what people think or how they will react then we will not only not grow but we will regress to become like them. If you want wisdom and Spiritual maturity then you must give up desiring lots of friends. We will have a small handful and at times none at all, but wisdom from God is far more valuable than the friendship of the world. Hallalujah!

Narcissism vs Godliness

The difference between a narcissistic person and a godly person is that the narcissist does good things to gain credit from others. The approval of others is more important than anything else. Whereas the godly person who does good deeds enjoys doing what is right to please God, this person doesn't care if anyone else sees it or validates the good deeds.

Narcissists need the admiration of others in life, godly people do not need to be admired by others but love to please God. Their internal bent is toward Him rather than self.

Narcissists see correction or disagreement as personal attacks rather than someone attempting to help them understand something or instructing them with principles or actions to gain wisdom or improve a project. These narcissists will give lots of advice to others but will not receive it from others.

A wise godly person invites correction and instruction because they know every discussion can be a learning time for them. They also love sharing what God has already shown them that was effective and works well because it is from God.

Boasting is a big problem with narcissists, they can never let a good deed or accomplishment go without making sure others validate them for it.

I have noticed too that narcissists love to boast of their play activities even thinking they have great value. They must pretend their play is important to keep from sensing they are doing a useless thing.

1 Corinthians 13:11

"11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things."

We have all done childish things because we live in a culture that elevates childish behavior as a good thing. Many even say silly things like; "let them be a child."

God's wisdom tells us we are not raising children we are raising adults. In other words, our training as a parent for the child ought to be maturing them into young adults. Everything we do with children ought to be good lessons that inculcate maturity in them.

Children naturally play we don't have to teach them that and we let them do it freely at times, however, telling a parent to train their children to play more is keeping the child a child all his life. I have known many people in our children's generation who spend as much time playing as they do working.

Children can actually be taught to enjoy working as if it were play, then at the end of the day there is something to look back at that was an accomplishment. Learning to enjoy accomplishing something lasting is much more valuable.

Playing is like an addiction, the more someone indulges in it the more they want it. It also creates a dullness in the soul, a sort of intense boredom when one cannot play. Those who are predisposed to boredom are those who have been trained to play. They feel a sense of loss when they are not showing off in some sort of play experience.

Those who are godly may rarely play at a game or an activity but it is rare because they are busy doing what they love that has value.

There is little value in playing, the very reason when we become adults we set it aside to carry on with the real business of life.

We see the work ethic in our culture declining with each new generation as the play mentality increases. The more a culture plays the less they enjoy their work. It is difficult now to find good workers, just ask any employer what he deals with and it isn't pretty.

Promoting play is to promote laziness and disregard for others. We have many complaints about the way this country is going but rarely do we see the play mentality as a big part of it's downfall.

Proverbs 21:17

"He who loves pleasure will become a poor man;

He who loves wine and oil will not become rich."

2 Timothy 3:4

"treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,"

Notice in this last passage pleasure is associated with recklessness.

Titus 3:3

"For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another."

Notice in this passage that pleasures are enslavement, like an addiction, and associated with lust, hating, and malice. When we seek our own pleasure regularly we cannot be concerned or have empathy for others.

I have also noticed that those who play a lot almost never help anyone else. They are not seen by the bedside of an ill person to be a companion or to encourage them. These people do not serve others, they only use others as sounding boards for their boasting. When others have a need for love and empathy the narcissist will not be anywhere to be seen. They are bored when someone else has an infirmity or need for companionship.

As I once heard from someone else, I forget who, "narcissists love things and use people", rather than loving people and using things. This is true of their play too, they only show kindness toward those who engage with them in their pleasures. They cannot sit still long enough to hear another person's needs or just sit and be a companion to them.

James 5:5

"You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter."

Living for self and one's pleasure will one day have its comeuppance. Eventually, all that play will be impossible and the person who loved it will be a shell of a person without wisdom or true companions who could bless them with God's wisdom in their failing years. Because you see, people who play often will not be good companions when the difficulties of old age come upon their friends.

John 15:12-15

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.

15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."

Rarely does someone lose their physical life for another person. This passage shows us that laying down our life has to do with giving up our own happiness or time to be a help to our friends. We can all give up our lives for others while we are still alive. It is true that those who live selfless lives are the most joyful. Those who play have little joy in their hearts and are only happy when they are playing and boasting about it.

TIME IS UP! The Rapture Is 1 Month Away? Maybe... #rapturedate #endofthe...

The "Falling Away" Isn't What You Might Think

2 Thessalonians 2:3 tells us that the falling away must happen before the antichrist is revealed. This falling away is not the apostasy of the church, even though that is happening now, it is the rapture.

Born-again believers must be taken out before the antichrist is revealed. Also, we are not looking for the antichrist we are looking for our blessed hope which is Jesus Christ.

Luke 21:27-29 "…27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 29 Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.…"

So in conclusion born-again believers are not looking for the antichrist, we are looking for Christ'scoming in the clouds to take us home, we are looking up.

I can't express fully my joy at knowing these things and being able to enjoy them with my brothers and sisters on Facebook. I am blessed with friends who love the Lord and share my same beliefs about this matter of the rapture of the church.

Proverbs 18:24 "

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Test Yourself to see if you are in the Faith

If a person who calls themselves Christian finds it burdensome and having to walk around on eggshells to be kind, loving, giving, and considerate of the hearts of others then we have met someone who thinks they are a Christian but who has never been born again.

When Christ changes us into a new creation we love the things of God. We love to bless others with the fruit of Christ's Spirit and we are ashamed of ourselves when we fail to walk in love.

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."

The first fruit in this list of character qualities of Christ is love, all the other elements of the fruit flow from this one quality, which is the deep deep love of Jesus Christ.

If someone finds walking in this fruit as a struggle and burdensome to them then they are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit. What comes naturally before a person is born again is to fight to be superior while any good actions are wrapped in a drivenness to be seen as good but are rotten.

Matthew 23:27-28

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

When we walk in the Spirit because Christ has changed us into a new creation our new nature loves to walk in the fruit of the Spirit. We can do nothing else it is our nature and we are compelled to obey God because of our love for Him. We hate the fleshly nature that used to dwell in us and love the new nature of all His fruit which is Christ Jesus.

Psalm 103:17–18

"But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments."

John 15:13 "13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Romans 8:37-39

"37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

No one can understand the depth of God's love or walk in it without the Holy Spirit living in them. Many people have joined the Christian church who do not have this Holy Spirit, therefore they pervert the truths of God in His Word leaving a terrible witness in the world. These are rebellious unsaved people pretending to be Christians but have never been born again.

May each one reading this evaluate themselves to see if they are truly saved.

John 3:1-21 tells us what it means to be born again and how we get there. Anyone who is unsure of their salvation because they do not have the fruit of the Spirit must confess their sin and ask to be changed by Christ into a new creation.

Worship in Spirit and in Truth

John 4:24
"24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The truth is what we know but cannot see based on faith.

The Spirit you know we cannot see based on faith.

Christ is the Spirit Who lives in the born-again believer.

Christ is the Truth Who lives in the born-again believer.

Our worship is not based on what we do, rituals or mantras, it is based on Christ Who lives in us.

John 14:6
"6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 15:5
"5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

Romans 8:34
"Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."

1 John 2:1 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;"

We can do nothing in and of ourselves that pleases God, only Christ in us pleases Him and we are accepted because we trusted in Christ and He does the work in us. He gets the glory.

Hebrews 1:3
"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,"

It is good to remind one another that Jesus Christ is the essence of His Own Word, to negate the Bible, His Word, is to negate Him.

Wow!!!Just Wow!!!

Jesus Christ is coming very soon, we are watching the insanity prophecies in the Bible increasing every day. We are the witnesses of the fulfilled prophesy of Daniel and Revelation as well as 2 Timothy 3.