love

Blog for Podcast #94 (Those who worship themselves)

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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

“I shouldn’t have to give up my worldly possessions.”

“I have earned this car for it is my reward for serving God.”

“My house is my home, and I can keep it and all my worldly goods.”

These are the excuses I encounter nearly daily for those that profess to being “Christian.”

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.

One of the greatest hindrances in following Christ is the self and the desire to hold onto to this temporal existence, this world we now live in. I have done studies on this in four of my podcasts. #13-15 entitled the “Many faces of the selfish god,” and episode #50 entitled “Selfishness.”

One of the definitions from the Cambridge Dictionary says this about the “self”

“Interest only in your own advantage.”

Your OWN advantage.

The Bible says this about that type of mentality:

Exodus 20:3 – “You must not have any other god but me.

Philippians 2:3-5 – Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

I have found one of the greatest signs within the Body of Christ that people are still worshiping themselves, instead of God, is their insistence to show or talk about the fact that God loves them and posting only the verses that make the “self” feel better about themselves.

Yes, God does love you. In fact, He loves ALL of humanity. So how does that make you different than any other human. Be they sinner or saint? That answer: absolutely nothing.

So why do people keep insisting, once they have accepted Christ as their Savior, that they are loved and must feel good about themselves?

We return to the definition of the self. They are only interested in their own advantage. What is the definition of “advantage?”

A condition giving a greater chance of success. Once again per Cambridge Dictionary.

Did they not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior?

I will allow those reading or listening a chance to ponder that question.

Then they have already succeeded if they have.

Then why focus so much upon the love of God and daily reassurances which makes them feel good?

If they have already triumphed why continue to focus upon God’s love?

The answer?

Hebrews 10:26-29 – Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.

Their focus on His love is so they can continue to believe they are covered by the very blood they have tainted, by insisting upon keeping or getting expensive items, like a huge house, a fancy car, and other luxuries. Amongst other sins as well.

Once we accept salvation and we are filled with the Holy Ghost. That spirit dwells within us.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Therefore, if someone has the Holy Spirit within them because they are a child of God by accepting salvation and then being filled with the Holy Ghost. Yet continues to live for themselves and do as they please, because of free-will, and what makes them feel good. Including living in sins which we are told to end within our lives (James 4:17), are we not defiling God?

Again, I will allow the reader or listener to ponder.

Let us look to Galatians.

First, we need to establish some facts about those inside the church within the province of Galatia.

Galatians 1:6-7 – 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.

“Turning away so soon from God, who called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ.”

Aka they were saved and born again, yet they abandoned the true Word of God, for a false one.

Do we have a clue as to the type of false message?

Yes, we do:

Galatians 1:10 – 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.

It was a message which twisted the truth for something that was only “pleasing people.”

They seek to hear just how great they are because they follow “God,” and believe they are special and loved.

One of the greatest things that pleases people is to continually hear that they are loved no matter what and that they can keep their worldly possessions. This spoils the “child.”

Proverbs 13:24 – He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

A message of love, love, love and daily comfort. This is a false and destructive teaching and mentality. It spoils the person that accepts it for they have no desire to face the conviction of their sins. The discipline that all He loves must suffer through to become closer to Him through His Son our Savior Jesus Christ. This is shown in the people in Galatia that were following what the “self” desired not the Word of God, thus the rod, as is witnessed here:

Galatians 5:16-21 – So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

An important statement is made here:

Galatians 5:18 – But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Let’s look at this in the KJV:

Galatians 5:18 – But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

If we follow the Holy Spirit, we are well within the teachings of the Bible. However, if we continue to live in sin, we are placed under the laws given to Moses (1 Timothy 1:9).

The Bible also says this:

Romans 6:12-14 – Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

And:

Romans 7:7-13 – Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. 13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

When we know the Bible, we know how to live and act, so the fact that God loves us is a given and does not need to be reiterated over and over and over.

This verifies that those that insist upon repeating God’s love for us, or platitudes about how perfect we are in Christ. They are most likely wishing to live in sin more than serving God through our Savior Jesus Christ with the aid of the Holy Ghost. Which shows that the self is their true god and not He who Created all of humanity, whom God does truly and completely love (1 Timothy 2:1-6). Which is why He wishes all to come to salvation through Christ Jesus. To live our lives with the help of our comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-26 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

By showing love to others, which is living in the Spirit. We show the love that God has for everyone. Always speaking of His love does not truly focus our mind, soul and heart on God, but upon those demanding this attention to know they are loved. Consequently, they can keep living in a sin they know in their soul they are committing. Including living for and in earthly treasures.

This is why Christ said this about those that draw attention to themselves during His Sermon of the mount:

Matthew 6:1-7 – “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.

This goes for speaking in tongues as well (1 Corinthians 14:1-40). Yes, seek to speak in tongues but keep it between you and God. Unless you fit the criteria established in 1 Corinthians 14 for prophecy.

As I stated earlier, but it is needed to be said again. God loves All of humanity. Stop dwelling upon His love for you and start learning the Bible, to show YOUR love for Him and your fellow humans. Any who truly knows they are saved knows they are loved. Why? Because Christ died upon the cross (John 3:16).

When someone continually bring up the fact that God loves them. They continually place Christ upon that cross. What does this really imply about those that do this?

Hebrews 6:4-6 – For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— 6 and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.

Before we conclude today’s study. We will return to Philippians chapter 2:

Philippians 2:3 – Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (NKJV)

In the original KJV this verse goes like this:

Philippians 2:3 – Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Strife – 2052 – eritheia – ambition, rivalry, self-seeking; a feud, faction.

               a: ambition – a strong wish to achieve something

Ambition is much like advantage which we defined earlier.

Vainglory – 2754 – kenodoxia – empty pride, self-conceit

               a: conceit – the state of being too proud of yourself and your actions

these two words together equal “ego”

ego – an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.

We are told in this verse to think of others as better than ourselves. Simply to be humble.

Humble – marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful

               a: meekness – the quality of being quiet, gentle, and unwilling to argue or express your opinions.

What this boils down to is surrendering the self. Doing nothing for ourselves. Seeking nothing for ourselves. This includes seeking after worldly rewards and comforts. Once someone disagrees with this, they are allowing the “self” the “ego” to be who they really are. A worshipper of themselves, not God through our Savior Jesus Christ.

I leave this said for you the listener and reader to contemplate.

Think and ponder.

God Bless

Most have the wrong image of how “Christians” are to act

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We have the appeasers.
We have the love merchants.
We have the prosperity gurus.
All seek one goal to get humanity to come into their buildings called “churches.”
First off the “church of Christ” is not a building it is those that have accepted Christ as their Savior and strife to follow His teaches as best they can. Stumbling and falling, but growing stronger and ever forward are those that have accepted as their Savior, the Son of God.
Second, those that are the Body of Christ are to separate from those of the world. Not to mix and mingle with it, for the Bible states clearly the end result. Those of the Body re-enter the world. Now physically this is not something that can be done, but there is no need to get involved in the discussions about sports, celebrities or the latest fad. You simply state the truth, you have no interest and go on about your business.
Then who are we to fellowship with? The Bible makes it clear, we are to fellowship with each other. To be encouraged and up lifted by our fellow followers of Jesus. We are told time and again to do this, yet how many actually gather with those that are their fellows? Not enough I would gather and many that think just going to the buildings called “churches” is all they need do. They should seek to make friends from within the Body and seek to fellowship with them daily.
We are to be the light of the truth that shines into the darkness that is the world about us. Exposing sin into the light to shame and embarrass. Not with words, but with our actions. Not actions of looking down upon those that sin, but showing that we have no desire to partake of these sins ourselves. We are not to attack, berate or belittle, but to those willing to hear we are to reprove, rebuke and exhort when asked, but mainly we are to do it with our behavior and our attitude of not thinking we are better than those that sin, but their equals even though we do not partake of their actions, which are against God.
It is to be done in knowledge of what is within the Bible and knowing what is right and wrong. Then through right action we show those that are not doing right to at some point within their souls understand that they are wicked, weak and pitiful. For they will see you living in a way they thought impossible and will wonder and question their own lifestyles and behavior as it should be done.
Without knowledge of the Bible as well as the driving forces for sinful humanity you can give a false image, an image of hypocrisy.
Will all be able to accomplish a true image of our Savior? Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it is doable.
One of the main factors that drives people away from God is those that do seek to appease; those that do seek after only love; those that seek earthly rewards.
Yes Christ does seek after peace, but knows that as long as humanity is corrupt there shall never be peace, there will only be murder, hate and war. All driven by humanities selfish desires to say that only they can accomplish what is already promised unto them through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Yes Jesus does love, but the love is so great that He died for our sins to be washed away and never to be repeated.
Yes the Savior does promise rewards, but it is an eternal reward that will never be received here upon the earth, for only corruption comes from the earth and Christ Jesus our Savior is perfection and offers only perfect rewards that are beyond this failing and corrupt reality. Rewards that will last for billions upon billions of years once this reality has been replaced with the new reality yet to be. For God has said that once the testing of those in this reality is completed there will be a new universe and a new earth. One that will not see humanity as beings that walked upon this small planet in the corner of a small galaxy, but as servants of the Most High, the Creator of all there is and all there will be, God.

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: And the “love” fest continues

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Once again someone comes to me stating: “but we must love one another.”
Their version of “love one another” being the continuation of the hippie love fest of the late 1960s and early 1970, from a culture that believed in orgies and drugs and that “love will conquer all.” This “love” everyone beliefs coming from open sin and the rejection of morals and common decency. Otherwise known as coming from Satan himself the author of all lies.
When the Pharisees accused Jesus of healing in the name of Satan he stated clearly that evil cannot cast out evil. So how something which has its origins in sin, and thus evil, be something that can honor God? Would that not mean that Satan was honoring God? Since the answer is he would not, then this belief to “love all and love freely” is of the world. And any that love the world are the enemies of God (James 4:4).
I also like how they use the Bible out of context. For example in a recent encounter they offered up 1 John 4:7-12. Now I will concede it does talk of loving one another, but here is where the issue comes into place. The entire New Testament was the Gospels and letters written to people that had already asked Jesus Christ to be their Savior, in other words, they were written for devoted Christians. The pretext of these verses was to love our brothers and sisters who were in Christ, our fellow Christians.
Now are we not to love our enemies? Yes we are, but when you love them you must be willing to be honest with them. Since they are of the world, out of love, we must state that if they stay in the world by living in sin they are destine to a fate that I would not wish on anyone. (Proverbs 13:24 – Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.)
Too many times people throw the “love card” as an escape to avoid confrontation. Did not Jesus turn over the money changing tables in the Temple? Was this not “confrontation?” Did Jesus hate these people or the Pharisees, who were reaping in the profits from these money changers? No, Jesus loved them, as He loves all humanity. However, God does punish those that rebel against Him and especially those that openly sin directly before Him. If you allow someone to think they are saved yet they continue to live in sin, they are in actuality of the devil (1 John 3:6-10).
It is our duty has Christians, in love, to help those of the world turn to God through our Lord Jesus Christ and to repent, to turn from their sins and to leave them behind, which can only happen when they fully accept Christ as their Savior and place God first in ALL that they do every day.
Another verse they gave out of context. Song of Solomon 8:6-7, yet Song of Solomon 8 is about how young women are to live in virtue and honor and maintain their morals. The verse in question is more about the lusts caused by love and to avoid letting love lead you into sin.
They also mentioned of Jesus crying for Jerusalem. Here is the actual verse:
Luke 19:41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
He was weeping for Jerusalem, the heart of Israel, for the chosen children of God had rejected their King, that being Jesus Christ. Here he predicts the fate of the city just under forty years for that day He entered into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday.
Again showing His full love, but out of that love His sorrow. For not only was it due to their rejection of Him, which would result in the people of Israel being cast out of their nation and spread throughout the entire globe for nearly two thousand year. He was also crying for what was to follow for all of humanity and the many that could have been saved by His very presence on earth as it King.
Now though millions, if not billions, may never know Him as their Savior due to those that would be false teachers unto those that honestly seek after Him to be their Savior, but instead meet man-made doctrines and lies like those that teach to love all no matter how they live, which is the same fate the Pharisees had doomed thousands to damnation before Christ walked amongst us two thousand years ago.
Matthew 23:13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.”
So we must all remember that true and complete love requires us to be honest and true. If that honesty requires us to say to someone they are living in sin and need to fix this issue with Christ, then that is what we MUST do. For we are to reprove, rebuke and exhort.
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

If all you hear is “Love.”

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Message after message from the dais in churches is “Jesus loves you” or “Jesus loves you as you are.”
It is true that yes both Jesus and His Father love you, but here is the problem with these messages, especially the latter one.
Because of this love if you come to Jesus as you are, He will accept you, but if you truly ask Jesus Christ into your life you will learn that “as you are” in all cases is not enough to maintain your salvation.
Many at this point will scoff and bluster but it is true.
1 John 3:6-10New Living Translation (NLT)
6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
Hebrews 10:26-27New Living Translation (NLT)
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
1 Corinthians 10:13New Living Translation (NLT)
13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
1 John 2:3-6New Living Translation (NLT)
3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Galatians 5:19-21New Living Translation (NLT)
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
What you have read above did not come from me. These are the Bible. This is what those on the dais should be telling you. They should say, yes God loves you, but once Jesus is TRULY in you sin will bring great inner conflict at times, remorse and sorrow at the least, if you continue to live in any sin. Will we be able to shed all sin? No, for we are imperfect beings. But major sins will be a burden upon us to cast away.
Any that say “Jesus will love you exactly as you are forever” is a liar and they have shown who they truly follow and it is not Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Any parent that does not spank their child when they have done wrong hates them and wishes them to be dead. Dead as in not alive with the love of Jesus Christ and have the ability through His salvation to live an eternal life.
Now spankings come in many forms. Not just a hit on the rear end. It is also to be verbally scolded when you do wrong and sins are wrong, ALL sin. If you are not admonished then they truly do not desire you to have eternal joy and happiness. This is what this means that they hate you.
This also goes to teaching people the Bible. If you do not do as the Bible says to teach them all that is within the Bible. To tell them that if they live in sin they will never be welcomed into heaven, then those that do not teach the Bible or teach the Bible correctly have only one goal in mind. To have you join them in the pit of fire in eternal agony and pain as worms eat upon your undying flesh as it is lashed with fire.

True Christians truly do care

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But most don’t want to hear what they have to say.
A Christian is like a parent to their children. They know what is right and have been through the same pains their children are going through, but the child doesn’t want to hear the advice or even accept the discipline that is sometimes required. This is extremely prevalent with those that do not wish to spank their children. Do you know that the Bible states if you do not spank your child you actually hate them (Proverbs 13:24). Now why is that? Because in some cases the only way to get through to the child is to cause them pain. Now I must say you do not need to go to extremes like that football player did a year back with the switch… that is too far and too much. But it is through pain that we all learn our lessons even as adults, it is usually emotional pain for adults though.
Without pain we do not learn if you do not learn then you are destine to repeat the same wrong over and over and in so doing will become lost to the point that Christ may even spit you out of His Body (Revelation 3:15-16). To allow this to happen is a type of hatred. It is this hatred that Christians do not have and any wise parent does not have either. For a truly loving parent truly and wholeheartedly loves their children and wishes them to do only what is good and righteous.
It is through confrontation with those that sin that Christians spank. Now you have to understand, most dictionaries give the incorrect definition of the word “confrontation.” Most say it is some type of violence. This is not correct. It is in actually a standing for your principles and not backing down from them. It is staying solid to your point and making it clear that for example if something in the Bible is said to be bad, wrong and something you should not do it is a sin. It is here that those sinning get a pain within them and it is a pain they wish to run away from. But truly good Christians will, reprove, rebuke and then exhort (2 Timothy 4:1-5) them to do what is right in God’s eyes and cause them to go down the painful road.
The pain is required.
There is no way around the pain. Trust me on this one, been there, done that…. Not fun. But from that pain my faith and trust in God grew, my believe in God grew, my understanding of God grew.
Now I can tell you I do not see things like a lot of other Christians do. In fact I do not think any Christian thinks exactly the same as any other Christian. I am willing to allow science to prove God while there are those that think science is nothing but a lie. Now you have to also understand that someone’s theory stated in a scientific manner as fact is a lie. In fact most “theories” are a joke, but when you apply true science you come to understand that God is real.
Case in point, the belief in multiple universes or multiple dimensions as it was originally called. The Bible states this is real. Is not heaven another reality? Yes it is and this is where God and His Son Jesus is at this very moment. So in this the Bible and science agree.
Do I think there are things in science that need to change? Yes. I think carbon dating needs to be revised since when it was first established our understanding of how the layers of the earth were made are not the same as they are today. Like for example the asteroid that hit the Yucatan Peninsula. This was not discovered till recently but it added several inches if not feet to the layering of the earth. So something that took place in a few days in reality is shown to be several hundred to thousands of years in carbon dating. So this shows that science needs to be re-evaluated.
This is how I differ from other Christians, but one thing is constant in all true believers. If the Bible says this is so or that is so. That is fact. So if something is a sin it is a sin and you must stop this sin. The greater the sin the greater the pain. Homosexuals must leave their lovers and end that lifestyle. Will that be easy? No. Will it be painful? Yes, but per the Bible it must be done and has been done (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
But because God loves you, you must endure this pain to be with Him. If you do not endure this pain and wish to live in sin then you will have everlasting pain. That is why when someone that loves you makes you suffer pain for a short time it is for your own good and it proves they love you. For an eternity in pain is all you will have if you are hated and do not know the short and temporal pain we experience here in this reality. For beyond the temporal will come the eternal and it would be worth the pain suffered here. Because to see the beauty and joys that come from an eternity serving God throughout His creation which is the entire universe.
So which do you wish to suffer? A short momentary pain or a pain that will never cease for billions upon billions of years?
This is why we must suffer punishments from our parents, and from God. And this is why the Bible verse says if you spare the rod you hate your child for by not suffering this momentary pain you are cursing them to eternal pain and only someone that hates someone could do that. We all must go through the pain for once we have emerged upon the other side we are better than we were before.
Stop seeking out the temporal pleasures of this short existence. An existence that will last slightly longer than one hundred years. Seek out the existence that is promised to all that follow the teachings of Christ within the Bible. Turn from sin. Stop living in the moment and start living for that which will last forever.
This is why true Christians care so much for their fellow humans. This is why those that truly follow Christ’s teachings say you must stop living in sin. Any that says you can live in your sin and still get into the eternal hates you, for odds are in favor they hate themselves and all misery loves company.
Accept Jesus Christ, turn to Him and ask His help to end your sin, and realize that there will be pain that follows, but also realize that pain is fleeting, but it is much better than the alternative of a joyous and painless life now and the total opposite for billions of years later.
Heaven is only a holding ground for those awaiting the return of Christ upon the Mount of Olives. Beyond that day eternity begins.

Not afraid

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Why this title?
People experience fear everywhere and every day. Even those that have accepted Christ as their Savior. Here is the thing though. The Bible states as we come closer to God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ we gain a type of love that overcomes fear.
When it comes to seeking to preserve your own life you have a slight fear that occurs when in an unfamiliar, or even unsafe area or situation. This is natural, this is how the human mind works.
In 1 John 4, there is another view in which “fear” is mentioned.
“17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.”
I find these verses interesting. For there are three meanings to the word “fear” and I can honestly feel that these verses actually addresses all three views of this emotion.
Now as mentioned above these verses also address a type of “love.”
It is the kind of love that comes from coming to know God through His Son our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. As we grow into this understanding that is bestowed upon us through this love of God that we come to fear less of what we encounter within this temporal world we live within.
We see that this existence, which has its importance in allowing all that come into the age of accountability to either accept or deny Christ. So it is necessary to weed out those that choose not to accept that there is a God and His Son died for their sins as well as everyone else upon this world we live upon.
Many for this reason have a fear of God that causes them to run and hide from Him, as was witnessed by Adam and Eve after eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When God came to the garden to commune with His creation, they hid themselves in shame of their nakedness. They feared to be seen unclothed before God, who had created them in His image.
This is one common source of fear for all that are born and come into their age of accountability. For they become aware of their sinful actions. Most do not seek forgiveness, but out of fear wish to destroy their Crestor. So they rebel, deny and then attack those that do see the truth of their Creator and turn to Him. Their fear of God being real causes them to blind themselves with a hatred that is born from this very fear.
Those that have turned to Christ, and as they strive to learn the Word of God become enlightened with an understanding of their universe about them, no matter the imperfection they are greeted with. They learn that this plain of existence we live within is something temporary, fleeting, and ever changing. Do they shed all their fear? No, but more and more of their fears start to diminish, becoming nothing to worry over or about and so love fills the void. A love from their Creator, God. A love that fills them and allows them to strive to become a more pure reflection of Jesus Christ.
They learn not to fear death, but to welcome its embrace when the time finally does arrive at the timing of God Himself. Without this fear within them they learn not to fear those that could, would and actually do hurt them. As was seen in the early years of Christianity and on mass they were brought into the Coliseum to face various types of death. However they met this death even though they were in a state of fear. Why? Because they had and have faith and belief in their intercessor to God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who in His love gave up His own life for our sins. Who had Himself experienced fear mere hours before His arrest. However He turned it over to His Father and accepted His fate. Did His fear leave Him totally? I can’t answer that, but from my own personal experience I would say no for He was human even though He was and is God, a part of the Trinity.
When we turn fear over to God and bear through whatever fear remains, strengthened by our love and faith in God, we become courageous or as the verse above says confident.
What I think is that people fear death because they fear the unknown or as the verse states punishment for not following Christ.
God has given us something true and solid to hold onto. Jesus did walk upon this planet. Jesus did take on human form and walked amongst humanity. This is documented not only in the Bible but outside the Bible as well. So if we take the Bible at face value and accept the truths within it and strive to be Christ-like more and more every single day then we truly have nothing to fear, especially the unknown that lies beyond this temporal existence. Why? Because Christ will be there and we will be with someone that has accepted us into His family and loves us as a family member, because we asked Him to be our Savior. Also by knowing the Bible we do have a glimpse into parts of the future that is to come, up to the point that God creates a new heaven and earth.
By learning from the Bible and coming to fully understand the teaching of Jesus, we will feel His love within us as we grow ever more like His reflection on this earth. By doing so we shine the light of the Lord onto the world and act as a witness to those that sin against God. We in our love for God, His Son and our fellows, Christian first, all others second. However we treat all equally due to this love. Yet we are promised due to our salvation because He replaced us upon the cross, not to partake of the punishment that will be dealt out upon the Day of Judgment that will transpire at the end of Christ’s thousand year reign upon this earth. Where those that rejected Jesus’s love will stand before Him for their accounting. For those that follow Christ will reign at His side during the thousand year Reign of Christ.
Those that do not accept Him do have something to fear, which is why so many fear death, for they are uncertain where they stand with Jesus Christ, due to lack of knowledge and awareness of the truth. But who can remedy this dilemma? Only they themselves by asking Christ to be their Savior and then learning the Word of God and coming to fully comprehend the teachings within. So in time they will become the reflection of Christ, which all true followers seek to be. When this is done their fears will diminish and be not afraid.

Some questions were asked.

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On Facebook someone read my post from Monday and asked me some questions. What is to follow was my response to these questions.
You have asks several and very important questions that everyone that calls themselves “Christian” should be asking. If some were for your own personal dilemma or to cause other readers to think I don’t know, but I will assume for the response which Christ Himself would address if He was responding to your questions.
The question was asked:
“How much must we hate someone to let them die in their sin?”
In the past when the Bible was more widely read and understood by most in the population, which itself could not occur until after the mass production of the King James Version of the Bible, I would say it was a type of hatred. But in today’s society where few can in any honesty say that they have truly read the Bible and take the word of what they hear form a pastor or priest once a week, as to truly “knowing” the Bible. Most in today’s religious sector that call themselves “Christian” are the lukewarm, which is so disliked by Jesus Christ Himself that he says he would rather we deny God then to be lukewarm. (Revelation 3:14-22)
Due to their own lukewarm life they do not realize that they are not one with Christ, but are living in a false relationship with who they think God and His Son are.
Many that do know of the true relationship with Christ are driven by the Holy Spirit to reach out to the masses, be they lukewarm or cold. There are other that are awakening to their “hot” understanding of the teaching of Jesus and His disciples. They ask this very question that you have asked. I know I did and as a result I was guided to write a blog in an attempt to awaken those that are the “lukewarm.” That is my calling. For we are in the age of the seventh letter to the churches within the book of Revelation.
When someone is “hot” for Christ they are unable to sit on their laurels of their salvation and they seek even through hardship to help others awaken to the truly eternal life which can only come by placing God at the core of their everyday life 24/7/365.
Matthew 22:36 – 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.
The question was asked:
“Dare I say if I don’t promote the Gospel of Christ and people around me die in their sin, does that make me a murderer at heart?”
Per 1 John 3:14 – If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them. 16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. 23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
“We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”
Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
I think this answers your question.
The question was asked:
“If I have knowledge of a way for others to live eternally with God, yet don’t share it, haven’t I missed the entire Gospel myself?”
Yes.

They say we must love all but then……..

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Once again I have encountered another of those that states that Jesus says to love all. I referred them to 1 John 3 and suggested they read the entire chapter. They said they did.
Yet all they took from it was verse 11. They did not take to heart the previous verses nor the verses that followed especially verse 14 and 15:
“If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.”
This states it plainly and clearly. You can say you love all you wish, but if sin is still within them then they are dead. For if you truly love them you will seek to bring them into eternal life. For if they say they love and show no love towards those that are followers of Christ then it is shown they are not one with Jesus and so are outside the true love of God and are dead and are in fact murderers for they bring others into damnation and death.
We must follow the teaching of Jesus Christ and we must follow all the commandments. If God says something is a sin then it is a sin and we must stop doing it. We must also help others to come to realize that if they live in any sin and do so without guilty or repentance then they may not be one with God or His Son the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
When challenged with these fact this person I encountered become argumentative and insulting, which shows their standing with God as is witnessed by this very passage of the Bible. This is how many of the “love” followers respond and act when they come face to face with the word of God. All I can say is that it is very sad that they do so for all their love has been revealed for the true lie it is as they shower those that shine the light of truth upon them with their hatred and disgraceful mannerisms.

Confessions of a screwed up middle age man: assumptions

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Within this last week I had two encounters with two different people. Both made an assumption about where I stand in my belief in God and an assumption and where I stand in my faith. They assumed I was arrogant and self-serving. This is the furthest thing from my mind.
As the title of this article shows I know I am far from perfect. I know that I am human and I do have human failings. Yes I know at times I can push hard in my wording as well.
Here is the thing that neither of these people wanted to hear. The way I present my message at time is not only out of love, but it is out of desperation. Why desperation?
Because time is running out. As I pointed out to one this people it is only 17 years till the two thousand year anniversary of the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is clear if you just open your eyes and your ears. If you listen to those about you, if you see how they act and live. It is obvious to any willing to see. We are coming to the end of gentile leadership of this world. The Bride is nearly ready, but there is still room for a few more.
I do not wish for those that think they are right with God to awaken someday in the near future and find they are left behind in bewilderment and sorrow. Not understanding that it was due to their own self-imposed ignorance that left them here upon this planet; because they loved it more than they loved God.
I know that after the Rapture which will be much smaller than many expect, and to be honest I will be surprised if even I make that blessed event, that millions will awaken to the truth of God’s love and warning to them to awaken. It will not be too late for them to join God, but they will be required to do the works they have refused to do until this point.
They will have to show their faith in God through the works they said were not needed or required. But what will these works be?
Frist and foremost they cannot take the mark, which will be a chip implanted into their skin and most likely a tattoo as well.
They will have to starve for they will not be able to buy food due to not having the mark.
They will have physical pain and anguish as they are beaten and ridiculed.
They will have to face a martyr’s death be it thorough starvation, or beheading.
Once they live the works they refused to do when they had the chance to do them and join those in the Rapture. Then through their works of their faith in God will they be welcome to stand before God.
Is this what you want? The Rapture has not taken place yet. There is still time. You can still become truly repentant. You can turn from the materialism, you can turn from your selfish desire and lust. You can place God at the center of your life now when it has more value unto God.
For once the Rapture happens people will begin seeing with their eyes and not their hearts and they will be like Thomas.
John 20:24 – One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” 26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” 28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: Disappointment

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The other day I posted one of my other blog post in the only Christian forum I belong to. Before the day was over it was removed, which is why I was disappointed. Not that it was removed, but as I see it the reasons for it removal.
This blog post had to deal with the extremism within the church of how they approach their faith. On the one hand we had up until the 1400s the one and only church, the Catholics. They had adopted an “it is all works” mentality. They made ritual after ritual and offered writs in forgiveness of any sin committed. This led to open sin and ultimately rebellion in the form of Martin Luther’s thesis and the Reformation. Now today we are suffering form it is all faith, which has been twisted due to the hippie movement of the 1960s, which at its core was secularism, that we must love all. Both are extremes, both totally remove God and His Son Jesus Christ from the equation and leave only humanity at its core and focal point. Thus are worthy by those that profess God to be their focal point to openly rebel against those that embrace this extremism that negates God all together.
In the post I received a comment. In it the person referred to Galatians 5:6.
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”
Now when you place Galatians chapter five in context you find that it deals only with the fact that it refers to the point that both Jews and Gentiles are welcome within Christendom through the saving grace and love of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Now just so you the reader can understand. The context of my previous post had to deal with James 2:14-26 which dealt with the fact that it takes both faith a.k.a. love and works which are not rituals but acts of commitment to Jesus Christ like for example the act of repentance.
So back on track. I pointed out to the commenter that very point that their comment was totally out of context with my article. The reply I got was my post being removed from the forum.
The only thing the commenter saw was the word “love.” This is the mark of someone that had fallen for the extremism of “love conquers all” and “we must embrace all as they are.” These are the key marks of the hippie movement that came out of the sixties and Satan. I know this because I was there and saw the words “love” and “peace” everywhere I went; along with movies which depicted orgies and mass drug abuse. This mentality does not allow for there to be the need for works like that of the most important act that someone must take to acknowledge their commitment to Jesus Christ as their Savior, that being repentance. In fact those that embrace this extremism say that we must accept people as they are no matter what sins they live within. It is this type of extremism that allowed two young men to stand in front of all the people in what was once a church as one kneeled down and proposed to the other. Now I say “what was once a church” for the moment they accepted this sin into their congregation they chose humanity over God as their core belief and no longer were a part of the Body of Jesus Christ, and so the term “church” no longer applies to them. They are simply a social club of love. A love that will not lead to the feet of God, but to the pit of fire.
This is why I am disappointed that my blog post was removed from my Christian forum, because someone became offended in the politically correct mentality which again is something that is humanity focused not God focused. I forgive them for their sin they have commit, not to me, but to whom I serve. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 4:1-5