Clay for the Potter's Hand, Written by Mel

Clay for the Potter’s Hand, Written by my husband, Mel

Romans 9:20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

If you belong to Christ, you are an ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven, and your life should be a living testimony to those around you. We are not all called to be pastors or evangelists, but there are many members to the body of Christ, and we are called to be faithful to the ministry that God has placed us in. God is the potter and we are the clay, if we will allow His Spirit to have His perfect work in us, then we will be vessels of honor that He may work through. A potter is an artist that molds, and shapes vessels into many forms, for many different uses. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to refine us or set us apart from the world, so that we may be usable for the Kingdom of Heaven. If we live a sinful lifestyle, then we will be vessels of dishonor, to be destroyed, by the potter. For the wages of sin is death, but there is forgiveness through Christ, if we repent and turn from sin. The Bible also gives us examples of people who were vessels of dishonor, like pharaoh king of Egypt, whose heart, was hardened by the Lord, so that God could show the world His miraculous power. Through His foreknowledge, God knows who will be vessels of honor or dishonor, however we still have a freewill. We must choose this day, whom we will serve.

If you do not know where you fit into the body of Christ, I suggest that you pray, as well as fast, for an answer. When a person goes on a fast, they are showing God that they desire heavenly food, more than earthly food. When you seek after God, as well as, put his Kingdom first, He will reveal his plan for your life. God’s timing is perfect, but we sometimes get impatient waiting upon the Lord to open doors to ministry. A Christian preparing for a ministry, does not need a theological degree, or any training from man- made institutions. However, we are to study God’s Word to show ourselves approved, a workman who is not ashamed. We need to get alone with God, and allow his Holy Spirit to teach us the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven. I refer to this time of Spirit led training, as the wilderness experience.

There are many examples in God’s Word, of holy men who left their home towns, and spent time in wilderness locations, or foreign lands, being taught by God’s Spirit. After being water baptized, the Spirit led Christ into the wilderness, to be tested, and tried, by the devil for forty days and nights. Christ fasted during this time of testing, and fought off the devil, by quoting scripture. After this time of preparation, Christ began his ministry. We are not above our master, if Christ, was tested, and tried by Satan, we will also, most surely be tested. When Moses was forty years old, he fled pharaoh, and dwelled in the land of Midian for another forty years, before beginning his ministry at the age of eighty. During his forty years in the wilderness, God was purging Moses of his former life in Egypt, and preparing him to be a vessel of honor that he might work through. The wilderness experience is a time, when the potter molds and shapes his vessel into the object that he desires. Joseph is another example of a man who was hand crafted by God for a great purpose. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was sold into slavery, by his brothers. After the incident with Potiphar’s wife, he was thrown into prison, for thirteen years, until the day he was brought before Pharaoh. This time of preparation for leadership was necessary, for Joseph to be the humble man, useable for God’s purpose. When Joseph’s wilderness experience was concluded, Pharaoh made him governor over all of Egypt, and he prepared for the time of famine.

After his road to Damascus encounter with the risen Christ, the Apostle Paul also had his time of preparation for ministry. Paul did not confer with any man, nor did he go immediately to Jerusalem to see the apostles. Instead, Paul went into Arabia for three years, to be taught by God’s Spirit, before going back to Jerusalem.  When he returned to Jerusalem, he stayed with Peter for fifteen days, and also met with James the brother of Christ. Then Paul went into Syria and Cilicia, for another fourteen years, before he presented himself to the churches in Judea.  It was by revelation from God’s Spirit, that Paul knew when it was time to present himself to the Judean church. A true vessel that God can work through, is taught, and led by God, not man, nor man- made institutions. Man- made theology stifles the Spirit, as well as shuts people out of the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Galatians 1:15 But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, even from my mother's womb, and called me through his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles; straightway I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and tarried with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Then I came unto the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc; and they glorified God in me. Galatians 2:1 Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2 And I went up by revelation; and I laid before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately before them who were of repute, lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain.

The Glory Has Departed, Written by Mel

The Glory Has Departed, Written by my husband, Mel

1 John 3:3-10 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.  And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.  Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

Approximately seven years ago, the Lord spoke to me in an audible voice, he said, “Ichabod!  It bears worth repeating, Ichabod!” I asked the Lord what he meant, and he replied, “The churches are dead.” I said, “Surely you have a few that are not dead?” and he replied, “I have a few.” The word Ichabod means, the glory has departed. 1 Samuel 4:21 Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”  

God’s Word teaches that before the coming of the Lord there will be a great falling away (apostasy).  The modern church will not endure sound doctrine because they desire to be men pleasers, rather than God pleasers. Therefore, God has given them over to believe the lie, because they desire darkness rather than light. The apostasy is the sinful bondages within the lives of believers, as well as the lukewarm grace message that empowers their sin. I have had many dreams, visions, as well as, words concerning sin in the life of believers, and this is God’s number one concern. I understand that many people don’t like my teachings on holiness, but this issue is more important to God than end time preparation or anything else.

A number of years ago, the Lord showed me the church as an unfaithful bride, and he said, “divorce”. The Lord made it very clear that sinful bondages that are not repented of, will lead to spiritual death (divorce). Last week, the Lord spoke to me in an audible voice and said, “I am warning my children to get out!” This word was followed by a dream. I dreamed that I was in a convenience store and that nothing worked right, the gas pumps, food machines, as well as, everything else within the store was malfunctioning. I then noticed that the lid was off the drink machine, and it was almost empty, there were also three, half eaten bags of Fritos in the drink. I said, “This is nasty,” I then removed the drink machine and put it in the trash outdoors. Then an older man walked into the store, and he said that nothing worked right. The angel of the Lord then answered him and said, “The authorities are on their way.” God is warning his children to come out of the apostate churches and into a real relationship with him. The Lord refers to the harlot church system of the end times as Babylon. Babylon is a term that refers to wickedness. Rev 18:4-5 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.   The convenience store in my dream was symbolic of the churches who are serving up spiritual junk food. The almost empty drink machine, with three half eaten, bags of Fritos in it, is the grace doctrine taught by most churches. The gas pumps that do not work, are symbolic of an unholy spirit, who has replaced God’s Holy Spirit in most churches.

There is grace for sins that have been repented of, but grace is not automatic. God’s Word states, that we must be born again, in order to be saved. It is true, that God blots out all of our sins, when we truly repent and turn from them. But, we must become a new creation in Christ, by allowing God’s Holy Spirit to do his perfect work of sanctification (set us apart from the sinful world) in us. No one is perfect by any means, but we are called to pursue righteousness, as well as to live holy lives. Without holiness, no man shall see the Father. 

The many lies of Satan being taught today are, that Christ sees us through his blood, therefore making repentance obsolete, it is his righteousness alone, and not our own, we are all filthy sinners saved by grace, even after conversion. These teachings are polar opposite to what the Bible teaches. In a recent dream, I was visiting a church, and everyone was covered in dirt, as well as wearing soiled garments. I pointed my finger at the congregation and said, “Woe to you Babylon! You shut people out of the kingdom of Heaven!” The shepherds are failing to teach their flocks to get sin out of their lives and the result is that they are shutting people out of the kingdom of Heaven.

Other false doctrines are the unconditional eternal security doctrine, prosperity gospel, Calvinism, manifest sons, etc. The Lord has also given me visions of Christians wearing tattered clothes, covered with spots and wrinkles. God’s Word is clear, that the Lord is returning for a bride, without spot, or wrinkle. I believe that the Great tribulation, will not only be a time of judgment upon the unsaved, but also a time of purification for true believers. Persecution and hardship will cause people to get off the fence, and truly surrender every area of their lives to the Lord. The tribulation will produce a church clothed in garments of holiness.

There are also many counterfeit revivals going on, where God’s Holy Spirit has been replaced by demonic manifestations. People are laughing uncontrollably, as well as making all different animal sounds. They are hissing like snakes, mooing like cows, roaring like lions, howling like wolves, as well as barking like dogs. In a congregation in Boston, the pastor crawled on his hands and knees like a dog, barking, and his wife led him around on a leash fastened to a dog collar around his neck. The wife then said, “Where he leads I will follow!” In some, so-called Christian rock concerts, many of the young people are going into trances, where they display tribal dancing. These are but a few of the demonic manifestations going on worldwide. The late pastor David Wilkerson, warned the church about this invasion of demonic activity, as well as the need to return to holiness preaching, but most will not listen.  It is time for the church to start using discernment and realize that something has gone wrong. God is withdrawing his Spirit from many churches, because they will not endure sound doctrine. If the churches will return to teaching holiness once again, then maybe God’s Spirit will return!! Here is a link to my posting on the counterfeit revivals. There are also links to videos, which show the demonic manifestations occurring within these false revivals. http://swordofthespirit77.blogspot.com/2015/10/dream-of-spirit-of-false-prophet.html

 1 Timothy 4:4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron

Matt 7: 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

The Power of Forgiveness (Written by Mel)

The Power of Forgiveness (Written by my husband, Mel)

Relationships with family, friends, co-workers, or schoolmates can quite often be difficult. Daily, we interact with many different personality types and that will sometimes lead to conflicts. In this life, you don’t have to look for trouble, for trouble to find you, but God’s Word teaches us how to respond to others.  Forgiving others their trespasses, is sometimes a very hard thing to do. The Lord is still working on me in this area, so this lesson is as much for me, as others. The golden law is, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” God’s Word teaches us, that if we forgive others their trespasses against us, the Lord will also forgive us our trespasses (Matt 6:14). Also, if we show mercy to others, then the Lord will show mercy to us. God’s Word is clear, that the Lord will judge each of us, based on how we treat our fellow man.

Matt 5:22-24, says that if we are angry with our brother without a cause we shall be in danger of the judgment, if we call him Raca (dumb head, or idiot), we shall be in danger of the council, and if we call him a fool, we shall be in danger of hell fire. God expects his children to pursue peace with all men, and name calling, which results from anger, is forbidden with God. God’s Word also says, that it is possible to be angry and not sin, but we are not to let the sun go down upon our wrath. In other words, we are to make peace, as soon as possible with the trespasser. If they refuse to make peace, we are to still forgive them in our heart before the day is ended. Bitterness dries up the bones according to God’s Word. It is also a medical fact, that people who are angry and bitter a lot, are candidates for cancer, heart attacks, strokes, as well as other diseases. The root of bitterness will lead to hate, which is the same, as the sin of murder according to Christ. In verses 23 and 24, Christ said, that when you bring your gift to the alter, and then remember that your brother has something against you, go and be reconciled with your brother then come and offer your gift. This passage shows that grudges against others, will hurt your relationship with the Lord, as well as cut you off from his blessings. Quiet often, not forgiving others will also block a person from healings, as well as, hinder their prayers from being answered.

Matt 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. In this passage, Christ was telling Peter that we are to forgive our brothers sins against us, countless times. We are to have the mind of Christ, and follow in his footsteps. When Christ died upon the cross, to make atonement  for our sins, he wiped out all of our sins that we have repented of. As he was dying upon the cross, Christ said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Christ was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, despised and rejected by men, according to scripture. Even though he was taunted, spit upon, as well as rejected by his generation, he still was willing to forgive the sins of all who would come to him, to be born again. If we belong to Christ, we should have the same compassion as he did, for our fellow mankind. Since Christ gives us grace, we should also extend grace to our fellow man, who is also created in God’s image.

Matt 18:23-35, Is the parable of the unforgiving servant. Christ said, that the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who had a servant who owed him ten thousand talents. The servant pleaded with the king to have mercy on him, and not to sell him and his family. The king chose to have mercy upon this servant, and to release him, as well as forgive his debt. This servant then went to one of his fellow servants who owed him money, and grabbed him by the throat, and demanded to be paid in full. This servant fell at his feet and begged him to have patience, but he refused to have mercy upon this servant. Instead, he had his fellow servant thrown in jail, until he could be paid in full. Then the king had this wicked servant delivered to the tortures because he refused to have compassion upon his fellow servant. Verse 35 states, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God, as well as love our neighbor as our self. If we have this Christ like love for one another, then we fulfill the law and the prophets.

 I ask the Lord continually, to help me to look beyond the faults of others and see the need. There are many cruel and malicious people in the world, and there is a reason why they are that way. Many people are suffering in their bodies from cancer, pain, sickness, mental illness etc. Others, have experienced the deaths of loved ones, divorce, or unemployment . Quite often people take out their pain upon others. If we keep this in mind when encountering malicious people, then we can have compassion for them, instead of contempt. Christ tells us to pray for those who persecute or mistreat us. If you will pray for those who are offensive to you, then the Lord will open your eyes to their need. If a person is struggling with feelings of anger towards another, it is best to not talk about the situation. The more we talk about the person who made us angry, the more likely we are to add fuel to the flame. Silence is golden if you need to be released from anger. To sum this up, we need to to forgive others, in the same way that Christ has forgiven us.               

Matt 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

Matt 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matt 5:22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.  23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,  24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Matt 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.  26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’  27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’  29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’  30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.  31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.  32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.  33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’  34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

How to Understand the Bible

This blog was inspired by an older cousin of mine.  He made some statements a few days ago that I am sure go through a lot of people's heads.  He does not believe the bible is really the inspired Word of God, but a mass of confused stories all put together by ordinary men.  (not his exact words)

It is easy to be confused by the bible if you do not understand how to read it.

First of all, let me just say that it is obvious that I have no theology degrees, nor do I consider myself an expert in any way, shape, or form.  What I have is 43 years of experience either listening to or having the bible read to me. I was a preacher's kid for the first 12 years of my life, and my dad has always been a spiritual influence on me.  My husband is now my teacher as well as my fellow philosopher.  I study the bible almost every day as well as read commentaries and devotionals by others.  I particularly like to focus on those with a clear understanding of the history of biblical times and not just those trying to promote a specific religion.

One of the things my cousin pointed out has confused many.  In Exodus 20:13, God clearly commands the Israelites not to kill.  And yet, God expects them to kill their enemies to defend their territory.  Is this contradictory? 

In order to understand this (and most areas of the bible) we must take a look at history.  There are a lot of wars throughout the old testament.  The reason why is because people were not much different then than they are today.  They were very territorial and constantly in a state of claiming land.  It was truly an era of "kill or be killed" or be made into slaves.  In most cases, the wars of biblical times were a matter of survival since they could not all live peacefully in separate countries.  One nation wanted to rule them all.

If you are wondering why God seemed to choose one race over the other, it was not a race issue, it was a holiness issue.  The Israelites chose to follow the ways of God's commands, while to others chose to spit in God's face and live demented and perverted lives.  They were extremely brutal and loved to torture others.  Some even believed in live human sacrifices, particularly of babies and children.  God punished the Israelites within their own communities as well whenever they sinned.  God may seem harsh sometimes, but don't all parents punish their children?

Which brings me to another point.  There are a lot of laws and regulations in the old testament that seem to have ridiculously harsh punishments.  Not all these laws were created by God.  A lot of them were man-made.  Read through the new testament and you will continually read Jesus' own words condemning the man-made laws.  You can read more about that issue on this blog written by Mel: http://swordofthespirit77.blogspot.com/2015/12/understanding-new-covenant.html

There are other issues in the old testament that may seem contradictory to God's 10 commandments.  In Genesis 38, Jacob's son Judah promised his daughter-in-law in marriage to his youngest son (after her first 2 husbands, his sons, died).  He later changes his mind.  Tamar tricks him by pretending to be a prostitute, Judah sleeps with her, she steals his signet, bracelets, and staff to later use as blackmail, and she becomes pregnant.  Judah was going to have Tamar murdered for her sin, but she shows him his belongings, and realizes he is the baby's father.  The hypocrite then changes his mind.  My point is that this is just one example of very bad behavior.  Many mistakenly believe that just because a story is in the bible that it is saying the behavior is justified.  Of course not!  The bible is a history book and it is telling us the history of those that lived during those times, the good, bad, and despicable behavior is all included.  It is merely a statement of the facts, not a justification of sin!

  
Now let's explore some  of the new testament that confuses people. 

One of the ways people love to try and discredit the bible is by saying that it is inconsistent.  One example is that Matthew 27 says that Judas Iscariot (the man that betrayed Jesus) hanged himself out of guilt.  But Acts 1 (written by Luke), says that Judas died when he fell and his bowels gushed out.  Big difference.  
  
Consider this:  Neither Matthew nor Luke were present when Judas died.  What they are writing about was based on someone else's account.  They were both told two different stories, and there were probably many legends going around concerning the man that betrayed the King of Kings.  This does not mean one of them was a liar, or that we can disprove the whole bible, it simply means one of them unknowingly received the account of Judas' death from a false witness.

And, no, not all four gospels tell the exact same story the exact same way.

Now consider this:  Talk to any police officer who receives four different witness statements at a crime scene, and they will receive four different accounts.  One will say the suspect had blonde hair and was short, while another will swear he was tall with brown hair.  No two people see or experience the same incidents exactly the same way.  That does not make one of them a liar.  My husband and I often see colors differently.  He sees blue where I see green.  He sees pink where I see orange.  In our eyes, neither one is wrong, it is purely based on perception.

And, consider this as well:  Ever play the game telephone?  It's where you sit in a circle of say a dozen people.  One person whispers, "Bees live in trees" to the person on his left, but by the time person #12 repeats the message he received, he will probably say something like, "Don't put cheese on my keys."  The bible has been re-written and re-translated many, many times.  Not every translation is going to be perfect.  Even the original words hand-written on scrolls were often written by a scribe, not the actual writer.  We will never know this side of heaven what the 100% exact translation should be.  Plus the fact that oftentimes religions change translations to suit their beliefs.  (but that's a topic for a whole new blog)

    
Another thing that so clearly confuses people is so-called Christian entertainment.  The popular trend of the past several years has been making so-called biblical movies.  They are so way far off base, that it is disgusting.  There is nothing wrong with trying to fill in the gaps, but these movies go beyond mere gap-filling, they are blasphemous and confuse those that have never read the bible.  My word of advice: read the book, skip the movie!   (Here's more on that topic: http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2016/03/exploring-christian-entertainment-part_24.html  ) 

I hope some of this helps clear up a few things.  Asking questions is a great way to better understand the bible.  Don't take man's word for it (not even mine), do your own homework and really seek the Truth!  Keep reading, keep studying, and pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit!   He will help you understand.   

You can read more on this subject on my blog titled, "The Power of the Word of God": http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-power-of-word-of-god.html

Don't Expect to be Popular (Written by Mel and Julie)

Written by Mel and Julie

We try to never shy away from writing about controversial subjects.  But why are they so controversial?  The topics God calls us to write about are directly from the Bible.  The reason why these subjects often become heated is because people have been taught wrong for so long.  Or not taught at all.  We speak out against things that make people angry and we have received backlash and have ultimately lost friends.  We have even had people among our own church, and even at a Christian tent revival meeting, turn their backs on us.

If you are a regular reader of either of our blogs, then you know our topics range anywhere from the dangers of so-called Christian entertainment, our belief in a post-tribulation rapture, dressing modestly, the evils of pornography, and the list goes on.  The last time Julie put a link on her Facebook page to her blog speaking out against Christians watching/reading anything with witchcraft in it, she received very negative feedback from a friend.  We have both lost likes off our Facebook pages whenever we have posted anything "controversial." 

Here is what we have been trying to remind ourselves:

1) Don't take it personally.  After all, our posts are never directed toward one specific person, they are a direct result of something God has placed on our hearts to write about.  Therefore, when someone gets angry, they are not angry at us.  It is their conscience at war within them that is being poked.  And they don't like it!  They take their confusion and guilt out on us. 

Also, we must remember that most people have been taught only one way their entire lives.  For example, we are both preacher's kids.  We were taught to believe in a pre-tribulation rapture.  That's nothing against our wonderful, Godly fathers because they were teaching what they had been taught as well.  We both love to study our bibles and came to the conclusion on our own (years apart) that Christ says He will return after the tribulation.  But speak about this issue with most people, and they get angry and walk away.  It is because they feel you are attacking them, but we are not attacking anyone - on this or any other subject.  And they are not directly angry with us.  They just don't like rethinking something they have been taught their whole lives.

The good news is that sometimes they may even come back with questions and we can point them to further scriptures to explain why we believe the way we do.

2) Don't stop preaching!  Whenever one of us loses a like on Facebook or gets a negative comment, it is tempting to shut it all down.  It is easy to feel discouraged.  That is exactly what Satan would love for us to do.  But don't stop being obedient to the ministry God has called you to.
 
3) We are not called to be men-pleasers, but God-pleasers.
 
Most people will judge a person by their appearance, intelligence, or personality, but that is not true with God. God looks upon the heart of the individual, and he chooses the humble ones to be vessels in which he may show forth his attributes. I Corinthians 1:26-29 states that God has chosen the foolish, weak, base, as well as despised ones for his work, so that no person may take glory in their flesh. The mighty of this world are normally very arrogant and will not give honor to their creator. Many of the Apostles that Christ chose were simple, uneducated fisherman, but they learned from Christ himself.  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." The Lord is looking for humble vessels that he may work through. The seminaries of man-made doctrines are producing pastors that are void of God's Spirit and quite often help to shut people out of the Kingdom of Heaven. Popularity with the world, and in some cases the church, is enmity with God. God is looking for selfless individuals who are willing to put the needs of others before their own. The apostles Paul, Luke, and Matthew were examples of educated, humble men, who gave up the riches of the world, and even endured torture, and imprisonment for the cause of Christ. But not many of the rich and powerful are like these men.

 Many people are looking for ways to find themselves. They feel the need to be important, or achieve goals that give them a sense of self worth. They will strive at sports, or for a university degree, or a certain career to find that self worth. But we need to find our self worth in Christ, and identify with him. Christ said, to deny ourselves daily and take up our cross and follow him. There is no greater work than that of the Kingdom of God, and we should pursue his work according to what we have been given. Christ said that if you want to be great in his kingdom, then you need to become a servant. Although Christ was God in the flesh, he became a servant and even washed the feet of his disciples as an example for us to follow. We are not above our master, since Christ was an example of humble servant hood, we should do likewise.
 
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I Corinthians 1:26  For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Reflecting the Love of Christ (Written by Mel)

Here is another blog written by my husband.

Reflecting the Love of Christ (Written by Mel)

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

There are many people out there who need a helping hand but very few people are willing to help those in need. When we have compassion for the poor and sick, we reflect the love of Christ. Greed seems to control many people in our materialistic society, and the love of money outweighs compassion for the needy. There were times in my past when I went through crisis situations and could have used a friend, or a helping hand, but no one was there for me. People tend to run the other way when a person is experiencing hardships, like sickness, financial problems, or the death of a loved one. But Christians should be examples of love to a lost and dying world. The love of money is truly the root of all kinds of evil.

 1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

I admire the fine work of ministries like the Salvation Army, homeless shelters, food pantries, shelters for battered women etc. My wife and I used to do volunteer work for a Salvation Army homeless shelter, and we found it to be very rewarding to be able to minister the love of Christ to those who were hurting. The entire world is a mission field, and if you know Christ, then you are a minister, as well as an ambassador for the kingdom of God. Not everyone is called to preach behind a pulpit, but we are all called to share our faith however we can, as well as reflect the attributes of Christ. Christ taught us to let our light shine before men and not to hide it under a basket.

^{MATT 5:14} “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Bible has many warnings in regard to neglecting the poor if you are able to make a difference. James the brother of Christ, said that faith without works is dead. I have heard many people say to those in need, "I will pray for you", but they neglect to help them. In the book of Acts, those who had an abundance shared with those who lacked, so that every need was met. We need to have the same compassion that the early church had.  

James 2:14  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

There are many ministers today that are teaching their flocks to worship money, this is known as the prosperity gospel. It is appalling to me how many messages they preach are about, make me rich and bless me. What about blessing others and helping the poor? These wolves are blessing their own pocketbooks with the money from many who are struggling to pay their bills. Quite often these apostate ministers are living in million dollar mansions and driving very expensive cars. They are robbing God by fleecing the flock. The prosperity gospel is polar opposite to the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, I believe that God does prosper some to further advance his kingdom, but few people are good stewards of God's  blessings. You cannot worship God and money, because only one will be your master. 

Matt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.


Matt 25: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
⁴⁴ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”