ARE YOU A VIRGIN?

 The Parable of the Ten Virgins from the book of Matthew (25: 1-13) is a reminder to be prepared for the unexpected second coming of Jesus Christ.  In the parable there were 5 WISE virgins who were prepared and ready for Christ’s return. The other 5 virgins were FOOLISH because they did not prepare themselves for Christs' return and as a result, found themselves shut out of God’s Kingdom. NOTE: Each of these 10 virgins were anticipating the Lord’s return; none were atheists or non-believers, yet 5 were shut of the heaven. Why? Why were 50% of them rejected? My 2 questions today are: What exactly does it mean to be prepared and ready? And, if you are a believer, in which set of virgins would you place yourself? Wise or unwise? Let's look at Matthew 25: 1-13 first.

[Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.]

The ten virgins in the parable represent Christians not non-believers. Jesus is speaking to those who made the confession in their lives to follow Him! What is the spiritual reference to virgins? "Virgins" in this context pursue only Jesus, not other religions, beliefs, or doctrine. They are devoted and engaged only to Him. Virgins are not tainted.  They have not committed spiritual adultery by giving themselves to those things but have given themselves solely to Him = virgins in the spiritual sense. Note also that all 10 virgins had fallen asleep waiting for Jesus who tarried long until they heard the cry "the Bridegroom is coming." They were then AWAKENED (called) and went forth to meet Him. Five of the virgins had plenty of oil in their lamps to keep burning and shinning their light until He came after tarrying for so long. But the other five virgins lacked enough oil to keep their light shinning so their lamps went out. We distinctly have 2 sets of Christians Jesus is making reference to in this parable! Let's break it down:

1) It's obvious Jesus is represented as the Bridegroom.

2) Five wise virgins (devoted Christians) were prepared for His return. They are true and faithful to Him and sincere in their walk. They  have plenty of oil which kept their lamps burning.

3) Five unwise virgins (Christians in word only) were not prepared for His return. They did no have enough oil to keep their lamps burning. They are, in fact, hypocrites. They 'agree' in word with what the Bible teaches and even accept the Gospel as being truth, but don't practice what they preach (hypocrites). They attempt to live the Christian life but without the oil of the Holy Spirit to keep them going. They have never really put their trust in Christ and they have never nurtured the Holy Spirit which would have enabled them to walk the walk and live out their faith. They may know “about Jesus,” but they do not have a personal relationship “with Jesus.” As a result, there is no change or real evidence of Jesus Christ in their lives. They continue to live for the pleasures and treasures of this world and not for the kingdom of heaven so their faith became stagnant. There is no oil in their lamps because over time what was once there through a so-called conversion is now gone because their oil was neglected in exchange for worldly things and now they are empty. Until Jesus returns for Hs Church, they will not have the strength or endurance to withstand the trials and temptations that face those who belong to Christ because they do not have the Holy Spirit to enable them to do so.

4. Oil represents the Holy Spirit. It is the power that sanctifies, or sets apart a person from the rest of the world, or from hypocrites. It represents the essence of God being in and throughout a true Christians' life.

5. Lamps are the vessel which carry light. Our souls are vessels which produce spiritual Light that shines more and more until the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18)

6. The call at MIDNIGHT in this parable represents when things are dark as in dark and gloomy, disastrous, and uncertain. It is not referring to a literal hour because how could Jesus come at midnight when in other parts of the world it is still morning?  Midnight, therefore, infers dubious times, uncertain times, problematic times, hard times, troubled times, disastrous times, even catastrophic. We are headed that way even now. A midnight inference means dark without light. When the world has removed Jesus, the bible, religion, when you can no longer pray or worship God openly or be silenced or cut off for your belief in Jesus things will be very dark.

The key to understanding this parable is not the lamp or the wick, but the oil. Five virgins had enough oil and five of them did not. Without the Holy Spirit, we may have a perfectly good lamp, but no oil to keep it burning. Some people respond to the Gospel and have the correct understanding of the Gospel, but they only have an intellectual assent to it. It has no affect on their lives, no change is evident because they haven’t committed themselves to it even though they label themselves "Christian." This is not enough to save them. Even the demons know who Jesus is, but they are not saved!  Sincere Christians are the wise virgins and the foolish ones are hypocrites who think they are saved but never sought Christ to have a personal, sincere, relationship with Him.. Hypocrites profess their love of God and show many outward signs of being faithful to Christ, but the truth is only found within. We might try to fool one another or even ourselves into thinking we’re living for Christ, but God is never fooled. And why wouldn't the wise virgins share their oil?? Because a wise virgin cannot give the Holy Spirit to another person. I cannot give the Holy Spirit to anyone, nor can they get to heaven on my coat tails. True conversion is evident. How? The love of Christ constrains them to live no longer to themselves, but to Him that died for them.

God sees if we have a bitter or hollow heart. He knows if our words and actions are for show. 

Time will run out for each of us one day. Don’t be caught off guard and unprepared. Pave your way now with a heart, mind, and soul aligned to God before your time runs out. Your eternal resting place depends on it. The virgins anticipated the groom to come earlier than he did. So it is with us and Christ. Our idea of perfect timing sometimes differs from His idea of perfect timing and we can grow weary "waiting." But we must always be prepared by walking in faith, reading His Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to chastise, change, transform, and conform us. Trust that His timing is truly perfect. In His timing, we’re often called to wait. Don’t let the waiting time lull you into a false sense of having endless time. Don’t be fooled that you can wait and still be prepared when it matters, because you don’t know when that time will be. We must prepare our hearts and souls for the long haul. That includes developing a personal relationship with the Lord, discerning His will for our lives, leading where He follows, and loving one another. None of these things can happen the moment we realize our time on Earth is ending. Lead your life as if the end is today, but be prepared to wait. DON'T BE THE ONE TO HEAR, "Lord, lord, open to us!’ And then He says, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you" (Matthew 25:10-12). Think of that!! Jesus said He did not know 5 of the virgins. He didn't say "I kind of know you" OR "I used to know you" OR "At one time I knew you." No, He said I DON'T KNOW YOU" Some version say, "I NEVER knew you!" What a sad outcome for not being prepared and vigilant! Make sure you have oil in your lamps to keep burning until you hear the cry that will call you up to Him."

Until He Comes

-Pat-

Jesus WAS God In The Flesh

 

It is in Christ Jesus that God was and is manifested to all of mankind. Jesus said, "When you have seen me, you have seen the Father, for I am in the Father and the Father in me." Jesus and God are one in the same. How can that be you ask? Well, to be perfectly honest, Paul concurs regarding this great mystery ... God IN CHRIST, that GOD Himself became a man that we might know Him. He openly spoke of this as a "mystery." The mystery is God manifested in the flesh (Jesus). Paul said it in Colossians 2: 2-3. "My purpose is that they (every believer and follower in Jesus) may be encouraged in heart and unite in love, so that they may have the full riches of COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

This "mystery" had at one time been hidden but now is revealed in our time to Gods people. Jesus spoke about it. He called it the mystery of the kingdom of God in Mark 4:11 as He revealed Himself to His disciples. Did you know if I counted correctly, Paul used the word mystery about 21 times in the books he wrote? Each time, it involved a declaration of spiritual truth which of course was revealed by God through divine inspiration. But for us now, after His disciples are long gone, has been revealed by the Spirit in God's written Word! Jesus was the Word made flesh (John 1:14) so He still continues to reveal Himself through the written Word of the Bible to this day! The mystery of God is the consummation of all God's plan in bringing His Kingdom in Christ to fulfillment (Ephesians 1: 9-10, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Revelation 10:7). At the time of Christ (Biblical history) this was not clear though the "mystery" stood in bodily form before the disciples! This mystery is now disclosed to the Lord's Church (Colossians1:25-26) through the testimony the disciples'  in writing, all of which point to Christ and represent the final disclosure of God's Word to mankind. 

There is NO UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S WORD apart from a personal relationship with His son, Jesus (Matthew 12:50, John 14:23, 2 John 1:6).  CHRIST IS THE MYSTERY IN THOSE WHO BELIEVE- as is the mystery of "Christ in you the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). A key to having the "full riches of complete understanding (Colossians 2:2) is to be born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10),

The Bible reveals the heart of the gospel: the mystery of true godliness, what it means, and how you arrive there. The bottom line is, YOU cannot get there by anything you do, say, perform, or wish for. We, on our own volition, cannot please God by our perceived goodness; WE MUST depend on Christ (2 Corinthians 3:5) for salvation. Jesus was/is our perfect example of what pleases God, and thus our example of how to live. And since as humans with a fallen nature, we cannot be this perfect model on our own. We need Christ as our intercessor because we will fail and do fail outside of Christ. When a person accepts and believes the sacrifice Jesus made by dying for our sins, He gives every person the power to overcome the temptation to sin as He overcame sin. "To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I  overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Jesus gives us His same power not to give into temptation. It is, therefore, possible to live a life pleasing to God through the power of Jesus Christ. It is why you need that personal relationship with Him. Yes, it is a mystery alright!

God has truly revealed His complete Word to His followers (Colossians 1:26) who have "heard and learned" the gospel (John 6:45, also refer to Romans 10:17 and John 3:16-18), because it was they who fathom "the glorious riches of this mystery" (Colossians 1:27). Simply, "the mystery of God is God's plan of salvation through Jesus. Why? Because you and I would never have been able to comprehend the way to eternal life without the coming of Jesus, His death and resurrection. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

The Righteous Will Scarcely Be Saved

1 PETER 4: 18-19 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" When you read this verse, do you ask yourself something like, "What? What does it mean "if" the righteous are barely saved? How can that be? I thought Jesus saves the repentant sinner, period. How can we be barely saved?" Answer: It is not that we are "not quite saved or barely saved" as the verse to some may seem to be implying, because we are certainly saved; but it is because of the great danger and difficulties we encounter and go through that we are scarcely saved. Let me expound.

We were by nature children of wrath, dead in trespasses and sins, with no power or wish to turn to God. But through grace we have been led by the Holy Spirit to see our danger and to seek Christ; a change of heart has been wrought in us by the Spirit of God; we have become a new creatures in Christ Jesus and have passed from death unto life. But difficulties are not over. Snares and temptations lie in our path; and our hearts, though renewed by grace, is by no means free from sin. We find the Christian life to be no smooth and easy course—but a race, a strife, a warfare, from first to last; and often has each of us to mourn over his own slip-up's and shortcomings. And we experience trials of another kind too—losses, sorrows, afflictions; for God does not leave His children un-chastised! The chastisements He sends are proofs of love, rather than of anger—and sometimes seem to fall heaviest on the best Christians. I have been chastised on many occasions and by it have understood, learned, and matured further in the spirit changing little by little, from glory to glory, as I become more like Him.

Therefore, it is through danger and difficulty, temptation and trial—that the Christian is saved. Many a rough place must we pass; many a battle must we fight; many a sorrow must we bear—before our course be done. We ARE saved, but "scarcely saved." See? Tried and harassed we may be—but not lost. Worn, tempted, and persecuted—but not cast away. God's love and faithfulness are engaged for our salvation. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and my Father are one" (John 10:27-30).

But now comes a solemn question: If the righteous is scarcely saved—then what will become of the unrighteous? I'm not asking personally, it is the Bible that puts this question about the unrighteous person. The words are these: "If the righteous one is scarcely saved—then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18). They are in fact the words of God, though written by the apostle Peter. They are God's words to you if you are among the ungodly and the sinners—God's solemn question to your soul. A question, but a question without an answer: The answer is left to you.

"The ungodly and the sinner." Why are there two words instead of one? On purpose, it would seem, to take in sinners of all sorts—the hardened transgressor, the man who lives in habitual sin, the bold wicked man—the weak and wavering man, the light and careless, the worldly, the empty professor of faith —all who are living without God in the world, all who are not washed in the blood of Christ and renewed by the Spirit. It is quite plain that the apostle means here all who are not righteous; he puts the righteous on one side, and the ungodly and the sinner on the other side; and on one side or the other, he means to take in everybody. It is just the same as if he had said, "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall all the rest appear?"

Now, ask yourself  honestly whether you are among the righteous. The question is not whether you are better or worse than your neighbors; that has nothing to do with it—but are you righteous? Does salvation apply to you? Are you converted? Do you believe with the heart? Are you seeking daily to live to God? If not, then this question about the ungodly and the sinner is for you. Perhaps you do not like either of these words. You do not pretend to be righteous—yet you are not so bad, you think, as those who are called ungodly or sinners.

Then, I ask you, if neither righteous nor ungodly—what are you? Put your finger on that word in the Bible which describes you. You cannot. There is nothing in the Bible between righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, reconciled and unreconciled. And if you are not righteous in God's sight, then before Him—whatever you may be in your own eyes or in the eyes of the world—before Him, you are ungodly or sinful. I urge you—weigh this well. And now to the question itself, "Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" This question must not be taken by itself; it hangs upon what has gone before about the righteous: "If the righteous one is scarcely saved—then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

The full meaning is this. Seeing that even the righteous man is scarcely saved, that his dangers and difficulties are great; that he finds it necessary to "put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11), to "press toward the mark" (Philippians 3:14), to "strive to enter through the narrow gate" (Luke 13:24), and that, though saved to the uttermost by Jesus Christ—yet it is as one is rescued from the water or the flames—seeing all this, what will become of the wicked? Shall the righteous be scarcely saved—and you so easily? Shall he reach Heaven by so rough a road—and you by one so smooth? Shall he go in by the straight gate and the narrow way—and shall you choose the broad gate and the wide road, and yet find it leads you at last to the same happy place? Shall he take up his cross and follow Christ—and shall you follow nothing but your own will, and yet win Christ in the end? Never repenting, never turning, never believing—and yet saved? Finding without seeking; not running the race, and yet winning the prize; wearing a crown, though never having taken up your cross? Impossible! Reason says so—conscience says so, and, as plainly as words can speak, God Himself has said so. Have you never read of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:30), of the sheep and the goats, of the right hand and the left (Matthew 25:33)? 

Do you remember what the Bible says about a broad road and a narrow road, a straight gate and a wide gate and about the places to which they lead? Here are Jesus' own words: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). The righteous and the wicked are traveling different roads—and will come to different ends. It is true, they are mixed now, as plants growing in one field are mixed; but it won't always be so. A great separation day is coming, when every plant which God has not planted shall be rooted up (Matthew 25:13); and all refuges of lies shall be swept away (Isaiah 28:17), and the true sheep of Christ from every quarter shall be gathered together into one fold, into which no mere pretender shall ever come. To that great day, this question itself seems to point, "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Appear when? Why, on that very day when the Lord Jesus shall appear in His glory, and the saints who slept shall appear with Him, and His waiting people on earth shall appear with joy to meet Him. Then, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Appear they must, somewhere. They cannot hide themselves. "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him" (Revelation 1:7).

Oh, unbeliever, where will you appear, and how will you feel then? In vain will you call upon the mountains and rocks to fall on you, and hide you "from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!" (Revelation 6:16). You must come forth—you cannot escape from that all-seeing eye—you must meet the Judge. Where will you appear? I leave the question to your conscience. "If the righteous one is scarcely saved—then where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Look on to that great day—so sure to come and coming so swiftly! Look to it as if it has already come—imagine yourself even now before the throne; imagine that, just as you are, you are suddenly called to stand there. Where do you appear? What do you feel? Which side are you placed on? What words do you hear? How does it fare with your soul? Can you think of this—and yet continue in sin and still put off coming to Christ?  His word cannot fail. Not one true believer shall be lost. "He is also able to save to the uttermost, those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25)—and He will save them with an everlasting salvation.

Turn from sin and the world. 

Leave the broad road and begin to walk in the narrow way. 

It is a safe way, though narrow—the only safe way; and happy, though rough. 

However, it is not always rough; it has many green spots, many pleasant places; and even when rough, One is with us in it, to help and cheer us by His presence.

I urge the undecided, set out on the narrow road without delay! Too much time has been lost already—lose no more. No longer run the risk of appearing among the ungodly and the sinners at His coming—flee to Christ at once; be instant and urgent at the mercy seat; pray for the Holy Spirit, for light, pardon, grace, and strength; you may be reckoned among the righteous even now, and be saved in the day of the Lord! Light is growing dimmer, Time is growing shorter. Jesus is coming to gather His righteous.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

Check Your Parachute (all empowering wake up call)

 

As believers, you and I have passed from death unto life. The Bible says this same thing in 1 John 3:14. Therefore, if we have raised and been made new from an old life of bad habits, vices, and sins, there should be some sort of evidence of it wouldn't you say? There should be some evidence of change. That said, the Bible instructs us to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). Why? To see if you and I are in the faith. To examine ones self seems to be an interesting concept. The simple truth is, when a person comes to the Lord in faith, over time changes take place within our hearts which in turn rule our actions. If one is a true born again Christian, you wouldn't expect him to continue embezzling money from his company, or a politician to cheat to acquire  votes, nor would you ever imagine a true follower to participate in an adulterous affair. Somewhere along the line in your Christian journey sin should become offensive and your life should begin to produce fruit; specifically the FRUITS of the spirit ...love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These then, as "fruit," begin to grow within us replacing hate, impatience, lust, greed, envy, pride. wrath, laziness, etc. As we mature in Christ we should be producing these fruits and it is WHY the Bible instructs us to examine ourselves. Are you producing fruit? 

If you were to go skydiving, how carefully would you examine the parachute you'd be using? I don't know about you but I'd probably check it 10 times or more: the cords, the canopy, stabilizers, ripcord, etc. When we examine ourselves spiritually, one of the most important things we should do is make sure we have repentance which I like to equate to the "rip-cord" of our faith. For without true repentance, all the other characteristics of a risen life will mean nothing.  You can jump from a plane with an acceptable weight, the canopy in tact, cords healthy and strong, but if the ripcord is defective your shoot is not going to open and you're going to die! 

We must first repent of our sin (having a change of mind)  that continues throughout our walk with Christ BECAUSE we are not perfect people. I have never read in scripture nor have I ever understood any disciple to teach that sinless perfection is possible, nor does it deny that some sins are harder to overcome than others. What it does say is that those who are truly repentant do what they can do to resist the devil (James 4:7) and flee from temptation. The truly repentant will lapse into sin on occasion, but they always return to the narrow path of righteousness. And might I add, with a contrite heart!  When we sin and desire forgiveness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit mean to experience “godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in Heaven. Repentance yields its fruit in a changed life.  We do not repent only once at the start of the Christian life and then go on our merry way, confession of sin is needed until life's end (1John 1: 8-9).

If you have not experienced a change in your life, if sin is not offensive, if you are not sorrowful for an occasional lapse into sin then I urge you to examine yourself today and often in your walk with Christ, call on God and plead with Him to help you make "your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10)

Until He comes,

-Pat-

The Transgender Agenda

 

The Satanic Mutilation of the Human Body

(An Uncensored Blog)

Understand the Transgender agenda. The fallen angel Lucifer has no GENITALIA or physical anatomy. Neither does any angel.  No organs of reproduction of any kind female or male. And why should they? They don’t have human bodies. Therefore they can’t reproduce. They are spirit beings only. “Who maketh his angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire:” (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭104‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬). Angels weren’t created to repopulate the earth. That was the calling for humans to do. “And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭28)‬ ‭AMP‬‬. 

It torments the Devil that humans have physical bodies and he does not. For Satan knows the earth was given to the humans and not to the angels. Hence the forces of darkness are furiously attacking the minds of humans to try and convince them to self mutilate their bodies to become an opposite gender. The root cause is the Devil’s jealousy. “Cut off your PENISES and BREASTS“ Lucifer says to the masses. “Get rid of your UTERUS and be free” he says through TV and politicians. But secretly he is angry at your bodies. This is the spiritual root cause of the New World Order’s plan to mutilate children and adults worldwide. Satan screams that to disagree with this agenda is hate. But the reality is it is confusion. It is a diabolical scheme to dismantle God’s purpose for mankind.

Only by reading the Bible and listening to God’s Holy Spirit can we wash ourselves of this backward thinking. Men who are unhappy with being men won’t find happiness trying to be women. And the same with women trying to be men. Your chromosomes cannot change. And neither does God’s plan for your life. Happiness is only found with Jesus Christ and in obedience to His Word and not in religions or politics or physical mutilations. The picture above is symbol for Satan portrayed as Baphomet. The goat headed god with male and female parts. Clues on Lucifer’s fascination and jealousy with the human body. And the age old plan to mutilate and destroy it.  God had the eternal plan to create Himself a human body and call it Jesus Christ and sacrifice Himself to free all humans from their confusion and sin. God as a human by Jesus Christ provided a way to make people free. Men could become the bride of Christ (female) spiritually and women could become the body of Christ (male) legally. fulfilling the purpose for the human heart, soul, and body. One should not allow the lusts of the body and mind to control and dictate their lives. A mind uncontrolled and unwashed by the Bible causes a confused, unhappy and unfulfilled life.

Conversely, we must take a daily bath in the Word of God and prayer to keep ourselves clean from the perversions of the Devil and flesh. To know the truth and walk in it is freedom indeed. In the beginning God… created male and female.  Period. “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV)‬‬ “[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),” ‭‭  (2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5)‬ ‭AMP-classic‬‬.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

World of Deception

 

When it comes to perception of goodness there is so much we are deceived by. For instance ...

1. Some people believe they're actions and lives are basically good, therefore sin isn't an issue. DECEPTION. 1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

2. Some people believe the small things they've committed are not wrong. DECEPTION. 1 John 1:10 "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

3. Some people believe nothing they've ever done is worthy of damnation. DECEPTION. 1 Corinthians 6:9 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionist, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 

The word deceived in the above verses of the King James Bible comes from the Greek word “planaw.” Interestingly, it is the verb from which we get the English noun “planet”. It implies a wandering away on a separate path. Planets wander on their own orbit or path away from the center point of its axis. And people do the same thing, they wander off on their own way of doing things, just as Isaiah 53.6 states: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all." We have wandered away by making up our own interpretation of what sin is, then modifying our beliefs to excuse our behavior.

That is mankind’s problem, we all sin by choosing to do what our sinful flesh desires rather than seeking and doing what God wants and desires for us.   Isaiah 53.6 tells us that God has provided a solution to and for our sin and Paul declared the same thing so plainly in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Paul makes it clear that there are many who will not inherit or enter into the kingdom of God. He names several categories of sins whom many people even reject are sins. DECEPTION. The following are all sins that will keep you from heaven. Let's look at them. Ten are listed. I'll cover each one because the world seeks to deceive both Christians and the lost into believing that these are not sins and that the unrighteous will not face the consequences and judgment for their actions. Here they are:

 "Be not deceived “fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionist.” You will not escape from God’s judgment if you persist in your sin. Notice I said persist! That is, if you willfully continue in sin. Ask yourself, how many people forty or even thirty years ago that thought homosexuality, fornication and/or adultery were not acceptable conduct? Numerous. How many do you know today that think these are acceptable? Many. There has been a tremendous propaganda campaign waged to deceive the American culture. It has been and is still being carried out in public schools, on radio and television, in the movies and the various news sources available today. Sexual perversion is shown in nearly every home in America on the television sets in our living rooms every night. Answer this question, would you send your child or grandchild to a school where the teachers spelled the word WRONG with the letters R-I-G-H-T ? That is taking place in the United States’ public schools when it comes to the teaching of morals, especially when it comes to sexual conduct. Ephesians  5:11 "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."

Here is the list of groups that God calls “unrighteous.” You can pick one that interests you or you can read them all. Bear with me.

FORNICATORS

America is filled with fornicators. That simply speaks of those who commit sexual acts outside of a marriage contract. Heterosexual marriage is the only marriage where God and the Bible recognize and allow for a sexual union. Fornicators will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

IDOLATERS

Idolaters speaks of those whose god is anything other than the God of the Bible. It can be Allah, Vishnu, Satan, Buddha, nothing or yourself. None of these are God and none of them can deliver you from the judgment you will face before the one, true God. Idolaters will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

ADULTERERS

Adulterers are those that have sexual relations with another while they themselves are married. Adulterers will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

EFFEMINATE

The effeminate is a male who submits himself to be used as a woman, as a male prostitute. The effeminate will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES WITH MANKIND

Abusers of themselves with mankind are men who have sexual relations with another man rather than a woman. Today the word is homosexual that is used in place of “abusers of themselves with mankind.” Homosexuals, or rather “abusers of themselves with mankind” will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

The principals are set forth and whether it is a homosexual, lesbian, bisexual or transgenders, they all fall under the same grouping of the unrighteous that will not inherit the kingdom of God. These make a mockery of God, accusing Him of making a mistake. Notice should be taken that these sexual sins are also mentioned in the Old Testament as being abominable in the sight of God (Leviticus 18) and are not excused under the New Testament as some teach and or believe.  Some mistake the doctrine of God’s grace as the idea that God does not care whether or not a sinner saved by His grace continues on in sin once saved. This is a very dangerous and an heretical view. Paul asked the question in Romans 6:1-2a “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid …” and in Titus 2:11-12 we read “For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men,  12 Teaching us that, denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” That's pretty plain, no?

THIEVES

Thieves here speaks of embezzlers and pilferers and by extension can even speak of teachers who care more for their own gain rather than the truth. Thieves will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

COVETOUS

Covetous persons are those who desire to have something or someone that someone else has, are greedy of gain and are never content with such as they have. Paul in Colossians 3:5 calls covetousness the same as idolatry. The covetous will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

DRUNKARDS

Society has softened the debauchery of alcoholism. Rather than calling a man or woman a drunkard, they are now called alcoholic, or that they have a drinking problem or worse yet, it's called a disease. No, it's a choice. The Bible speaks direct to the point and calls those who get intoxicated Drunkards. Drunkards will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

REVILERS

Revilers are those that “speak about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way” according to the Merriam Webster online dictionary. They are those who verbally abuse others. Revilers will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

EXTORTIONERS

Extortioners here speaks of robbers, those who snatch property away from others with no qualms about it. Extortioners will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Jesus is the one who described hell, or Gehenna, as the place "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9.43-44).  The Word of God shall still stand true unscathed, unmarred, undented, and undeterred, as Romans 3.3-4 states "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."

These are not the only groupings or categories of the Unrighteous found in the Bible. Revelation 21.8 names several more: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. I won’t give any detail on this group, but it is clear that there are many categories of sin by which we offend the holy and righteous Lord God.

Time is drawing near to the Lord's return. Your situation may be dire — but not hopeless. However, you must be willing to confess your sin and repent of it. God can and will deliver you from your sins if you will but turn to Him and trust in Christ. That is what had happened to these Christians in the ancient city of Corinth to whom the Apostle Paul wrote. Notice what Paul said in verse 11: "and such were some of you" (meaning the same type of sinner). They no longer were, but they had earlier been in one or probably several of those ten groupings of the unrighteous named in verses 9 and 10. I know I was. I can look at the lists above and see that I once fit into a couple groups before I was born again!

But when these Corinthian Christians — and even when I — repented and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ to save us the rest of verse 11 took place … but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. I praise God for cleansing us of our sins and making us righteous in Christ!

Is what I am sharing “hate speech” as some may accuse me of? If you have never repented of your sin, turned to God and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, I don’t hate you. Surely you would not call it “hate speech” if you had cancer and went to an oncologist, and he told you the truth that you had cancer and that he recommend a course of treatment to cure you of the cancer? Or would you rather he tell you that you are just sore from too much exercise, go home, take three aspirin and go to bed and get some rest? The doctor does not hate you when he tells you the truth. Neither do I hate you and neither will I call evil good, nor good evil. I desire to have you realize the truth of the peril of your situation.

 The simple Gospel message that you must believe is this, according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4  “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” God, (it is said in Romans 5.8)  “commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” To commend simply means that He demonstrated His love for us once and for all time. And the last part of Isaiah 53.6 says the same the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. We have each and every one of us wandered off to our own appetites for sin. But God loves us and has provided us a Savior. And 1 John 1.9 tells us that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Confess simply means to say the same thing, or to agree with God about the fact that you have committed sins. 1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

As someone who was once a persistent  sinner  I urge you to repent of your sins, turn to God and trust in Christ that He took your sins upon Himself when He died on that cross on Calvary. God's Word has not changed! It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Sin is still sin. No excuses. Be saved today – Be washed – Be sanctified – Be justified .

Until He comes,

-Pat-

SIN: Your perspective / God's perspective

 

Forgiveness is a core concept of the Christian faith. We confess that all humans have sinned but understand that God is willing to forgive them. But what if I have sinned really badly – say I have committed murder, sexually abused children or am involved in human trafficking? What is the point of no return where God won’t forgive me anymore?

This question assumes that some sins are more serious than others. In society, this is true. A just judge imposes a harsher sentence on a murderer than a person with several unpaid speeding tickets since the consequences of murder are much worse. The punishment must be proportionate to the crime. You probably apply the same principle in your personal life: if a friend has been lying to you about something and is really sorry, you’ll forgive them. But if they have willingly ruined your reputation by gossiping and spreading lies about you and they keep doing so, this may be the end of your friendship. However, with God, things are different. He not only considers the earthly consequences of our deeds but our heart attitude. He takes every sin seriously and at the same time there is no particular sin we can commit that God is not willing to forgive. God is so awesome.  His standard is absolute perfection, which is totally reasonable since He created humans perfect in the beginning but when the first humans chose to disobey the Lord, everything changed. Everything!

From that point on, Adam and Eve's  pure, holy, sinless nature that was created in God's image,  had taken on corruption and death and all of their descendants have inherited this sinful nature within their flesh. We all fall miserably short of God’s standard. As the Bible says, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20, compare Psalm 53:3 and Romans 3:12). Any sin we commit is serious enough to deserve eternal separation from God. Therefore, no one can get to heaven by being good since being good does not destroy our desire to disobey God. And since no one is “good enough” according to God's WORD we need/needed another solution to get right with God. What is that? Forgiveness based on Jesus’ righteousness, not our own! Even though humanly speaking some sins are just too bad to be forgiven, God does not think so. Nobody is irredeemable by God. Jesus has paid the price for every possible transgression, and scripture promises His blood has the power to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7). The Bible is full of stories about people who were forgiven by God and they were not always the nicest people. For instance:

1) When king David saw a beautiful woman called Bathsheba, he sent his messengers to bring her and had sexual relations with her even though he was fully aware that Bathsheba was married to one of his officers. When Bathsheba turned out to be pregnant, David tried to have her husband Uriah sleep with her to cover it all up. When this scheme did not work, David abused his power to purposefully kill Uriah in battle. After that, he took Bathsheba as his wife. The Bible plainly says that “the thing that David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11:27). The prophet Nathan confronted David with his behavior and he suffered from the consequences for the rest of his life. But when David realized what he had done and wholeheartedly repented, he received forgiveness!

2) When Jesus was crucified, two criminals were put to death with Him. One of them confessed, “We are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man [Jesus] has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). So, this man had committed a crime that deserved death penalty. But when he asked Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom”, Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).

3)The apostle Paul is the most famous missionary ever. But before he came to faith, he used to persecute Christians to death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women (Acts 22:4). Years later, he writes, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15).

These examples show that there is hope for everybody who confesses their sins and accepts God’s offer of forgiveness. Since God is love, are we forgiven automatically? No, we are not. We must repent and turn our lives over to Jesus to be forgiven and spiritually healed. If we don’t, we’ll have to bear the punishment ourselves, which means eternal separation from God. God offers us forgiveness, but if we don’t accept His gift, we won’t profit from it. The following example made it crystal clear to me when I needed clarification. If someone gave me  a beautifully wrapped gift for my birthday and placed it on my kitchen table but I never open it, I didn't accept it, I would never profit from it. And though it sat there throughout the years, it would not be the givers fault that I rejected it. So therefore, I would have no one else to blame but me. The key is to ACCEPT the gift of Christ's dying for you which activates forgiveness for every sin you've ever committed. Get this now ... CHRIST DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD. Nothing within this scripture seems to suggest that God's Son perished for only for certain people.

His gift of forgiveness and redemption was already purchased for every living person. Whether  the unrepentant and current pedophile, every current child molester, every current rapist, every current murderer, every current embezzler, every current human trapped in the filth of pornography, every current prostitute, every current homosexual, etc. His gift is on the table. It's up to you to accept it. Salvation is based on YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF HIS GIFT and not the sins you've committed! What? Why? Because yours sins were nailed to the cross AND ALREADY FORGIVEN over 2,000 years ago when He sacrificed His life for the sins OF THE WHOLE WORLD. You are included in that! 1 John 2:2 "And He is the propitiation (atonement) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Jesus already paid the penalty for the vile sins you've committed and those you're currently caught up in. If (and 'if' connotes it's conditional) if you accept and take His free gift given for you, you will repent by being sorry for your sins and confessing that to Him. The greatest sin you can commit is not a terrible murder or some other serious crime, it is not believing in, accepting,  or trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior of sinners. If you have not yet confessed your sins to God, don’t wait till it’s too late.

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You.” (Psalm 86:5) “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). This is not a private religion. He didn’t just deal with us. He is dealing with the whole world, and he is gathering people into Christianity from the whole world, and he is blessing the whole world by obtaining people from every tribe and tongue and people and language, which is exactly what Revelation 5:9, the third text, says: “You were slain, and by your blood your ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

Heart Change

 

There are two instances in the New Testament when Jesus told someone to “sin no more,” and they were each under very different circumstances. The first is when Jesus healed an invalid by the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–15). Afterward, Jesus found the man and told him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (verse 14). It is clear that Jesus knew what had caused the man’s condition. We are not told the specifics of the man’s physical impairment, but the context implies that it was caused by sinful choices. Jesus warned the man that he had been given a second chance and that he should make better choices. If the man returned to his sinful behavior, he would have wasted the opportunity Jesus gave him to live whole and forgiven.

The second instance is in the account of the woman taken in the act of adultery (John 8:3–11). When the woman’s accusers brought her before Jesus, expecting Him to pronounce judgment, He told them that the one who was without sin should throw the first stone. One by one, the condemning crowd left. Then Jesus told the woman, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more” (verse 11). She had been caught. She was guilty. She did deserve stoning according to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). The religious leaders who had dragged her there had no concern for holiness. They were trying to trap Jesus into saying that the Law did not matter (verse 6).

Jesus often reminded those religious leaders that He had not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He, as God, was the Author of the Law (2 Timothy 3:16). The Pharisees focused on the letter of the Law but missed the true spirit of it, which is given in Galatians 5:14: “The whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” When Jesus refused to condemn the woman, He was not minimizing the importance of holiness. He was offering her the same kind of forgiveness He offers every one of us (Acts 3:19).

In saying, “Go and sin no more,” Jesus was not speaking of sinless perfection. He was warning against a return to sinful lifestyle choices. His words both extended mercy and demanded holiness. Jesus was always the perfect balance of “grace and truth” (John 1:14). With forgiveness comes the expectation that we will not continue in the same path of rebelliousness. Those who know God’s love will naturally want to obey Him (John 14:15).

When we turn to Christ and receive His forgiveness, we experience a heart change (Luke 9:23; Acts 1:8). Forgiveness is not cheap, and it does not excuse the sin that separated us from God. It cost God everything to offer us the cleansing that pronounces us righteous before Him (John 3:16; 15:13). Rather than continue in the self-centered path that led us astray from Him to begin with, the forgiven can walk in God’s path (Luke 14:27). A move toward God is a move toward righteousness, purity, and holy living (1 Peter 1:16; Romans 8:29). We cannot experience the transforming power of forgiveness without being forever changed. It goes without saying that the woman caught in adultery did not return to her infidelity. She had met Jesus. She would not be perfect. No one is. But she was forever changed. Her eyes had been opened to the depravity of what she was doing. Sin no longer held the appeal it once did. When we meet Jesus, sin no longer holds its fatal attraction. Grace changes things. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1–2). When we are born again (John 3:3), the power of the Holy Spirit breaks the power that sin once had over us (Romans 6:6). Once we lived only to please ourselves, but when we have been forgiven, our motivation changes. We now live to please God (Galatians 2:20).

It should be the goal of every Christian to “sin no more,” although we recognize that, while we are in the flesh, we will still stumble (1 John 1:8). God’s desire for each of us is to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). We still sin, but sin is no longer a lifestyle choice (1 John 3:9–10). When we fail, we can come to God and ask forgiveness (1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 4:1–2). And if we are truly God’s children, He will correct us, disciplining us when we need it (Hebrews 12:6–11). His work is to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

While there is not a Bible verse that specifically states we commit a sinful act each day, we do have verses that remind us that we have inherited the capacity to sin at any moment. "Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5). In addition, we have commands that we know we never keep, much less on a daily basis. For instance, who can claim to love God with all his heart, mind and soul every moment of every day? No one. Yet, that is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-38). Failing to love God completely at all times is a daily sin for all Christians.

We also have a verse that warns us of the deceitfulness of our old sinful nature, which in a sense is warning us of the potential, if not the likelihood, of daily sin. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Even the apostle Paul was frustrated with his own battle against indwelling sin. "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:22-23). This capacity to sin led him to cry in desperation, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). Even Solomon knew full well that he and all men not only have the potential for sin, but that we all exercise that capacity routinely. As he stated in his prayer at the dedication of the temple, "If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin…" (1 Kings 8:46). And Solomon spoke of it again in the book of Ecclesiastes: "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Again, while these verses do not unequivocally indicate daily sin, they certainly warn us against the pride of saying at any moment that we have no sin.

The good news is that we will not have to strive forever against daily sin. One day we will be in heaven with our Savior and will be freed from the presence and power of sin, just as we have already been freed from its penalty. Until then, occupy ...

Until He comes,

Pat

Of Vital Importance

 

I am often taken aback when observing the magnitude of people who will assemble together for their own enjoyment. Whether the venue is a professional baseball game, a musical concert, a political convention, spring break, or even a Pope's blessing. It isn't difficult to draw willing participants to any of these types of functions. The same cannot be said of the number of people being drawn to hear the gospel. Jesus never receives that kind of fanfare. But receiving even more fanfare than these types of functions are those plastic gods we carry with us everywhere called cellphones! So I was thinking ... What would happen if we gave our Bibles (the gospel) the same attention we give our cell phones? What do I mean?

1) What if we carried our bibles around in our purses or pockets where they would be easily accessible? (Deuteronomy 6:8-9).

2) What if we diligently searched for it if we lost it? (2 Kings 22:8; 2 Chronicles 34:14-16).

3) What if we flipped through it several times a day? (Acts 17:11).

4) What if we used it to receive messages? (James 1:21).

5) What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it? (2 Timothy 4:13).

6) What if we gave it to our children as gifts? (Deuteronomy 6:7; Deuteronomy 11:19; Psalm 78:1-8).

7) What if we used it when we traveled? (Acts 20:20).

8) What if we used it in case of an emergency? (Psalm 46:1-2; Isaiah 43:2)

9) What if we actually cared enough to buy a cover to protect it? (Psalm 17:8)

10) What if we actually believed the information we searched for and found? (Psalm 119:142; Luke 20:21; 2 Timothy 3:16; John 6:63)

It makes you stop and think, doesn't it?? For many of us, cell phones have become an addiction, a thing of worship, a god. People spend more time with them than anything else. Many admit finding it difficult to go a few hours without their cell phone or they begin to panic, while others take them to bed in their bed at night. I wonder how we ever survived before them? Being constantly unable to disconnect from our cell phones is akin to what psychologists call dissociative disorder. I'm familiar with this term and condition because of my many years of employment in the mental health field. Dissociation generally means not being "connected" and in its extreme form is the hallmark of true mental illness. Psychiatrists have written articles and questioned wonder if we’re all making ourselves slightly mentally ill by tuning in and dropping out of real face-to-face relationships. Don't misunderstand, I personally have nothing against the use of cell phones. Cell phones in and of themselves are not evil. They are an excellent tool for keeping abreast of severe weather when you're not by a television set, locating an address, and a street map of how to get to any location. They can do everything a laptop can do in the palm of your hand. The concern is, how much time do we give to them? 

Though our lives have been greatly improved by cell phone technology,  being uncomfortable and/or uninterested in human interaction precludes us from that which enriches our lives. And worse than that, we seemingly have less time for God anymore. Instead of putting our phones on the shelf for a while, we have put God on the shelf. Interaction with one another keeps our brains active and our social interactions keep us healthy. According to God, it is HIS WORD that keeps our souls and bodies healthy, yet we neglect that truth! Proverbs 4:20-22 KJV, "My son, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh." GOD SAID HIS WORD IS HEALTH FOR YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR BODY! Do you believe Him? What if we actually believed the information contained in the Bible like we so easily accept fat checking sites like Snopes? (Psalm 119:142; Luke 20:21; 2 Timothy 3:16; John 6:63)

In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Sadly, we continue to flood our minds with daily distractions like emails, online games, dating apps, buying/selling, Facebook, Messenger, texting friends, etc., and neglect to give any time to God through prayer, song, meditation, thanks, or reading of His WORD, but we can happily make time for selfies! It isn't difficult to be drawn willing to any of these types of these things through our cellphones.  We have to make room to carve out time and a quiet place where we can feed on God's Word. Unless and until we have a constant reminder and or ready access to the Bible (which is accessible right there on your cellphone too) we cannot remain spiritually strong! We have to remain spiritually strong. Our spirits should be fighting the good fight of faith over our minds and bodies and experiencing victory  instead of being controlled being controlled by them. Otherwise your "unrenewed" mind and spiritually untrained body, are going to want to sin, walk in fear, and to do all kinds of things that are outside of a lifestyle of love and faith.  If your spirit is weak, you won’t have the strength to rule over your mind and reign over your body when they want to think and act in opposition to the Word of God. I like an actual Bible in my hand over using a cell phone because I can become easily distracted by an incoming call or a notification bell.  What matters most is not paper vs. digital; it’s that we are investing enough quality time with God. Also, there is a vast difference between knowing about God and personally knowing God. Everyone knows about God or has heard there is one, but only a fraction of the world's population personally knows Him or accepts Him. The Bible is the foundational truth that teaches the history of the universe, the origin of sin, the reason for the death of Jesus, and so on. Apart from God’s Word, mankind would never learn the all-important message of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.The message of eternal salvation is a vital and dominant theme in Scripture, yes, but the Bible reveals much more - including how God would have us live. 

Through the recorded examples of biblical figures, we can learn what pleases God and what does not. His Word also gives direct instruction to believers on how we should act in every circumstance. God’s inspired and inerrant Word was given for many reasons: to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and instruct us in righteousness; it was also given so that we may be complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17), and to have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). By reading the Bible on a consistent basis, you find direction for your life and learn how to best serve the Lord who gave His life for you. I encourage you today to read the Bible often and consider studying the scriptures in more detail by concentrating on one passage per day. It can be just one! Continue thinking about that passage throughout the day and try to think of ways to apply what you have learned. Don’t forget to spend time in prayer too. Thank God for giving you eternal life and His Word. Ask Him to teach and guide you so that you will become even more faithful in following Him. God's Word is vitally important. More so than your cell phone.

Until He comes,

-Pat-

There's A Knock At The Door

 

There was a time years ago I needed to make a decision regarding a new front door for my home. I debated whether to repaint the old door, purchase a fancy door, or buy a plain door with a peephole.  Eventually, I made the decision to purchase a simple door with a peephole. For a reasonable price, I would have the security and comfort of being able to see who was knocking at my door before deciding whether to open it. After all, a knock on the door by itself tells me nothing about who is standing on the other side and prevents me from making an informed decision. Making an informed decision was important to Jesus as well. In the book of Revelation 3:20 (NASB), we read that Jesus is standing at a door, knocking: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” 

Paul teaches us in Romans 3:11 that no one seeks God. Rather, Scripture teaches us that because of His glorious mercy and grace, God seeks us! This is clear in Jesus’s willingness to stand behind the closed door and knock. Therefore, many understand this illustration as being representative of our individual hearts. Either way, we look at it, Jesus does not leave the person behind the door wondering who is knocking. As the story continues, we find that Jesus is not only knocking, He is also speaking from the other side, “If any man hears my voice…” Have you ever wondered what Jesus was saying from outside the closed door? The previous verse gives us a bit of a clue as He admonishes the church, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). And yet, we are still given a choice: even if we hear His voice, He leaves it up to us whether to open the door and invite Him in.

So what happens after we open the door? Does He bust through in anger and start pointing out our shortcomings? No, He enters with love and mercy. Some may not open the door for fear Jesus intends to condemn us for all that is wrong with our lives; however, Scripture makes it clear this is not the case at all. We have doors everywhere on cars, buildings, houses, storage lockers, etc. and they are opened either automatically or manually with our hands. However, they have to be open in order for us to enter therein. There is also a door to our heart that must be opened also! For some of you, Jesus has been knocking at the door of your hearts for a long time and is still knocking. The verse goes on to explain that Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts so that, …" He [will dine] with me.” The NLT says it this way, “we will share a meal together as friends.” Jesus has come for a relationship, NOT CONDEMNATION. He does not force His way in, or arrive in order to condemn us; rather, Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts in order to present a gift – the gift of Himself so that through Him, we may become children of God. Take notice of the picture I posted above. Look closely. There is no door knob on Jesus' side of the door. Why? It illustrates that Jesus has no access to your heart until YOU invite Him in! He will never force Himself through the door. You must willingly accept Him. Simply said, Jesus stands at your hearts' door and knocks because your permission is sacred. He will not force his way in because LOVE HAS TO BE CHOSEN. 

“He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God” John 1:10-12 (NLT). God won't force you to enjoy the plan He has for you. He gives you the choice to accept or reject His salvation. The clock of all of our lives is ticking. Every day we are a day older and a day closer to our death date. Jesus is knocking! Can you hear Jesus knocking and calling out your name?  If you think the world in which we now live is chaotic, crazy, and unstable, imagine living in a world where there are no Christians? Well, this is what the world would be like when Christ returns to take away His people. The world will be left in a state of chaos with only the unsaved. Today is the day to answer the knock at the door of your heart for if you don't, you will be left behind when Christ returns. Which will it be for you today? An open door for Christ to enter in and commune with you or a closed-door that will keep Him shut out of your heart and keep you shut out of eternity forever?

I urge, beg, and plead with you to open up the door of your heart to Christ today. "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives." (author Bill Hayes)

Until He comes,

-Pat-