Inner Demons - Mark 5:1-5:20

 Throughout the New Testament, we’re told of times when Jesus or Apostles cast demons out of people. But nowhere in the Bible is the description of demon possession more graphic and horrifying than in Mark 5. The guy described is scary.

He lives in a graveyard.

He’s unshaven, ragged.

And he’s scarred from chains and shackles that have been unable to bind him.

We’re not sure what he’s wearing - but if he’s wearing clothes at all - it isn’t much. His face has a dark haunted look to it. And his body bears the marks of cuts he’s made on it with sharp stones! He may even be bleeding as he runs down the path to Jesus. The Bible says, every night and every day, he prowls the hills around the graveyard howling and screeching in a crazed torment of a man whose personal demons will not let him rest. The scene is frightening. Reminds me of todays Zombie illustrations. And had you the courage to get close enough to talk with him, you’d have heard him shout at you and perhaps heard the demonic echoes of several different voices in unison. For the demons within him were called, Legion (Mark 5:9). Legion meaning many. Not only would you not want to meet him in a dark cemetery, you wouldn’t want to meet him on a crowded street in broad day light.

He’s a dangerous and frightening man. The Bible doesn’t tell us but I got to thinking: just how did this man come to be demon possessed? I could only find one story in the Bible that dealt with HOW someone came to be demon possessed. I Samuel 16:14 tells us: "Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him." The Spirit of the Lord departed? What could have happened in a man’s life that would make the Spirit of God to leave and open him up to demon possession? In Saul’s case it was his open rebellion against God. In I Samuel 15:23 the prophet Samuel condemned Saul with these words: "rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."  Saul’s sin, listen closely, was that he deliberately rejected God’s authority in his life. He sought to be free from God’s restrictions and responsibilities. And his rebellion manifested itself in a kind of arrogance that God refused to allow.

A few years back, I caught couple of boys in my neighborhood doing things they shouldn’t have been doing. Standing on my porch I challenged the boys (who were around 8 to 12 years old) and expected that - having been caught - they’d slink away in shame or disgrace. After all, I was an adult and they had obviously been caught doing something they shouldn’t have. Did they slink away in disgrace? No, they turned on me and mocked me, taunting me like I was school child that they could bully into submission. They had an arrogance towards my authority that was greatly disturbing and angering. In fact, if they’d been my kids, and I’d have gotten hold of them, they wouldn’t have been able to sit down for a week. Anyway,  I suspect, that’s how God felt about Saul’s attitude of rebellion. I believe Saul’s rebellion held in it a tinge of disrespect for God’s authority. The Bible implies that this demon possession that came upon Saul came because his rebellion was "like the sin of divination, and (his) arrogance like the evil of idolatry." Now, before I move on, I want you to notice something else about demon possession. Samuel told Saul that his "rebellion is like the sin of divination." Divination… hmmm. Acts 16 tells of a young woman who was demon possessed. And what do you suppose she did for a living? She practiced divination. She was a woman who made her living in fortune telling, palm reading, or interpreting tarot cards and tea leaves. To understand more clearly, perhaps she would have consulted Ouija boards or horoscopes if she lived in our day.  She would also have had a 1-900 #.

In scripture, there seems to be a close tie between divination and demonic activity. The Bible doesn’t go into detail as to what that connection is, but it is so significant that God warns: Deut. 18:9-13 "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.You must be blameless before the LORD your God." God goes even further : Leviticus 20:6 "I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people." Now, whether it was because this man in Mark 5 had been arrogantly rebellious or because he had practiced consulting the spirit world to see his future, or because of some other reason - this man in the graveyard had become demon possessed. He didn’t just wake up one morning and say: "Hey, I’m demon possessed." This wasn’t something he was born with OR something that he just came down with (like the flu or a cold).

Somewhere in this man’s life, he had made a conscious decision as so many do today, that he wanted to be free. He wanted to be free of God’s influence. He wanted to be free from what he perceived as restrictions, ridiculous rules, responsibilities, and commandments of life. He wanted to be free to do what he wanted to do. And now, as a demoniac, he’s become free in his own mind. No shackle can bind him, no chain can hold him. He’s no longer bound by social conventions that tell him how to dress and or how to behave. He has become totally free…In Romans 6:20-23 Paul writes: "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The demoniac - he’s free to live as he wants and he sets his own rules… but he’s miserable. Notice verse 6.  He sees Jesus at a distance and he runs to Jesus. I don’t know how he knows that Jesus can heal his life - but he knows. AND HE RUNS TO Jesus. He’s tired of living like he has in his so called "freedom" and so he runs to Jesus. You might not be demon possessed like that man in graveyard, but you’ve struggled with your own personal demons for too long. You’ve struggled with the demons of failure and of guilt. You’ve sensed that these demons have dominated you, held you under their control, held you in an addiction you can’t let loose of: alcoholism, moral corruption, homosexuality, perversion, lust, if even in just your daily thoughts but never carried out, gluttony, slothfulness, adultery, etc. And you may have always thought: "I got myself into this. I can get myself out." But all you’ve ended up with is an uneasy feeling. The demons are still there. And you’re still not healed. Despite what the world may tell you - you can’t solve these kinds of problems on your own. There are demons in your life that only Jesus can heal. We've all experienced some type of tormenting demon(s) in our lives. "What a wonderful change Jesus can make in your life! Since Jesus came into my heart and my sins - which were many - are all washed away.

The example of that change is in the Bible verse I gave you from Mark, chapter 5. And when Jesus healed the demonic, the change was startling: He was now seated, clothed, and in his right mind. This man - that just moments before - had been a raving, zombie-like, lunatic, was at peace. The world can’t give you that! There’s no medicine, no treatment, no man made advice that can reach into the heart of a man and toss out the demons that he struggles with. My question for you is, are you fed up feeling powerless to overcome all your vices and demons that won't go away? What happenes in a man’s life that would make the Spirit of God leave and open him up to demon possession? His open rebellion against God. I urge you to turn to Jesus. Jesus can give you the peace that you desire. 

There Is One Thing God Cannot Do. Lie

 

Do you realize whatever God says comes to pass whether it was meant for past, present, or future events? Why? Because God cannot lie! Anything He says will happen and has happened even if it did not exist before He said it. The Bible verifies over and over that it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18 NKJV). God does not falsify, fudge, fib, deceive, swindle, trick, beguile, overstate, dupe, swindle, or exaggerate! AND THAT'S WHY WE CAN TRUST HIM. Titus 1:2 (NKJV) states "in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began." It's not just that God has decided He will not lie -- He CANNOT lie. John 17:17 (NKJV 17) says, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." 

Therefore, in this blog I present to you ... a case for God:

Anything God says will come into being even if it did not exist before.  As an example Genesis (1:3 NKJV), God said, "Let there be light" And there was light! From non-existent to existent. God's Word is ultimate reality! It is more real and lasting than anything we can presently see. God cannot lie because it is contrary to His nature. God's nature is one of selfless love for others. His nature is not to deceive. 

It is natural for God to be truthful. "God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" (Numbers 23:19 (NLT). We also read in Hebrews 6:18 (NLT) "So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us." Hallelujah! This is what makes the foundation of our relationship with God so solid! God has given us His Word and His Word cannot fail. Should we ever be presented with evidence contrary to what God says in the Good Book, we can know we are being presented with a lie. Contrast this with the devil who is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). But our God, "God, cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). Paul used this point to explain our source of encouragement and reason for hope! Why is it “impossible for God to lie” and what does that mean for us? 

Let's make our case.

1. His nature is perfect – He is not like man (Numbers 23:19). 

2. He does not lie or need to repent; there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). 

3. He has no desire to deceive – God cannot be tempted with evil (James 1:13). 

4. He desires all to be saved and come to know the truth (1 2. Timothy 2:4).

5. Jesus came so we could know the truth (John 18:37; 8:31-32) the the devil is the deceiver! (2 Corinthians 11:3)

6. He is all-powerful –  He created all things (Psalm 33:6-9) and can do more than we think (Ephesians 3:20).

7. He is all-knowing – There is nothing hidden from God (Hebrews 4:13). 

8. He can declare the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10).

9. Because God cannot lie, we can believe His Word! Because if God cannot lie then His word is truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).

10. His word was confirmed with miracles (Hebrews 2:1-4; Mark 16:20).

11. The Scriptures cannot be broken (John 10:35).

12. His word will endure forever (1 Peter 1:25).

13. Through faith & patience we inherit God’s promises (Hebrews 6:12).

14. God has not changed (Hebrews 6:17).

15. By faith we trust God to reward those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). 

16. We can entrust our souls to Him (1 Peter 4:19).

We can look forward in hope – God made a promise and an oath, “two unchangeable things” according to Hebrews 6:17-18. This gives us “strong encouragement” that we will receive our hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14); this hope is an anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19) that keeps us grounded (Hebrews 11:24-26; Ephesians 4:14). We can have confidence, faith, and hope in the One who has our best interest at heart. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." In conclusion, ALL THESE ARE TRUTH:

God is with you Psalm 23:4

God can still the storms with a whisper Psalm 107:28,29

Nothing is impossible with God Matthew 19:26

Because the God that created Heaven and Earth values you Matthew 6:26

God has a plan for you Genesis 15:20

Because God is holding your hand. He will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Because He loves you Zephaniah 3:17

Because God is a God of mercy Psalm 138:8

Because He promised to sustain you. Psalm 55:22

Because no matter what you’re going through, God promised to work all things for the Good for those that love Him Romans 8:28

Whatever God says comes to pass. His Word is a promise and an oath.

Until He comes,

-Pat-

Rudders and Bits

 Look at the words in James 3:2 (NKJV). It reads: "For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires." I want to focus on this verse for a few reasons. It makes us realize we should be 1)aware of our words, 2) how powerful they are, and that 3) they have the ability to restrain our physical bodies. Words also hold the power of life and death, to build up or destroy (Proverbs 18:21). That's a powerful and rather chilling statement!  Words are not only powerful, but someday we are going to give an account of things we have said. (Isaiah 59:2-3). 

What does this Scripture mean by comparing the tongue to the rudder of a large ship? Look closely at the language. James 3: 4-14“They are turned… wherever the pilot desires.” Think about it. Who is the one controlling the rudder? The pilot. Who is the one controlling your tongue? You. This Scripture is telling you that you can turn your life in whatever direction you desire, by using your tongue. I believe Holy Spirit is inviting us to reflect on the use of our life’s rudder. I hear Him gently asking us to think about this question: What have we been allowing to come out of our mouths?

James  continues saying our tongues (speech/WORDS) both curse and bless. We praise God one minute and in anger curse Him in the next. How easily our tongues can be used to steer us away from the things of God. Though the tongue is a small member (verse 5) "it is set on fire of hell" and "is a world of iniquity" (verse 6.) Again, that's a powerful and rather chilling statement! 

When we release words like, “He’s a lazy bum, just like his father!” When we use the power of our tongues to label people in negative ways, we are setting into motion a spiritual law! Believe me, we are not simply “making an observation.” Our tongues loose life, or death, into the world around us. We will live to see the fruit of whichever way we harness this innate capacity. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit” (Prov. 18:21).

Have you ever put yourself down? “I’m such a dummy!” So many times, we even use one of the most powerful instruments God has given us – our tongue – to speak curses over own selves. These negative pronouncements become self-fulfilling prophecies. What kind of tongue-fruit do we want to eat in our future? Do we want to steer our lives in the direction of hope, growth, and flourishing that He has for us? 

Then in all that, James finishes by saying  "no man can tame the tongue!" (verses7-8)! So what are we to do? James gives us a bit of hope when he said we can learn to steer our tongues like a rudder does for a boat or like a bit in a horses mouth. A rudder's purpose is to steer the boat in a particular direction. A bit in a horses mouth steers the horse in a particular direction. Neither boat or horse are halted by rudder or bit, but rather steered in a direction by driver or rider.  It's the same regarding our words. As Christians, we should always strive to steer our tongues as God would have us just as we will always be working to restrain our bodies. Why? Because "we all stumble in many things" James says.

The truth is, words actually reveal the true nature of a person.  It is "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew12:34). The words you speak reveal the spiritual condition of your heart! This is so important that the Bible teaches, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). We must be vigilant in keeping our hearts spiritually fit because the words that flow from it have the power of life and death. Scriptures further tell us that the Lord tests the heart, the Lord weighs the heart, the Lord detests a proud heart, the Lord hates a perverse heart,” and many more. In this verse we are instructed to “keep” our heart; meaning watch over, cultivate, and protect it. Why? It is the command center of the soul, the mind, the will, the affections, AND WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH! If our hearts are grounded and anchored in God's Word, what comes out of our mouths should be His love, grace and mercy!

Somewhere as you read this blog you may have questioned, 'if the tongue is a world of iniquity that cannot be tamed anyway, then what am I supposed to do? Scripture says, we can start by cleansing our hearts on a daily basis. How? By flooding/washing it with the Word of God (Ephesians 5:25-26). The Word of God deals with things in our mind, things that deal with conduct, things that have to do with character and attitude. The more we "cleanse" ourselves by reading Gods word, we will find it easier and easier to restrain the tongue. How? The Word of God keeps our hearts clean by pointing out the areas that need changing and confession. It helps to remove the dirt because it convicts those who read it reverently and also by warning us to keep away from sin. You will never control your tongue altogether since scripture affirms it is untamable, but you can bridle it, restrain it, hold it back, and curb it. We should use our tongue to glorify and honor God throughout the day as Psalm 34:1 proclaims, "I will bless the LORD at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth."  

I challenge you to praise God with your words on a daily basis and watch how your life will change.

Here are some scriptures that confirm this blog:

Ephesians 4:29

Proverbs 19:19

Proverbs 21:23

Proverbs 15: 1,4 

Psalm 19:14

Proverbs 18:21

There's only one way to protect your tongue: protect your heart! Let’s partner with Him, using the tools He has provided. Let’s ask for Holy Spirit’s help in the operation of this tiny, mighty rudder. Let’s make the determination that only words of life will flow from these mouths of ours. We want to steer our lives in the direction of hope, growth, and flourishing that He has for us.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

Declaring vs Confessing (Romans 9: 10-11)

 

In this blog I'm going to point out how very important it is that you pay attention to what Bible version you choose to read and learn God's Word from. You need discernment because many bibles printed today are either changing and or alternating words of scripture that completely change the meaning of the verse(s), sometimes even excluding entire sentences! Remember God's warning, "For I testify unto you every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written with this book: And if any man shall take away from the word of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV) 

 ** NOTE: Before I continue, let me make something perfectly clear. I do not care which version of the bible you choose to read, that choice is yours. Just be aware whatever version you do learn from may have changed words or removed entire sentences which are pertinent in knowing truth. Whoever made these changes of  "adding to" or "taking away" are accountable and bear the sole responsibility as translators, and the words of Revelation 22:18-19 lie heavily on them, not you. However, that said, you should be cautious and aware of both obscure or obvious changes. Having different versions of the bible when you study will help assist in spotting changes. I will include information to keep in mind following this blog. However, NO translation is perfect but there are scholars who acknowledge certain versions as being closest to the original Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek.

I have well over 25 examples of scripture verses either changed or completely left out of the NIV alone you should be aware of. I don't have the time or space to list each one so I'm going to give just one example with the help of a Webster's dictionary for word definition assistance to inform you just how subtle and tricky these changes can be. Okay, here we go. The scripture in my example is from Romans 9:10-11.

NIV says: "If you DECLARE with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, [and it is with your mouth that you profess (affirm) your faith and are saved.] As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME."

KJV says: "If thou shalt CONFESS with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; [and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED."

These two versions of Romans 9, verses 10 & 11 look the same. They sound the same. They are the same, wouldn't you say? Wrong! In fact each one means something entirely different. It's subtle, but for the discerning eye it's very clear.

Let's Compare two words taken from each version: Declare vs Confess.

Declare: (Used in NIV) To declare is "to state something." Example: I believe in Jesus Christ.

Confess: (Used in KJV) To "acknowledge something." I confess I am a sinner.

Read these two versions above very carefully once again. Are they the same? Absolutely not. WHY? According to the NIV translation, all one must do to be saved is just DECLARE (it's the same as saying) I BELIEVE IN JESUS. Do you know why that is an error and translated incorrectly? James 2:19 tells us that devils also believe! Are the devils or Satan, saved? So, therefore just saying /declaring 'I believe in Jesus' with ones mouth means nothing. Anyone can say it and they do. I'm sure you know people who wear a cross around their neck and if asked if they believe in Jesus would say yes, but they don't live the life of a follower of Jesus. Their "declaration" means nothing. There are many people that say I believe in Jesus and think they are saved simply due to the fact of versions like the NIV whose translations have fooled them into believing all you have to do is say aloud with your mouth, "I believe in Jesus." They think as long as they believe he existed somewhere in history, they believe they are saved!

According to the KJV translation, what one must do is to be saved is CONFESS with their mouth the Lord Jesus. Did you know there is a difference between "declaring" (NIV) and "confessing?" (KJV)? To confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus (as stated in the KJV) you are admitting/acknowledging/CONFESSING you are a sinner and are calling upon Jesus to save you. You are owning it. You confess Jesus is Lord and make an allegiance with Christ in your heart. THAT is more than just the mere words 'I believe in Jesus' as implied in the NIV. It is "confession that is made unto salvation" according to the KJV and that is correct. Every Christian should know, without confession there is no salvation. For all the people out there saying/declaring I believe in Jesus, THAT IS NOT A CONFESSION! Confession involves speaking to God.  We share with Him the areas that we know we have sinned and acknowledge (confess) we messed up. We talk to Him about it and ask Him to forgive us. There is a big difference between confessing and declaring that you believe. With confession comes remorse, regret, and repentance which in turn manifests in changed behavior and life.

The last difference I want to point out between the two versions is the last sentence, verse 11.

NIV says, "Anyone who believes in him WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME."

KJV says, " Whosoever believeth on him SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED."

Looking at these two verses can you comprehend each is saying something completely different? The NIV is saying, anyone who believes in Jesus will never be put to shame. Well, that's inaccurate! People are put to shame all the time when witnessing the bible or speaking about Jesus. I'm not saying it's a matter of being ashamed as in embarrassed. I am saying they ARE PUT TO SHAME. For instance, the exampled person as mentioned above who reads and believes the NIV as written and declares if they believe in Jesus and need nothing more, if they are ever approached by a person well versed in scripture, you could say the knowledge of the educated and well informed person who interprets and understands scripture could easily PUT TO SHAME the person who knows very little about God who declares they believe in Jesus. So anyone who declares they believe in Jesus CAN be put to shame.

The KJV is plainly saying, if you truly believe on Jesus, the son of the living God, you will not be ashamed of it! You will never be ashamed to speak His name, talk about the bible, share the Good News, shout to the world of the goodness, mercy, and forgiveness of God. "Whosoever believeth on him SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED." The word shall is a modal verb and used for future time reference. You shall = you will, and you shall not = is the same as you will not. A true follower will never be ashamed of the gospel.

These differences came from only 2 tiny verses, TWO! Have you ever noticed the differences before that now should be easily understood and how changing words can misguide people possibly to their own detriment? Be very careful when reading your bible today. It requires more than just reading and definitely more than just declaring or agreeing there was once a man who walked the earth whose name was Jesus. Reading the WORD also requires studying the WORD. I suggest having a KJV BIBLE and a couple other more "modern" versions for comparison. I mainly use the 1611 KJV bible about 95% of the time. The other 5% I extract and use other versions IF THEY MEAN THE SAME THING AS THE KJV but in a more colloquial language- as long as there are no exclusions or words that change definitions like the examples I left you in this blog. I pray that anyone interested in knowing God will study well because many verses in varying new revised versions ( CEV, CSB, ESV, GNB, HCSB, NET, NLT, NIV) etc. are written in a way that can delude you. The bible says "study to show ourselves approved" so that we will be ready to wield our sword, the Word of Truth, and share it as God intends- straight, without wavering, or without a sugary coating or changing its meaning that makes it easier to swallow.

I have never found that to be the case since reading and studying the KJV bible since 1972. The NIV may deliver more readability than the Kings language of thee's and thou's, but there are too many changes and exclusions in the NIV to completely believe it is a safe version. Check your own NIV. Your version excluded the following (that's not including single word changes throughout the entire version too many to list). EXCLUDED: Matt 17:21, Matt 18:11, Matt 23:14, Mark 7:16, Mark 9:44 and 9:46, Mark 11:26, Mark 15:28, Luke 17:36. Ask yourself, WHY?? Satan would like nothlng more than for you to believe the older, original, translated Greek version (KJV) is outdated or antiquated and is too difficult to follow so its better to lay it aside. I'm not saying don't read the NIV or any other more modern version, I'm suggesting have the NIV (or newer translations) along side the version scholars consider the most accurately translated, the 1611 version of the original Greek. KJV.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

*** Below is some additional information you might find helpful regarding thee's and thou's if you're interested. And Jesus said, "Me is the way." What?? See below.

King James himself commissioned skilled linguists and theologians such as Dr. George Abbott, Dr. Lancelot Andrewes, as well as the orientalist, William Bedwell and the Hebrew scholar, John Bois, who began reading the Hebrew Bible at the age of five, and later gained considerable facility in Greek as well.

 Yes, “thou” and “thee” are the words of Early Modern English (EME) for the ‘familiar’ form of the second person singular. Today we use “you”, which is historically the second person plural, but was also used, in EME, as the polite/respectful/formal form of the second person singular. So, at the time of the translation into the KJV, “thou” and “thee” were the pronouns in general use. The distinction thou/thee follows the case distinctions still working today in English with I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them.

 Although Semitic languages don’t make case distinctions in nouns or pronouns, if you are translating them into English, you have to make the grammatical distinctions which the object language (in the case, English) makes. Otherwise the alternative is that you would always use “me” for the first person singular, the way a small child might. God would be quoted as “Me told the Israelites many times, but them didn’t listen.” Should Jesus be translated as saying, “Me am the Way.” No, the translator makes the distinctions of the target language, however they are worded in the source language.

The King James Version is deliberately in a somewhat higher register — intentionally formal —than Shakespeare’s writing a few decades earlier. Shakespeare used the informal colloquial language of the time, and provides a better sample of what “real people” spoke in everyday life. But he also distinguished thee/thou/you.

 Hebrew is similar in that it also has a different pronoun for singular and plural second-person pronouns; thus, the thee’s and thou’s give the 1611 KJV slightly more accuracy than most of the other English translations. The Greek was also similar in that way.

Waiting On God - Apt 1223

 

Recently I saw this posted on Face Book: "Then God said, I heard your prayers, Now trust my timing."

A comment below that statement  read, "I love this but hard to do sometimes!" This touched my heart because I too have prayed, waited for an answer from God, but the longer I waited the more difficult it became to believe God was even hearing me. Today I want to address the subject, WAITING ON GOD.

Jesus never promised our lives wouldn’t have pain or hardship. He spoke just the opposite: “In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world” John 16:33 (NIV). We live in a fallen world, we can’t escape suffering and painful situations.  Then there’s that pesky free will that takes us out of God’s wonderful plan.  But He never forgets about us.  And He always promises us hope. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31) NKJV. God’s timing isn’t just great, it’s perfect! He never gets exhausted from the work of being God or slows down His pace. He certainly is never powerless to change our situation! Instead, we have this great promise that if we wait on God’s timing, He will give us the power and strength to better understand and work with His perspective. I know that relying on my own power and strength to live in this world fails me.  I’ll take God’s strength and power any day! Working within His timing lets us put the faith we profess into practice.

We have to trust God’s Plan. I love this reminder from Paul about Jesus, “For in Him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together” Colossians 1:16-17(NIV). Jesus is our sovereign King. He was before all things in time and creation.  He holds all things together. We can trust His plans and timing. When we feel tempted to say, “Are you there Lord?"(and I have) know that He sees you, knows what you need, and loves you.

But how do we trust Gods timing you ask?

1. Wait.  When we feel in a hurry to move forward or decide that we can’t trust His timing, remember the words of Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” The entirety of Psalm 27 is David’s confident prayer when he was in trouble.  It speaks of his faith in waiting for his light, his salvation, and his stronghold- his God!

2. Pray like David about your situation. Hand it over to God and wait for him to show you the path to take. Declare Him to be your stronghold and to keep you in His safe-keeping. Have you heard the saying “Let Go and Let God?” Giving it to God and trusting in Him will see you through.

3.Make it a habit to trust in Him each day; one day at a time. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation” Psalm 68:19 (NKJV.)

Every day He loads us with His benefits: mercies, kindness, protection, and provisions. He shows His love and cares for us day after day, without limits! Not just when we need it, but daily. He has promised this to us. Trust Him when He says He will give you these things.  Actively watch for His benefits to manifest themselves in your life. Believe BEFORE you receive. Remember His past provisions and protections for you.

I believe it also helps to keep a prayer journal to remind yourself of answered prayers from the past. We have short memories.  We sometimes forget how He guided us through the hard times. Continue to Walk in Faith “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5 (NIV.) 

Do any of these sound familiar in regard to waiting on God?

"I don't understand what's taking God so long?"

"I don't understand why God isn't answering me."

"I don't understand. I've been asking for months."

"Where are you God? Have you forgotten me?"

"I don't understand why you are allowing this?"

Do you see a pattern?  It's I, I, me me. The Word instructs us in so many words, don't depend on YOU or your perception in understanding all situations. In reality, you know nothing. God sees the future. He sees all angles. He knows every possibility. He's aware of every move the enemy has devised to thwart God's plan because ... "all things work for good to those that love Him" (Romans8:28). God is not only dealing with your request(s), He also has to work through other people, time, circumstances, and arrangements to make things align at the perfect time! Sometimes it's a matter of working on other peoples hearts (which takes time) to either humble, guide, or direct an action on their part which will coincide in getting you the answer you desire. It's not always just a matter of an instant response. It can be but not always. Here is an example of what I mean.

Let's say you desperately need a place to live because your landlord has raised your rent to a level you cannot afford any longer. To make matters worse you are on a limited income. You have two children, a boy and a girl. One is 5 and the other is 6 months old. You have a dog you don't want to get rid of because your son loves him. Unfortunately, you have no car and no means to move all your things. Your husband left you and there is no immediate family since they all live in another state. The landlord has given you 2 months before the rent increase. THIS is a desperate situation needing an immediate answer. So you pray. You tell God you have to move but you don't know where to go or how and please help you find a place you can afford. What does God have to do? POOF, your new apartment is ready by the end of the month? It's a possibility since "all things are possible with God" Matthew19:26. However, not likely. Trust that God knows more than you. He begins working and it looks something like this:

You need an affordable 2 bedroom apartment that will allow children and pets." That's what YOU see. !!! Period.

But here is what God sees and begins working to answer your prayer: Okay, let's see. I need to locate an affordable 2 bedroom apartment, must be very affordable and open to accept people on a fixed income. An apartment without requiring a 1st and last months deposit because she won't have the funds. I'll need a manager that accepts dogs but will let a pet deposit slide (that one will be challenging). She has to have a way to do her laundry. Hmm, I'll see if I can get that too. I need to get her on a bus route and for a bus stop to be within a safe walking distance. She'll need a grocery store and bank nearby. Oh, and the 5 year old I created will need a school close by, a good school. The neighborhood needs to be a safe one. And when I ARRANGE ALL THESE THINGS, I need to make sure one of her fellow tenants will love her and her children and will volunteer to babysit for her. I'm going to put her on the 1st floor since it's difficult to handle babies and groceries too. I need to make sure the ground floor has a enclosed patio grass area for safety. And finally, I need a couple of tenants who are willing to give her rides to the doctor, bank, and church.

To answer your prayer, God will do something like the following.  When you examine it, it's only then you can realize what a miracle He works out on your behalf. Let this sink in: First, God has to search your entire city for that perfect apartment but His working power goes much further than locating an available apartment. Yes, because He is omniscient He knows exactly where a safe, two bedroom, ground floor apartment is with a protective fenced-in patio area but it is currently occupied by a single man. Now watch God's miracle working power...

1. God can and will move the heart of that employer to finally give that single man the promotion he's always wanted.

2. In turn, that prompts the man to want to move from this smaller apartment to a big penthouse. He wants be out in 1 month and notifies his landlord.

3. The landlord will proceed to advertise the vacancy available in one month. Things are going as God planned.

**In the meantime you are still praying for an answer. Days go by. And still praying. Losing faith. Weeks passing. Fear setting in. Doubting God. An entire month passes without a way to move out. There's no money, no plan, no answers. Your faith is quickly waning.

4. While riding the bus one day you over hear a woman who is sitting across the isle. She's talking rather loudly on her cell phone to someone saying, " Lorelei Clayton. Mrs. Lorelei Clayton. Yes ma'am. Yes. That's okay. People are always apt to forget my name because it's unusual. No, I said apt, A-P-T as in apartment. Apt to forget my name. Yes, I'll hold. Thank you. I just moved so my records may not be updated yet."

**A man rushes to the front of the bus. "Ma'am. Ma'am! I missed my stop would you just pull over up here and drop me off by the Clayton apartments?"

5. You finally reach home, gather your mail, and as you sit down rummaging through all the paper clutter consisting of 2 bills, a magazine you never ordered, several coupons and advertisements for things you don't buy, you happen to notice something on that magazine cover. It's the word, Clayton!

Ad: "CLAYTON apartments. Come see our newly remodeled, affordable living." It dawns on you. Was that a coincidence today? That lady across from me on the bus spelled out the word apt and used "apartment" as her comparative word.  And also she said she just MOVED. Then the guy that missed his stop wanted to get off the bus at the CLAYTON apartments? Now, here in my hand is a magazine which came in my mail for some reason, which I have no subscription to, and is advertising on its cover affordable living at the CLAYTON apartments!

**Before I continue with my blog, do you think all this could have been a coincidence? An accident? Luck? Happenstance? Not hardly. It gets better.

6. You see a phone number to call on the magazine cover to make an appointment. You inquire and set a date to see the apartment and speak with the manager the next day.

7. You meet the manager. She's about your age and easy to talk to. She has a son by the same name and age as your son! Weird. You hit it off!

8. Together you discuss the requirements to move in. You don't want her to know your desperation. You're still praying under your breath!

9. You are surprised to find the rent is $20.00 cheaper per month and the manager wants to show you an available 2 bedroom apartment on the ground floor. She adds the gentlemen moved out several weeks ago. Weird.

10. Click. The door opens and your eyes light up. The apartment is clean and newly painted. There's a spacious kitchen, 2 nice bedrooms, and sliding glass doors which lead out to a private patio with a grassy area enclosed by a 6 ft. foot fence. You start to get your hopes up. Time to return to the office.

11. As you are leaving, you notice some paperwork and pamphlets left on the kitchen countertop. One of the pamphlets was a home made pamphlet advertising different activities the complex offers to its residents. Out stood the words: Bible study. Every Friday night in the managers building. Come join us and learn of the goodness of God. Then the manager's voice interrupts your attention, " Oh here, I forgot to show you this, we just had them installed. She opened what you thought was a linen closet. No, there before you was a brand new, shiny white, stackable washer and dryer! (only God!)

12. As you make your way back to the office you find yourself more hopeful than ever! You're still nervous though and praying silently. You know you still need deposit money, and will she allow your dog to live there? And even if she does, there will be a pet fee. There's always a pet fee. You're hope is fading again as doubt creeps in.

13. Back at the office you ask about pets and or fees. There is a 1 month deposit required on the apartment, a $150.00 damage fee up front, and pets are allowed with a $100.00 pet deposit paid up front. Your heart sinks. Your bubble is busted! And just like Peter did when he took his eyes off Jesus, you begin to sink (back into hopelessness).  All those weeks praying; waiting. All those stupid so-called "signs." You knew it was too good to be true! You have nowhere to turn. It was only Jesus that could have helped.

14. You explain you cannot come up with a pet fee as your son does have a dog, nor the 1st months deposit along with the rent too. You open up and talk things over learning more about each other. You begin to discover you have much in common! Her husband left her too with a son and nowhere to turn so she took business management, accounting, and finance classes with the help of her parents and secured her property management position. 

15. Only by the providence of God she decides to "I tell you what, I will make you a deal." She speaks, "If you will babysit my son on Thursday nights when I goes to Pilates for 3 hours, I will wave the deposit fees for both the dog and the 1st months deposit." You can't believe it! She is actually making a way for you to move in whenever you're ready. Really? This freshly painted apartment with a brand new stackable washer and dryer can be yours? She adds, "Oh, and even though there is a laundromat down the street you won't be needing it," and laughs. You find out there's also a bank, grocery store, and hardware store close by. She concludes there is a sweet elderly gentleman in Apt 209 that offers free rides though the week if I would need transportation anywhere although a bus stop is outside the complex! Evidently, according to her, he loves helping people and staying busy in his retirement! Oh, and he also drives a truck and has helped people move out so she is sure he would help me move my things in if needed. He also volunteers as a crossing guard for the local grade school around the corner where her son goes if I wanted to enroll my son there.

This was a true story of a friend of mine that happened 30 years ago. Can you now understand how God has to work sometimes? Trust in Gods timing, knowledge, plans, and sovereignty in your life. In every situation He has to make things materialize.  That might require several situations to happen simultaneously involving softening peoples hearts so that it directly or indirectly affects your outcome.

God is Always on Time! There will be situations when God’s timing leaves us frustrated and full of questions.  But remember:

He created time and is it’s Master. His timing is perfect. He is never late! He is always at work for you and has been for eternity. Trusting Him will bring you peace.  Believing in His timeline will give you rest! One last scripture, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11. I hope this blog has given encouragement to someone who has been praying a long time for something that is important to them.

Until He Comes, 

-Pat-

Obsessive Positivity Thinkers

 How many times have you heard this advice when dealing with painful emotions? "Stop being so sensitive. Suck it up and move on."

When others tell you to bury your feelings, it can make you question yourself and the messages your body is trying to send to you. Think about the many times you've attempted to push away a painful feeling by scrolling through social media, bingeing on Netflix, using food, alcohol, addictive substances to avoid emotions, diving into a book, or the newest escape from reality: "obsessive positive thinking." In a world filled with distractions and erroneous messages we've received throughout our lives about emotions, it's easy to see why so many people are afraid to validate feelings. For instance, people who strive hard for happiness set themselves up for failure and often times end up more miserable lying to themselves that the very reality in front of them doesn't exist when it really does. Inevitably, they attempt to make a false reality a reality. Many not only tend to be lonely, but loners and are at greater risk for both manic episodes and deep depression. Bear with me as there will be a spiritual message before I finish. This is a long blog. Some may want to read half now, the other half later. Hopefully it is interesting enough you can finish it in one sitting.

The Obsessive Positive Thinker (OPT) will use positive thinking to avoid or suppress negative emotions and avoid them as if they were the plague. This is not mentally healthy. Avoiding emotions can become toxic. These deniers of reality train themselves to insist things are, in fact, not bad, ever. They don't realize pushing down and suppressing emotions is actually storing up negativity -- the very thing they preach to avoid. Without the ability to face reality and release negativity through expressions such as tears, anger, or remaining quiet, fosters a concept of unrealistic optimism. This happens when we cause the body and spirit to constantly fight to maintain a positive mindset and to exude only positive emotions & thoughts, particularly when things are difficult or truth tries to shake the OPT from their slumber. Admittedly, a reasonable amount of positivity can aid in stress management making us feel better for the moment, but an OPT who divorces himself from reality lives in a constant lie where the senses can see and feel reality but the mind ignores actual facts. This is so toxic. Yes, mind over matter can be a good thing but not with every situation taking place in our lives! People who lie to themselves that 'all is well' when it is not, actually have a bigger mental issue than those who see trouble as something negative. The goal should be tell themselves the truth, accept it, learn from it, grow in the process, and move on.  

We've been taught to ignore, deny, and avoid our emotions altogether—but this is more than just bad advice. Feeling leads to healing (trite but true). When we push away, suppress, or criticize ourselves for having emotions, it comes with a very high cost: our health. Sadly, we've learned how to push discomfort away, but even when we do, it always stays—and grows. There was study from the University of Texas. It found that when we avoid our emotions, we're actually making them stronger. This can create many maladies in the body and in the mind, causing a myriad of health issues. Simply, Toxic Positivity is a term that means… “You must be positive, at all times, no matter what.” It’s another way of saying, “power through it” at whatever expense. It is not simply being positive. It is an unhealthy way of being positive. There is a difference between optimism and toxic positivity.

Coming from a mental health background, I saw this in our patients on a daily basis. When you suppress your emotions, you are confusing and hurting your body in a profound way. Emotions are our body's method of getting us to take action. On a very primal level, our bodies are trying to keep us safe at all times. Back in the cave man and cave woman days, we learned to listen to our guts because they would save us from attack: run away or get eaten. People today are not necessarily running from wild animals anymore but reacting to an emotion and processing it can still ultimately protect them from dangers, both physical and mental. With the speed of our days, it can be challenging to hear what our bodies are trying to say. 

In my career, the mental health experts I worked with proved again and again that suppressing emotions was associated with high rates of heart disease, as well as autoimmune disorders, ulcers, IBS, and gastrointestinal health complications. Physicians were constantly referring their patients to our office when the intervention of medicine designed for the physical body was not working for their patients. Whether you are experiencing anger, sadness, grief, or frustration, pushing those feelings aside actually leads to physical stress on your body and eventually leads to disease. Studies show that holding in feelings has a correlation to high cortisol—the hormone released in response to stress—and that cortisol leads to lower immunity and toxic thinking patterns! Over time, untreated or unrecognized stress can lead to an increased risk of diabetes, problems with memory, aggression, anxiety, and depression. And though OPT's believe they are somehow magically releasing negativity from their bodies through deep breathing, meditation, massage, yoga, or aromatherapy, these methods may temporarily relieve a moment of varied negative feelings within the body itself, but they do nothing to remove REALITY from our minds. The mind stores every thought, imagination, lesson, and memory (good or bad) that has ever crossed the neurons in our brain. In other words, deciding to bury your feelings and ignore them, internalize them, pretend they didn't happen, or to convince yourself that there is no need to deal with them, can literally make you sick and take years to manifest itself!

A few more points before I tie in my biblical message. Anything done in excess, when positivity is used to cover up or silence the human experience, it becomes toxic. By disallowing the existence of certain feelings, we fall into a state of denial and repressed emotions. People who regularly refuse to deal with their emotions honestly and completely but ignore the obvious, are also likely to have more interpersonal challenges. They are less aware of the signals they are sending to others and are often more reactive and disconnected from themselves, which can lead to feelings of isolation and can interfere with relationships. Again, The OPT's tend to not only be lonely but loners! They are at greater risk for both manic episodes and depression according to research. 

Now, how can you develop a healthy relationship with your emotions? Easy. Get with the One who made you. Those who develop a deep, personal, meaningful relationship with God tend to have fewer mental health concerns. I observed this as well in my career in mental health. Patients who listed different faiths in their charts and who relied on themselves to balance their own mental health were more likely to suffer from bipolar, dissociative behaviors, nervous break-downs, and depressive disorders MDD. These category of people were nearly all of the eastern religions, especially the Hindu and the Buddhist. The atheist were a whole other story. Let me interject something important. The psychiatrist I worked for considered the entire man, and he believed a persons faith played a role in their mental stability so he required each patient list their faith (or if an atheist) and officially recorded it in their chart. And, just so you are aware, the psychiatrist I worked for was not a Christian. He was a devote Muslim and the psychotherapist whom I also worked for was atheist. There were many more Eastern religion patients than those who either listed their faith as "Christianity, Christian, or born-again believer. The smaller group of Christian people sought help for disobedient or rebellious teens. Some needed to know how to be more confident in their career. Yet others wanted to know how to overcome a certain vice and a lot wanted advice on how to salvage their marriage. The OPT's were diagnosed with a specific mental conditions verified through the many charts under the Eastern religion category that I observed. From a spiritual perspective, if a person is an obsessively positive thinker and absolutely considers everything is good, nothing is ever wrong, everything is always positive, ethical, and upright, then sin doesn't exist and therefore there is no need for a Savior. Right?  God tells us otherwise. 

I can only share what I, as a true follower of Christ, have learned in this matter. Many religions, but specifically those of Eastern philosophy, depend wholly on themselves to EARN salvation. That alone would be stressful all in itself since people can never be "good" through their own efforts to attain son-ship with God.  The OPT's efforts to achieve, reach, obtain, acquire, bring about, effectuate, or accomplish enlightenment (Nirvana) are never ending and are always repeated through their belief in reincarnation. Again, self effort cannot get them there! Reincarnation allows them a get-out-of jail card and never allows them to face failure, or admit sin. If they ever acknowledged defeat, they would be forced to accept there is a God bigger than they whom they need to achieve the peaceful happiness they fight all their reincarnated live(s) to find. Jesus told the world, "It is appointed unto man to die ONCE, then comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Notice two important words? APPOINTED and ONCE. Your death has been designated and it only happens once!

On the other side of the coin, Christians:

Know we are loved unconditionally by the Creator of the Universe (1 John 4:19)

Know we have a purpose because He created us on purpose, for a purpose (Proverbs 16:4)

We get a new identity. We become a new person with Jesus living in our hearts (2 Corinthians 5:17)

We are freed from fear. He gives us a spirit of power, love, and a SOUND MIND (2 Timothy 1:7)

We have the way to heaven. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)

He takes care of our needs. He provides all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19)

We are completely forgiven. He has buried all our sins, to remember them no more. We've been pardoned (Micah 7:19)

We are given guidance. He shares His wisdom with us through His Holy Spirit and we recognize those messages (Romans 12:1-2)

We are protected from evil. Bad things can happen but He ultimately gets justice for those who believe (Ecclesiastes 3:17)

We are set free from addictions, vices, and behaviors that weigh us down (Romans 6:18)

We experience peace that by passes all human understanding (Philippians 4:7)

We are given eternal life to live with Him in heaven just for believing Him. (John 3:16-17)

Our salvation is a free gift we cannot earn earn by ascending upward in stages to improve our own condition (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Christians pray to and meditate ON GOD, His goodness, His Word, and our intimate relationship with Him. We never use meditation as a means of awakening or liberation from ignorance or defilement (only Jesus has liberation power over sin/defilement not mortal man), nor do we believe in reaching salvation or 'perfection of self' by ascending up levels to attain enlightenment (Nirvana) through multiple reincarnations. You cannot get there by your own, flawed, nature! That is basically a self-serve salvation because you have to keep trying. There is no salvation outside of Christ (Acts 4:12). Our meditation consists of these: We believe "whatever things are true, just, nobble, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue, or anything praiseworthy we think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).  Under the banner of Christianity it takes mere seconds to receive the free-gift of salvation not thousands of attempts and certainly not dozens of reincarnations as in the religions of Eastern philosophy. 

Until He Comes, 

-Pat-

JUDGE WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT (John 7:24)

 

It's time to address a very serious mistake made by the world of non believers, pagan religions, followers of philosophical babble, every doctrine of demons, and even Christian apostates. The Spirit of the Lord has urged me to raise my voice with the same unction that cast out the money changers that were in the temple listed Matthew 21:12-13. It isn't often that I am led to speak with such boldness and indignation.  However, today as with Jesus, I am going to knock over chairs and tables driven by a righteous anger and displeasure because of the misuse of a particular scripture constantly being used out of context. It's time to get it straight! The scripture I'm referring to is, “Judge not, and you will not be judged.”

It's ironic how pagans claim they don't believe the bible and yet will quote the bible! How does that work? Quoting the "judge not" scripture is only convenient when it suits their purpose in avoiding the TRUTH which points out the error of their way. They also use it when they have no answer to support their views. It's bizarre, it's as if suddenly they have some sort of biblical knowledge or insight into the same book they claim they don't believe. I am so incredibly tired of hearing, “Judge not, and you will not be judged” as a defense mechanism from the same non believers that hate Jesus or at the very least believe He is a myth and His Word laughable. This verse in the Bible is right up there with John 3:16 and Psalm 23, as one of the most recognized passages in all the Bible by people who have never gone to church, studied the Bible, or even worse call God's Word "out of touch," "old fashion," or "not applicable today."  

Indeed, pagans seem to quote this verse a lot.  And when they do, they say it with confidence and boldness while never understanding the true meaning of this verse. So, what is going on? Well, quite simply, when pagans shake their finger at Christians saying, ‘judge not,’ they believe that this verse prohibits the Christian from judging anyone in any sense.  According to their logic, since Jesus is speaking these words, ‘not judging’ is a holy attribute of Jesus.  For them, Jesus never judged but was only about gushy love and acceptance. And so, to the point; this verse about not judging is quoted back to Christians to infer that judging is a sin. Now, is judging a sin? If it is, then Jesus was full of sin because He certainly judged. Remember that time in the Bible where Jesus told a group of people they were a bunch of hypocrites (Matthew 23:27)? Remember that time where Jesus accused the Pharisees and Sadducees of being full of arrogant stupidity (Matthew 16:1-12)? Do you remember that one time Jesus called the religious elite offspring of the devil (John 8:44)?

I bet the majority of pagans, if any, aren't aware of these "judgments" made by Jesus, or His outburst of anger with moneychangers. In each verse above, Jesus didn't just call them out as hypocrites, void of knowledge, or of their father the devil, He quoted scriptural reasons why they fell under these labels. Pagans conveniently avoid the portions of the Bible where Jesus judges, as well as the other 42 times where Jesus talks about hell. Contrary to what Pagans say, Christians are certainly called to judge but only with RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT. Keyword here: 'righteous.' Righteous judgment means not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. If any Christian judges what a person wears, what he drinks, how he looks, or makes a physical assessment of some kind then they are judging according to the flesh. A Christian cannot assume intentions either. However, as an example, if you tell me straight-up you are a Satanist, that you're a homosexual, that you're cheating on your spouse, or that your religious beliefs are anti-biblical, I am allowed to share God's WORD regarding those matters in an effort to open your eyes to error. 

If you know someone is in danger of losing their soul and you share a scripture to show them what God has said, that is righteous judgment because it is what God has said and is not your words, assumptions, or suggestions. It is judgment according to the spirit and should always be done with love and compassion. Even though pagans often quote the words of Jesus to “judge not,” Christians are instructed to judge RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT. But how do we make sense of all of this, especially Jesus saying, “Judge not?”  How do we understand Jesus’ words? We study, we seek, we ask, we pray, we meditate on God's Word for divine wisdom and knowledge. How can pagans, non-believers, agnostics, believers in philosophies, ideologies, those that adhere to doctrines of demons, even atheists and so forth know anything about these instructions when they reject the entirety of the Word of God in the first place?

Let's get to righteous judgment. What is righteous judgment and where does it say as a Christian I am allowed to judge? People will tell you, "You can't judge me only God can judge me!" Listen closely!! The Bible teaches that God is a righteous judge. So yes, only God can judge. BUT WAIT. According to the Bible, you must read it carefully ... 1 John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was nothing made that was made." Then in verse 14 of the same chapter it says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." So what is this saying? What am I saying? Let's break it down.

1. In the beginning was THE WORD

2. The WORD WAS GOD

3. THE WORD (God) became flesh (became the man in human form; Jesus)

4. He (Jesus) lived among the disciples (as a man but sinless)

5. The disciples said "HE" (Jesus) WAS TRUTH and He was full of grace

Let's break it down even further:

6. God was and is the righteous WORD embodied in Jesus. 

7. God was in the beginning and since God was the WORD in the beginning, and only GOD can judge as we've determined. HIS WORD IS THE JUDGE. THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE. 

8. When that same WORD is spoken and quoted by Christ's followers/believers it becomes the righteous judgment against sin, rebellion, lies, error, confusion, iniquity, transgressions, wickedness, immorality, wrong-doing, lawful violations, deceit, disobedience, and vices even though it is spoken out of the mouth of a believer! It is God's WORD regardless, not the believers words.

So, in reality, it is the spoken WORD that judges our actions and behavior against itself not the Christian who repeats the WORD. Not only does the WORD instruct believers to speak this same WORD to a dying world, blinded and ignorant of the sin and idolatry that imprisons them, but God spoke His WORD in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that we (followers of Jesus) "ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS." Meaning, if we (as believers in Christ Jesus) speak and repeat the WORD OF GOD against sin and error, IT IS GOD'S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT being spoken or repeated off our lips from the Holy Spirit within us. Therefore, it is JUDGING RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT as we are given instruction to do! Christians represent the spoken WORD, we aren't the spoken Word. We represent Christ in the world. We aren't Christ Himself. We represent His righteous voice. Christians are not personally judging anyone, THE WORD is. Christians are simply repeating the words of God as a warning or corrective measure as instructed by Jesus to go out into the world with His gospel message.

I will leave you with this final thought regarding judgment.

If you admit to me that you are engaged in an adulterous affair and I say, "You're going to hell for your sin" that's judging you because there is no way for me to know you're going to go to hell. Why? You might turn to the Lord years down the line and be saved. However, if you admit to me that you are engaged in an adulterous affair and I ask, "Did you know scripture says (or the Lord says) in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-12 that adulterers will not inherit the Kingdom of God" and I do not place a decree or judgment you're going to hell BUT I SIMPLY REPEAT God's Word that speaks to the error of your way ... I am not personally condemning or assuming you're going to hell. I am merely judging RIGHTEOUS judgment by speaking what has been written for over 2,000 years. One is an accusation, the other is a question in an effort to make you think.

It's no different than me saying, "Did you know you're not supposed to enter that store without a shirt or shoes on" and you question, "Why not?" And I say because there is a sign on the door that says, 'no shirt no shoes no service.' And though it sounds like I'm telling you what you can or can't do (I'm not, it's the store telling you) I am merely pointing what's already a rule to try and keep you out of trouble because I tried it once and suffered a severe fine. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

A Lesson From Ephesians 6:12

 

Picture this: A guy is floating downstream on a raft on a hot summer day. He’s having the time of his life, enjoying the ride as the cool water gently splashes on him. You’re on the shore and you know that there’s a deadly waterfall not far downstream. This guy is floating blissfully and ignorantly toward certain destruction! So you yell to warn him. You throw him a rope. But he rejects it and keeps floating toward certain death. Why won’t he grab the life preserver? Because he loves what he’s doing and he doesn’t want to believe your warning. In the same way, people reject God’s wonderful offer of salvation through Jesus Christ? Why? You would think that everyone would eagerly grab the life preserver that God has thrown out through the gospel (John 3:16): “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting l life.” Perish? I don't know about you but when my mother-in-law offered that same message including the word perish I was curious.

Why would anyone reject such a wonderful offer? Why would anyone want to keep heading for eternal destruction?  Because people don’t want God interfering with what they consider “a good time,” and they don’t believe the warnings of Scripture that they are under God’s judgment (sin separates us from God) and will face it eternally when they die. People think that they’re basically good and because of that, God will overlook their faults and give them credit for their good deeds on judgment day. This results in the fact they don’t repent of their sins and believe Jesus Christ is the only life preserver available to save them from God’s judgment. Question. Have you ever warned a friend of danger or a precarious situation because you made that bad decision yourself and know its consequences? 

1) "Don't go down Copper hill. The road is washed out at the bottom"

2) "Take lots of water with you.  The seats you bought are directly in the sun"

3) "Don't walk your dog at night there has been an increase of coyote attacks after dawn"

4) "Don't book a room at the Sunshine Inn. Their rooms are filthy"

Warnings. These are examples of warnings. Would you heed them by blind faith without checking them out first? Most likely if if any of these warnings applied to you, you would probably listen, hear, act. . This is why Christians warn: God said you are lost without Jesus and need to turn back toward Him to be saved. Saved from what? The penalty of sins you've committed throughout your life and from an eternal existence (after death) void of God. It will be a living hell. Literally. No sin can dwell in heaven, so how can you enter heaven without Jesus' pardon? Granted, some believers may not have the perfect presentation or delivery but their messages and intentions are the same ... there is danger ahead unless you stop, listen, and turn back from an unmistakable, destructive ending. We've all been floating down river. Some listen and have passed from death to life and still others ignore the gospel message and blissfully float downstream.

Satan’s major success, in deceiving a nation, is due to a lack of discernment on the part of the people. People are blind to the invisible forces of supernatural evil that are operating and influencing human agents of political, social, religious and philosophical programs. Satan’s greatest victory would be to convince the world that he just doesn’t exist. However, God signifies the devil as the author of sin, sickness and death, and warns us to be alert and vigilant because the devil, as a roaring lion roams about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter. 5:8) It is Satan’s purpose to deceive as many as he can and to keep them from obtaining a knowledge of God’s truth and salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. In the book of Revelation, chapter 20, Satan is depicted as a deceiver of nations. The Greek word for deceive is planaho, and according to Strong’s Greek Dictionary, this word means to “cause to roam from safety, truth or virtue, go astray, seduce, wander, and to be out of the way.” OR... floating blissfully down the river!

The Bible clearly tells in Ephesians 6:12, "For we (humans) wrestle not against flesh and blood (other humans), but (the real battle is...) against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

WE WRESTLE! WITH WHAT? NOT FLESH AND BLOOD-NOT HUMANS! BUT POWERS. WICKED, DEMONIC, DARK, OMINOUS POWERS.

Principalities:  The concept of "principalities" is understood by the Greek word "arche" meaning chief or ruler in my concordance. These principalities/powers/rulers of darkness/ and wickedness in high places are ruling demon spirits that possess human executive authority or governmental rule in the world.  This ruling power usually involves a particular nation, individual people, or race. The minds of people become their puppets through deception and then a person acts accordingly. Look around at our ruling government and tell me you can't see the uncharacteristic, diabolical behavior of the humans there. Consider the different religions, philosophies, and various belief systems that steer you away from God to the worship of self with no need of God. Do you really believe those mind sets are sanctioned by God if they teach YOU ARE God or that you can ascend to become a god? Satan is the one who wanted to exalt himself to a position of GOD ..."I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14). What religions can you think of that teach that same ideology where you "ascend" higher and higher by stages until you reach enlightenment?

This is the very reason the bible instructs in Romans 12:2, "“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." It speaks nothing of ascending in stages! Only the pure, complete, absolute, unadulterated truth of God's Word can safely and permanently transform your thinking, which in turn changes bad behavior.  And all the the lessons and knowledge are free, right there within the pages of God's Word. Satan's greatest attacks will always be against our minds. He can and does attack our bodies with illness and disease, but his bigger target is our mind with: depression, worry, hopelessness, sadness, mood-swings, stress, confusion, deception, etc. The greatest of these is deception and it holds you prisoner. Satan’s greatest victory would be to convince you that he just doesn’t exist. Has he succeeded to this point in your life? God warns us to be alert and vigilant because the devil, as a roaring lion roams about seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Do you understand the warning yet? Even in this blog? Do you realize without Jesus to forgive you of your sins you are in serious trouble? You're floating down a river enjoying your life of sins, sexual immorality, lies, idols, false religions, philosophies, and ignoring all the danger signs that you're headed for a deadly consequence. Jesus offers the life preserver you need that will renew your mind and transform you into a new creation, free of sin and guilt. If you have ignored God's offer to save you, it's never to late to come willingly. Won't you hear my voice today?   As Christians we are delivered from the power of the prince of the air, and from the sinful nature that once ruled our path in life. When we received God’s Holy Spirit, at the moment of our conversion to Christ, we were translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s light, in which we now have God in Christ in us. We are continually delivered and empowered by God as we walk according to His Word and Spirit that He has given us. As we do this, we take our seat in the heavenlies with Christ.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

TRUTH VS ERROR

 

THERE IS A CLEAR WARNING IN THE BIBLE in 1 John 4:1-5 NOT ADDRESSED TO THE WORLD OR TO OTHER RELIGIONS, BUT TO EVERY CHRISTIAN BELIEVER which reads:  "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." There is a simple, straight forward message in this one verse. It is saying, the disciples WERE OF GOD (the spirit of truth) and those that heard them and followed their leading WERE OF GOD as well, but those who would not hear and follow what the disciples were teaching could be identified as (the spirit of error) those people adhering to any belief system outside of the one true God. Anything, therefore, outside of biblical instruction then and including now, is a false belief system led by a false prophet, false teacher, false advisor, or a false minister. 

As Christians, we believe that there is One Truth -GODS TRUTH- and that God has revealed His Truth to us THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD, the Bible, the same Word the disciples spoke and WERE OF GOD. Non-Christians, particularly those of today involved in New Age thought, find this truth deeply offensive. I have encountered this on a few occasions over the years. Believers are often accused of arrogance for claiming they have the Truth as taught by Jesus' disciples. Those outside the Christian faith often present their truth as silent and passive, waiting to be yet discovered. The Bible is in sharp opposition to this concept! The first and central thing which we know about God is that He speaks and that His speech is truth (John 6:63). Period! As believers in God's Word, when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) it leads us to Truth, written on our hearts as a testament of the resurrected Christ, the living Word of God. People all over the world have very similar experiences. Everyone is aware of his or her own existence, as well as of a reality outside themselves. Most people in the world – in the whole history of the world – have believed that originally reality was perfect, and that something has gone terribly wrong so that it is not perfect as it was once enjoyed. I hold that belief. We are thus in need of an accurate picture which encompasses both what went wrong in the world and how the problem is to be remedied.

I want to look at the 'New Age' movement in particular (spirit of error) that includes a range of beliefs and practices based on Buddhism and Taoism, and why it is gaining popularity among a decaying, decadent, society. According to 1John 4:1-5 Christians are suppose to "try the spirits to see if they are of  God." So okay, let's do that. Let's look at the spirit behind Buddhism. First of all, Buddhists hold to the belief everything is one according to their philosophy. This idea is very powerful and attractive, because if everything is one, then everyone is god. To enjoy a state of peace, according to these new age thinkers they must meditate. They need to empty their thoughts, examine their thinking, and find their true self. This is a main function of psychiatry by the way! Buddhists are not to think in terms of what is right and what is wrong. There are no absolutes in this philosophy. Followers examine their thoughts and their minds and embark on a journey of self discovery that they might be at one with nature and with themselves. This practice is very similar to transcendental meditation practiced by the Eastern Religions. One finds peace with the Universe by making peace with oneself and then become tuned into the spirit of the universe around them. For many, within this worldview seems to be perfect peace and perfect unity. There is no conflict or disagreement ... I cannot hate you when I am a part of you, right? Hinduism and Buddhism’s doctrines of karma and reincarnation are necessary to support this basic doctrine of unity. In Christianity, it isn't Buddhist "karma" rather it is our God that exacts judgement for wrongs done as His Word tells us GOD states, "Revenge is mine," saith the Lord, "I will repay." And the Buddhist belief in Reincarnation doesn't exist in Christianity either for Hebrews 9:27 says, "It is APPOINTED unto man to die once, then after that comes the judgment." So the spirit of truth testifies, God is the "shofet" (judge in Hebrew) not karma, and the spirit of truth also testifies WE DIE ONCE, not many times to return as a god, demi-god, human, animal, ghost, or creature from hell as the Buddhist adhere to.

New Age thought is a religious belief system that doesn’t see man as a being in need of redemption but is a god unto himself because the religion does not even believe in God or a higher deity! They reject the disciples witness and refuse to hear... "he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." According to them man is his own god. Hmm. I wonder then, who set the stars, sun, moon, and planets in place? Buddha?? Without the spirit of truth, one can see the attraction a person might have to a self-righteous belief centered around ones goodness, kindness, and peacefulness. The truth is, that is not true peace. Jesus, the living Word, is the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) and without Jesus one has yet to discover true peace. But who will hear? Who will believe it? 

Unfortunately, we live in such a frantic world. There is an epidemic of poor mental health. Anything which encourages peace and reflection is deemed to be good. But this is an unchristian approach to finding peace. Did you know Buddhism is considered the religion of the mentally ill? Before I continue, I'm not referring to this mental illness as meaning lunatic, rather a illness of mind like our bodies can fall ill and need healing.  Buddhism provides a framework for behavior modification, stress coping, and reduction of depression. Given that Buddhism offers pathways to a perceived temporary happiness, being a Buddhist might help improve an individual's mental health according to psychiatrists but it certainly offers no salvation for the eternal soul. I retired as an office manager for both a psychiatrist and two psychologists. I can affirm the above statement as true. At least 20% of our patient charts showed "Buddhist" under the heading of religious affiliation. There is a reason why so many Buddhist are in psychiatric offices. Their religious philosophy mistakenly teaches that we can find peace within ourselves but according to scripture, is a false, temporary soothing of the mind in order to cope with something we cannot tackle, face, address, or deal with. So I suppose as experts claim, people who are struggling mentally to either cope with depression, stress, pressure, delusion, instability, etc. naturally grasp at any solution they believe will give what they sense as peace of mind. I cannot blame them for seeking a cure for a troubled spirit. It is, however, ironic that despite the fact they cannot manage their own internal problems will yet believe a philosophy that convinces those who cannot manage are their own cure! If you cannot manage yourself, how can you be your own cure? "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8)

The Word of God has a different view of the heart of man. We are told the heart is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" says Jeremiah 17:9. We all know deep within ourselves our biggest fault is sin: big sin, small sin, perverted sin, hidden sin, deviant sin, etc. One can also see the attraction for a humanistic secular society fashioned around the promise of self-effort. Man believes that he is as god, that humanity is in charge of its own destiny. Therefore a philosophy which encourages us to look inward to find the secrets of life and happiness is very attractive to some. That thinking does not condemn, it does not judge, because it won't allow any negative thought into its space though negativity is a day to day reality on this planet. It's a part of life as proven in nature by paired opposites: positive/negative, right/left, up/down, hot/cold/, good/bad, short/tall, light/darkness on and on. This same philosophy rather affirms and confirms without disturbing truthful ideas like sin and repentance. This sounds more attractive than admitting we all have sinned  and fall short of that perfection and peace in God's glory (Romans 3: 23-24), that we all want and hope to find, doesn't it?  After all, no one wants to admit or face the deep, dark, recesses of sins we have committed hoping they remain obscure from others. Buddhism teaches in order to be enlightened, one has to stop hating – but he or she also has to stop loving, as well. That's right. You have to stop relating. Buddhists will never speak of the love of the Buddha. They will rather speak of the compassion of the Buddha. “Compassion” is a desire, a sympathy to help you toward oneness. But love is a recognition of who you are as an individual, thus it is not tolerated. The spirit of truth says, "GOD IS LOVE" (1John 4:8) but then, Buddhists do not believe in God, do they?

I cannot fathom a philosophy that requires me to deny the experience of myself to be able to transcend. That isn't even logical and again makes one a god unto themselves. The Bible, however, says that I can come to Jesus just as I am! Totally: I bring my body, my mind, my emotions, my work, my creativity, my uniqueness, my weaknesses, my failures and my sins ... everything just as I am. I begin with the whole of who I am, and every aspect of my being is saved in Christ Jesus in a moment of repentance and acceptance without having to spend a lifetime to earn acceptance, gradual elevation, or transcendence to Nirvana. Again, these self-effort religions (and that's what they are, self-effort) makes one a god unto themselves. Without GOD, without the spirit of truth, we can never reach true peace or true perfection. The scriptures say, "There is only one God and you shall have no other gods before me"- INCLUDING YOURSELF- (the 1st of 10 commandments). In the "do it yourself religions" you are required to abandon your body, your mind, your individuality, and your relationships. It takes more faith to believe in this worldview than in the Bible. Why? Because the Bible gives a true absolute. New Age philosophies do not.

So, you are left with two choices: one is truth and one is a lie: One believes you are accepted just as you are and one that says you must earn your way and if you don't you'll be sent back again and again until you figure it out which could in all probability take eons since you have to overcome your karma and destructive emotions. AGAIN, this is a description of a religion/belief/philosophy requiring YOU to be a god unto yourself where you must EARN "heaven. What "god" would actually have to achieve or earn anything if they are a god? If you are god to begin with, why are you working to be a god?

In the faith of Christianity as revealed in Scripture, God Himself enters into the creation and becomes a part of it because He is both fully God and fully man (Jesus), He has the power to perform an act that is so totally and completely other-centered that it provides the basis and power for anyone who hears, accepts, and believes in this act to become a new person, to be born again with another-centered identity. And that is salvation. Why? Because of the Crucifixion. This totally other-centered act of Jesus , death is swallowed up in victory and we have the power to become sons of God and to be completely reoriented from our sinful, self-centered death to other-centered life. For Christians, our first and primary response to eastern mysticism in all its forms is to preach the Gospel clearly (the spirit of truth), without compromise. The exclusive Gospel of salvation through Christ alone remains the only hope for the world (John 16:13). We also respond by attributing every problem in the world to our sin, to the curse which was inflicted by God because of our sin. This is not a world of heavy rainfall, of obscene heat, of freezing climates, of forest fires, of severe hurricanes because we have it within our gift to change it. The world is the way it is because it is cursed. We live in a fallen world and we are fallen creatures, but not without hope! We were given a way out because of the sacrifice Jesus made for you.

Finally, I remind the followers of Christ, we ought to disengage from every activity that is pagan in its origin. The scriptures are clear on this; astrology, fortune telling, yoga, these mindfulness therapies commit us to a worldview that is not biblical. The children of Israel were solemnly taught not to be like other nations (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). That remains the same for us today, the church body. He that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." 

Until He Comes

-Pat-

Persecution

 

PERSECUTION

Imagine you are in the market for a new car. You visit the dealer and the salesman who is showing you the latest model takes you for a test drive. As you turn out of the parking lot, he launches into his sales pitch: "Three hours in this car," he says, "and your back will be so out of joint, you will need physical therapy to walk upright again! The cost of repairs alone will put my children through college. And when you drive it down the street, every head will turn, because everyone who sees you will be laughing at you." Nobody who wanted to make a sale would say such a thing. It doesn't make much sense. Which makes you wonder what Jesus was thinking when he uttered this final beatitude in Matthew 5:10: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." If this is a sales pitch, it's not a very good one! But Jesus isn't making a sales pitch in this beatitude. He is offering a word of comfort to disciples who will be persecuted because of Him. He knows that no one, at least no normal person, likes being persecuted.

Jesus tells us we should rejoice over rejection. WHY?? Jesus said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted" verse 10. Then, in verse 11, he says, "Blessed are you." To those who are already suffering persecution, Jesus says, "Don't be discouraged;" to those who have yet to face persecution, He says, "Don't be surprised." In saying these things, Jesus serves notice to His disciples. Those who follow Him faithfully should expect to experience a measure of rejection. Notice that Jesus doesn't say, "Blessed are you "if" people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you." No, He said, "Blessed are you WHEN people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you." There is a tone of inevitability here. 

Jesus' words imply that opposition is an inescapable consequence of discipleship or following Him faithfully. How many times have you been rejected when sharing Jesus words from the Bible? How many times have people closed their ears and shook their head as if to say, you fool!? How many people do you know or have heard that talked behind your back? Who has openly made fun of you or indicated your "journey" through Christ is off-base? Who has ever made fun of you for your loyalty to God's Word as it is written? How many times have you had derogatory names yelled at you because you are a Christian? How many times have people accused you of judging them when you've simply repeated words that were written over 2,000 years ago by God Himself that they claim to be bunk, yet they will believe philosophies of Buddha spoken as far back as 483 BC? Perhaps there have even been others who defriended you on social media because you expressed your devotion to the scriptures? When people slam the proverbial door in your face, rejecting Biblical truths, they slam the door in Jesus' face, not yours. We must remember that! After all, you are not offering your truth, opinion, religion, philosophy, or ideology as various religions and new age philosophies do. In reality, they are rejecting God's truth and offer of salvation not any personal message of yours. " The sum of your word is truth" Psalm 119:160.  When you witness the Word of God and people get uncomfortable, it isn't really that person who is uneasy with you but a spirit within them that is uneasy and fearful of God's truth. People don't even realize they are prisoners of spirits within them. This is why we must forgive them because they are overcome by all sorts of angels of darkness who blind them just as we once were lost but now found.

Take heart! Jesus said the world would be this way. If people called Jesus the prince of demons, imagine what they will say about you. We shouldn't take it personally; we shouldn't grow discouraged. Jesus said those who are rejected for his sake should rejoice. In this sense, rejection is a mark of God's acceptance—evidence that people have caught a glimpse of Christ in us. Our faith doesn't necessarily make it any less painful. It's only natural for us to want to be accepted. But Jesus' point is clear: if we are faithful in following Christ, we can expect opposition and yes, persecution. It may even come from those who are closest to us. Rejection is a mark of blessing only when it is for the sake of righteousness: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness," Jesus says. When does Jesus say that insults, persecutions, and slander are a reason to rejoice? When it's for His sake! There is great reward, He says—but not here. There is acceptance—but not here. There is honor—but not here.

Those who are persecuted are not paid for their troubles, they are blessed. Verse 12 says, "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." Jesus doesn't describe the nature of the reward, but He does offer proof. You know your reward is great because others have gone before you. Verse 12 goes on to say, "for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Conclusion: For most of us those who are persecuted this blog is a reminder that this world is not our home. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-