Just Do The Word!

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  I Thessalonians 5:11-18 NIV

We don't need to carry big bibles, wear crosses so large they cause us to bend from the weight, or "just talk about" being a Believer. Following Jesus Christ and doing what He has told us to do--is not limited to a political party--as much as some would have us to think. There are Believers in the world who are affiliated with all sorts of political systems and some are not even worthy of mention. The truth of the matter is--Jesus said, people would recognize us by our love for one another. Love, inspired by God, transcends politics.

Today and everyday, our time should be spent in The Word, praying one for the other, and doing what The Word says to do. Though we are to encourage those who are living according to The Word, we are also to admonish and correct those who are not--if they claim  to follow Jesus. For those with whom it is evident that Jesus Christ is not their Lord, we simply pray that He will reveal Himself to them in an awesome way. And we must remember this--The Word was written for the benefit of The Believers for the unbelievers won't care!

And when we caution others about following the dictates of men, we do so with the authority given us by Jesus Christ through Holy Spirit. For those who allow Holy Spirit to guide them in all things, will not speak anything Holy Spirit has not given them to say.

What is amazing to me is that there are those who truly feel that they have a right to direct--moral conscience--in others, when what they really end up revealing is their lack of trust in God. Not one of us--is the only person to whom God speaks. I pray He is speaking to all of His children and all of His children are listening. But I also recognize that not every person who proclaims to be a Christian, actually is--they just use the banner to entice others into foolishness.

Prayer changes things and people when they are receptive to hearing God's voice. Pray for peace in the land, unity through Holy Spirit, and joy in the heart of every person who loves The Lord. Pray for the exposure of those who are disguising themselves to be Christians, but are manipulating the masses for their own purposes. Pray for the end of bigotry and hatred in the hearts of those who have grown cold from the lack of love in the hearts for The Lord. Pray that all who have lost loved ones will allow God to comfort their hearts and fill the void with His Love. Thank God for all who have received His love and are constantly seeking Him for direction in all things as we continue this journey called life.

We can still change things in the world, but we first learn The Word and then just do The Word!

When The Leaders Weep Before The Lord!

Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. The LORD replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. “I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things!  Joel 2:16-20 NIV

Instead of being fearful about the situations broiling around us, the church leaders should be weeping--crying out in repentance and turning away from all the wrong they have done as an example to the people, so they too will weep before The Lord.

Until leaders--in any capacity--recognize the wrong they have done and repent and cry unto The Lord for forgiveness, not much is going to change and if nothing is going to change, we will reap the consequences of our sinful, unrepentant behavior.

Our God--the God of heaven and all Creation is the same--yesterday, today and forever. Whatever He promised the people He chose, then is relevant today. Through the prophets we are warned and if we do not heed the warning, we are doomed to suffer the same as the people did then--we put ourselves in position to be held captive, scorned, and ridiculed.

We should never concern ourselves about those who do not believe--those who are influenced by the enemy, who try to tell us--"there is no God!" For them, there are no gods that will save them, but there is One who loves enough to save us from ourselves when we obey.

For the church leaders who beat up the congregations by trying to heap all the problems of the world on their heads--repent and weep before The Lord--owing your own sin and seek His forgiveness.

For the church leaders who do nothing but raise money for community causes or are more political than Godly, but never teach The Word or the consequences of sin--repent and weep before The Lord--owning your lack of responsibility in teaching Truth.

For the church leaders who are more concerned about adding numbers to the church--repent and weep before The Lord--recognizing that God is not in the numbers in a building, but the condition of the hearts of the people.

For the church leaders who live according to the dictates of the flesh and co-sign like behavior within the congregation of the church--repent and weep before The Lord.

For the church leaders who are doing everything they can to please God--stay the course--weeping before The Lord on behalf of all who refuse to hear Truth and obey.

When the church leaders understand the need for them to stay before The Lord--in repentance, and out of compassion for the people--change will come and no one will ever be ashamed to acknowledge our Living God and we will move towards peace in the land!

Finding Ways To Please The Lord!

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. Ephesians 5:8-10, 13 NIV

How long O Lord, how long will You continue to tolerate our attempts to please man more than pleasing You?

This letter written to the church at Ephesus was not written to unbelievers, but to Believers who once walked in the deeds of darkness, but should now walk in the light--making sure all of their deeds are illuminated by the motivation to please The Lord!

When I listen to people who claim to be Christians, but the words falling from their mouth sound like the words of the world and the things they do are no different than those in the world--those who have never been exposed to God's Truth, I have to wonder--do they really know Jesus Christ?

If there is no difference between the Believer and the unbeliever--how is anyone supposed to tell us apart? Jesus told we'd be known by our love for one another--but I see little evidence of that love among those who profess to know Christ. If Believers cannot tell the difference between other 
Believers and those in the world, what a sad commentary that makes on society and even sadder commentary about the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

He didn't hang on that cross for those of us who say we believe to act like the rest of the world--cussing, deceiving, manipulating others, creating havoc and chaos every where they go. He hung on that cross--demonstrating His love for us and His desire for us to spend eternity with Him. We are to be examples to the world, not pawns in the hands of the enemy to act like the world.

Everything we do and say--should model what He did and said. We should be compassionate, kind, and loving, teaching His truths to all who will receive it. And for those who choose not to receive it, we shake the dust off our feet, smile and keep going. We take care of the poor and the needy and defend the rights of the vulnerable. We stand tall, loudly and proudly proclaiming the love of God, refusing to back down or back away from living His Truth. And when we are in doubt--about what to do about anything--we seek Him through His Word or Holy Spirit guidance so we'll know what we do--pleases Him, whether it pleases man or not. 

Is there anybody out there who wants to please God more than man (or government)? I wonder if we have to courage to defy man's dictates in order to please God in obeying Him. In this country, no one should be afraid to defy a corrupt and godless government, but people are and I'm inclined to believe it is because they care more about what people think of them, than God. And those same people will only have the lake of fire as their eternal resting place.

Help us today, Lord, to find ways to please You!

Believers' Instructions for Daily Living!

"Follow God's example, therefore as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But AMONG YOU there must not be even a hing of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person--such a person is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5:1-5 NIV)

In every letter Paul writes to the churches, he encourages those who belong to God to live like God would have them to live--using God as an example for living on a daily basis. Notice--he is writing to the churches--explaining how Christians (or rather Believers) should live for he knows that those outside of the Body of Christ will not heed his advice.  If they did listen, they would be included in the Body.

This very simple understanding is key for all Believers--God inspired men to write what He said in order to perfect the lives of those who would believe. If people choose not to believe the Bible is God's inspired Word, that is their prerogative and they can be assured that they don't have to believe, but the consequences and the judgment shall be the same for all--Believers and unbelievers. For God is not a respecter of persons--when judgment comes--it rains upon all, saved and sinner alike.

Even though most of us want to see everyone we know saved, it is not our job to try to make people believe. If they are not convinced by The Word, and we are not living examples of The Word, then we will be held accountable for what we do, not what they do.

It is absolutely pointless to debate The Word with an unbeliever. Although many may say they don't believe God, deep down they know there is force more superior to themselves that holds all power in His hands, they simply choose to be arbitrary about it. And those who profess to believe in science alone--they say so because they do not understand the role of science. Science attempts to explain the existence of things or how they work. God created all that exists and determined how all things would work before man could even coin the term, "science." This is not to say there is no value in what scientists do because there is great value in what they do. However, until they create all that God created from nothing--they are not gods, but instruments in the hand of God--when they heed Him--led to discovery and invention, not creation.

The directions Paul gives are clear--for Believers--we should not indulge in sexual immorality (and we know all that is referenced for we know our Father); we should not indulge in obscene behavior or conversation; we should not indulge in unwholesome joking (don't pretend you don't know what he's talking about); and greed should never be part of our lives. For if we indulge in these things and do not repent--turning completely away from them--we will not enter into the promised eternity--living in heaven with Christ Jesus.

Are these instructions for you or someone else? The Believer--who is in relationship with God, understands God's Word and the role of Jesus Christ coming down from heaven--knows the truth. And when we know truth, we should live truth and encourage others to do likewise.

(More to come)

Why Jesus said, "Blessed Are You When People Insult You!"

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:11 NIV)

In this passage of scripture, which is notably called, The Sermon on the Mount, crowds of people had been following Jesus, listening to His proclamation of Good News, and paying attention to His healing the sick. He went upon the mountain side and sat down and when His disciples came to Him, He taught them. Notice all that is said, before He gets to our scripture reference for today.

Matthew 5:3-10--Commonly referred to as the Beatitudes (What our attitude should be):

vs.3 Blessed are the poor IN SPIRIT, for theirs (strength is in Jesus) is the kingdom of heaven.
vs.4 Blessed are those who mourn (grieve over the loss of a loved one) for they WILL BE COMFORTED.
vs.5 Blessed are the meek (those who have no need to bring attention to themselves) for they will INHERIT the earth.
vs.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS (doing what is right before God), for they will be filled.
vs.7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be SHOWN mercy (new mercies every day).
vs.8 Blessed are the pure in heart (have a heart for God), they WILL SEE GOD.
vs.9 Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they will be called children of God.
vs.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of RIGHTEOUSNESS, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

I have detailed explanations of these blessings in myBook.to/IAMALLTHAT 

All these Jesus said to those who follow Him and all these are still relevant today for all who follow Him.

The references to righteousness is for those in right standing with God, not because of their own righteousness, because we no no righteousness of ourselves. These are the people who know what God has said and endeavor to obey Him in all things. When they miss the mark, they are quick to repent--turning away from the thing(s) they did which did not please God. We who choose to come to God (the disciples came to Him) and listen and obey are blessed no matter what our individual circumstances are.

Knowing how other people--who don't know Him would treat those who follow Him--the blessings He confers are to encourage us when we are belittled, and ridiculed because of our faith in Him. And then He goes on to say in vs. 12 "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." In other words, those who have been speaking God's Word to nations long before we came on the scene were ridiculed, and killed because they spoke what God spoke to them.

Beloved, there is so much more that Jesus said, and I encourage all who don't know Him to get to know Him through His Word. For those of us who know, we must simply keep saying what God said--knowing that one plants the seed of righteousness and direction to Jesus, another waters, and we wait to see God's increase.

God Inspired Purpose of Scripture!

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NIV)

What I have found amazing in the past few days is the number of people who claim not to believe "in an ancient book of myths written by men" but will use it, "cherry-picking" to support and condone their stance in opposition to God's Word. Now, think about it--isn't that just like Satan to try to use God's Word to convince Jesus to do act in opposition to God's Word?

The same God, who inspired men to write down the words they heard God speak to their hearts, is the same God is who is yet inspiring people to write today. That "ancient book of myths" has held its own for centuries and will still be used as a guide by the remnant that God promises to save to Himself.

I don't have a problem with people not believing the bible because at one time, I had challenged those who believed in it. However, when my relationship with God changed, allowing me to hear Him speak to me, I understood and accepted the love He has for me--a love so great--that He inspired men to write down how He wanted me to live. Notice, the personalization of what I'm saying with the use of the pronoun--I. Being in relationship with God is an individual, personal, choice. If no one else ever understands this, I'll stand on God's Word alone.

You see, many unbelievers are now trying to quote the Bible. "Jesus just said, love."  "God said don't judge." And one woman yesterday tried to make a case for her condoning sin by saying, "Adam and Eve were not married and children out of wedlock." She didn't understand that God performed the first marriage and had she continued reading Genesis, she would have known God's definition of marriage. I really wanted to respond, but Holy Spirit wouldn't allow me to do so. For the Word also says, "For them that be ignorant, let them be ignorant." Marriage did not come after Christianity; marriage was established in the Garden with the creation of mankind. Too many people confuse religious concepts with Christianity to the point they want to negate all God did in the beginning. Understanding can only come through reading and opening one's heart to hear God explain Himself.

In the passage of Scripture used as a foundation for my blog today, Paul reminds Timothy that "all" (nothing left out of all) Scripture is God-breathed or inspired. Therefore, we should not get overly indignant when people don't understand and only select the passages they want to use. The fact that they use Scripture at all, puts them into greater risk of being judged by God since they chose to misuse it for ungodly purposes. If a person claims they don't believe in the Bible, they shouldn't try quoting it when they have no idea what it means when comprehension of it is only achieved by understanding the "totality" of The Word, not bits and pieces.

I don't have a problem with people who claim they don't believe in God. Their very confession of unbelief is a contradiction to their behavior since they generally spend an inordinate amount of time talking about a God they don't believe in to convince those who do believe that we're foolish. Well, the Bible states, "the fool has said in his heart, there is no God." Since I am not a fool and know right well that God is--their unbelief won't hinder my relationship with God.

When I agree with God, I confirm on a daily basis that my relationship with Him is intact and I have not conformed to the world's perception and beliefs of anything that contradict Him, but I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind in Christ Jesus. I have the mind of Christ--discovered in God's Word--and use God's Words to teach, rebuke, correct and train others to know how to respond to the enemy's attacks. I am thoroughly equipped to accomplish every good work assigned to me. No matter what the government does, the Supreme Court does or anyone else does or say, I will agree with God in all things and in the end, when I stand before Him, I will have no shame about the things I've done and I can expect to hear, "Well done, daughter!"

Be Careful of Your Associations With Others!

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16 NIV)

Even though most people have used this passage of scripture in reference to those considering marriage, it actually goes much deeper than that. We are warned not to be yoked (associated) to those who do not believe as we believe--as it pertains to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? Inevitably, if we leave our minds exposed to the influences of unbelief, our own belief starts to dwindle and fall apart and we're left out of God's favor. If we truly are the children of God, then we should never say anything that contradicts what our Father says.

Check out your associates belief systems and if they don't agree with God, think about making new associations, ones that don't contradict God or veer you from saying what God says--about anything and everything. There are some who believe they have God's stamp of approval even though they are not saying what God says or doing things God's way and when they stand before Him, they will receive their just reward. So, will we all.

Solomon--the wisest man on earth--was warned not to get involved with women who worship idols, but he allowed his fleshly desires for many of them to lead him astray. As a result, his disobedience brought him to a place of being out of the will of God.

Now, let's think about how some of the people with whom we may have had an association with that led us astray or still do. The old adage stating birds of a feather flock together is usually true. That it--those who think alike are usually identified by their associations with others. Thieves, gangs, and murderers consider themselves to be an association with its own rules. Those who don't believe in God (Jesus Christ)--call themselves atheists. Those who believe, invariably call themselves Christians, or something synonymous to identify with their belief--which is why we have so many variations or groups of people who believe--similarly.

When we see discord or disagreement within the ranks of any group, there is usually a separation since they no longer hold the same beliefs. This is true of different sects in the Muslim world as well as those in Christianity. In order to believe as those in any group, there must be shared tenets of belief.

I've discovered that within the "Christian" realm of belief, not all who profess to be followers of Christ believe the same things. What is most amazing to me is that not all believe God's Word, yet they say they believe Him. I know their beliefs are contradictory when I look at what they do and listen to what they say. No one in a right relationship with God can ever truthfully say, God didn't mean what He said or He didn't say what He meant. It is these "false" Christians who encourage living in opposition to God's Word and promote a religion of conformity to the world, when we are told in God's Word, not to be conform to the "world's" view, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds--according to The Word and guidance of Holy Spirit.

If we hang out or hook up with those promoting a false Christianity long enough, we'll succumb to their way of thinking and end up moving out of God's favor. I don't know about you, but I love walking in His favor and will not allow anyone else to entice me from His love and the path He's set me upon for my success.

The First Death Is Just The Beginning!

"Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Unless Jesus returns before we take our final breath, we will die (or fall asleep) and our end will only be for the earthly measurement of time. The heavenly measurement of time begins when He returns and all the dead in Him (those who died believing Him to be their Savior) shall rise at the sound at the trumpet and they shall be judged first.

It is not the first death that we need to concern ourselves while we live. It is the second death--the assignment of eternal resting place--in heaven reigning with Jesus or in the lake of fire, being tormenting continually for eternity.

While I know there are those who do not believe in heaven or hell, according to God's Truth they do exist and in the end, we'll all discover their existence. But while we wait for the end to come, we must know that our final resting place for eternity is determined by what we do while we have breath to live. Notice what John says, about who ends up in the lake of fire.

"The cowardly--those who are always fearful because they do not know that love casts out fear. The fearful do not know love for it they did, they would not fear. The unbelieving--those who refuse to accept God's existence so they can do whatever their flesh dictates. The vile--those who do every imaginable evil thing they can without concern about how their actions impact others. The murderers--those who have no respect for life and consistently are responsible for the deaths of others. The sexually immoral--those who use sex as a tool for pleasure with anybody and everybody without discrimination or adherence to God's plan for sex. Those who practice magic--misusing gifts of discernment and abilities given by God for monetary gain or fame. The idolators--those who worship things made by the hands of man or people--holding the things and people in higher esteem than God. The liars--those who twist and malign truth (especially God's Truth) for their own personal agendas in order to influence others into doing what is pleasing in their own sight--totally ignoring God's plan for man." All these--when they have chosen to do these things--will end up in the lake of fire, unless they choose to live as God desires before the first death.

No person--can send another to hell and God won't either. The eternal resting place in which we end up is determined by what we do when we are alive, having the ability to choose and choose wrongly. Every person--believer and unbeliever--chooses their final destination and they have no one to blame but themselves.

No matter how our end comes the first time--illness, accident, war, acts of violence or old age, our greatest concern should be the second death.

Is America The Modern Day Pergamum?

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. " (Revelation 2:12-15 NIV)

Though this message was for the early church in the Middle East, governed by Rome, it still  serves as a reminder to us today. When reading this, I began to wonder if America has become "Satan's Seat" of  all that is wrong with society today.

The message to the church acknowledges that there are some who remain true to their faith and will not renounce the belief and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, even in the face of persecution and those will be rewarded. However, He goes onto to say what He will hold against those tho entice people to sin and to hold onto cultic teachings that worship idols and false gods. This is in reference to the Nicolaitans (those who brought in idolatry and encouragement to live in opposition to God's Word). Doesn't that sound just like what is occurring in the Christian Community today?

Whenever I hear someone attempt to justify a lifestyle that is opposition to God's Word, I know they cannot know God and yet they quote scripture--out of context--that we who know to do right are not their judge. "God said don't judge." They quote it and have no idea what it means. Jesus said in Matthew 7:1,2 "Do not judge or you too will be judged, for in the same way you judge others (without The Word), you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." The judgment that He references is based upon man's intellect, not God's Word and it is a warning that when we exclude God's Word as a guide for living, we set ourselves up to be judged by the same standards (man's intellect). They who live according to their flesh have already been judged and condemned by The Word--not us. If they knew God and had read His Word, they would know how ridiculous their attempt to quote Him is to justify their behavior.

And then their claim to sexual orientation is not a choice is further evidence of a lack of understanding about "words." An orientation is a process designed to encourage a practice. A preference is a process of selectively choosing what one wants or does. Both--orientation and preference--are choices, not civil rights or birth designs. This is how Satan deceives and unfortunately, there are many who buy into the deception.

But we can take heart in the knowledge that not all Believers are seduced by a lying devil and we will hold fast to God's Word, no matter what and we will not entice others to participate in ritualistic sin. What we must remember--the messages in the Bible are for Believers--not the unbelieving, for they would not believe it any way. Judgment begins at the household of faith--for all who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. For those who are not followers in the truest sense of the word, their only hope is repentance and restoration to living a life that is pleasing to God.

We can no longer teach a sugar-coated message of Salvation in an attempt to not offend. Yes, Jesus died for all, but all must come to acknowledge that He is God and nothing in His message when He walked the earth, changed God's Word or intent for mankind. The only hope the worldly have is for those of us who know Truth, to teach God's Truth, not our own. We must say what God says in the context in which He said it.

Don't Be Moved!

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (I Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2014 and face the challenges of 2015--don't be moved--tempted to join the masses in thinking there is no hope.

No matter who sits in the White House, they are not God--they do not hold our future in their hands and there is nothing they can do to change God's plans. They may be used as part of God's plans, but they cannot change God's plans.

Neither will it matter who holds the majority votes in either the House or the Senate--God is still God--even if some politicians think they are, they're not.

No matter how negative the media reports every event--they will have to stand before God one day, too and give account for how they reported news and so will their producers--whose biases are represented in the news reports.

No matter how many people are killed by the negligence of gun owners, police, or criminals--God still has the last word--and soon, very soon, all will know that the NRA is not God nor do they represent Godly behavior.

No matter how many people appear to suffer at the hands of dictators and godless leaders--God will wipe the slate clean and all who honor and respect Him, will be vindicated.

No matter who attempts to change the intent of God's Word to appease the masses for fleshly pleasure--they, too will stand before God and give account of themselves, but before that--they will see firsthand how the wrath of God deals with those who profess to know Him, but live in opposition to His Word.

No matter how many people say we, who Believe are foolish and unlearned--don't be moved--the same was said of those God used to inspire to write down what He said. Remember this--the fool has said in his heart there is no God and then allowed his lips to utter the same expression. Don't be moved by their unbelief, God will move them.

No matter what 2015 brings into our lives--stand firm, unmovable, in the faith that we are victorious in all things and no matter what the enemy attempts to do to deter us--we shall not be moved because with God going before us--He is more than the world against us! Hallelujah!

Beliefs, Confession, Guidance!

In this coming new year, we all need to get an understanding of what it is we believe and then our beliefs (what we confess with our mouths) should guide everything we do.

If we say we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (God in the flesh) and we should live according to The Word, then we should not promote any beliefs or conformity to anything that does not align with The Word.

We should not hate or humiliate others simply because they do not believe what we do or because they are different. What a boring world this would be if we all looked alike, thought alike, and talked alike, and did everything the exact same way. If God had wanted clones, He could have accomplished that. He created us uniquely individual, capable of doing all sorts of great things to His glory, according to His Word. He has given all gifts--that differ--so we might all enjoy the collective benefits of all the gifts He has given.

The gifts I reference are not just the spiritual gifts needed by apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers or those listed in I Corinthians 12--tongues, interpretation, miracles, healing, discernment, wisdom, knowledge, faith, or prophecy--these are needed to build the Kingdom of God so that all needs are met. I'm referring to the "natural gifts" that He gives so all may benefit--the gift of writing, creating music, singing, painting, sculpturing, nurturing, counseling, parenting, comforting, encouraging, helping, and a host of other gifts--that many can enjoy whether they are saved or not.

However, being saved--puts us in a unique position to promote the Gospel with the gifts He has given. The Believer should always utilize the gifts given to promote the Love of God and in obeying His Word. The unbelieving are also gifted and most of them use their gifts to entertain the masses according to their gift and in many cases, entice people to live in opposition to God's Word.

It is not that Believers are superior to unbelievers; it is simply a matter of Believers knowing our Risen Savior and living to please Him, rather than appeasing fleshly dictates.

When the end comes, we are all going the same path--through death (if The Lord delays His return), so none are better than the other, but some are more astute than others because of the relationship established with Jesus!

Tell The World!

"Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously."(Psalm 96:10)

In order to convince all the "heathen" (those who do not acknowledge the God of the bible) we must keep telling them--The Lord Reigns--the world He established shall not be moved and He will judge "all" (believers and unbelievers) alike, when that time comes.

No matter how difficult remaining steadfast becomes, we who know and have a relationship with God, must be determined to keep telling the Gospel, sharing God's love, and encouraging others to enter into the joy of the Lord and live according to His purposes. Nothing should get in our way--not their unbelief or disdain, their belittling or attempts to undermine what we do--as believers--we must keep telling God's Truth, not our own, so His judgment will be just!

As difficult as it might be, we must keep our focus on Jesus and not what the world does in its attempts to glorify worldliness instead of Godliness. We must sing songs of praise to Him in the streets, in our homes, anywhere others can hear and especially when we are alone--to encourage ourselves in the Lord, and not be discouraged by the waywardness of the world around us. We can change the atmosphere around us--spiritually and naturally--by keeping our focus on doing what God has called us to do and not allowing the enemy an opportunity to deter us with foolishness. We do not have to argue with anyone about God, just tell them, smile and move on to the next person if they choose not to receive the Good News.

Make a decision today--go into the neighborhoods, the malls, the market places, the eating places, wherever you  are or can go and share the Good News, loving people as you go!

We Can Ask Anything?

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (I John 5:14 NIV).

I just came to a conclusion about expounding upon scriptures, verse by verse. If I wrote about any "one" scripture a day, I would probably not live long enough to address all of them. Therefore, I try to explicate those that encourage confidence in our belief and promotion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, remind of instructions given and rewards for obedience, and warn of the consequences of disobedience.

Verse twelve and thirteen of this same passage provide us with a foundation for our beliefs. John says that "whoever has the Son of God has life (hope for eternal life) and whoever does not have Him, does not" and then he explains why he's writing to the churches.

If we believe that we have Jesus in our lives, and we have given Him authority over our lives, we have access to heaven and our mansions. If we don't believe, we won't have. But with the belief comes the confidence that we can go to God, on our own, and ask Him anything, and we know He hears us. If He hears us, will He not respond to us?

There are many who do not believe in God, and certainly don't have conversations with Him, but for those of us, who do--we know-we can talk to Him any time, expect Him to hear us and respond to our requests. When we ask of Him anything that aligns with His Word (His Word is His will), we can expect to receive it. John knew there were those who scorned believers and tried to make them feel foolish because of their beliefs and he wrote to them to remind them--they knew Truth and they could count on Truth to do all He said He would do.

So, go ahead, ask God--anything--in Jesus' name--and see for yourself that He will respond. For believers, you know what I mean.

For scorners who don't believe--don't believe! Asking God for anything foolish or evil will not happen, but then if you don't believe, why ask Him anything?

Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask You to strengthen the faith of believers everywhere so they will develop confidence in You and know that whatever we ask of You in Your Son's name, will be given. Amen!

Everyday People!

"I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations" (Romans 6:19a NIV).

I cannot begin to explain how many times I have heard some people say, "the bible has no relevance for us today.  That was then, this is now." If they really understood, having a heart open to God, they would know that just as "everyday" was for that time, "everyday" is still the same for us today.

When Paul was writing to the Church in Rome, he was very concerned about how the people in the church were selectively choosing which rules to live by.  Some wanted to hold people to the letter of law, while he was trying to explain the difference between the spirit of the law and the wonders of grace--to everyday people.

In this passage of scripture (please read the entire chapter), he is specifically talking about people who commit sin, what grace has done, and why we should not continue to sin.  God's grace, His unmerited, we can't earn favor, does not mean we continue to commit sin or encourage others to do so.  Paul reminds the everyday people that once in our lives before knowing and understanding the work of the cross, we did commit sin, but now that we know better, we should not participate.  And he used, examples from everyday life (as it was did and is applicable now), to illustrate what he said.  The strong language--"once slaves to sin" still applies to many today.  Many everyday people are slaves to--drugs, porn, fornication, adultery, alcohol, stealing, lying, manipulating, favoritism, complacency ("I'd rather you were hot or cold instead of lukewarm"), etc., hence the use of everyday examples (relevant now), about everyday people.

I think it was Sly and The Family Stones who wrote the song, Everyday People, (if I have the wrong artist, feel free to correct me).  God does not expect us to live like people in ancient times, but He does expect us to adhere to righteousness, using everyday life examples.  He gave us His Word as a guideline because of our human limitations (unwillingness to hear The Spirit of the Lord) so we would be without excuse. 

O God, help us--everyday people, to live  every day in righteousness, to your glory.

Delight!

"Take delight in the Lord (learn how to please Him) and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4)

When we take pleasure in finding ways to please God, it gives Him great pleasure to give us the desires of our heart--even the hidden things we not vocalized.

When I look at the sky, the clouds, the birds and squirrels playing, the mountains that I love so much, and the water--no matter where you find it and peace--I am always amazed at God's creations.  When I hear about selfless acts that people do for others, I am equally grateful for our ability to have compassion for others.  I delight in what I see God has already done for us collectively, and I am always humbled by His favor--every where I go.

I am delighted with His love for me and the life He has allowed me to have.  I try at all times to do those things that I know will please Him, but I'm not perfect and I'm sure I don't always make it, but I never stop trying.

Yesterday was a particularly delightful day for me when I was "under attack by unbelievers" online.  What I realized is that the more I am doing right for God, the greater the attack by those the enemy has influenced.  I did not get angry or belligerent, but thanked them for paying attention to me.  I knew that God had to be pleased with the fact that I openly acknowledge Him at all times and the enemy was afraid of how my words might influence others to come to themselves and acknowledge God's existence.  I am also grateful that over 90% of my followers on Twitter are Believers!  Hallelujah!

If you have not received your heart's desires "yet", think about what you're doing.  Are you spending your time pleasing God or pacifying "man"?  Delight in all He has done, is doing and will do in your life and watch those desires--the ones you have not even voiced--come to pass!