The Junk Food Gospel, Written by my Husband

 

 

The Junk Food Gospel, Written by my Husband (Mel)

We are living in the last days and the great falling away from the truth is here. Most Christians will not endure sound doctrine but prefer to have their ears tickled with man pleasing doctrines. The biggest deception is the greasy grace doctrine. Churches are serving up spiritual junk food to their congregations and people demand it. I have met many people who claim to be saved, however they told me they were living with their partner unmarried. They would also use the worst profanity, and some would even use God's name in vain and tell dirty jokes while claiming to know the Lord. Sadly, this is not a few, but many.

The churches have replaced the teaching of true grace with greasy grace. Preaching against sin and teaching holiness has been replaced with the grace for everything without repentance doctrine. We are not to be joined to the harlot (Mystery Babylon), but to be faithful to Christ. Salvation begins with repentance of sins. This means that you have a change of mind and heart in regard to your old sinful lifestyle. Christ accepts you just as you are, and if you put your faith in him and make him Lord you will be saved. When we are truly saved and baptized for the remission of sins we receive the free gift of the Holy Spirit. However, there is a second act of grace known as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirt also known as being filled with the Holy Spirit is when you are immersed in power with spiritual gifts given. It is only through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit that you can be transformed into a new creation.

When a person is truly saved, they are born again. Your sins are 100% forgiven and your slate is wiped clean. Your spiritual garments are washed clean and made white by the blood of Christ. You are saved by grace alone according to the finished work of Christ who made atonement for your sins. You walk perfectly before him because of the blood of Christ. In regard to salvation the righteousness of Christ is imparted to you. HOWEVER, God's Word teaches us that we must keep our garments clean, and they can become defiled through unfaithfulness to Christ. God's word also states that our names can be blotted out of the Book of Life. A lukewarm church will be vomited out of God's mouth (Revelation 3). Without holiness no man shall see the Father, according to Hebrews.

When a person is truly saved God gives them grace to grow in him. A new believer takes baby steps at first and grows with the nurture of the Holy Spirit. God is patient and gives us grace when we fall down and scrape our knee. God picks us up and carries us when we cannot walk. However, you must keep your faith until the end and walk in the light. God spoke to me once and said, "My grace is sufficient for the morning light."  When it is dawn, the sky has a little light, the light becomes brighter as the morning progresses until the sun shines brightest at noon. God gives grace to those who have a little light as they grow with the help of his Holy Spirit. However, God does Not give grace to those who love darkness and are apathetic toward righteousness. The Unconditional Eternal Security Doctrine (once saved, always saved doctrine) is a doctrine of demons and is responsible for sending many to Hell.

(Revelation 3:1-6) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.:

(2 Peter 2:17- 22) These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The Lord of the Harvest, Written by my Husband & Will You Answer the Call? Written by Me

 

The Lord of the Harvest, Written by my Husband (Mel)

(Luke 10:1-2) After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

The entire world is a mission field and if you belong to Christ then you are called to share your faith with those who are perishing. You do not need to be a pastor or have a degree in theology to be a missionary for Christ, only faith. The Lord is looking for willing hearts who will be vessels that he can work through. God is not pleased with manmade denominations or seminaries, because they tend to stifle the work of his Holy Spirit. God is looking for humble people who will reflect the love of Christ. Peter and John were uneducated men but they were vessels that God's Spirit could speak, as well as work through. 

(Acts 4:13)  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 

Peter and John were not trained with the theology of man, but by the Master himself. God's Word teaches us that we need to study to show ourselves approved, a workman not ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. This means that we are not to only just read God's Word, but to study it, so that we may interpret the scriptures correctly and teach others sound doctrine. We should consume God's Word, because it is spiritual food that will teach us God's ways and lead us to Christ, our only hope of salvation. If a person is truly filled with God's Holy Spirit, then his Spirit will teach us his ways and open up our minds to understand scripture.

 (John 14:25-26) “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

All a person needs is the Holy Spirit to teach them God's Word, not the schools of manmade doctrine which are Spiritless. 

If you pray for divine appointments, God will bring people to you so that you may share your faith with them. I have witnessed to people in Wal-Mart, on hiking trails, as well as to my neighbors. If you make the most of every opportunity to share your faith when engaged in a conversation, you may plant a seed of faith in someone. You may plant the seed, then God may raise someone else up to water the young plant, then yet another person to reap the harvest. God's Word teaches that everyone who sows faith into another's life will share in the reward for their salvation. 

I have noticed that people get very defensive, as well as sometimes hostile, when you share your faith with them, this is because their conscience is being pricked by God's Spirit. Quite often you are getting through to them when they become agitated, so don't be discouraged by their reaction. We are living in a lost and dying world, and you may be the only reflection of Christ that someone will see, so always keep this in mind when someone is being offensive. 

If you were on a boat and saw someone drowning, wouldn't you throw them a life preserver, or even possibly dive into the water to save them? Or if you saw a young child playing in the middle of the road and a semi-truck was heading their way, wouldn't you try to save them? True love warns people of danger even if they don't want to hear it. People all around us are dying spiritually, and it is up to us to share our hope of salvation which comes only from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ with them. So, I encourage everyone who is born again, to become a worker in the fields of the Lord, for they are truly ripe for the harvest!

Will You Answer the Call? Written by Me (Julie)

How many of us pray, "Here I am, Lord, use me?"  Now really be honest; how many mean it?  If God said, "Wonderful, now go serve Me in homeless shelters and retirement homes," would you do it?  If God asked you to go overseas on a mission trip, would you quickly pack your bags?  Not so easy to literally answer the call, is it?  The harvest being "truly great" means the whole world is our mission field.  Schools, workplaces, grocery stores, and the Internet are all places we can witness to people.  But what about spending time with the homeless, incarcerated, and mentally ill?  What about telling the homosexuals their lifestyles are wrong, but non-judgmentally tell them that God loves them and wants to see them repent, change their sinful ways, and come to His Kingdom?  Are we willing to be bold for Christ and go against the popular opinion?  Would you travel to Africa (or other countries) and risk your life to witness to the starving people whose lives are terrorized by war?  

Here's the truth: God will not call you to a place you are unwilling to go.  What He will do is soften your heart and gently try to encourage you to go where He needs you to serve.  God is a gentleman; He will not make you go anywhere you feel uncomfortable.  If you really have zero desire to go overseas, chances are that is not where God wants you to go.  We are not all called to be missionaries in foreign countries.  We can and should minister right where we live.  I am very shy.  Therefore, it is not likely God will call me to public speaking.  However, I can write for the few that read my blogs as well as serve dinners for the homeless and work with children.  I can show the love of Christ to co-workers and even strangers.  However, If God did call me to a more outspoken ministry, I am certain He would gift me with boldness.  My husband has been involved in street ministries in New Orleans during Marti Gras as well as ministering on the streets of Kansas City, MO and Little Rock, AR.  He is also a gifted pastor and preaches bold sermons.  

Ministry does not have to involve money. At the moment, I am not able to bless others monetarily, but I would if I could. What I can give is my time.  

Therefore said He unto them, "The harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few: pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest."  Luke 10:2

There are many examples in the bible where God called His children, and they answered the call.  I am not using myself as an example to follow, but these Godly saints.  Here are just a few:

When Mary was called to be the mother of Jesus Christ, it is easy to assume she was terrified.  Yet, she said, "Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."  (Luke 1:38) She had one of the greatest responsibilities in the world, and yet she said was willing to serve.  She did not question the reality of a virgin becoming pregnant with the Son of God.  Her faith was truly great as she was quick to be willing to serve God.

In Mark 1:16-20, Jesus meets Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and asks them to follow him.  Verse 18 says, "straightaway they forsook their nets, and followed Him."  Then Jesus meets James and John.  When Jesus asks them to join, verse 20 says, "they left their father... and went after Him."  In Mark 2:13-14, Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) who, when Jesus asked Him to follow, Matthew "arose and followed Him."  Notice there was no hesitation in these first five disciples that were called. 

In Exodus 3, God dramatically calls to Moses from a bush that is on fire but does not burn.  When God says, "Moses, Moses," he says, "Here am I," but then argues with God that he is not worthy to serve God due to being poor of speech.  Perhaps he was shy or stuttered, we don't know.  What we do know is that although God was angry with Moses' impertinence, He agrees to send Moses' brother Aaron as his mouthpiece.  God chose Moses (as He chose all before and after) because God sees a broken vessel willing to be used by and for God.  God would not take no for an answer, and reminded Moses that He would be with His servant and Moses would be more capable than he could ever imagine.   God knew Moses was the right man for the job not just to go before Pharaoh to demand he free the Hebrew slaves, but also to be the leader of those he helped escape from Egypt.

Also consider the prophets that were willing to prophecy even after being badly mistreated: Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, (etc.) as well as Paul, Silas, Peter, and Barnabas (etc.).  They were all willing to answer the call even though they did not all see their predictions come to fruition in their lifetime.

There are so many others I could name that willingly said, "Here I am Lord, use me," such as Samuel, David, and John the Baptist, (etc.) in some form or another, but for the sake of time, I will move on.

God does not demand perfection.  What He expects is one who is willing to be obedient not only to what he/she is called to do, but to follow the laws of Jesus Christ.  No matter how willing you may be to serve, God wants vessels that are clean inside and out. 

And the Lord said unto them, "Now do ye make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness?  Ye fools, did not He make that which is without make that which is within also?"  Luke 11:39-40

In other words, wearing a three-piece suit and sporting an expensive haircut are not requirements for serving the Lord.  Having the lifestyle to back up the words you want to preach is much more important.  I have many flaws, but if I try to tell you not to cheat on your spouse while lusting after a man not my husband (which I would never, ever do), I am merely a hypocrite and have no place writing a blog.  Why do you think the false "grace for everything without repentance" message is so popular? Sadly, it is because so many that stand behind the pulpit are into pornography and other habitual sins of which they do not want to let go.  We must clean up our act before serving the Lord.  And not just by our moral actions, but by our attitude.  Don't walk into a homeless shelter and sit at a table with them and witness about the love of Christ than walk outside and insult the people inside.  Most of us are all one or two paychecks away from being in the same situation, so please do not judge them for losing their homes.  Do not go into the inner cities if you cannot love your fellow man no matter what color his skin is. 

Don't minister with a condemning heart, but with a heart of compassion and a goal as a healer, not a criticizer.  I see my job as attempting to lead people down paths of repentance while making a daily choice to continue down the roads of righteousness based on the teachings of Jesus, not based in the teachings of Julie or anyone else.  I want people to understand God's grace and salvation are free, but we still need to keep our garments clean less we fall away and wind up in Hell.  (Backsliding away from salvation is in the Bible, readers, these are not my theories.) I want to see my fellow man in heaven worshipping at the feet of their Maker, not tormented by flames. 

If your goals have anything to do with fame or money, then shame on you!  Serving God is all about bringing glory to God.  We should want to decrease so God can increase.  When I pray that God would empty me of me and fill me with Him, I am sincere in my prayers.  I do not want to shed the light on what I have done, but on the Love of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Obviously, if you are behind a pulpit, you will receive a lot of attention.  If you publish books or end up on the radio, or television you may get some semblance of fame.  As long as you use your notoriety for God's kingdom and do not heap riches on yourselves as the television evangelists do, God very well may bless your life with wealth.  But keep the focus off yourself and keep your ego in check.  Give glory where glory is due.  It is difficult for me to put it into words so this paragraph makes sense, but I think it's pretty obvious there are lines that can be crossed when we preach, write, or serve just to get attention and make ourselves look holy. 

If you are willing to answer the call to be a servant of Christ, serve God with a pure heart, pure motivations, and pure lifestyle.  Whatever your motivation is to serve, God knows your heart, always keep that in mind.  

When is shame not shameful?

 

 

When is shame not shameful?

(I originally wrote this in 2019) I started a new job in June that is approximately thirty minutes from home.  The drive is a bit tedious, but to make the time go faster I switch back and forth between two Christian radio stations.  My intent is not to insult these stations so I will not name them specifically; one is a national station and the other local.  

When we lived in a small mountain town in Idaho, we were limited to radio stations, so it has been four and half years since I have listened to music other than on CD.  I am not surprised to hear the constant grace message (if you read my blog, you know how I feel about the false eternal security message), but I am surprised to hear the trend of music take this grace message even farther out of bounds by saying that feeling shame is wrong.  Whether this is a new theme or one that has been around for a while, I cannot say.

Before I go on, I want to make it clear that there are levels of shame I believe one needs NOT to feel.  If you are a victim of any form of abuse and feel as if it is (or was) your fault and you feel shame over what your attacker did to you, please seek help and know you are not at fault (family member or not).  Plead the blood of Jesus over your heart and pray you heal from feeling shame as a victim.

The type of shame that so-called Christian singers are trying to insist is wrong, is when we feel shame over our sins...

I have to pause for a moment.  While I am writing this, I switched over to https://www.biblegateway.com/ to search scriptures for this blog, and, wow, this just happened to be the verse of the day: 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:9-10 KJV

Fits in nicely with this theme.  Anyway, what I was going to write was that the artists (and most preachers) love to quote Romans 8:1, but what they all fail to do is finish the verse.  What you are used to hearing is:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus...

However, it goes on to say:

...who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

In other words, there is no condemnation (shame) for our actions WHEN we walk in the Spirit instead of in the flesh of sin.  How many of you knew this verse had 10 extra words?  In fact, as I searched images for this blog and typed, "Romans 8:1 images," at least 60% of the images left out the last 10 words!  Preachers (and singers) want you to believe you do not have to ever feel shame if you call yourself a Christian.  From now on, please remember the rest of Romans 8:1 and that, yes, there is condemnation when we walk in fleshly sins.  In fact, read verses 2-16 as well.  I know it's long, but carefully read over all the words and let the message sink in.  Romans 8:1-16 is posted at the end of this blog.

The Bible tells us to examine ourselves daily (read also Psalm 139): 

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.  II Corinthians 13:5

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23

Taking up your cross daily and denying yourself means to daily lay down your sins.  In order to know what sins we must lay down, we must listen to our conscience, which, yes, can be called shame.  When you feel no shame or remorse, you are basically saying you have not sinned.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. I John 1:8-10

And, yes, absolutely check out verse 9 above.  Jesus is full of grace when we confess our sins.

As I mentioned at the beginning there are forms of shame that are unhealthy.  There are forms of shame that are from the devil. When you have repented from your sins and have true remorse and are working hard at not repeating the same mistakes, you should not feel guilt over your past.  I do agree that the devil wants to inflict unnecessary shame upon the past you have overcome. When this happens, rebuke Satan in the name of Jesus Christ and remind yourself that Jesus forgave you when you repented, and that you are doing your best to never repeat your sins. 

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:10-11

Satan wants to accuse us day and night, but when we have overcome our sins by the blood of Jesus, then we need not feel shame.  Again, remember, when you confess your sins, Jesus will forgive you.  However, do not use the true grace of Jesus as an excuse not to feel shame or as an excuse to sin. 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Romans 6:1-2, 6, & 11-13  

True shame is not shameful when we feel remorse for sins we refuse to let go.  When we say, "I feel bad I am addicted to porn," or "I feel shame that I have cheated on my spouse," or "I feel guilty for stealing, taking, drugs, cheating," etc., then this type of shame is VERY good for your spiritual health.  That is the Holy Spirit speaking to your conscience, prompting you to repent and give up your sinful ways.

I could probably go on a little longer on this subject, but instead, as promised, here is Romans 8:1-16.  Please read these verses carefully and see how a life lived in the flesh will cause shame, but when you chose to do your very best to walk down paths of righteousness (holy living), then and only then, will there be no condemnation.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Romans 8:1-16

Faith to Embrace That God is all His Word says He Is

 

Faith to Embrace That God is all His Word says He Is

I believe that the biggest reason people have such a difficult time accepting that God unconditionally loves them, trusting He forgives and forgets, and submitting to God is because they try too hard to place Him in a human box. 

We have all been repeatedly hurt by those who love us, so it is hard to grasp the concept that God would be any different.  It is hard to wrap our brains around the fact that when God says He will keep His promises, He actually will.  In order to help us (me too) be able to better embrace that God truly is all His Word says He is, and He will do all His Word says He will do, we need to remove human attributes from a holy God.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," saith the Lord." For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Let me back up just a bit to make it clear I fully believe Jesus Christ came to this earth in human form (And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8) but after He ascended back into Heaven, all those human weaknesses disappeared. However, His compassion has never waned.  

Now, back to Isaiah 55.  We cannot ever truly comprehend the mind of God, and the sooner we accept that fact, the more we can just sit back and relax and surrender all to Him.  I know that it so much easier said than done, again, because we have difficulty seeing Him in a different light that the humans around us.

When God says He will forgive us when we repent (Then Peter said unto them, "Repent... for the remission of sins." Acts 2:38), and then will actually forget those sins, then they are forever under the precious blood Jesus shed for us.  

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

It is a difficult concept to grasp because not only do we find it hard to forget wrongs that have been done to us, but we also do not always forgive the people we claim to have forgiven. In our mind we may say we do, but it is easy to dredge up past hurts to the point it can be harmful to our spiritual health. On the flip side, others also tend not to forgive and forget when it comes to our offenses.  But God truly does forget our past and washes us white as snow.  Please note the first five words in the below verse are "If we confess our sins."    

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 

It is also difficult to accept unconditional love. Precious few people in our lives love and accept us without rules.  "If you will conform to my ways, then I will accept you." or "I love you, but I really do not want to be around you."  But when God says He loves us and will never stop loving us, and that He wants as much more time spent with us than we give, we can believe it is true. He will not reject us when we make mistakes, nor will He cast us aside when someone more interesting comes along.  He will always love us and find us worth His time and affection. 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35, 38-39

However, a holy God cannot tolerate sin and even though we can never be separated from His love, we can be separated from His heavenly kingdom if we refuse His rules (Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things SHALL NOT INHERIT the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21.)  

Read also all of Romans, chapter 6. Here are verses 1-2: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

This is why "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)  Because God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9).  He compassionately wants all of us to join Him in the beautiful paradise He prepared for us (John 14:2-3).  The rules are in place so we can have a blissful eternity with our savior, not to keep us in chains, but to set us free from those chains!

Even if we cannot fully understand how it is possible, when we have faith enough to accept God will not break His promises (also 2 Peter 3:9), He will not lie to us (Titus 1:2), He will forgive and forget our sins (Mark 2:10), His love is free (Romans 5), and He truly wants the best for us (Jeremiah 29:11), then we will be more willing to surrender our heart, soul, and strength to Him (Luke 10:27).  

...God is love. 1 John 4:8

Let's face it, most of us have had to deal with an abusive authority figure either in the form of a teacher, military instructor, boss and/or parent. When we have lived through someone with power over us not treating us with the love and respect Jesus expects us to treat all people, it makes it even harder to trust that God's authority is just, fair, gentle, and good (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:25, 2 Corinthians 10:1).  It can be near impossible to see God as a kind Heavenly Father if your earthly father and/or mother was cruel.  Again, it is why it is so vital to not place God in a human box.  If His thoughts and ways were like frail, cruel, unforgiving, cold, stubborn, rebellious humans, He would never have sent His only son to die for us so we could be cleansed from our sins by the blood of Jesus, and be healed by the stripes Jesus took on His back (Isaiah 53:5), nor prepared a place of peace and joy with Him forever (Revelation 21:4).

I pray this all sinks in.  I know it is not easy to see God outside of our limited human eyes. I will leave you with my favorite scripture verse.  This verse is saying the same as Isiah 55 above, that we cannot fully understand the mind of God because we see this world through dark sunglasses, not through the bright light of the Throne of God.  But when we get to heaven and see God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, then it will all make perfect sense. Until then, we can rely on faith to embrace that God truly is all His Word says He is, and He will do all His Word says He will do.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 

Salt or Sugar?

  

If you have been through the Bible multiple times, you may think it is not necessary to still read it on a regular basis.  I have either read the Bible or had it read to me for 52 years, and when my heart is open, I still see verses from a new light   The other day, my husband and I were listening to the gospel of Luke, when chapter 14, verses 34-35, spoken by Jesus, stood out to me as never before.

"Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Luke 14:34-35

I said to my husband something like, "For some reason, I never really stopped to consider those verses before, but that is really standing out to me.  I see it as a warning not to lose our fire for God or our fire for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ."

My husband and I began talking about this and agreed it would make a good blog topic, so here I sit today to share my thoughts for whoever " hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Often when I am writing on a topic I know has been written about by many others, I intentionally do not go back and read anyone else's writings. I pray to only be influenced by the Holy Spirit.  I know there are several different angles from which I could write this blog, but I am choosing to focus on the issues most infusing my heart today.

I am a person who loves words and their meaning, so I looked up the definition of the word "savor."  I will use the definition in another version of Luke also mentioned in Matthew.

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour [a characteristic taste, flavor, or smell, especially a pleasant one]... it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."  Matthew 5:13

First, I want to touch on not losing our fire for the Lord. Revelation 3:16 says, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue [spit] thee out of my mouth."  If you feel you are growing cold toward the Lord, spend more time in praise, prayer, and Bible study.  Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything that may be hindering a closer walk with Him and be obedient to let go of the things He brings to your heart (see Psalm 139:23-24).

 Next, lets' talk about not losing our salty fire for sharing the message of salvation.  In a world where people plug their ears to holiness messages, and make fun of/reject the True believers, it can be very discouraging to want to give up and quit speaking out for righteousness.  Let me encourage you that even if it seems no one is paying attention, God is, and His opinions matter more than anyone else's.  Stay faithful to the call, fellow Christian.  You are not alone; you have the Holy Trinity in your corner, and my husband and I as well!

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

Now I want to explain what I mean when I say there is a difference between a salty message and a sugary one. To most people, a pleasant gospel would be one that tells them it is perfectly fine to sin as much as they like because God gives us grace for everything.  We just have to say a prayer one time to ask Jesus into our hearts and then never again worry about right or wrong because we are now eternally secure.  That, my friends, is a sugar-coated gospel!  

We are not being called to politely lead people to hell, we are called to escort them boldly to heaven's throne!  

Salt was considered very valuable in the days when Jesus walked, but if something valuable gets broken, tarnished, or damaged in any way, the value dramatically declines.  And as Jesus puts it, if that something valuable loses its potency, you could even say, if it gets watered down, it deserves to be thrown out and even trampled under people's feet.  

The same is absolutely true with the most valuable asset on the planet, the message of salvation that can show one the way to eternity in Heaven.  If it is damaged, it is useless to your soul.  

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [turns it into something inaccurate and unholy], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude, verse 4

Now I finally get to it, here is my salty message speaking out against a sugar-coated gospel:

To be clear, I believe Jesus' death on the cross, our salvation, and grace are free gifts we do not have to earn. However, a salty message will encourage you to treat these precious gifts with the utmost care and not neglect them, because they and your soul can be lost.  

But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Ezekiel 18:24 & 26

Pretty clear cut, don't you think? Ezekiel was a mighty profit who heard directly from God.  He tells us when the righteous, or the Christian, turns his back on God and intentionally chooses to sin, he will lose his salvation - die in his sins! This is not speaking of minor offenses, of course, but as Ezekiel says, "abominations," or rebelliously refusing to do what you know is right in the eyes of God.  Just as when we sincerely repent from our sins, they are blotted out by the blood of Jesus (Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Ezekiel 18:27-28), the exact opposite is true. Righteousness is canceled out by sin until we sincerely repent again.   (These same words are repeated in Ezekiel 33 as well.) 

Now let's look at the words of Jesus:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:1-6

The definition of the word abide is "to remain; continue; stay."  Therefore, Jesus is telling us that if we leave our fellowship with Him (cease abiding with Him) we will be "cast forth... into the fire and burned."  Obviously, He is speaking of the fire in Hell. In other words, if you give your life to Christ and become a Christian, but then refuse to follow the ways of Jesus by leaving your morals behind, you are no longer bearing good fruit, and you will be cast away.  Jesus does not say that you can stay grafted into the vine no matter what, and that you will be eternally secure. No, if you make the choice to leave, you will be cast off!

The more you abide in Jesus: read the Bible, pray more than just when you are asking for a favor, and worship Him with a contrite heart, the more it will be clear what He expects of you.  The more you will understand His character and His will and you will want to do what is right (...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Romans 2:4).  The Holy Spirit will convict you of your sins and testify to your spirit what must be done to see the face of God for all eternity (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1).

Let's go again to the words spoken by Jesus:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23

This is obviously about someone who is calling himself a Christian, otherwise why would he be calling out to the Lord and prophesying, casting out demons, etc. But Jesus says that even if you call on Him and work for Him, you can still be in danger of losing your salvation if you are doing all these things while living in sin.  No, eternal life with Christ is not automatic just because you use the name of Jesus or work for Him; you must keep the sin out of your life or He will tell you to "depart from" Him.  In other words, He will send you to hell.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  2 Timothy 4:4; 7-8

There are many more verses I can list where it says in the Bible that all people will be judged according to their works. That Truth alone shows we are not automatically eternally secure.  If so, there would be no reason for God to judge our works.  Finishing the course and keeping the faith means the same as abiding in the vine.  In order to obtain the crown from Jesus, you must not let go of your righteous ways or give in to sin.

Here are a few more verses on obtaining crowns from God, our judge.  No where does it say the crown of righteousness will be given to every single person that says some version of the sinner's prayer.  There are conditions that must be met! In the below verse, Paul makes it very clear that even he, an extremely faithful servant of Christ, could be cast away from heaven if he falls into sin.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I Corinthians 9:24-27

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Phillipans 4:1

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. II Timothy 2:5

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12

The messages of these verses are: stand fast in the Lord, strive lawfully, endure temptation, and you will receive a crown of righteousness.  Stray away from the Lord and holiness, and you will be cast away.

The last verses below are the easiest way to point you away from sugar and to the salt of the gospel: Note the list of sinful actions does NOT say, "If you call yourself a Christian you can do all these things and still go to heaven," NO!  It says, if you commit the sins listed, you will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.  There are no exceptions to that rule. You must daily repent of your sins, and strive to be holy as the Lord is holy, or you will not have eternity with the Father - not my words, this is scriptural as you will see below.   

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: I Peter 1:14-17

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrews 12:14

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:7-8

Jesus will Hold you Fast and Carry you When you Cannot Walk, Written by my Husband

 

Jesus will Hold you Fast and Carry you When you Cannot Walk, Written by my Husband (Mel)

The Lord gave me a dream of his love, care, and devotion for his children. I dreamed, that when I was a young man, the Lord found me lying in a ditch all wounded and dying. The angels picked me up and carried me and nursed me back to health spiritually. The Lord spoke to me while I was awake and said, "I will hold you fast." 

We live in an imperfect world and struggle with a fallen nature; however, God has brought us hope and redemption through the cross of Christ and help through his Holy Spirit. If after we are truly saved by his grace, we stray from him down a path of false doctrine or sin, he will come after us, as well as fight for us. Jesus will leave the 99 sheep to go after and rescue the one that is lost. The Lord chastens the son he receives and brings the rod of correction to the ones he loves. The Lord will hold you tight in his hand and will do anything to bring you back to him! The Lord loves us too much to let us remain backslidden from him. However, if you refuse to allow his Holy Spirit to correct you and choose to continue living in darkness, you may fall from grace and be blotted out of the Book of Life. A dead, or lukewarm church, will be vomited out of God's mouth (Revelation 3). Christ compares an unrepentant backslider to a dog that returns to his vomit, or a sow who after being washed clean returns to the mire (mud). 

(2 Peter 2:20-22) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Salvation begins with repentance of sins. Repentance is a change of mind and heart in regard to the old sinful lifestyle, as well as a desire to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. To be truly saved, you must hunger and thirst for righteousness, and turn away from the old rebellious life you once knew.  When you repent and put your faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross you are saved from perdition and have been given eternal life. We are justified by faith and saved by grace (unmerited favor). Christ will wash you clean and remove all of your sins and grant you a clean slate. Because of Christ's atonement made upon the cross you walk perfectly before him as long as you remain in the light. God gives us grace to grow in him. We come to him as babes on milk and learn to walk by taking baby steps. Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are transformed from the inside out. 

Grace is for those who walk by faith in the light and not for those who love darkness and are apathetic toward righteousness. Cheap grace or greasy grace is a term to describe the junk food gospel being taught in many churches today. The unconditional eternal security doctrine teaches that a saved believer cannot lose their salvation. This doctrine is contrary to scripture and leads many people to Hell. Hebrews 10:38-39 states that a believer can drawback unto perdition (Hell) if they do not remain in the faith. There are Christians who have lost their faith and died as atheists, Buddhists, agnostics etc. these will not enter the Kingdom of God.

We must deny ourselves daily, take up our cross and follow after Christ. If we love him, we will obey him. Christ taught us how we should conduct ourselves in this world. The sermon on the mount, also known as the beatitudes, are instructions that we should all live by.

Christ taught us the parable of the prodigal son in (Luke 15: 11-32). The son was tired of his rebellious life for he squandered his inheritance with riotous living. He returned home and his father ran to him, held him, and kissed him, put a robe on him, and a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. They killed the fatted calf for his son and the father said, "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

(Luke 15:11-32) Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 

But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' 

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

Seek the Kingdom of God

Seek the Kingdom of God

I dreamt that someone I know called me with a panic in her voice and plead, "I need you to call for help!  He is seeking the Kingdom of God!"  Before I could ask for any further details, I woke up.

I do not know for certain if that dream came from God, but I immediately went to prayer for an unknown person.  I prayed he would only seek God's Kingdom and no one else's.  That his eyes would be opened to anything that would confuse him from knowing the True Kingdom of God and he would capture what he was seeking. That he would not let any previous misconceptions or earthly idols get in the way of seeking God's Kingdom and living right before the Lord. That He would repent and believe in the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is also my prayer for anyone reading this, including myself. 

(Matthew 1:15) And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 

I could write several blogs about seeking the Kingdom of God, but my message today is simple and brief, but important. Remember, God is not hiding from you. In fact, He is chasing you and wants to be found by you.  Keep seeking the Kingdom of God and do not run away from anything He tries to reveal to you.  If He tells you that you need to change your ways of thinking or give up anything keeping you from obtaining His Kingdom, listen and humbly obey His voice.

Here are a few scriptures on seeking God that stood out to me most:

(Leviticus 19:31) Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. 

(1 Chronicles 16:10-11) Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. 

(Psalm 14:2) The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 

(Isaiah 55:6-7) Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

(Matthew 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

(Acts 17:27-28) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.