Tag Archives: God

Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom, Word from God

Conformed with the Age?

large clock

I recently got a word from God that was for the United States and the churches. I felt led by the Lord to expand upon this some more. Let’s look at Romans 12:2 (NKJV) which tells us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”. ‘Do not be conformed to this world’, seems to be something people are lacking application of, even I myself am never perfect. I felt from God to really drill into the first part of that verse. So, I looked up the Greek translation of it and found the Greek word for world in this scripture is aiōni, which means a space of time or age. If you just read this scripture from the King James Bible you think it is talking about the overall customs of the world, however, when you dig deeper into it, we find it is talking about a space of time. If you look at the Christian Standard Bibles translation it says, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”. So, may I ask you, are you conformed to the age?

Now I think it is fair to predict that I might ruffle a few feathers with this type of message, we are living in the last hours and God’s people need to be more and more equipped each day. I am not speaking this to offend, but to enlighten you on what we have accepted into Christianity today. When I was preparing one of my teachings for my series on the Book of Acts, I stumbled on a scripture. After reading this scripture, I felt strongly that I had to teach about it. Paul warned us of what we are experiencing today in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 (NKJV) which says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,  forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”. It is safe to say that there are many who left the true faith and are now teaching a false Gospel. A false Gospel in which deems that sin is okay and lacks to even teach on the dangers of sin. Paul is warning us of false teachers.

You might ask, where do you see a false Gospel being preached? You can easily identify it where a minister fails to acknowledge sin, fails to teach on sin, or fails to even properly answer the most basic biblical questions. You also are seeing many new artists coming out into the Christian media with many ‘Christian’ songs. But when it comes time for these individuals to be interviewed by people of the world, they fail to give any glory to God and fail to talk about the power of God. Rather they talk about the power of music. There are even some who even say they are just artists rather than Christian artists. Yet we still let these people’s songs be played during church worship. Yet people will give more praise to songs written by these types of artists who are not true Christian artists. Just because it is labeled Christian does not mean it is Christian. We not only need to evaluate the words but the fruit of that ‘Christian’ artist. Matthew 7:16 (CSB) tells us, “You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”. We are warned that Satan may not appear like a demon, he might appear as someone behind the pulpit, someone on a Christian station, or someone leading worship. Jesus told us in Matthews 7:15 (NKJV) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”.

Even we Christians fall short at times. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, we must have a desire to sin no more. Yet many Christians are turning to these false teachings. Many Christians turn to Jesus Christ for the wrong reasons. Some people only show up to church when they are in a time of trouble. Some people only pray when they are in a time of trouble. Some people only read the Bible in a time of trouble. The church is not meant to only teach us how to cope with getting a flat tire, it is meant to correct us and keep us out of sin. But ministers are getting scared to teach on sin, afraid they might lose members. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV) tells us, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”.

I encourage you to take some time and really look at your life. Are you where God wants you to be in your faith right now? Are you getting the teaching you need in the church you are in? And most importantly are you conformed to the age?

Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

acts 1:8 bible verse

New Series Intro: Book of Acts

I have been seeking God recently as to what my next series will be on, as I have just finished my teaching series on decision making. My last two posts dealt with a prophetic word I received from God. I don’t know about you, but I strongly believe the Gifts of the Spirit are available to all who ask for it today. I have felt led to start a new teaching series on the Book of Acts. Some people give this book the title of ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles’. Officially the Book of Acts author is unknown, but many believe it was written by Luke. The main purpose of the Book of Acts is to show how God worked through the Holy Spirit in people who were truly devoted to Christ. If you want to have the Holy Spirit work in your life, and outpour in your life, then I suggest that you become truly devoted to Christ 100 percent.

Acts 1:1-8

In this teaching I am going to cover Acts 1:1-8, you can read the full text by clicking here. I would first like to point out a few items in verses 2-3 (KJV), which say: “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”. Jesus gave instruction to his apostles through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was the power behind the earthly ministry of Jesus. In the King James Version of these two verses, it uses the word passion, if you dig deeper into this the passion it is talking about is when Jesus died on the cross. Why did Jesus die on the cross? To save us and give us eternal life. John 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”. Also, Romans 5:8 (NKJV) tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”. After Jesus arose from the dead, He stayed with the apostles for 40 days before he ascended to be with the Father. 

Acts 1:4 (NKJV) tells us, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;”. So what is it that God promised them? Let’s look back at John 14:16 (NKJV) where Jesus said to His disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”.  The word comforter comes from the Greek word Parakletos, which means an advocate or helper. Now let’s jump down a few verses to see what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:26(NKJV), “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”. The Greek word Parakletos refers to the Holy Spirit which is our advocate, who tells us what is to come. The Holy Spirit is our helper who teaches us everything. If you are struggling to understand something in the Word of God, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. The Holy Spirit is also the mediator that glorifies Christ.

If we read Acts 1:5 (NKJV) it says, “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”. This scripture tells us about how John the Baptist baptized people with water, which was symbolic of repentance. Repentance is still important today, we all need to repent of our sins, and sin no more. However, we know Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we become born again the Holy Spirit makes our spiritual being new. We are to sin no more after our second birth when we become born again. However, going away from sin 100 percent is not an overnight process, and there is no quick way to do it. This requires us to spend time in the Word of God, in prayer, in church and fellowshipping with other Christians. Once we are born again our Spirit knows not to sin, but often our soul and body get in the way. Our soul is our mind, and our body is the flesh. We must renew our mind with the Word of God and apply it so that our newborn Spirit can overtake our soul (mind), and then our body (flesh). Romans 12:2 (ESV) tells us, “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.”.  Many people are religiously, and worldly brainwashed and do not accept the fact us having a Spirit, soul, and are inside a body. I would encourage those people to read 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV), which tells us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I would next like to skip to Acts 1:8 (NKJV) which says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive a power inside of us, therefore we must allow the Holy Spirit to overflow in us so that we can receive which Gifts of the Spirit God has for you when you ask to receive them. Often, we become too busy to truly overflow with the Holy Spirit. We need to be constantly sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Often in church, you look back at the clock. We should not limit the Holy Spirit. Ministers should not be concerned about the timing. If a church service goes longer than expected, then it was meant to be, someone might have needed to hear a word or maybe someone needed prayer. We need the Holy Spirit to run our churches, not the world. When we let the Holy Spirit in our churches and in our lives, we can expect a breakthrough to happen in our lives, and in other people’s lives inside our churches. If we keep trying to run on a restrictive time schedule, then we put a limit on the Holy Spirit. It is wrong to limit the Holy Spirit because it is given without measure. John 3:34(NKJV) confirms this, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”. I felt God tell me as I was writing this to not limit the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit knows how to do His job and He does His job perfectly. Furthermore, in Acts 1:8 it discusses the disciples being a witness of Jesus Christ to people all over the known world at that time. That applies to each of us today, we must take the Word of God to all the world. Mark 16:15 (NIV) tells us, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”. God told me that someone will read this teaching and that God is calling you into going on the mission field. If God is calling you to do something, He will make a way for you to do it if you stay faithful to Him. Philippians 1:6 (NIV) reminds us, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”. However, you may not be able to go on a mission’s trip to another country, or that may not be your calling. But what about spreading the Word of God in your own town, city, state, our country. There are many people who live near you who need to hear the Good News!

As I close this teaching, I would encourage you if you have not done so already, to accept Jesus Christ as your savior. As you begin to develop a personal relationship with Him, you need to ask God to baptize you with the Holy Spirit as they were in the Book of Acts. Everyone will have their own unique gifts. Also, allow the Holy Spirit to overflow in your life, don’t try to manipulate the working of the Holy Spirit, otherwise you will get stuck in a rut. Not letting the Holy Spirit overflow is what causes constipated Christians, it lets the enemy put pebbles in living water that is flowing within us from Jesus Christ.

Christianity, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

Revelation 21:8 In-Depth

brown rock formation (hell)

In my previous post, I did an in-depth look at sin and what a sinful life leads to. One of the scriptures I used is Revelation 21:8. I promised at the end of my previous post that my next post would be an in-depth look at the scripture of Revelation 21:8.

 

Looking back on Revelation 21:8 it mentions the sins that lead to one going to the lake of fire. Many of the items listed in this scripture of items that we have adopted into our society and even Christians view some of these as okay. There are many churches and preachers who lack correcting sin and preaching on sin in churches today. If you ever go into the Christian section at Barnes and Noble you will see many good Christian books by great authors. However, we must be careful of what is true and what matches God’s word. There are many ‘feel good preachers’, who get you to listen to them by telling you what you want to hear rather than the entire word of God. These types of preachers and teachers are cowards for not giving the full message of God. We are warned of this in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”.

 

In Revelation 21:8, it also mentions the faithless will be in hell. We are warned of this in Romans 14:23, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”. We also have mentioned the murderers, idolaters, and liars, you simply just need to look at the ten commandments for these and know they are wrong. 

 

The scripture also mentions sexual immorality, we have such a culture war over this one in our world today with what is now acceptable. We have many books and movies coming out that are sexually immoral. I will blast one that got a good bit of popularity very recently and that is Fifty Shades of Grey. This book was so popular in bookstores everywhere, and the movie was even more popular. I was a senior in high school when this book came out, I saw many people, glued to this book. Many were talking with each other about this book. I was even surprised to see middle school students reading the book, I was shocked that any parent in their right mind would allow their child to read that book.  The enemy is setting up camp in the entertainment world to make immoral content appear interesting to people of all ages. There is a video clip from Paul Harvey regarding this that was recorded many years ago and I encourage you to listen to it. I will link the recording at the end of this post. Imagine how much of a better world we would live in if people would have got excited about the Bible and talking about that Bible, instead of Fifty Shades of Grey. Aside from a current event perspective, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God”. Additionally, 1 Corinthians 7:2 says, “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”.

 

One last item that was mentioned in Revelation 21:8 that I would like to discuss is the term sorcerer. It is defined as ‘a person who claims or is believed to have magic powers’. Some of the synonyms for sorcerer are a wizard, witch, magician, warlock, enchanter, enchantress, magus, and several more. I believe I could count four occasions during my K-12 experience when a magician was brought into school. Many people might look into tarot card readings or horoscopes or see a witch to tell them their future. We are warned that people that practice sorcerer is false and are of the devil. Though they might not seem evil we must be so careful. 2 Corinthians 11:44 says, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”. Additionally, Leviticus 19:31 says, ““Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”. Our children are also exposed to learning witchcraft everytime they go to the library or bookstore. You will often see the very popular Harry Potter series. There is an excellent video of a former witch who gave her life to Christ, she discusses how the Harry Potter series teachers and exposes children to witchcraft. I will also link that video below.

 

There is so much more of how the devil works around us in this dark world that we are exposed to every day. As followers of Christ we must be careful of what we do, think, read, watch, and listen to. I would like to challenge you to assess what you expose yourself to daily in this dangerous world. Do any of the things I listed in this article apply? As followers of Christ we must not become devoted to things of this world, but the Word of God and serving God with our unique purpose. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”.

 

Paul Harvey Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Brmpv2D-xk

Ex-Witch Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZccQTMdqQ10

Christianity, Inspiration, Testimony

Why Fear?

fall path with light

It is human nature to experience fear at many points in your life. The experience of fear can be very short, or it can be very long. The word fear is defined as to be afraid of someone or something as to be dangerous, painful or threatening.  According to a survey done by Chapman University, some of the top fears in 2018 include corrupt government officials, not having enough money for the future, loved ones becoming seriously ill, loved ones dying, high medical bills, and many more. These are all common things to fear, and I am sure you can brainstorm a long list of many more.

But too often we let our fear get the best of us, and we often forget God’s Word in times of fear. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”.  We must remember that God has a plan for us. You might be worrying about your future with your job, house, insurance, or retirement, but God has a plan at work for you for your future. We must trust in him and seek him. Jesus tells us in Matthews 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”.

As I said previously we must trust in the Lord. We know he has plans for us not against us. It might seem impossible right now, but God knows the result and will have the final say in the situation. We must trust and seek the Lord in all we do in our daily lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”.  Additionally, Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”. The word sought also means to seek like I said before we must seek the Lord along with trusting in Him.

Some people might have issues with anxiety and may have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. When I was in fourth grade I had terrible anxiety issues, I was even put on medication for it. Without the medication, I would not be able to sleep at night. One night I was prayed for at my church, and I went home that evening. My family got home later than usual, and I forgot to take my medication before bed. I slept great that night and didn’t take the medication the next several nights and had no issues. By the body and blood of Christ, I was delivered of that anxiety issue. Now there are times I might still get nervous about something here and there. That is normal for really anyone. So, whether you are dealing with a chronic anxiety disorder or just regular anxiety remember what God’s word tells us. Also remember Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”.

By seeking the Lord daily and trusting in him, you can overcome your fears.  Don’t sit back and let your fear consume your mind, you must conquer your fear with God’s Word, otherwise, your fear will conquer you.

 

Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation

Staying in the Word

Bible opened up to Psalm, with cup of coffee

So where do you stand right now with the Lord?  If you have already accepted Jesus as your savior that is great. But there is so much more to your walk with the Lord, other than saying the sinner’s prayer sincerely. We have been given a very great tool to help us in our walk with the Lord, and that is the Bible. With the great advancement of technology, you can literally carry the Bible in your pocket anywhere you go!

 

The Bible is a large book to read, it can seem overwhelming to anyone to read. The Bible has been translated into many different languages. In English, we have many options available to us. We have a word for word translations, such as the King James Version or the English Standard Version. Additionally, we have a sentence for sentence translations, such as the New International Version. So there are many different options in the English language you can pick from for what is right for you.

 

Why must we read the Word of God daily? Psalm 119:9 (NKJV) says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” The NIV version translates this as, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”. The word pure means: genuine, real, true, incorrupt, unadulterated, from guilt, guiltless innocent, and chaste. James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”. Living your life according to the Word of God, will bring you success in your life in the eyes of the Lord. Of course, you will have obstacles in life, and when troubled times come you must know what His Word says, and accept His promises. It is one thing to hear and read God’s word, but we must also act on it, including his promises to us. Matthew 7:24 says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”.

 

The Bible is about 2,700 years old, you might question why you should apply something to your life if its thousands of years old. This is also answered in scripture several times. Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”. No matter what, God’s word is still alive today, if it was true yesterday then it will be true today and forever. Furthermore, in Hebrews 4:12  it says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”. As we live in a dark and fallen world, we need something to guide us, and that is the Bible. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”. By having a personal relationship with Him and putting his Word to practice he will keep us protect and provide for us. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”

 

Only by the Word of God and His grace, by Him sending His only son to die for our sins,  can you be saved, James 1:21 says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”. I challenge you if you haven’t already to do the following to get closer to God (along with regular church attendance):

  1. Accept Jesus as your personal savior. Read John 3, regarding The New Birth.
  2. Find out which translation works best for your daily reading.
  3. Read the Bible Daily, there are many great tools to develop a reading plan the works best for you. Here are several good resources to help…
    https://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/?version=NIV

    https://www.mybibleplans.com/

  4. As you read the Bible, live your life accordingly and accept God’s promises (healing, provisions, strength, etc.).
  5. After you read it entirely read it again and study deeper into it.

 

Christianity, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

What You Tolerate, Will Dominate

chain links

What is it that you tolerate in your life? Do you tolerate bondage, depression, sickness, pain, or even poor circumstances? These are all things that are of our world, but are they of God? No, they are not of God. God made this world for us to enjoy our time on, to have a purpose and mission, however, this is a dark world full of sin. If we continue living lives by our flesh, we will be dominated. If we live our lives by Spirit we will have eternal life.

 

In John 3:3 Jesus said: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”. Further, in this same chapter, Jesus explains what born again means, along with differentiating flesh and Spirit. In reading verse six, Jesus said: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”. If you jump down to verse sixteen, Jesus said, “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”. So by being born again which makes us new of Spirit we have eternal life, through the one and only Son of God.

 

So in being born again, how are we to live our lives? Are we to live according to our flesh?  No, Paul said in Romans 8:12, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.”. Okay, you cannot live by flesh, so how must you live? If you read the next verse it says, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”.So we are to live by our Spirit, our Spirit brings us closer to God in our personal relationship with him by being born again. By living in Spirit, God protects us because we are his children. This is supported in the next verse Paul wrote (Romans 8:14), “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”.

 

So how about if you are already born again and have a strong relationship with God, and down the road, you get struck by a horrible disease for which there is no cure, and you can only manage the symptoms for the rest of your life, what do you do? You might begin to question God, become depressed, and turn away from God. Sickness is not what God intended for anyone. There is no sickness or pain in heaven. But we live in a world of darkness, so we will encounter times of trouble in our lives. This is when we have to put our faith in God’s Word into action. If God’s Word promised us something, then we need to be steadfast, ask for it and believe we will receive it according to his will.

 

If you are dealing with an illness remember Isaiah 53:5, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes, we are healed.”. Notice it uses ‘we are healed’. Not we might be, but we are healed. Having faith for healing is like planting a seed, you plant it and water it and make sure it can get sunlight where you plant it. Do you take your seed out of the ground and check on it? No, no farmer would do that. It is the same thing with faith, we often are led by how the flesh feels with our natural five senses, we forget we need to act in Spirit with our faith. James 2:17 says, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”.

 

We will encounter many challenges on earth even if we are born again. Remember Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”. Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper,”. So we will encounter weapons, but according to God’s will, they will not prosper. We might go through a hard time, such as a disease, job loss, or bad circumstance but, we must remember God’s will for us in His Word and live our life to it. We must pray to expect with faith according to His Word. By going through trials in life, if we act in faith according to His will we will come out stronger in the end.

 

2 Corinthians 11:20 says, “You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.”. This talks about when one is the slave of another, but if you put this into perspective this is the same when you are a slave unto your sickness or poor circumstances. Should you tolerate your sickness? No, it is God’s will to heal you. Should you tolerate your poor circumstances? No, God has plans for you, not against you. This is a concept other preach on and is true, what you tolerate, dominates you. If you tolerate a sickness, instead of applying the healing scriptures of the Word to your life, it will dominate you. If you tolerate poor circumstances, instead of applying God’s Word regarding his plans for you, your poor circumstances will dominate you. We might have to change course at times to get on track with God during these times, but we should not tolerate times of trouble, we should turn to God and overtake the situation with our faith.  Even in the darkness of the world, remember Deuteronomy 31:6, “ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”.

 

Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin

Forgiving Others

flowers

As followers of Christ, we must know and apply the word forgiveness every day of our lives. We all should know that our sins are forgiven by our savior Jesus Christ. By knowing him as your personal savior your sins become forgiven and you are made new in Spirit, as written in John 3. We all can be forgiven by the blood of Jesus, Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”. This is confirmed in Colossians 1:14, “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”. God loves everyone even the sinner, this is why he sent his only son to die for us, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”. If you read further to the next two verses, “ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”. By God sending his son to Earth to die for our sins and to heal us of our infirmities this confirms God’s love for us. Looking at 1 John 4:9 it says, “In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.”.

So we know that God’s Word says Jesus was sent to die for our sins so that we can be forgiven. But what about when others do us wrong? What about when someone cheats you, lies to you, or just plain out hurts you? Whether this is done intentionally to us or not, God’s Word provides us with very clear instructions on handling this. Luke 6:37 says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”. Further, Matthews 6:14-15 says, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins might find it difficult to forgive others when they wrong us.”. God commands us that we forgive others who do us wrong.

If we cannot forgive others then how can God forgive us? Holding a grudge against someone else doesn’t accomplish anything, it is not what God wants us to do either. Job 5:2 says, “For anger slays the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple.”. Also, Proverbs 20:22 says “Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.”. We must remember that God will deal with those who do us harm for it is written. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”. Additionally Romans 12:17-21 says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”.

By looking at God’s Word we know that he commands us to forgive others and not to seek revenge. When you are dealing with someone that is giving you a hard time or just being annoying to you it can be difficult to forgive them. But by forgiving them and treating them kindly you show them God’s love by example. We must remember that God didn’t just send his son Jesus to die for your sins, but the sins of those who have harmed you and annoy you. By living your life as an example you can show them God’s love and will give an opportunity for them to know Jesus as their savior.

Christianity, Inspiration, Wisdom

Seeking God in Choices of Life

split pathway

Every day we make many choices in the day whether we realize it or not Some are quick decisions, such as what to wear or what to eat. Other times we have greater choices to make, for example: deciding on a job offer, buying a car, enrolling at a college, and many more. Making life changing choices is not going to be an easy task, whether you are a Christian or not. God’s Word offers great advice on making good choices. Although they won’t be a direct answer to your specific situation all the time, it is important to seek God when making important choices in life.

 

I think many of us have been at a point in our life when we have to choose between two roads. This could be a job, college, car, or home. Sometimes there are more than two options. One verse to turn to is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”. Often we tell ourselves we know exactly what is best for ourselves, but we must remember that God has a unique plan for each of our lives. Sometimes what we think the best path, it turns out to be the exact opposite of where God wants to take you. This is why we must seek God continually as said in 1 Chronicles 16:11, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”.

 

In life, we will face trials and have to make choices while dealing with trials. While going through a trial you might ask, why did God let this happen to me? You might be sick with a new condition, or lost a job, or have a major car repair. Whatever it may be we must remember Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute 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.”. God never promised the weapons wouldn’t form, he just promised that they would not prosper. In any situation, you must cast your care to the Lord and continue to seek him with guiding you. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”.

 

When you become born again by accepting Christ into your heart as your savior you must remember to make decisions by the spirit and not flesh. Making decisions of our flesh will often lead to sin, Galatians 5:16-17 says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want.”. By being born again is the only way to see the Kingdom of God, as mentioned in John 3:3, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”. If you read further you will see flesh and spirit differentiated by Jesus in verse six, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”. By being born again all the old in your life passes away, while it becomes a new beginning for you in your walk with Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new.”. If you are born again, I encourage you to make sure you seek God in the decisions you make, so you can avoid making decisions based on your flesh rather than of your spirit.

 

There is so much more you can study in the Word of God when making decisions, Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”.  As always remember the Lord is with you in all your go through and all the choices you make in life. One of my favorite verses that others share with me also is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”. So seek God in all you do and remember he is always with you and has plans to prosper you!

 

Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation, Testimony

God is Love

cross

Love is a very strong word that we use in our everyday life. We love someone or something, you love your spouse or you love that fresh meal. Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection or a person or thing that one loves. Other words that go with love are warmth, attachment, devotion, worship, passion, desire, and many more. Did you know God loves everyone, even the sinner? God does not like when we sin, but he still loves us. The saying, “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner”, can be backed up in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”.

 

God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 says “ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”. You might ask, how did God show his love to us? What action did God do, that represents his love for us? If you read the next verse in 1 John 4:9, “ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” Jesus was sent to earth so that he could live and experience life like we do, but die on the cross for everyone’s sins. The next verse says “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”.  In addition to Jesus dying for our forgiveness of sins, all those who believe in him by being born again are promised everlasting life as mentioned in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”.

 

So God did his part in loving us by sending his son to die for our sins, what is our part in loving God? Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”. You must live your life for God and his kingdom, what can you do to serve God? We all have different talents and abilities such as, caring for others, leading, teaching, cleaning, music, computers, and many more. We all have at least one talent that you can use for God’s kingdom. If you have the ability to teach, maybe you can teach a Sunday School Class. Maybe you have the musical talent, maybe you can join your church choir. Maybe you are a computer science student, why not make a website to share the Word of God to people all around the world? God appreciates any deed we do big or small, as long as we do it with our best. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”. Peter Marshall once said, “Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned”.

 

Another important aspect of love is loving one another. If you go back to 1 John chapter 4 and continue to verse 11 it says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”. There will be people in our lives that we cannot stand to deal with, whether it be at work, school, church, or even our own family, we must still love them. The same Jesus that died for your sins, died for their sins also.

 

So how can you show your love to God and to others? How can you plan going forward to do good deeds for God’s Kingdom? Do you show love to everyone in your life, even the people that get on your nerves? These are all important questions to ask, along with making sure our personal relationship with our savior always remains fresh, by staying in the Word, and living our lives accordingly.

Christianity, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Testimony

Rejoice All the Time, Even in Hard Times

flower in pile of trashLet’s face a simple fact, life is not and will never be easy. Often people will ask followers of Christ, ‘why are you not healed?’, ‘why are you still suffering?’, and many more to question your beliefs. When faced with anything that causes us suffering in life we can often get discouraged, often we can let our mind get the best of us. In times of suffering, we can have many thoughts race through our head while dealing with whatever the situation is. But we need to remember what God’s word says.

James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”. This verse clearly explains to always be joyful no matter what. An important word in this scripture is steadfastness, synonyms for the word steadfast are loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, true, solid, and several more. So even in times of trials, we are to be faithful and must be steadfast, so that we can continue to grow both personally and in our relationship with Christ.

If you read further, James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”. Those who go through hard times and keep their faith and trust in God will receive “the crown of life”. Jesus even told us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”. By Christ dying on the cross and rising from the dead,  he has overcome the world, like James 1:2-4 says we must be joyful during times of tribulation.

If you read in Romans 8:28 it says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”. If you have a loving personal relationship with God, all things work together under God’s purpose. Part of having a loving personal relationship also deals with being steadfast. Are you committed, devoted, and dedicated to staying in God’s Word and living your life accordingly? An important part in receiving the promises of God’s word is living your life accordingly and not just believing in your mind but in your heart.

If you read further in the Book of Romans, you will see in Romans 12:2 it says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”. God does not want us to be conformed to follow things of the world. Following the trends of the world we live in, leads to sin, which will draw us further away from God. To stay close to God we must accept his son as our savior, stay in the word daily, and do our best part in living our life according to his word and will for us individually.

 

Some other important verses to remember during struggles are:

  • Psalm 27:1, “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”
  • Isaiah 41:13, “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”
  • Ecclesiastes 7:9, “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”

There are many other scriptures I could go on about for times of struggle, but let’s remember to have faith in the Lord, and be steadfast, and all things for those who love Him work for the God of His purpose.