06/28/24 OPTIONAL TO UNNECESSARY

06/28/24 OPTIONAL TO UNNECESSARY

I copied this from a friend. Yeppir.

WHEN CHURCH BECOMES OPTIONAL TO YOU
IT WILL BECOME UNNECESSARY TO YOUR CHILDREN.

06/27/24 GOD'S REQUIREMENTS

06/27/24 GOD'S REQUIREMENTS

God calls us to salvation from sin and sinning, calls us to follow Christ, calls us to be holy. 

God directs us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, to walk in the light, to walk in the Spirit, to walk in love, to walk in faith, to walk in holiness. 

God commands us to make our calling and election sure. 

If we are not meeting the above standards (of course by God's miraculous, enabling, salvific grace), then we are not elect. 

Believe (trust), repent (turn), follow (obey), because either God separates us from sin or sin separates us from God. 

If your state of grace does not conform you to the image of Christ, then your grace is graceless.

06/24/24 FREE OR FORCED

06/24/24 FREE OR FORCED

If you do not have a free will, then your service and submission to God is mechanical and legalistic. 

God gave us a free will and enables the unbeliever to choose between faith and rejection, and the believer to choose between submission and rebellion. The true believer obeys God because he is a new creation, a new man, a partaker of Divine nature and recipient of redemptive love and transforming salvation. 

God actually SAVES us from our sins by redeeming us from every lawless deed and purifying us as a distinctive people, zealous to do good works. 

We love him freely and obey gladly. In fact we keep His commandments because we love Him and do that which is pleasing in His sight and His commandments are not burdensome or grievous. 

This is why it is Divine salvation. If this is not your experience and relationship and reality, then you need to get saved. 

Believe on the Lord and you shall be saved from your sins, including sin's penalty, pollution and power.

06/24/24 READ IT CORRECTLY

06/24/24 READ IT CORRECTLY

Divine sovereignty, justice, righteousness, mercy, kindness, tenderness, compassion, patience, love, jealousy, wrath, vengeance, veracity, asceity, wisdom, knowledge, power are not conflicted or contradictory but rather coordinated and consistent. While each trait is in unity with each other, they are distinct and must not be played against each other. 

John 3:16 says...
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

God is sovereign, but this verse does not say,
"Because God is sovereign, He sent..." 

God hates sin, and is angry with sinning and is vengeful, but this verse does not say,
"Because God is vengeful or angry or because God hates sins and sinners, He sent..." 

God is righteous and just, but this verse does not say,
"Because God is just and righteous, He sent..." 

God's nature is not conflicted or contradictory and His traits are not in opposition to one another; they are complimentary and in coordination with one another. 

God sent His Son to seek and to save the lost (sinners) by dying sacrificially and rising physically from the dead. 

But never forget, and never let anyone confuse you, God provided salvation for the lost world because He loved people while they were in their sins. Jesus was sacrificed because of God's love and mercy, not because of His wrath and hatred of sin. 

As a sacrifice, Jesus satisfied Divine justice and delivers whoever believes, from Divine wrath.

Christ died for the sins of the whole world because of love, mercy, compassion and grace. He did not die because He is wrathful, hateful, vengeful, or sovereign. God has all of those traits, but salvation came because He does not want any to perish, but that all may come to Him through faith and repentance. 

Believe on the Lord and you shall be saved.

06/24/24 CHARACTER COUNTS

06/24/24 CHARACTER COUNTS

If you hear someone criticize the parishioners or pastor of a local church, you need to find out what was the Biblical reason they are no longer a part of that church. This requires getting the facts from reliable sources. Malcontents are angry with Biblical authority and the doctrine of a pure heart and a holy life. They refuse to accept Biblical standards and submit to Biblical authority. It is much easier for them to drift around, looking for gullible churches which allow wild goats to ravage the flock for their own glory. 

Humility and submission are essential for Christian living and ministry. Pride and self assertion are expressions of carnality and rebellion, therefore unacceptable in Christian service.

I spoke to our men (teens and older) this past week about the need for men in the church to prepare and to focus on their ministries. This should begin as soon as people are saved, even at a very young age. 

It has always been the exception rather the rule to find churches with on-fire, deeply dedicated, young men, even in Bible preaching churches. In our men's meeting I gave opportunity for each one to share observations from their past and their present views concerning the condition of churches today. We agreed that it is highly unusual to find local churches with even one young man on-fire for the Lord. 

A person can be a deeply dedicated and aggressively active Christian worker, regardless of his age, gifts, training, personality (temperament). Whether an extrovert or an introvert, bold or reserved, confrontational or quiet, all men of God should be totally committed and actively perfecting their skills to fulfill the calling of God on their lives. 

We talked about the "flash-in-th-pan" types that start with great fervor and focus, but then they turn their eyes from God, His word, His glory, His church, His calling, to self centeredness and self promotion. They stop being servants and seek to be served. They stop being kind and become cruel and critical. They are on a mission, but it is a self-serving mission. 

Sometimes God calls, blesses, gifts, enables people in extraordinary ways, but they leave their first love; they fail to produce the fruit of the spirit, they become hard headed and hardhearted. People who were loving, tenderhearted, humble, self denying become cold, callous, crass. 

I pointed out that if there were 100 churches in a region, which preached a sound salvation message, whether Baptistic, or Holiness or Pentecostal or Ritualistic (Liturgical), and therefore differing in the doctrinal specifics, there would only be a small number of those churches with fired-up young men reaching out to the lost and serving the local believers. Far too many have started out in the right direction, but they were sidetracked or drifted away. 

Local churches need men (young and old) to take up Christ's banner and march into the battle against darkness. And many of those, whom God has called, need to repent of self aggrandizement and spend their energies lifting up Christ.

06/24/24 GROWTH IS ESSENTIAL

06/24/24 GROWTH IS ESSENTIAL 

Though I have seen many people move away from a firm foundation of faith and godly intent and strong resolve, I have never seen a person outgrow their need for humility, compassion, or obedience, regardless of their age, or their Biblical training, or their spiritual experiences. 

Aging does not always include growing or maturing, or developing. We determine our own growth, closeness to God and likeness to Jesus. 

God provides the grace, the transformation, the miracle of salvation, and we provide the submission, the willingness, the determination and the vessel.

06/16/24 WISDOM IS THE ELEMENT

06/16/24 WISDOM IS THE ELEMENT

Though our observation of a situation may be accurate, it does not mean our interpretation or evaluation is accurate.

Wisdom can avoid much confusion and division.

06/17/24 TWO TERRIBLE TRUTHS

06/17/24 TWO TERRIBLE TRUTHS

God's word is true, even when the truth it tells us is terrible (something that is extremely or distressingly bad or serious). 

Two terrible truths are:
Matthew 7:23
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Matthew 10:36
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 

I saw the following statement on a friend's FB. It is a sad fact that sometimes happens through people who claim to be Christians. A lie is a lie and a lie that is spoken against a believer is a blasphemy. Be careful to not be deceived by blasphemers (remember Alexander the Coppersmith). But sadly, "Christians" are often led astray by "sheep in wolves clothing," which results in killing the real sheep and their outreach to other people. 

Restated from a friend...
Rumors can make you dislike innocent people. Don't judge people because of what others are saying about them. Be wise, get to know them for yourself, then form your opinion. The one talking to you, may be the one you need to avoid.

06/13/24 BEWARE DOCTRINES OF MEN AND DEVILS

06/13/24 BEWARE DOCTRINES OF MEN AND DEVILS

If your doctrine does not result in godly living, a pure heart, and a clean conscience, then you do not have the faith of God. 

Instead you believe in fables, legends and myths. Someone has misled you to believe the doctrine of men and devils. 

If your preacher tells you that you cannot obey God, or keep His commandments, or walk in righteousness, or be perfect in love as God the Father is perfect in love, or be pure in heart as Christ is pure, or be conformed to the image of God's Son (and the Biblical list goes on), then your preacher is not telling you the truth, and you have no understanding of salvation or of overcoming grace, or the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

06/12/24 NEGLECTING IS REJECTING

06/12/24 NEGLECTING IS REJECTING

The devil is the deceiver. If he cannot get you to actively reject Christ, he will get you to neglect Christ, which is the passive way to reject Christ. Not choosing Christ is to choose against Christ. Not choosing to obey Christ (as a Christian), is choosing to sin. Not choosing, is choosing. Satan has even formed a false faith, which he deceptively calls, "the doctrines of grace," which are actually the lies of gracelessness. Disbelief and sinning takes no grace.
The Scriptures clearly and repeatedly calls us to believe, repent and follow. Believing, repenting and following is the choice of salvation. To not believe, repent and follow is the choice of damnation. 

John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

John 3:36
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

God's word means what it says and says what it means,
Don't reject God's lines for the devils "in-betweens."

06/07/24 KNOWING BIBLICAL TRUTH

06/07/24 KNOWING BIBLICAL TRUTH

Some beliefs and actions are totally and obviously anti Biblical and unChristian. There are some people who claim to be saved, but either promote, practice or permit some of those beliefs or actions. The discrepancy is based on corrupted teaching concerning Bible, culture, politics. Saving grace responds with caution and love, but it's careful to learn and live by Divine revelation and godly precepts.

Sometimes the heart travels express, but the head travels slow freight. Eventually the heart will lose ground or the head will catch up. Take steps to love God with your whole heart, mind, strength and your neighbor as yourself. This includes living righteously and loving perfectly. 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 

Matthew 22:36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

06/05/24 BE AWARE OF YOUR WARNING

06/05/24 BE AWARE OF YOUR WARNING

Be careful, be cautious. God warns us,
2 Corinthians 11:3
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 

Being loving sometimes includes being vulnerable. 

Being loving should never include being gullible. 

Beware of people who blaspheme (speak against) God, God's word, godly people, godliness. Even when honey drips from their lips there is venom in their kiss. The poison of asps is under their lips. 

Blasphemers should be loved but never trusted. Their agenda is destruction of truth, righteousness, unity of the brethren. 

Blasphemers are hypocrites, users, defiler, enemies of the cross and enemies of the people of God. 

Be Biblical in your view of blasphemers because your soul, your witness, your ministry and your Christian relationships are at stake. You are safer in handling a rattlesnake than a human viper because destruction, misery and division is their work.

06/04/24 BEING RIGHT INCLUDES DOING RIGHT

06/04/24 BEING RIGHT INCLUDES DOING RIGHT

You can't be right with God if you don't do what is right.

Here are the right things that God enables and expects us to do. (yes, DOING is part of the Christian experience and life). 

Believe that Christ died and rose again for your sins in order to reconcile you to God, forgive you, regenerate you. 

Confess to God (confess your sins to Christ with contrition and confess your need for His salvation). 

Repent of (turn from) your sins (sinful life). This includes changing your mind and changing your direction. 

Follow Christ (this is the active, obedient faith of salvation). 

Confess to other people (confess Christ as your only Savior). 

This is Biblical and Historic Christianity. God initiates, provides, enables, empowers and requires human response. God is not dependent on our obedience. God will do His will. He will convert those who submit to God's will through faith or He will condemn those who reject God's will. 

Doing the will of God is the response of those who surrender to the will of God. Remember, we were saved in order to do the will of God.
(I placed an asterisk * in order to draw your attention to specific phrases).
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 *For we are his workmanship, *created in Christ Jesus unto good works, *which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

By God's grace we can do that which is pleasing in His sight.
Paul prayed (as he was led by the Holy Spirit) the following prayer for believers.
(I placed an asterisk * in order to draw your attention to specific phrases).
Colossians 1:10-14
10 *That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, *being fruitful in every good work, and *increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 *Strengthened with all might, *according to his glorious power, *unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 *Giving thanks unto the Father, *which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 *Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, *and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 *In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins: 

John tells us (through the Holy Spirit's leading) that a right relationship with God includes faith that does the will of God.
(I placed an asterisk * in order to draw your attention to specific phrases).
1 John 3:18-24
18 My little children, *let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And *hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, *if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 *And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because *we keep his commandments, and *do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 *And this is his commandment, *That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, *and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 *And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. *And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

06/02/24 SALVATION CHANGES US

06/02/24 SALVATION CHANGES US

If your salvation does not affect your thoughts, your words, your actions, your relationships, your desires, your reasoning, your emotions, your conscience, your will, your self-control, your attitude, then your salvation is not the salvation of God. 

If your salvation does not cleanse you from all sin, or conform you to the image of Jesus, or perfect you in love, or deliver you from the penalty and pollution and power of sin and the evil one, then you are not saved. 

If your salvation does not teach you to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live discreetly in self control and righteously, and godly in this present evil world; and if He has not redeemed you from every lawless deed and purified you for distinctive service to God, then you need to examine yourself to see why you are not living in the light of God's word.

06/02/24 DASH-CAM MESSAGE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

06/02/24 DASH-CAM MESSAGE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

I address several issues concerning spiritual blindness.

DASH-CAM MESSAGE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

06/01/24 SIN IS THE SEPARATOR

06/01/24 SIN IS THE SEPARATOR 

Sin is the great separator. Obedient faith (actually there is no such thing as disobedient faith) in Christ is the way of reconciliation, restoration, redemption. 

Loving relationships are a foretaste of glory divine. Don't take family unity in Christ for granted. Lost loved ones are a source of untold heartache to Christ following family members. It doesn't seem to matter to the self satisfied sinner, and though they will spend eternity in torment, they will never regret the pain they caused for others in this life. 

As Paul said, concerning Israel, "my hearts desire and prayer is that they might be saved," so too, is the cry for lost loved ones. 

Remember the joy and celebration when the prodigal returned home. Jesus, be with broken families today.

06/01/24 JUST JUDGMENT

06/01/24 JUST JUDGMENT

Unless he gets saved, DJT (with all other unconverted people), will be judged for all of his sins by a righteous Judge (Who is not politically motivated or corrupted), for actual crimes with irrefutable evidence. Obviously it will not be in New York or any other earthly court. 

It is worth noting that all haters, liars, adulterers, thieves and ACTUAL seditionists (along with a rogues gallery described in the Holy Bible), will spend eternity with each other, with no appeal, no reprieve, no pardon. 

We better choose our destiny and our course in this life carefully because our death in this world is the vestibule to our eternal existence.

06/01/24 ABOMINATION THAT BRINGS DESOLATION

06/01/24 ABOMINATION THAT BRINGS DESOLATION 

The life of a self-serving person is an abomination, but when that person corrupts children and draws them into their wake of pride, it is a form of abomination that brings desolation.

06/01/24 UNFAIR LAWFARE

06/01/24 UNFAIR LAWFARE 

The real overthrow of our country has been sanctioned by so-called, "Law-fare," which is actually LAWLESS and UNFAIR. In reality it is political, economic, regional, racial, legal WARFARE, and the target is not DJT, the target is US.

DON'T align with the enemy of faith, freedom, family and don't allow those who are blind enemies of truth, to move you away from your Biblical foundation.