Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Discussion

Romans 12:1-2 – And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

1 John 2:15-16 – Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Leviticus 19:28 – “Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the LORD.

I have started today’s message with Scripture. I have done this for a reason. For there are many out there that are not happy with the title of this podcast. They are also not happy with the use of Leviticus. I will address this last point first with the word of Jesus Christ Himself:

John 14:15 – “If you love me, obey my commandments.”

And:

Matthew 5:17-20 – “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Since Leviticus is a commandment does it pass the litmus test also given unto us by Jesus Christ?

Matthew 22:37-40 – Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Does this show love to others by tattooing? No. It shows glory to that person.

Does tattooing show love to God with all their mind, heart and soul? No, it does not, for they are seeking after the approval by those of the world, not God.

Then they are in sin and thus a mark of pride and ego. Therefore, it could even be called a precursor of the mark of the Beast.

James 4:4-12 – You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

I read these last verses of James 4 for a reason. For there are those out there accusing me of judging them. However, they are in error. This is why:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

And how is this accomplished?

2 Timothy 4:1-5 – I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Verse 2 in the KJV:

2 Timothy 4:2 – Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

I am His servant, and I am simply reproving, rebuking and exhorting with longsuffering and the Scripture. For I am guided by His Holy Spirit. If you have anger and you believe you are directing it at me. You are in actuality angry at He who is guiding me. My Savior Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. For when people follow their own desires they are doing so in ego and pride, which they wish to reflect to the world they wish to please. For the only “world” they should seek to please if they call themselves “Christian” is in heaven before the throne of God. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Now to the next part of this message:

This last holiday seasons. I read and read message after message. Most saying things about the blessings God has given you.

Finally, a message came through at a Bible study group where I work. All it stated was God’s love and the blessings He gives you.

I was overwhelmed with the need to make a reply. This is how I responded:

Yes, we are to be thankful for all the blessings God has granted us.

As we head into this holiday season, we need to remember what true blessings from God truly are.

They are not the presents under the tree or in the driveway.

It is the fact that God gave His only Son to die for our sins. And we are to accept Christ as our Savior.

In Romans 2 we “Christians” are given this warning:

Romans 2:1-11 – You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

God has no favorites.  If you seek after worldly possessions and what appeals to the world like tattoos you have turned away from God. (1 John 2:15-17)

You have turned your back upon God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Think and ponder

This response triggered one of my coworkers and someone I truly do count as a friend.

I have studied the Bible over and over.

The true Gospel tells us that even after we accept Christ as our Savior we can falter and fall away. We are told that those that teach messages that do not convict the soul. That only teach of love. Are pleasing the people.

Galatians 1:6-10 – I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. 8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. 10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

So, these people have turned away from God that only seek to please people. But why do they seek to please people and not God?

We return once again to Matthew 6:

Matthew 6:19-24 – “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

And once again:

1 John 2:15-16 – Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

They have embraced the darkness and excuse sin.

Ephesians 5:3-9 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

As I end today’s message my wish to all is to think of where they stand with Christ Jesus at this very moment. For what if this moment was when the trumpet blast calling the dead into the sky takes place. Are you ready to join Christ in the sky above and then be taken to the wedding feast? At this very moment?

Ponder and think

God Bless