Pretender or Authentic?

Remaining in a large dead church will eventually cause deadness in the one who stays. As God said; "bad company corrupts good character." The masses of people are far more likely to dilute our walk with Christ than we are to enhance theirs.

Wherever there are groups of people there is less chance of being heard by those who love their superficiality.

God has shown me in these last days that He must be the One to put me in contact with those who might want to follow Christ. We must trust Him and be willing to speak the truth boldly while the rest of apostasy is playing their religious games guiding more people to hell than helping them to repent and trust in Christ.

Playing religion looks like this:

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

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

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

Authentic Christianity looks like this:

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."

The superficial apostate self-righteous church is mentioned in 2 Timothy 3 and the authentically born-again believer who has been changed by Christ into a new creation looks like 1f Corinthians 12.

Those who are discerning can sense quickly those who walk in the Spirit of Christ and those who are pretenders. Not just because we know the Scriptures but also because Christ in us connects deeply with Christ in others.

When we are around those who claim to be Christians but are pretenders we sense no connection with them no matter how friendly they are to us. That superficial friendliness fades quickly when we speak the gospel to them or the principles of God to help others grow in holiness.

An authentic believer will thank us for sharing and pray about what was said, unless they already have done their homework and agree with God's Word. The pretender will fight and argue to defend their wrong belief system while acting contemptuously toward the one who brought the truth.

We can pray for the defensive pretender but we cannot be close friends with them. They will ultimately intimidate us into silence to avoid their rankor.

Our close companions must be those who agree with God's Word, those who are humble and desire Spiritual and emotional growth.

Hallelujah!!!

The Spirit of This Age

The spirit of the age of the end times is here now in force and only growing worse.

Ephesians 2:2

"2 in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."

The spirit of the age is a description of the end times apostate church. It is no wonder that many people are leaving the organized church religion based on human order instead of the order God gave in the Bible.

We are living in time in which most people who say they are Christians do not live according to the Bible and most people in the church follow a "form of godliness" dependent on the cultural ideas of their time not on the principles of God's Word.

2 Timothy 3 is a description of the end times "Christians" or apostates who believe they are saved but have never been born again.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

"Difficult Times Will Come (Meaning; ragingly insane times)

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

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

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

These people who attend gatherings every week thinking they are doing God a favor and fully convinced they are special and wonderful are full of self-love and hatred for anyone who would expose their false Christianity.

I have experienced more "Christians" angry at me for bringing the scriptures to bear on a subject than I have had unbelievers with whom I have shared Biblical truths.

The unbelievers know they don't know the Bible so they listen without arguing, but the pretend Christian thinks they know the Bible while adhering to biblical ideas sprinkled with worldly psychology and count themselves as knowledgable. They are full of all the terrible 2 Timothy 3 traits of rebellion and think they are fully Christian, mostly developed through worldly ways mixed with some Bible truth taken out of context.

We are living in an age where most people who would identify as Christians have a form of religion but deny Christ through their scripture twisting and even out right denial of what God says to justify their disobedience and rebellion.

These people will become enraged and vengeful when we expose their false beliefs to help them see the difference between worldly Christianity that leads to hell and true Christianity which leads to a transformed life that seeks after the heart of Christ.

Those who love and obey Christ are being gossiped about, maligned, distrusted, dismissed and even persecuted through family devaluing as they attempt to live their lives according to God's Word.

I can remember a time many years ago when I objected to a particular movie being shown at a family gathering of "Christians." This movie was full of the Lord's name in vain and other ways that should be objectionable to any born again believer. I was treated disrespectfully and ignored because of my objections rather than anyone of those in the room supporting my stance. This was a strong indicator to me of the mentality of those who wanted to watch the movie. They were more interested in seeing this movie than they were in standing for Christ.

Sadly, at the very least those who said they were Christians should have turned it off for no other reason than it was objectionable to a Christian sister. The choice to keep the movie running in spite of my objections made it clear that my well being as a believer was of no interest to them. I was viewed as a fanatic and ignored as though I was irrelevant.

Notice something about this story of the movie scenario, those involved defended their right to watch this movie while they threw their Christian sister and in my case mother, under the bus merely to have something to watch on that television. No one defended me and worse no one was concerned about what Christ throught.

This is the state of the false Christianity of today, the wholesale misuse of scripture to justify sin and trampling on the heart of believers who stand against it.

As the Lord progressed me in my wisdom over the years I began to realize that most people who say they are Christians have never been born again. I can understand a Christian getting caught up in something they shouldn't but when confronted about it they become ashamed and humbled seeking to do better next time. However, the one who is not born again defends their right to sin and even dares to deny that what they are doing is sin.

Each one must make their own decisions about their television watching however, if another believer objects because of their own sensitivity to the sin in the show, the others in the room should make an effort to protect the conscience of the one who cannot allow themselves to watch what they believe dishonors God.

The proof of the 2 Timothy 3 mentality was seen in the disdain for the one who could not indulge in the movie. There was no sense of love, no protection of the believer who didn't want to partake, but there was contempt and refusal to protect the one who wanted to remain clean in their conscience.

On another occasion we were invited to a baptism where we first met at a home before going to the church building. While we waiting for the time of the baptism the super bowl was playing and half time came on the television. Those in the room were watching this horrid display of immorality in the half time show without the objection of anyone, right before going to the church building where someone was going to be baptised.

At the baptism, there was laughter and marry-making as though this was just another ceremony to have fun. I was so disgusted and appalled it made it hard for me to believe the one being baptized and those in attendance to watch, understood the Biblical mentality of being transformed by Christ. They appeared to be performing a ritual without understanding of what it means to be baptized in Christ. Again I was appalled.

Since this time many years ago I have seen more of this and even worse in various gatherings we attended. The church gatherings as a whole have become social clubs with a little Bible thrown in to make them feel special but no sense at all of what it is to be transformed by Christ into a new creation. There is no humility, no sense of awe for Christ and even worse a blatant refusal to be corrected when confronted with the flippant attitude. Those in the audience were laughing uproariously as the preacher and the one to be baptized trivialized and joked about what was gong on.

There have been many events like this that finally led to my decision to remove myself from the organized church system of apostasy that frustrated me rather than uplifting Christ. In a sense I was prevented from living out my Christianity as described in the Bible while surrounded by those who would reject me for loving God's Word and refusing to engage in the foolish indulgences of those who were pretenders.

In my humble opinion most churches have lost their first love, that is Christ, and engage in a pseudo Christianity that give reign to the flesh without regard to the commands and principles of Christ in His Word.

In fact most of the people who say they are Christians have a few false phrases they use from the Bible out of context and think they know the Bible. Some even know all the stories of the Bible but often miss the principles and lessons in those stories. They even twist the meanings of those stories to fit their worldly ideas.

Who is saved and who is not? I cannot know perfectly who is saved and who is not but I do know what God said in His Word about the mentality of those who are born again.

Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law"

A born again believer who loves the Lord would never rage at, dismiss or gossip against another believer who corrected them with Scripture.

Matthew 7:18

"18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit."

The fruit of the Spirit of Christ are not deeds, they are the character qualities of Christ that bring about all the qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. This fruit produces a humble spirit and a spirit who cannot treat people with disdain or contempt even when they disagree.

The Bereans Love God more than they Loved their Own Life

Loop Holes of the Devil

We cannot love God and others as long as we are invested in loving ourselves the most.

We know the narcissists know what they are doing because they are only mean and rude to those they think they can control and they see as beneath them. They are totally opposite to those they wish to impress. They know who will tolerate their superior attitude and who will not.

Having grown up in a narcissistic culture that condoned and even endorsed rude behavior as a way to control those they thought were beneath them or did not measure up to the cultural ideas, I learned that the scapegoat would never be able to escape that role as long as they remained in the family.

Those who act superior cannot endure anyone who thinks differently from themselves. They are disdainful toward anyone who would challenge them to think more deeply about things. They are also not those who can listen to hear the truth, they must remain faithful to their gossip without ever having a meaningful conversation with the one gossiped about. They merely believe what the narcissist says to stay in the good graces of that gossipmonger and that system of control in the family.

Narcissists emotionally and spiritually abuse someone for so long

that they think their target will never figure it out. They think we are stupid and will continue to put up with their nonsense our entire lives. The narcissist believes they are smart and outsmarting us, but in reality, they are foolish in thinking that we will never get away from them. And, that their antics will never be discovered.

Proverbs 29:9-10 "9 If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution. 10 Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life.…"

Those who have been targets of a narcissistic family system will understand everything I am telling them here. They have seen the tricks, the subtle digs, the gossip disguised as concern and the attempts at isolating the target from the ones who hear the gossip.

Notice one important thing about the narcissistic family dynamic, that is the secrecy, the tendency to keep hidden what is going on even refusing to hear other sides to keep the lies going. Discussion is discouraged and research to find the truth is treated with contempt. No one in the system questions either side to discern the truth.

Narcissists tend to hide things in their own lives expecting that anyone who hears their life would do the same thing the narcissist does and that is to gossip about them. Narcissists always think others do the same things the narcissists do which is the reason they hide, withhold much information and fear being found out.

Narcissists are very secretive individuals, fearful that if anyone found out about the real them, they would be rejected as the narcissist rejects others who do not measure up to their idea of good.

Narcissists are black-and-white thinkers, they judge others as all good or all bad. If someone thinks the same way as the narcissist the narcissist judges them as all good. If someone thinks differently or acts differently from the narcissist would act or think they would be treated as all bad by the narcissist.

Narcissists have favorite people who are treated as perfect and elevated above others. Those who are not their favorites are treated contemptuously and without kindness unworthy of it.

Romans 2:11

"For God does not show favoritism"

Ephesians 6:9

"Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don't threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites"

Colossians 3:25

"But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites"

James 2:8–9

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers"

Those who elevate themselves above others cannot love God. They are on their own thrones and love to appear superior to others. Those who need to feel superior can never obey God in loving others better than themselves.

Ffavoritism is not simply disrespectful of people; it is sin against God.

Narcissism is self-exaltation, the same mentality the devil had when he wanted to be seen as superior to God. Those who indulge in self-exaltation and favoritism toward those who elevate them are sinning and very likely are not born again.

When we become born again God makes us into a new creation removing all love of self from our hearts and replacing it with the love of Christ.

This is what is involved in self-love:

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

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

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

We cannot love God and others as long as we are invested in loving ourselves the most.

Why Youth Group Is DESTROYING The Youth's Faith...

Goat or Sheep Which are You?

We know there are many goats in the body of Christ right now, perhaps more goats than sheep. This is why so many believers who love the Lord are leaving these man-made institutions in favor of authentic worship at home with others like them who are searching for fellowship with those who love Christ more than the culture and more than their own families.

Luke 14:26-30

26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

It has been my experience in watching people that most believers will avoid the subject of Jesus Christ to remain accepted by family and friends.

Remember that the apostles and Christ were rejected by most people as they traveled to share the gospel. Even just being identified with Christ was enough for family and friends to avoid them.

2 Timothy 4:16-17 " 16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.…"

Matthew 10:21-23 "…21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. "

God never told believers to remain indefinitely with family or friends who rejected Christ and who rejected them. He told Paul to move on as he would be led by the Holy Spirit to those who would listen and to those who were his brothers and sisters in Christ.

My encouragement to believers is to keep seeking Christ even if you have to do it all by yourselves. There is no greater joy than knowing we are doing what Christ told us to do whether or not anyone goes with us.

In these last days there will be little fellowship and often no one who will walk beside us as we walk with Christ.

The biggest challenge I see in the United States of America is the wrong belief that "conservatism" is equal to "Christianity." Nothing could be farthest from the truth. And, yes, most Christians would tell you they know this but will speak more of the politics than they do of Christ, which is the evidence of what I am saying. I hear more believers speaking of politics and its evils, as well as the desire to save our country than they share the gospel with those who are parishing.

Being conservative does not equate to a life with Christ. And yet, so many people are calling Christians to political activism. They are declaring certain politicians as "Christian" merely for saying things like "I am praying for you" or "God bless America." What I do not hear from any of them is a call to repent and trust in Christ.

They use mild words about "God" so that they are palatable to all religions. They speak non-stop about the economy, the borders, the military might but nothing about the need to turn to Christ and obey Him.

In fact our Christian culture is much more invested in their personal rights and safety than they are in presenting the gospel that souls might be saved.

We are not a Christian nation nor have we ever been. The government of this country fashioned itself after the "freedom for all religions" without a strong emphasis on Christ. I hear people who have never been born again using the words "God" to help them cope with their trials but they never speak the name of Jesus Christ.

Most Christians today are invested deeply in preserving their freedoms, their financial well being and their acceptance of family no matter how disobedient to the Word of God those family members may be.

An elderly woman once told me that "religion is a private matter" and that we should not tell others what they should be doing. This was someone who attended church gatherings most of her life and was accepting of many things her "Christian" family members were doing that defied God's principles in His Word.

This woman was angry and disrespectful of those who would correct someone who claimed to be a Christian who was violating God's Word. She had a "form of religion" but denied much of God's Word while ignorant of most of what Christ taught. She even told me once that it was alright to worship angels. As I explained to her that God forbid the worship of angels and that the verse she quoted said; "the false worship of angels", she heard it but had no response. The unresponsiveness was the evidenced that she heard the truth and chose not to believe it.

When I became born again I wanted more than anything to find out how God thought and what He loved and hated. I searched the Bible continually especially when a question arose about the modern church believed. I was always asking questions like; "why do we do that" or "what does that mean"? It was amazing how many things people believed and practiced when they didn't even know why.

This woman I previously spoke of was disdainful of me when I asked these questions and even unable to give me an answer to those questions. The anger seemed to emerge when she couldn't answer and there were many such questions.

When I began to realize that much of what I was taught for many years was merely tradition of men and had not basis in Scripture I was beginning to be set free from the bondage of human traditions. This matter of being set free from human traditions angered those around me who wanted me to fall in line with their thinking.

It is frightening to many people for their belief system to be challenged when the only reason they follow them is because its was what they were taught and what they have always done. Their comfort level was based on those traditions and not on Christ.

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.”

Colossians 2:8

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

When someone becomes angry and rejects you because you challenge their desired belief system you have encountered someone who doesn't understand what they believe or where it came from, they merely do what everyone else tells them to do to maintain their acceptance from the pack.

Mark 7:6-9

"And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"

Many church attendees are just like those God rebuked in the Bible. They say they are Christians but do not obey God's Word except in some things they like while ignoring the things they don't like.

This culture is steeped in psychology which was born out of Darwinism, an atheist who set out to prove there was no God. He rejected the truths of the Bible and favored and taught the opposite of what God proclaimed in His Word.

The beliefs in our culture on many things are based on this system of Darwinism rather than the Bible and sadly has entered the modern church system.

My challenge to everyone who names the name of Christ is to ask the Holy Spirit for truth and then read His Word to obey what is written there. In doing this you will not ignore or skip over certain words to use the other words out of context, but will read all the words to discern the meaning.

When we are determined to read the Word of God with the help of the Holy Spirit our eyes will be opened to all the things that are wrong in the church today and will likely become the enemy of all family members who attend these gatherings.

They will gossip against you even feeling justified in excluding you as well as misinterpreting your character and your beliefs. They are threatened by your resolve to follow Christ in a very real way, beyond just words, dedicated to knowing His heart and obeying what we know.

What most people will not do is ask you why you believe the Bible or to explain why you say what you do. They do not want to hear anything different from what they have already been trained to believe. Becoming estranged from us when we assert the Bible truths with other "Christians" is common and will bring about isolation from them. They will reject us, gossip about us and even accuse us of things that were never true about us.

Remember this:

1 Peter 3:16

"Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."

Matthew 15:9 "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,"

And, never forget this:

Isaiah 54:17

"No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”