By
1 Cor 10:31
To
many, perhaps I may live a boring hum-drum life. But
I love studying God’s Word more than anything!
Seriously I can easily put off (needed) housework!
I’ll choose the ways of Mary over Martha! Although I
bet Martha could whip up some wonderful muffins! 😉 And
once settled in heaven, I hope & expect some of you
will come visit me at my “tea room”!! 😊
Read
on & let’s discover some gems in the Word of
God. Remember: He magnifies His Word even
above His Name!! It’s that
important. Psalm 138:2 “… for thou hast
magnified thy word above all thy name.”
So
I was thinking about my dear NAĎVE friend – who believes
everyone is a true Christian just because they merely
profess to be!! She means well.
She says, “oh please pray for so & so – stage 4
cancer”. I ask: “is he a Christian?” She
responds: “he is a professing Christian.” I
answer: “unfortunately there are LOTS of
“professing” Christians!! But when so & so says
muslims go to heaven too (by their own reasoning &
rituals & not by accepting the ONLY WAY Who is Jesus)
then I say this person needs prayer for SALVATION instead
of prayer for health!!”
God
LOVES the muslim people, TOO!! But He still says NO
to any other path to get to Him outside of receiving Jesus
as personal Savior AND Lord!! Same goes for
Jews. And all other “religions” (even if they are
entrenched in the largest religion on earth!!) Still
it’s not by man-made rituals & rules one gets
there!
We
do not have to “count beads”!! We do not have to
grovel, or walk barefoot on hot flaming coals or do great
harm to our bodies. We do not have to bow down 5
times a day till our knees are bruised &
skinned. Nor do we have to confess to a human priest
or pastor. In fact, in today’s time? Be
careful doing that. Men pretending to BE GOOD &
trustworthy may be the worst scavengers of
humankind. That’s actually a great challenge living
in today’s world: we can’t really tell who the enemy
is.
JESUS
DID IT ALL!!!!!! JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!!
And
also: if/when a person is TRULY SAVED – then why do
we fight so hard to keep them out of
heaven? (idea by Adrian Rogers) As prayers for
health were generally the top prayer requests. I get
it!! We do not want our loved ones to “leave
us”!! Selfish? Possibly/probably. Yet I
understand. More importantly, the Lord
understands. So I’m not here to beat anybody
up! Just trying to help us think.
Now
I full well realize we all have different notions of WHAT
EXACTLY the unpardonable sin of BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY
SPIRIT is. I’m not claiming I have the monopoly on
God’s Word! For I do not! All I can say is
from my best study and unless the Lord directs me
otherwise, I think such blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
is when a person CLAIMS to be Christian yet is anything
“but”!! One who gives “lip service” (only) to the
Lord, but does not honor Him with his/her life.
Surely
you know them, too! I can tell you my eyes were
surely opened over the years, I was absolutely “blown
away”…. Hurt & greatly disappointed by those who –
well, for instance, there was once a Southern Gospel
Quartet we used to follow. While not super popular,
yet later on this particular guy did make the cut to get
into a very popular quartet (fired I’m pretty sure
as he totally botched a high note on live national
TV!!) We had occasion to cross paths with him later
when he worked at a lumber store giant (boss? Or
pretend boss?) Had his feet defiantly propped up on
the desk while puffing away on his cigar.
AND
HE CHEATED US!!!!!!!! Claimed we had not paid
a super big bill – which we HAD paid. Yet he was
trying to EXTORT MONEY from us!!!!! Even after we
finally found the receipt & got it to him…. Think he
humbled himself & even “bothered” to apologize??
If your answer is ‘yes’, better think again!! He
KNEW what he was doing!! And relished in doing it!
To
say I was completely DEFLATED at someone who used to get
on stage & sing about the Lord = “understatement
of the year”!!
Later
in time, we had dealings with yet another member from the
same group. My husband & he became fairly close
as they worked together. I won’t list his sins
out here, just again I was deflated as they were many….
Things which clearly went against the Word of God – even
though this guy showed up at church every Sunday,
sang in the choir, often sang solos, was very well known
in his religious circle. Yet he had expensive
vices! He was a Sunday-morning-only Christian.
You honestly could not tell any difference between him or
the local sleazeball who headed to the loud &
obnoxious bar on Saturday night!
So
INDEED satan & his servants can “dress up” like GOOD
people!!! All smiley – come off as professionals –
in some instances, even be on stage singing about the
Lord!!
1
Peter 5:8 BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT, because your
adversary the devil, (NOT YOUR FRIEND – but the one who
INTENDS TO DO YOU GREAT HARM & RUIN YOUR LIFE!!!
Even if you think you’ll ‘play it safe’ and allow yourself
to be recruited to his team – he will still turn on you
and absolutely SHRED YOUR SOUL!!!) as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may DEVOUR.
Admit,
I obviously injected my own emphasis & comments to
push the point home & help us REMEMBER!!!!!
A
ROARING LION is not the same as playful pussy cat!!!
So
here we go….
From
Matthew 15:8 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about
you, saying:
8 ‘These people draw
near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men.’ ”
You
know when a certain person was running for U.S. President
back in 2008, like others, I was sending out emails left
& right to alert people to his beliefs &
lifestyle. I was told point blank by my catholic
sister-in-law to STOP sending her emails (since she was so
avidly against abortion, I thought she might like to know
he was the most pro-abortion candidate ever!)
Instead I was told to STOP….. and “that she would make up
her own mind”. Suffice to say, at election time, she
voted for him!!
Now
I could be wrong, though I tend to think that people who
knowingly voted for someone who thinks it’s okay to murder
and sodomy is perfectly okay & you name it – will be
judged right along with him! (unless they repent).
So
there are many who—instead of following God’s ways &
instructions found in the Bible – prefer to make up
their own minds, do things their own way!! Or
follow false teachers!!
Isaiah
29:13 And so the Lord
says, “These people say
they are mine.
They
honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
me.
And
their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned
by rote.
Titus
1:16 They claim to know God, but by their actions
they deny him.
They
are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything
good.
CATCH
THAT?? By HOW we live our lives: many DENY Him
and are DETESTABLE and DISOBEDIENT!!!!!
I’d
call that a “D” on any report card!!!!
OBVIOUSLY
our actions should NOT deny God!!
1
John 2:9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the
light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still
living in darkness.
James
1:26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control
your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion
is worthless.
I
confess right here & now – this is my most notorious
sin!! I let my tongue loose too often. I
repent, of course, and ask the Lord to help me overcome
it. Example: have a friend I (mostly) enjoy
talking to on the phone…. Why is this a big deal?
You kidding? In today’s world of text me, text
me!!! I mean I have friends in their ‘60s and ‘70s
even who’d rather text than actually talk on the
phone! Heh! Sure sign of the times….
At
any rate, the one I enjoy talking with – (and no I’m not
excusing my own behavior!) but she’ll get really
annoyed at another friend who lives in the same city – you
know, like sisters who fight all the time….. so she’ll
spend a few minutes lambasting her….. then as a female, “I
get pulled into that” and next thing…. Out of
my mouth I’m saying something negative about one of my
friends!!
Hate
that! The incredible irony of it all – is my friend
on the phone doesn’t think a thing of it when SHE lambasts
HER friend – but to hear me say something she then always
injects her opinionated opinion!! “Now let’s get off
our soapbox!!” //I suppose this is funny in a way –
but it actually annoys me. So it’s OKAY FOR HER “to
say something”….. but NOT OKAY for me to do the same
thing??
At
any rate, I hate it anyway when I do that. So
future: I’m asking the Lord for some Philippians 4
thoughts & ideas to bring the conversation back to
something that’s UPLIFTING!!! Praiseworthy!!
Lovely, good!! And then I won’t stand in
judgment – by either my phone friend or by Him for
lambasting others whom I really love!! (even if
everyone does have their own quirks!!) 😉
We’re to love ‘em anyway, right? Quirks & all!!
Should
I feel the Lord leading, I can also GENTLY nudge this
friend – to help remind her I don’t really care to hear
her critical remarks either (about the other lady).
Wow….
Friendships!! Complicated, right?!! Yes,
sometimes.
I
like this translation of 1 John 3:6 because I take
this verse to mean one who sins WILLFULLY: “No
one who remains in Him sins continually; no
one who sins continually has seen Him or
knows Him”. Please also refer to Hebrews 10:26
regarding WILLFUL sinning.
And
taking it on home:
1
John 3:10
Here is the clear difference between God's children and
the Devil's children: those who do not do what is right
or do not love others are not God's children.
Will
you please highlight this in your Bible? Or write it
on a card & keep it nearby where you can read it
often!!!!!
Many
translations say he who does not “practice righteousness”
is not of God. AMEN!!!! But to HIT THE NAIL
STRAIGHT ON & HELP US CLEARLY UNDERSTAND: I love
the Good News Translation of this verse, because it
summarizes & bottom lines it for all the “just
live your own life anyway you want to” unconditional
eternity security believing crowd!!!
BTW:
I fully believe in eternal security but not
UNCONDITIONAL!!!!! Clearly we must stay
within the Lord’s guidelines!!
1
John 5:15 (using the NLT here for easy
clarification) If you see a fellow believer sinning
in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and
God will give that person life. But there is a sin that
leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for
those who commit it.
Okay,
so “fellow believer” and other translations say if you
see a BROTHER sinning
…… NOTE: and I commend we pay STRONG ATTENTION to
this!!!! It does NOT say if you see an UNBELIEVER
sinning – cause that’s what unbelievers “do”
anyway!! Easily!! Naturally!!
Continued:
(with this: SLAM DUNK!!!)
James
5:19 My brothers, if anyone among you might wander
from the truth, and someone should bring him back,
v.
20 let him know that the one having
brought back a sinner from the error of
his way will save his soul from death, and will
cover over a multitude of sins. (Berean
Literal Bible translation): I encourage you to go to
www.BibleHub.com to
check various translations any time you so desire &
have time regarding any Scripture shared.
NOTE:
save a SOUL
FROM DEATH!!!!!!!!!! Obviously this does not
mean merely a physical death here!!!!!!
Then
of course FALSE or FAKE (both same) Christians think there
are “other ways” to heaven other than JESUS
EXCLUSIVELY!!!!! Often times these include
celebrities such as Oprah and also Steve Harvey who very
recently stated the same thing. Bill
O’Reilly!! Yep, ol’ Bill said that a good handful of
years back.
And
unless she’s changed her mind, I’m pretty sure I recall my
mother-in-law saying this as well.
I pray for her. Admit she’s been such a challenge to
me over the years, though I should still pray for her.
Otherwise, within 1 second of her turn to stand before God
– she’ll find out how wrong she was!! And sighs,
will pay the price eternally.
~~~
There are NO OTHER WAYS to heaven except FOR JESUS – Who
IS “the way”!!!!! ~~~
If
someone could get there another way – then Jesus would not
have had to come and Jesus would not have had to die in
our places!!!! FACT!!!!
John
14:6 Jesus said to him, “I
am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.“
John
10:1 “Most
assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the
sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the
same is a thief and a robber.
James
10:9 I
am the door.
If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in
and out and find pasture.
Acts
4:11-12 This
Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has
become the cornerstone.’ 12. Salvation exists in NO
ONE ELSE, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved. [my emphasis]
IF
we love Jesus, we WILL keep His
commandments!! John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will
keep My commandments.” [my emphasis]
Trust
and obey!! There’s no other way!! To be happy
in Jesus!! But to trust and obey!!
John
14:21 Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the
one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My
Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him."
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he
will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will
come to him and make Our home with him.
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will
remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's
commandments and remain in His love.
1 John 2:3 By this we can be sure that we have come
to know Him: if we keep His commandments.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep
His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according
to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have
heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.
- Those
with false “conversions” will be cast away!!
- WILL
NOT ENTER HEAVEN!!
18. Matthew
7:21-23 “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven.
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your
name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And
then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart
from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
19.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the
unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: neither
the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the
greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God.
20.
Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice
magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the
idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Dogs
= not meaning God’s ANIMALS!! Rather, dogs as used
in detestable term in the Middle East.
- Fake
Christians ARE false teachers!!!
Deceitful!! DISGUISED as good!! GRACE
PERVERTERS!!! LORD DENYERS!!!
21.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For
such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising
themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise
themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will
correspond to their deeds.
22.
Jude 1:4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who
long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly
people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality
and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
23.
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among
the people, even
as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction.
24.
Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our
Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words
and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
CATCH
THAT?? By GOOD words!!!!!!! You can
be rich!! You can live your best life now!!
You, too, can have a crystal clear swimming pool in your
backyard!! Lotsa friends over – and have the pool
boy show up every Monday!! You
should buy yourself an airplane! Never worry about
bills again ~
or how about the: you’re never supposed to be in
ill health!! You can DEMAND good health from the
Lord!
Stomp your foot & throw your 2 year old temper
tantrum…. You are little gods (says the serpent!!)
Truth
is: the Lord could squish any single one of us like
a bug any time He so deemed. Yet He is merciful and
full of grace and not willing that any should
perish. So He offers many chances.
- This
time has been here for a good long while now!!
2
Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people
will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears
they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their
own passions, and will turn away from listening to the
truth and
wander off into myths.
Other
translations say they will HEAP UP (gather LOTS!!)
of false teachers – to tell them how wonderful they
are!! To tell them what the Lord can do FOR US***.
And tickle, tickle, tickle those ears!!! Don’t
forget: with GOOD words!! The tickling must
feel as light as a fine feather!!
***
please note: the Lord DOES do wonderful things for
us & all good gifts come from above!!
Amen!! HAS done and IS DOING wonderful things for us
– my only point here is that it should not be “just about
us”!!!!! We should love, honor & praise
Him even when things in our lives are very very bad!!!
Please
can we learn to be faithful & stubborn Christians as
Habakkuk was: Example: Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though
the fig tree does not bud and no fruit in on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no
food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no
cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I
will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
Recall
Job was also very stubborn? Even when his friends
were of little help – even going as far as blaming him
(OUCH, I’ve had “those kind” of friends!!)– even though
his own wife told him to curse God & die!!
(OUCH!! I’ve “been” that kind of wife with my
give-up-easy attitude! ☹)
CAN
WE BE AS FAITHFUL (and stubborn) as Job &
Habakkuk???!!
BTW:
I am standing with you Dove Poster, DOUG L “in the
trenches” so to speak! As often times you “take a
beating” on other mb’s for your stance to REMAIN IN
HIM. You are called legalistic & such. You
are NOT legalistic!! You are Bible-listic!! I
am right there with you! The Bible is very, VERY
clear that we MUST abide in Him and REMAIN
FAITHFUL!!!!!!!!
The
Bridegroom does not want a bride who is cheating on Him
right before the wedding!!! Having this hope
(of His soon appearing) in
us PURIFIES us!!!!!
To
put it succinctly: are we His children?? Or
are we bastards?
1
John 3:2-3 Beloved, we are now
children of God, and what we will be has not yet been
revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be
like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And
everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself,
just as Christ is pure.
Dear
Dear Christians: the night is far spent and the day
is at hand!! It is time we EXAMINE ourselves whether
we are IN the faith!! (currently!) And not
depend on some “repeat after me” prayer from long ago
while we continued living in the slimy filth of the
world.
- Let’s
not bank our salvation on ANY preacher or
teacher!!
- No
matter how right they sound; no matter what they say. No
matter how smooth & pleasant their words are!
- Jeremiah
says they lead many people off the cliff!!!!
- Even
if we THINK they’re on track and teaching correctly, we
should be like Bereans & check everything against
Scripture!!
- We
can rely ONLY on the Word of God!!!!
Amen!!
[as
usual, I’m bound to get a black eye … gratis satan… for
writing this – as I always do. Thanks for getting my
back!! And praying for protection around the OL’ 1
Cor 10:31 lady!! Thank you sooo much!!]
I love my fellow brothers & sisters in
Christ!!!
Whether
it’s early morn, night or noon, we have assurance He’ll be
here soon!!