Those Who Sow

"Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him."(‭Psalms‬ ‭126‬:‭5-6‬ NKJV)

I love tears! 

For so long, because of the antidepressant I was on, I could not cry! The only time tears would come was when I was angry, and oh at THAT point, you needed to look out!

Tears are not embraced by the world! People are uncomfortable when you cry! The first thing they say is, "Don't cry!" As children we are told not to cry. That, "Big girls don't cry!" "Boys don't cry!" "There's no Crying in Baseball!" "Dry your tears!" And on and on!

Tears serve many purposes! 

Tears show remorse and repentance!

"Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; 

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, 

Blot out my transgressions."(‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭1‬ NKJV)

Tears show a broken heart! 

"The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit."(‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭18‬ NKJV)

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise."

(‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭17‬ NKJV)

What's missing in most churches are tears! If your Pastor doesn't bring you to tears (only makes you feel good), you need to find a new Pastor!

Tears are also evidence of a tender heart, which is to be desired over a hard heart!

"Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness," (‭Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ NKJV)

We should all be weeping for the lost! We should all be crying out to God to open the eyes of the deceived, change their hearts and bring them to repentance!

"because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, ” says the LORD."

(‭II Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭19‬ NKJV)

William Booth said, in response to their prayers not being answered, "Try tears!"

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 3/9/15, 11/5/15

Are You Going

Are you going to heaven?

"“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"(‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭11, 22-23‬ NKJV)

Jesus, in the above verse is speaking to people who believed they were okay and Heaven bound! And again, to the deceived, in the verse referenced below:

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭44‬ NKJV)

In the last two weeks I've heard reports of many deaths, and the hearing of these two, may cause you to question your eternal destination. 

Are you ready to die?

Some friends were doing work on a couple's house. They left some Forgiveness brochures and the next day the man, out of the blue confessed that they were not married. My friends prayed with the man and he repented of his sins. The very next day, he went fishing and died. My friends were amazed and so thankful that they had be obedient to The Spirit. 

Yesterday, I heard of some gentlemen who had gone to a football game, out of state, and on the way back home one of the guys, fell asleep in the back seat and they realized, quite a while later, he had died! 

I'm sure many of us can relate a story of a friend or loved one recently dying. And death is no respecter of age, economic status, or denomination! We do not know when we will die. We are only assured we will! 

Death is the only guarantee in life!

Do you fear death?

If you do, then that is your soul letting you know there is something wrong. And that "something" is sin! If you have unresolved/unrepented sin in your life, then you are not ready! 

You may have bought the ticket, earlier in your life, but haven't gotten on the train! You are still standing on the platform and when the train pulls out you will not be on it! You have got to unload your baggage and give it to The Porter, for you cannot take it with you!

You have got to repent! 

You can go to church or watch it on tv and listen to Christian music; maybe even read your Bible every now and then, or sing in the choir. Or maybe you are a deacon, elder or pastor in the church. It doesn't matter your position; if you are holding onto unforgiveness in your heart, Jesus said you are not forgiven!

Jesus speaking again: "“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14-15‬ NKJV) (Matthew 18:21-35)

In other words, if you don't repent and forgive those who have hurt you, you will not go to heaven, no matter what your denomination teaches!

Examine your heart! You may say you have forgiven many times, however, if "it" still hurts, then it's not forgiven! If you have anger, bitterness, envy; if you worry or fear; that is all sin! Everybody in your church may worry or have fear, but the Bible calls that sin! 

One other thing: if you long for heaven to escape the trials of this life, because it so hard here, then you also need to examine your heart! The trials that we go through are from God to purify us! They are refining fires if you are walking with God! He's coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle! He's got to wash you clean and press out those sins!

Count it all joy! He only reproves His own!

Jesus did not die in payment of your sins for you to continue in them! 

Repent while there is still time! 

If you need to talk, PM me! 

Even so - MARANATHA 

From 10/28/14, 7/7/15

Everyone say

Everyone say: "Pride goeth before a fall", but that's NOT what the Bible says! I heard it again yesterday. And wouldn't you know, my reading, now, is in Proverbs; that very chapter.

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Another one of those verses the devil has twisted. You see, he is pride. He refused to bow his knee to God and doesn't want you to either!

I thought I'd take a closer look at a word we don't use much anymore.

haugh·ty

ˈhôdē/

adjective

1. arrogantly superior and disdainful.

   "a look of haughty disdain"

   synonyms:

   proud, arrogant, vain, conceited, snobbish, superior, self-important, pompous, supercilious, condescending, patronizing; scornful, contemptuous, disdainful;  full of oneself, above oneself;  informalstuck-up, snooty, hoity-toity, uppity, uppish, big-headed, high and mighty, la-di-da "he is both haughty and disdainful"

"La-di-da", "hoity-toity", "vain", "stuck-up"; wow, how many times have we labeled someone we've seen with those descriptions? Yet, we would be crushed to think someone thought that of us! 

I know! I was very shy growing up and in later years, was told by someone - they had thought I was stuck-up. It blew me away! Nothing could have been further from the truth; I had, all my life, such a spirit of rejection on me; of which (through the ministry of forgiveness and repentance) I have just been set free, this year. 

It's not how we see ourselves, or how others see us, however; being "full of oneself" is how God would see us if we are not full of His Son! And the only way to be full of Jesus is to empty ourself of self! 

“that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” ‭

Ephesians‬ ‭4:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15:31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Pride does not want to do this! Pride wants recognition; he lusts for approval. Pride wants his way. Pride is rebellion against God! Pride refuses to humble himself.

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

‭‭James‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”. ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Nothing good comes from pride! 

"Pride goes before destruction"!

We must repent of our pride! 

We must humble ourselves!

Humility is not weakness! In fact it is actually the opposite! Humbling yourself takes great restraint, when your flesh rears its ugly head! It's a daily battle, of which victory is possible with the help of The Holy Spirit and the desire to obey God's commandments. However, if your desire is for things of this world, it will be of little or no consideration. 

Once again, it comes down to the heart! 

Examine yours today and repent!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Psalms‬ ‭51:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Let this be our prayer today and everyday - not just words we read! 

Let it be the desire of your heart; then move pride aside and let God do His will in you! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

There Is A Way

“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”  ‭Proverbs‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Right and wrong. 

At what point is a "wrong" unforgivable?

To what end must we be "right"?

“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed.”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2:18-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

"Christ also suffered for us," He is our example! We are called to suffer if we follow Him! We must lay down our pride, and walk humbly before Him; willingly, as He did for us! He paid the price so that we may be forgiven! There were no qualifications except that we forgive too!  If we want forgiveness we MUST forgive; no matter what!

““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And we must do so willingly, not because they deserve it, but out of obedience to His commandments!  Jesus obeyed The Father because He Loved Him! And we must too! No exceptions! Not negotiable! We need forgiveness, so we must forgive! It doesn't matter the wrong or how right we are, we do so, we forgive, because we love God and He says to do so! We choose to obey; we choose to forgive! We release the person that wronged us!

““Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Unforgiveness keeps us bound! When we choose to forgive and release the wrong, then we are freed! Freedom comes from obedience to God's Word!

What wrong, is wrong enough to keep you from spending eternity with your Creator? Count the cost!

It's okay to be wrong in the world's eyes if we are right in the sight of God!

Jesus - our standard of measure.

Even so - MARANATHA! 

And It Came

 "And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray. And as He was praying, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment became white and dazzling. And behold, there talked with Him two men, who were Moses and Elijah;" (Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭28-30‬ ASV)

How many times have I read this scripture. Countless. 

Every time my focus goes to the following:  

"Now Peter and they that were with Him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory, and the two men that stood with Him. And it came to pass, as they were parting from Him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said." (‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭32-33‬ ASV)

I've always felt a bit embarrassed for Peter, here. I can feel his confusion; identify with him as he opens his mouth and says something, I'm sure, for which he later kicked himself.

And then my focus has gone to God!

"And while he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, My Chosen: hear ye Him."(‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭34-35‬ ASV)

But this morning I saw this:

"who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." (‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭31‬ ASV)

I NEVER noticed it before. 

De-cease

noun: decease

1.  death.

"a doctor's sudden decease"

synonyms: death, dying, demise, end, passing, loss of life, quietus; More

verb: decease; 3rd person present: deceases; past tense: deceased; past participle: deceased; gerund or present participle: deceasing

1.  die.

I guess I had always just mentally inserted "death" for "decease". The CEV uses the word "departure". The AMP puts it this way: "Who appeared in splendor and majesty and brightness and were speaking of His exit [from life], which He was about to bring to realization at Jerusalem." (Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭31‬ AMP)

Yes, we are taught "He came to die." And I've known that from the foundation of the earth God had made provision for mankind to be reconciled to Him through Him, however this morning seeing the "Tense" in which it was used, blew me away! Talking about a future event as done! 

Yes, they "were calling into existence that which did not exist", BUT in fact DID exist! God knew! They knew! Jesus knew, and THAT is why He came! 

I knew His death was planned! I knew after He opened my eyes, that THAT was the ONLY way for us to see God; to be reunited with our Creator.

But, I've read of the carnage the enemy has perpetrated against humanity as religious folks, believing the devil's lies, blame other people for His killing. I remember growing up hearing some Catholics blame the Jews for His death. I expect that that prejudice continues today, in many denominations.

However, today I see (in print) when He said "It is finished", He had indeed "accomplished" His assigned task! He fulfilled THAT which only He could fulfill! He brought the future and the present together in an instant and I'm sure a cosmic shift of galactic proportions ensued! (As some of my friends would say!)

"who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." (‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭31‬ NKJV)

Yes, this was written after the deed was done, but in the Spirit realm it was already a "done deal"! 

And just like Jesus we are called to die, (dying daily) (Luke 9:23-25) and God knows when we will succeed and when we will fail, and has known since the beginning of time. 

I'm so glad He is God and He will accomplish my decease of me! I bend my will.

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 9/15/14, 12/25/15

In The Day

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, When they hear the words of Your mouth. Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, For great is the glory of the Lord. Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me."(Psalms 138:3-7 NKJV)

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?"(Psalms 139:7 NKJV)

"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands." (Psalms 138:8 NKJV)

Thank You Father that You are perfecting Your work in me; no matter where I go; no matter how I fail You, You love me! I will cease striving and rest, knowing that You are working all things out for my good! 

I choose to walk humbly before You, with a repentant heart. Keeping my eyes on You; giving thanks in all things; I will worship You in obedience to Your Word! My desire is for You! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 11/29/13, 12/21/14

Oh Give Thanks

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”  Psalms‬ ‭118:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His mercy endures forever.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This is where my reading began this morning! This is also where my heart beat with my first thought, awakening;  thanking my LORD for His mercies; amazed at the difference a day makes! Praise, peace, rest, and joy;  a wonderful way to start this day.

It was not so yesterday. I was tested. 

“I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.”  Psalms‬ ‭118:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It's funny how I sometimes do not realize I'm in a test until I'm almost through it! Did I pass? Well, I made it through but not necessarily with flying colors! Oh, it could have been so much worse, but His mercy and grace held me up. I checked my heart and in repentance He saved the day. He always does!

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The lyrics from "The Eye of the Storm", playing through my head this morning: "when my sails are torn, Your love surrounds me, in the eye of the storm!" 

Torn sails; dead in the water, but surrounded by love!

I look back at a sequence of events, isolated incidents, strangely connected; like a string of natural pearls, odd but tied together. Upon examination, exposing what was in my heart; repentance required, repentance made, forgiveness received; rest!

“The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Victory, not pretty,  but another lesson learned. 

“It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:10-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

What the enemy meant for harm, God meant for good.

“You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:13-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Giving glory to God! 

I cried out to Him and He answered all of my prayers, ALL DAY LONG! He rescued me when I needed rescuing. He comforted me when I needed comfort and He made away, where there was no way! He gets all the glory! 

“The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.” ‭Psalms‬ ‭118:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalms‬ ‭118:19-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And today, we do it all over again! For this IS the day, He has made for me & I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Then I Returned

"Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, But they have no comforter— On the side of their oppressors there is power, But they have no comforter. Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, More than the living who are still alive. Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. (‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭1-3‬ NKJV)

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." (‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬ NKJV)

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ NKJV)

For too long the body has been captured by the lies of the enemy! Those who promise deliverance are they themselves captured! The blind leading the blind! They have been taught in error and continue to teach the same. Empty promises of deliverance never leading to repentance!  Quick fix solutions with no pain! Don't make me change! I want my cake and eat it too! 

Prophesying of good that leads only to death! 

There is nothing new under the sun and all is vanity! The enemy is still trying to kill, steal and destroy and is succeeding because of spiritual pride! Little fish in a big sea or big fish in a little sea, their job, their living, their passion is an illusion of piety! Empty promises, empty words, the power of darkness offers nothing but darkness. 

You don't build yourself up if you are to die to self! Ministry is life - not a living! Men and women build with their hands what is missing in their hearts! 

The church/corporation providing entertainment for a society that demands to be entertained or they'll take their money and go home! 

All flash, perfectly planned, worshiping idols instead of exalting The One true God whose name is Terrible! 

Fear Him! 

Obey His Commandments! 

Repent and confess your sins that you may be delivered; that you may be healed! 

He, not we are to be lifted up! 

This is not a time for being coddled or cuddled! This is war and only those who have prepared their hearts for service will survive! 

Repent while there is still time!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 10/25/14, 12/21/15

Praise The LORD

“Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can declare all His praise? Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times!” Psalms‬ ‭106:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, We have done wickedly.” Psalms‬ ‭106:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.” Psalms‬ ‭106:13-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, Wondrous works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106:21-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the LORD.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106:24-25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“They did not destroy the peoples, Concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works; They served their idols, Which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons, And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds. Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people, So that He abhorred His own inheritance.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106:34-40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were brought low for their iniquity.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106:43‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, When He heard their cry; And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.” Psalms‬ ‭106:44-45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Save us, O LORD our God, And gather us from among the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106:47‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD!”  Psalms‬ ‭106:48‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Save us, O LORD our God! We have sinned with our fathers; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedly. We have forgotten You and Your mighty works! We have forgotten Your commandments and have sacrificed our children to idols; our land is blood-soaked! We have played the harlot; we worship everything but You! Turn us back to You, oh God! Forgive us and turn back Your wrath - should be our prayer today; our cry!

People stop complaining and pray!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Come You Children

"Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord." (Psalms 34:11 NKJV)

How do we learn fear of The LORD? 

We are taught!

Growing up, I always learned everything the hard way! When my parents would tell me not to do something "or there would be consequences", it was a sure bet, I would try anyway - just to see! It took me a long time to realize sometimes consequences didn't necessarily come immediately, and most often times, the delay made it worse! Even when it looked like I was getting away with something; I would still pay the price; eventually! The old saying, "be sure your sin will find you out", is true! (Numbers 32:23)

Our parents, through a warning, then following through, taught us to fear them; and done right, taught us that that is love! It takes a great deal of love to follow through, than to let the wrong slide! Discipline is hard on both sides, but hardest, I think for the giver! When the lesson is learned, the reward is great for both!

I had a cousin who because of a heart condition at birth and a warning from the doctor, wasn't spanked as a young child, by my grandfather! His behavior was very bad one day, and the warnings came, but no follow-through, and he (as a child) accused my grandfather of not loving him like the rest of us, because he wouldn't spank him!! My grandfather then showed him how much he loved him! My cousin didn't die and was happy!

Our denominations have told us how much our Father loves us, but have not addressed the sin issue! They have not taught us the fear of The LORD! They have not identified what is sin nor it's consequences! 

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him." (Psalms 34:4-9 NKJV)

The only fear we are to have is fear of The Lord!

I, like the writer, "cried out to The LORD" and have been delivered from all my fears, by my loving Father! And I respect and fear Him because of His awesome (terrible) power that delivered me from what were incapacitating fears of "what ifs"!

Because of sin in my life, I gave place for the tormentors to take residence, and they were continually telling me that something bad was going to happen - "if"! 

I acknowledged and confessed my sin of fear! I repented of believing the enemy over God! I repented, in essence of calling God a liar; (unbelief) not believing or trusting that He could take care of me and my loved ones! I repented of being god! I chose to let Him be God and to trust Him to be God in my life instead of me! He sees the big picture! I chose to believe Him and His WORD!   I chose to fear The LORD! He is everything I need and I now have no want!

I will adore Him! I will fear Him!

He set me free!  

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 2/8/14

Therefore Pride

"Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment." (Psalms 73:6 NKJV)

Why won't we turn loose of pride? Why do we hold onto it so tight? Wrapped in fear we cling to our Pride!

Pride stops us from being obedient to God's Commandments! 

Is there anything more important than obedience? No. 

You who believe that you are okay with God; you who say you are a Christian; if you do not obey His Word, you are not following Christ! 

Three times this week while encouraging people to deal with the unforgiveness in their heart and confess their sin; their response/excuse was: "not yet",  "I'm not ready", "maybe tomorrow"!

"And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?"” (Psalms 73:11 NKJV)

Is it even a consideration, in their heart, that they are keeping their sins from God; that He doesn't know? 

All are in the midst of storms, because God is trying to get their attention; trying to turn them back from the broad path they are on, to the narrow path. 

"Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors." (Psalms 73:18, 19 NKJV)

To halt that descent, all they have to do is become obedient to what the Word Of God says! 

"Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18 NKJV)

The proud do not consider what place "pride" has in God's eyes!

"And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”" (Mark 7:20-23 NKJV)

Look where The Word of God places "Pride"!  Do not think in your heart that "Pride" is the lesser of the sins! "Pride" got the devil thrown out of heaven! He wanted to be like God! 

If you are holding onto pride, instead of humbling yourself to obedience of His Word, you are doing the same thing!

And you who are reading this, do not judge those three, for you are just like them! God is calling you also to let go of your pride; humble yourself in obedience!

I promise you; you will humble yourself or God will humble you! Playing Russian roulette, with God, is very foolish! He's calling you to Him, but you have to come to Him on bended knee!

Repent while there is time!

Become obedient to The Word!

- CHOOSE to forgive the person and the act!  (Matthew 6:14-15)

- REPENT of the unforgiveness and the judgments you have held onto, in your heart!  (Luke 13:3) and (Matthew 7:1-2)

- CONFESS your choice to forgive, to a friend!   (James 5:16)

Empty yourself! Make your list of people you need to forgive. Deal with your stuff! Humble yourself! Don't let that spirit of pride rob you; separate you from God another moment!

Obedience IS true worship!

Become obedient and then you too, will read the following scripture, weep and declare:

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalms 73:25, 26 NKJV)

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 5/16/14, 6/30/14

Psalm 73

Psalm 73. Such an amazing Word for these days. If you have not read it recently - do!

However, there are two verses, that are forever written in my heart! So many times have I grasped deep within for encouragement and came up with these!

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭73:25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When men fail me; when friends turn their back on me; when family is not to be found; I come face to face with the realization that He is all I have; He is all I want!

When I let myself down; when decisions don't come; expectations and hopes fail; I again am made aware THAT He alone is true and ALL I need!

“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalms‬ ‭73:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Father God, Maker Of Heaven & Earth, there is none like You! You are enough for any and every moment or need that arises in our pitiful lives. You alone are God, and we are not! You hold our future in Your hands; minute by minute, day by day, year after year! You know everything in it's entirety; nothing is a surprise for You! You are in control of all things; nothing is out of Your reach!  I lay down my life before You, to be used by You in anyway you see fit! I trust in You! Mold me, make me, use me for Your glory, for You are all I need, to complete me.

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Wash Yourselves

"“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;

Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. 

Cease to do evil, 

Learn to do good; 

Seek justice, 

Rebuke the oppressor; 

Defend the fatherless, 

Plead for the widow. 

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool."(‭Isaiah‬ ‭1‬:‭16-18‬ NKJV)

We love verse 18!

The promise of the stain of our sins being cleansed!  

It sounds almost too good to be true! But our God is a big God and He loves us! Right? We can't do it - He does it for us! Right?

The above list, that He says we must do, is short and doable. It doesn't require much on our part - right? (At least the last two) Then God does the rest! Right?

No one reads the next verse.

"If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;" (‭Isaiah‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬ NKJV)

Verse 19 is the game changer! 

Short, sweet, to the point! 

Are we - willing and obedient?

Willing to do what?

Willing to obey?

Well that depends! 

Obey what?

Humble yourself: that would indeed make you willing. But we take Pride in our pride! To obey would mean laying aside our pride. Hmmmmmmm!

Will we obey the commandments we don't like? The uncomfortable ones; the ones we read over or around, like they aren't there? Like how we have done verse 19? The ones that say Repent, Forgive, Confess one to another, Judge not, Love.

You know when God says to do something it is not a "suggestion". Just because it wasn't itemized in the big Ten, doesn't make it less of a Commandment. 

Verse 19 does show, we have a choice. Just like everything else, He tells us to do, we either choose to comply or not! Oh and it helps if we obey with a joyful heart, but He will honor our obedience, just for the sake of obeying! 

Willingness makes it easier! Wanting to please The Father produces a willing heart! His desires become our desires. Obedience like breathing; involuntary! He says forgive, instead of arguing, we purpose in our heart to live and walk in forgiveness; all to please Him!

Oh, I almost overlooked verse 20!

"But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ NKJV)

Very serious!

So choose to be willing and obedient! 

Don't pray, "Lord help me to be willing!"  It's a choice. Your choice! You choose to be willing!

My prayer today: Father, I repent for my lack of willingness to obey Your Word, in the past!  I choose, today, to lay down my will and be obedient! Show me the areas in my life that I have not submitted to you, and I will be quick to comply! I desire to do Your will! In Jesus precious, precious name I pray!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 7/24/14, 3/18/15

Beware Lest Anyone

"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." (‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ NKJV)

If you are listening and obeying church doctrine, and philosophy which are traditions of men over obeying The Word of God, you are being cheated! Cheated out of your salvation! You have to read in your Bible (the un-compromised Word) and that is Who you must follow! If the Word says to do something and your excuse for not obeying is that your denomination doesn't "do" that, then you are deceived!

This is how we are supposed to live our lives!

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12-16‬ NKJV)

If you don't do these things you are not "the elect"! It's that simple! It's black and white; no shades of gray!

If you don't/won't "forgive", you will not be forgiven! Plain and simple! (Matthew 6:15)

If you don't/won't "love" then you are disobedient to The Word and He does not dwell in you! For He IS love! (John 3:16)

If you obey His Word, then His "peace dwells in you"! However, it cannot reside with sin from which you refuse to turn! The tormentor has permission to accuse you as long as you hold onto your sin! When confessed and repented of; he has no foot hold!

Speaking of confession; I'm referring to James 5:16! Laying aside your pride to confess to a brother or sister is where the power comes from to get your healing! The enemy is pride and blocks God's best for you! In submitting to God by humbling yourself, you align your trust in God and turn your back on the one who was thrown out of heaven for refusing to lay down his pride! It is so powerful!!! That is the greatest deception in the church!

When you are truly submitted it is so easy to be "thankful"! Because you know from whence you come and Who did the work! 

The only way for The Word to richly dwell in you is to read your Bible for yourself! That's how I found out The Truth and was convicted of my sins! You see The Word tells you what sin is! The Bible tells you that sin is not just the biggies (like stealing, murder, and adultery) but it's the "little foxes which spoil the vine!" (Song of Solomon 2:15) It's the unbelief, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, judgments, fear, anger, worry: all sin! Just because "everyone does it" doesn't make it right! You holding onto those things shows "who" you follow! However, if you put off the things of the world and let The Word dwell in you, you will live and not die, for He is life!

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."(‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ NKJV)

All of this is doable, or we wouldn't be told to "do" it! You just have to examine your heart and see who is on the throne! Who resides there is your god!

If The Creator of The Universe, is residing there, then you will look and act like Him!  

If you look and act like the world, you need to repent! 

"Turn or burn" to quote a Facebook "friend"! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 4/21/15

This I Know

"This I know, because God is for me!"

Do you KNOW?

“When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:9-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In these days, this has got to be our motto: "In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Fear will be our biggest enemy! The incessant nagging in our ears of "what could be", "what might be" and "what if", will be a constant battle! And men's hearts will fail!

“men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”  Luke‬ ‭21:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When the tormentors come we have a choice on whether to listen and accept or take those thoughts captive and cast them down.

“casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭10:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Know in your heart that God IS in control, no matter what the enemy says! This is the testing of your faith.  You too, will be sifted! Your choice to submit to God, or turn away. Whether the news comes from a doctor or from the media, KNOW that God knows and is interceding on your behalf that your faith may not fail! (Luke 22:32) In these dark days the Light will still shine; let Him shine through you!

"“Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Father, I will walk in obedience to Your Word! I will walk in repentance, in forgiveness and in love! I will keep my eyes on You. I will praise Your holy name! I will - to do Your will!

In You, O LORD, I will put my trust!

"Nothing, nothing, nothing happens to you that is not filtered through the fingers of a loving Father! Satan doesn't have a vote; he is just an instrument! Nothing can touch you, unless the Lord allows it!!" KC

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Through You We

“Through You we will push down our enemies; Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.”  ‭Psalms‬ ‭44:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke‬ ‭10:19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭10:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  ‭Galatians‬ ‭6:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“You are my King, O God;”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44:4‬a ‭NKJV‬‬

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”  I Timothy‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

How Can We

"How can we expect non-Christians to awake if we ourselves are not awakened? How can 'fire' arise if we ourselves do not 'burn'? How shall life be begotten if we ourselves are not truly filled with 'life'?" Erich Sauer

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” "(Mark 12:30, 31 NKJV)

Do you?

 Do you love The Lord with everything you have in you?

 Is He your first love?

What do you have above Him? Your children? Your spouse? Your career? Your hobby? Your church? Your gift? 

What is your passion?

If HE is not your passion then He is an idol!  If you love anything more than Him; if He is not first place in your heart, your mind and your soul, then He is an idol!

“Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If He does not consume your every waking thought, and even inhabit your dreams, then He is an idol!

Do you remember the first time you fell in love? He/she occupied your every thought! Everything you did; you did for her/him! 

Should not our love for God be even greater?

 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. "(Revelation 2:4 NKJV)

God knows, (just like a wife or husband whose spouse no longer loves them), where your heart is! You can lie to yourself and say, "God knows my heart!", and think you are okay, but I have news for you  - okay - doesn't get it, with God!!!

““The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

  "“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:15, 16 NKJV)

Is that you??

Repent of your sin!

Pray that God burns in your heart again, before it is too late!

“And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?””  Luke‬ ‭24:32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Read your Bible. Let it bring you Life!

Even so - MARANATHA!

From 9/11/13, 9/12/13 

Your Word I Have

"Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You." (‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭11‬ NKJV)

There is a complete difference in "head knowledge" and "heart knowledge". You can read and even memorize The Word of God, but until you get it in your heart, all of your discipline is for naught!  

"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."(‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭34‬ NKJV)

What you have in your heart is what you talk about all day long! It's what you post on Facebook! What you find interesting; what you desire. What you deem most important is what comes out your mouth! IT is what HAS your heart!

You can go to church, believe you are saved, call yourself a Christian, but if you live like the world, and desire the things of the world then you are deceived! 

Examine your heart! 

Is your heart's desire for a greater understanding of the things of God or to see the latest movie out of Hollywood or the next concert of your favorite artist? Do you spend hours reading the number one best seller? Do you spend half a day shopping for the latest fashion or look at magazines for the newest car? Is sports your thing? What is your desire? What do you dream about?

When was the last time you got up early to spend an hour or more reading your Bible? Is sleep more important than time spent with your Creator? 

Your flesh will not want to sacrifice sleep, time, entertainment, or enjoyment for God things! It will make every excuse to keep you distracted; to keep you from developing a true relationship with The Lover of your soul! It takes a concerted effort on your part to make your relationship solid! He's available! Are you?

Examine your heart!

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way." (‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭37‬ NKJV)

"Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law."(‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭18‬ NKJV)

Jesus HAS to be THE principle purpose of your life! 

"Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!" (‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭2‬ NKJV)

"I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word." (‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭16‬ NKJV)

It's never too late to turn your life around! Are you ready to repent?

* "Let's Pray: Lord, I confess that I have been blinded by my rebellion and received lies from the enemy. I have felt secure in my sins, but the covers have been jerked off of me and I sit here naked and transparent before You. I repent for my sins and plead for your mercy and grace. Lord, restore my first love. Soften my hardened and cold heart. Please give me ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart that wants only to please you. I confess I have been pleasing myself and have only been giving You token amounts of obedience. Lord wash me, cleanse me, change me; so that I will walk in Your kind of love. Amen"

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 3/8/15

* Prayer copied from "The Unpardonable Sin": a Bible tract; available online at: jesusreignsfellowship.com/brochures/

For Judgement Is Without Mercy

“For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

‭‭James‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Oh mercy! Will we ever truly grasp His importance? Do we even have an inkling of the magnitude of His nature? 

I started to write "its" but this descriptive word is the very character and nature of God! He IS mercy. He doesn't just extend; He IS; the same as I Am! Just like Goodness, Love, Grace, Patience; He IS the embodiment of Mercy! 

We don't think much about mercy, unless we are in need of Him. We cry out for Mercy in our darkness. As the waves come crashing over us, our voice choking; gasps for Mercy to extend His hand to pull us up! And He does, without fail! He is trustworthy! 

“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.” Psalms‬ ‭27:7‬ ‭NKJV

Even when everyone we love has failed us - Mercy is there!

“When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.” Psalms‬ ‭27:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

One thing we must learn, though, is to give mercy, for He is not our nature!

He does not come naturally to us, though we are prone as parents to extend mercy to our children; a gift to us from God, as an example of His mercy to us! How else would we know?

Forgiveness and Mercy walk hand in hand! When someone hurts and disappoints you, out of obedience to God, we must forgive. We have no choice. We want forgiveness we MUST forgive. (Matthew 6:14-15)

The same with Mercy!

“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Matthew‬ ‭7:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In the thick of life; when the enemy is filling your mind with all of his lies, it's the still small voice that breaks through the chaos and says "give Mercy!"  Wow! Saneness returns and love flows through the darkness, bathing everything in glorious light! Peace be still! 

“Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.”  Psalms‬ ‭85:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Father, I repent of entertaining the thoughts of the enemy. Thank You for the whisper in the darkness. Thank You LORD for Your Mercy!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

I Hear People

I hear people say they love The LORD all the time! But their actions do not testify to that!

People love puppies, coffee, movies, chocolate, and good books! They love being outside working in their yard. Or watching scary shows on TV, or shopping, even online, for things! They love being with family and friends - just talking about old times, new ideas or sports! Music, TV, radio, movies. 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭45‬ NKJV)

Noise to fill the silence and anything to keep us from looking at our heart!

Racket to keep us from hearing the voice of God! 

"and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." (‭I Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭12‬ NKJV)

Oh, yes, we love God and we show Him by giving Him two hours a week - if we wake up in time.  Or if we don't have something else we HAVE to do; like mow our yard; run a marathon; or if it's not raining! 

Oh, yes, we pray all of the time to God, asking Him for His blessings; protection, provision, healing! 

But do we spend time with Him?

Do we read His Word? 

Do we obey His Commandments?

Do we listen for His voice?

Do we "follow" Him or is He something else we "do"?

"‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me." (Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬ NKJV)

Is He the first and last thing we think about everyday? Do we talk about Him to others or are we uncomfortable when a radical friend brings His name up in conversation? 

""Therefore by their fruits you will know them."(Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭20‬ NKJV)

When we put that big cross around our neck does it symbolize all we hold dear, or is it a fashion accessory? 

Hopefully these questions and observations make us feel a bit uncomfortable! 

Hopefully they cause us  to examine our heart! 

Do we indeed have a relationship with God or are we just acquaintances! 

Are we a "fan" or a "follower"?

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ NKJV)

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 2/7/15, 4/19/15

What Is A Christian?

What is a Christian? Is that your religion of choice? Have you been "churched"? Did you "ask Jesus into your heart?" Have you bought the lie, "once saved, always saved"?

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" (James 2:19 NKJV)

I had a friend ask me last night, "If I am not a Christian, does Jesus live in me?" She does not consider herself to be one. 

I said,"No Jesus is not in you, if you have not given yourself to Him!" 

In further conversation it seems she had at some point made a declaration of faith, but now admits she hasn't prayed in a long while! 

My response to her was, "If Jesus lives in you, would you be acting, thinking and doing the things you do?"

I went to church most of my life. Made professions of faith; backslid and then turned back to God, when things got rough.

I would again, try to live right, go to church, would get involved, would try to make a difference in my community; would even read my Bible, for a while! Then I would make a mistake; I'd fail; I'd commit a sin! Most of the times it would be a sin of the heart; (like unforgiveness, bitterness, or judging) sometimes a sin of the flesh! But I would hide it, stuffing it down inside me (like God couldn't see it!) instead of repenting of it! I'd just cover it up, and go on, listening to the enemy, who was all the while whispering, "you're all right!" "God understands!" "Your okay", "That is under the blood because you said some words!"!!!  But, I could feel the difference! I could tell my heart was colder; when I'd commit a sin, I wasn't as bothered by it! By then, it would actually hurt to read my Bible,  so I'd only read the stuff that made me feel better! Then I would stop reading altogether, until my life got so bad again, that I'd cry out to Him to save me once more!

So, when my friend asked me if Jesus was in her, it got me to thinking, "what is different in my life now"? I know there has been a major change in my life, and I believe most can see it! 

I attribute the miracle that God has worked in me, to the teaching of obedience and continual repentance of sin! 

Before it was okay to sin, "cause no one is perfect", and that's right, no one is! "All fall short"! And of course the perversion of "grace": "We have grace so it's okay, your sins, past, present, and future are under the blood" Yes, but only through repentance!

There was no importance placed, before, on holiness! 

"because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:16 NKJV)

No teaching of confession of sins! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

(I John 1:9 NKJV)

No emphasis placed on forgiving!  "“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14, 15 NKJV)

These scriptures are all in The Bible (and even more!) and obedience expected! And purposing in my heart to be obedient, is why I'm different today! 

I finally took seriously the scripture: "Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”" (Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV)

If you deal with the stuff your have stuffed down in your heart, clean it all out, (not just cover it up); if you truly repent, and forgive those who have hurt you and repent of all the judgments you have made of them; if you let God shine His light on all the sin you carry around in you, and then be obedient - to follow His commandments; He is quick to forgive and deliver you from the curse of The Law!  Then He pours out His love for you, fills you up, so that it spills onto everyone! 

If you fall in love with Him; make Him the principle purpose of your life, die to self; walk in repentance; then you WILL know if you have Jesus in you! 

No question! 

So worth it!

Wish I had "got it" sooner!

Never going back!!!!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 4/25/14, 7/9/15

For The Time

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?””

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭4:17-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

"If the righteous one is scarcely saved," is a far cry from what churches and Christian music portray "salvation" these days.

scarce·ly

ˈskerslē/

adverb

adverb: scarcely

1. only just; almost not.

   "her voice is so low I can scarcely hear what she is saying"

   synonyms:

   hardly, barely, only just;  almost not "she could scarcely hear what he was saying"

   • only a very short time before.

     "she had scarcely dismounted before the door swung open"
   • used to suggest that something is unlikely to be or certainly not the case.

     "they could scarcely all be wrong"

     synonyms:

     rarely, seldom, infrequently, not often, hardly ever, almost never, on rare occasions, every once in a while; More informalonce in a blue moon "I scarcely ever see him" surely not, not, hardly, certainly not, definitely not, not at all, on no account, under no circumstances, by no means, in no way, noway, noways "this could scarcely be accidental"

     antonyms:

     often

Brother's and sisters we have been lied to, and the lies by the enemy continue! 

Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And again in Revelation: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

"Scarcely saved!"  

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Obedience is the key. 

Today's Gospel allows for one to be saved and do their own thing with no change, because "Christ did it all!"  Never is judgment spoken of; if so it's for others, not for the believer!  Escapism is the belief for the believer. 

Everyone believes he's obedient - walking around with unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, and fear in their heart; judging others; gossiping. Unbelief is the acceptable sin in the Church. 

“And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We will be judged!

Again Jesus speaking: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are called to repentance of our sins! Yet most believe it is just a one time thing! They do not grasp that repentance is a daily walk, as is walking in love and walking in forgiveness. "How many times?" All day long!  (Matt 18:22)

“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”” Mark‬ ‭11:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Obedience is all encompassing! You don't pick and choose what you will obey. It's not about what you agree with; a servant does not argue with his Master. He obeys. 

Disobedience has consequences. 

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?””

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭4:17-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Father, make us to realize that You are God and we are not. Open our eyes, open our ears, change our hearts! Bring us to repentance LORD! In Jesus name we pray.

Even so - MARANATHA!