Are you being a good Christian Example?

I was going through some old papers a few days ago and found this that I wrote in January 2006. 

Are you being a good Christian Example?

"We all, like sheep have gone astray..."  Isaiah 53:6

What exactly does it mean to be "like sheep"?  Well, sheep, though adorable, are very gullible and will follow pretty much anyone anywhere.  As someone who calls him or herself a Christian, we should never be like sheep in this way.

 

"Speak the truth to each other...  do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not swear falsely.  I hate this, declares the Lord."  Zechariah 8:16-17

To listen to someone else's gossip and fall into their trap of lies (especially when the gossip is tearing down a fellow believer) is careless.  It is better to stop and consider all the facts than to blindly believe all you hear.  

Whether you are telling or listening to gossip does not matter.  If you publicly call yourself a Christian, you should not be involved with such.  Gossip is usually full of lies, almost always stems from jealousy, and is hurtful to the victim of gossip.  It creates hard feelings against the target even when the person is innocent.  If you truly have an issue with someone, then have the decency to go to him (or her) her and tell him (preferably in private) rather than talk behind his back!  The Bible prefers us to speak the truth in love, not gossip in lies and spite. 

Key to remember: if you're talking about someone who is not in the room, more than likely, it is gossip!  The dictionary definition of gossip is, "a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people," & "a person given to gossiping and divulging personal information about others [syn: gossiper, rumormonger]."  Let me repeat that: "often malicious."

"I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech."  Proverbs 8:13

Besides being caught up in the trap of gossip, Christians quite often become involved in raunchy conversation.  Whether it is a dirty joke, insinuation of sexual content, or outright saying what you mean, it is unacceptable.  Especially talking of such things with someone who is not your spouse.  I am not trying to be crude but commenting on someone else's body parts is not only inappropriate but displeasing to God.  Even if you're not involved in the telling of the joke or comment, but you laugh at what is being said, you are condoning the bad behavior. 

"Let us behave decently...  not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality, and debauchery, not in dissention and jealously."  Romans 13:13

I know there are countless more ways Christians allow themselves to be dragged along, as sheep with the crowd, but I will only bring up one more issue.  Alcohol.  True, the bible does not say you cannot drink, but it does say not to drink to the point of drunkenness.  Talking about enjoying any alcoholic drink implies that you do not have an issue with drunkenness and therefore, it makes you appear as if the rules of conduct in the bible are meaningless to you.  It's the reflection of your words others will assume are your beliefs.

"Now  this is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways."  Haggai 1:5

Be careful of how you allow yourself to be portrayed.  Non-believers are waiting to tear apart every Christian they see and quickly sneer, "She calls herself a Christian?" as soon as you display one of these behaviors.  They don't care about your so-called good intentions. All they see is that you care more about following the herd than being accepted by them than you do in following the Shepherd himself.

So, please remember, if you use the word "Christian" when referring to yourself, be sure to walk the walk and talk the talk.  Otherwise, you are blowing your testimony, and you will be dubbed a hypocrite.  It only takes a second to turn someone off to the Christian lifestyle, but could take weeks, months, or longer to repair the damage to try and convince others you are a man/woman of God.

"By their hypocrisy... [he] was led astray."  Galatians 2:12

If you truly cannot remove yourself from gossip, filthy talk, and boasting about the alcohol you drink, then please do not label yourself a Christian, and turn others astray.

"Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies."  Psalm 34"13

I know no one is perfect, but perfection is not the goal.  Trying to be a good Christian example and trying to emulate and glorify Jesus Christ, in spite of your humanness, is the goal.  Controlling your tongue is just one way to achieve this.

And don't be a sheep and follow along just to be accepted.  Trust me, it is far better to be rejected because you removed yourself from an ungodly environment, than it is to be likes by people quick to stab you in the back as soon as it is turned.  Sheep are not loyal to one another, but the Shepherd gave His life for all His sheep.  Which would you rather follow?

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Ephesians 5:1-10

The Great Day of the Lord, Written by my Husband

 

The Great Day of the Lord, Written by my Husband, Mel

Great Tribulation such as never been seen before or ever will be again is coming upon this world soon. Are you prepared to be hidden by the Lord in his refuge during this coming storm? 

(Zephaniah 2:3) Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.

(Isaiah 26:20-21) Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

Revelation 12 teaches us that God will hide and protect many of his children in remote wilderness locations during the Tribulation. Zephaniah 2:3 and Isaiah 26:20-21 also states that God will hide many during the appointed day of his wrath. 

Many are being falsely taught that God will rapture them out prior to the tribulation and are not taking steps to prepare for the coming storm. This false doctrine is responsible for putting many to sleep and will ultimately result in their deaths, and many others will fall away. The pre-tribulation rapture doctrine requires misleading people by making scriptures jump through many hoops in order to form a man pleasing doctrine. In Matt 24. Christ taught that immediately AFTER the tribulation he will return and gather his ELECT from the four winds of heaven. The second coming of Christ occurs after the tribulation, that is when the dead are raised and the remnant that remain will be raptured. If Christ returned prior to the tribulation, then all of those martyred in the tribulation would have no resurrection. God's Word teaches that those killed will have part in the FIRST RESURRECTION. Christ will return at the LAST TRUMP, also known as the SOUNDING of the SEVENTH ANGEL in the book of Revelation. At the sounding of the seventh trump, it is announced, " it is finished!"

(Matthew 24:29-31) “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

(1 Corinthians 15:51-53) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

 (Revelation 10:7)  But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. 

(Revelation 11:15)  Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” As you can see, God’s Word clearly teaches that the dead are raised, as well as the living are transformed, on the last day, at the last trump.

(Revelation 12:13-17)  Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.  So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.  But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.  And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

(Zephaniah 1:2-3) I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord.

(Zephaniah 1:14-18) The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

The prophet Joel wrote that there will be pillars of smoke before the great Day of the Lord, this will be nuclear warfare. Here are some scriptures about the Coming Nuclear Tribulation.

(Joel 2:30-31) And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

(Isaiah 26:20-21) Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

(Revelation 8:5-11) And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.  And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

(Revelation) 9:15-21 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Today

Originally posted in May 2020:

Two nights ago I had an interesting dream that has prompted this blog topic.  I do believe the Lord gives his children messages in the form of dreams, including to my husband and I, however, I am not completely certain this particular dream was truly from the Lord or not, but because I did learn a good lesson from it, I feel it is worth mentioning.  Anyway, in the dream a man I do not know in real life approached me and told me that the Lord wanted me to read the entry from May 5 from my devotional book.  He said the message was something the Lord wanted me to understand.  That was all I remember from the dream.  When I woke, I wanted to figure out if that was just a nonsensical dream or not.  I only have one devotional book that is divided into daily readings (that I can think of or could find) so that narrowed down where to look.  The book I have is "Mornings With Jesus: Daily Encouragement for Your Soul" from the year 2017.  It is published by Guideposts; and I got it free from the library a few years ago.

The entry from May 5 was written by Suzanne Davenport Tietjen.  She was once a nurse in the ER, and it was her experience working around so many unexpected deaths that inspired the writing.  She reminded us that death occurs at any time and most of us have no idea when it is coming.  She also pointed out that we must be very careful with what we say or don't say because we don't know if it will be the last thing we ever say. We need to live for  today, not for yesterday or tomorrow.  

I really look that to heart but also felt like there was another lesson I needed to remember.  It is very important to let go of bitterness and resentment.  Ephesians 4:26 says we are not to let the sun go down while we are still feeling anger. We need to daily let go of our anger and hard feelings toward one another.  When years and years of hard feelings have built up, it may be hard to let the bitterness unroot itself.  You may even need to think of it as a daily project.  Each night when you go to bed do a self-evaluation of who you may be feeling angry toward.  Then pray that the Lord helps you to release those feelings and make a conscious effort to forgive each offense. If you have to re-release the hard feelings every night for years you probably are not truly forgiving that person, but if you acknowledge you need to get your attitude right with the Lord, that you are on the right path.

In Matthew 18:22 Jesus says we are to forgive one another 70 times 7. That does not mean we are to keep a tally of how often we forgave a specific person, but to do the opposite and lose count. As I mentioned above, we may need to re-forgive the same trespass many times over before our heart truly begins to change.  But do not give up on yourself and keep trying to heal no matter how hard your heart feels. With the strength of the Holy Spirit, you will eventually soften!

Lamentations 3:23  says, "..the LORD'S mercies" and "compassions fail not. They are new every morning..."  How can we be any less compassionate and less merciful?  We should also renew our mercies every day. We, and I very much am including me in the we, should remember to pay more attention to what we say and tell others more often that we love them.  We do not want any regrets when that person is gone and we realize we had been too unkind or stand-offish.  Quit worrying about rejection and past hurts and reach out today, just as Jesus would have you do.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 40:31-32

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:15

I want to take this message from my dream in another direction the Guideposts writer did not take.  Mrs. Tietjen pointed out that life is short and unpredictable, but we need to do more than focus on others, we need to get our own act clean first. We need to make sure we are right with God today.

 I want to re-share this excerpt with you from my previous post, "Now is the day of Salvation:"

So do we wait until some crazy gunman is at our door (so to speak) before we choose to make the decision to live a holy life, or wait until we have the symptoms of the Coronavirus?  Of course not.  "There are no atheists in foxholes," so the saying goes.  And it is also true that God will have mercy on your soul if you wait until you are on your deathbed to call upon God and repent of your sins.  Yet, why would you wait until then?  If everyone died at the age of 99, most would wait until they were 98 ¾ to start living right.  But no one ever knows when their time on this world is coming to an end.  Nobody is invincible.  Let's face reality, we face our own mortality 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Age, race, wealth, none of it matters when you’re on a highway full of reckless drivers or the day to decide to go to the courthouse to renew your driver’s license just happens to be the same day a man with bombs storms in and blows the place up.     

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. II Corinthians 6:2

You must repent to Jesus and ask him to save your soul and daily evaluate your life and walk with God and make sure you are still living a pure life. 

Don't wait - do it today!

Don't Place God in a Box

 
The idea for this blog came while I was working on one of my novels.  It was while I was writing the following excerpt that I decided it would make a good blog topic. 
 
Taken from "Zynastria: Pilgrimage" (book 2 in the Zynastrian Chronicles), chapter #24 titled "The Wrong Foot."  44 Year-old Branson is having a conversation with the almost sixteen-year-old Otto.  (This is a rough draft.) 
 
"Your family is pretty religious, huh?"  Branson asked as they began unloading the box of mismatched plates, cups, and silverware to set the table.
 
"I wouldn't use that term, but, yes, we are."
 
"What word would you use?"
 
"Well, 'religion' is man-made traditions.  You can't place God in a box.  What we have, what I have is a relationship with my Creator.  It is personal and different for everyone."
 
Branson nodded, showing he was listening, but did not respond.
 
"You're seeking, aren't you?"
 
"'Seeking?'"
 
"God."
 
Branson laughed, "You're pretty smart for a teenager."
 
Otto indeed was quite observant and usually accurately assessed those around him.  He had been watching Branson for around a month now.  He saw what everyone did on the surface, an arrogant, self-centered man.  Yet Otto also noticed Branson's tear-filled eyes he tried to hide during the praise services.  He knew Branson spent time praying with Paul from time to time.
 
"It is good to seek God," Otto encouraged, "He has always been chasing after you. Why not let Him catch you?"
 
"I have a little more changing to do, but I appreciate the advice, Pastor Otto," Branson's words were sarcastic, but his tone was sincere.
 
"We all have changing to do, it's not as if we quit growing up when we accept God as Lord of our lives.  It's a daily process," Otto continued.
 
"I know.  I'm not saying I see perfection in you believers.  I'm just saying I need to..." he paused with a frown, "I guess I can't quite put the right words to it."
 
"You need to repent.  Come to God so he can clean you up so you can and start over."
 
"Was that a question or an observation?"  Branson wondered.
 
Otto self-consciously laughed.  "Sorry, Mr. Branson, I know I have a bad habit of over-stepping my bounds with my elders.  I meant no disrespect."
 
"I may be old enough to be your father, but you can talk to me freely, Otto," he insisted, "And, again, I appreciate your council.

     
In 2013, Mel and I had been attending a church for a little over a year.  I was feeling increasingly more uncomfortable with the group.  I could see a love for God and compassionate hearts, but I also saw a lack of respect for the things of God.  I am not trying to be self-righteous or insult anyone, but the majority of these people were full of the world.  Of course, only God can judge the heart, but from what I observed, the church was more about religion than about seeking God.  

I wanted to leave the church but kept my opinions to myself as Mel seemed to be comfortable there.  What I didn't know was that God was also speaking to Mel's heart as well that we were in the wrong place.  

One morning during the singing portion of the service, I was closing my eyes and trying to worship God but kept feeling like my praise was hitting the ceiling.  I asked God why this was happening.  God spoke to me and said, "I am being restrained in this church."  I then had a vision of Jesus in a clear box squatting and pushing against the sides as if He were trying to push out of that confined space.  I thought the image in my mind had been too irreverent to be from God.  Yet, after the service I told Mel about what I had seen.  He was startled not because he thought I was being sacrilegious, but because he had seen the exact same image of Jesus in his dreams the night before.  The message was clear, you cannot, and should not try to, place God in a box. 

 
When a church or individual does not acknowledge the Holy Spirit, they are limiting one-third of who God is.  I believe God is one entity that manifests in more than one way, I believe in the Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  If someone saw you as only your father's child, but not your mother's, they would be denying half of your heritage as well as probably refusing to acknowledge your full personality.  To reveal God in all His glory, we must acknowledge all sides of who He is.  

Some religions refuse to say Jesus is divine, while others say the Holy Spirit was only for biblical times.  God never changes; His ways are eternal.  The same Holy Spirit that set the church on fire in Acts is the same One we should call upon today.  

The above-mentioned church was afraid of the gifts of the Spirit because of all the counterfeit revivals that exist.  That is just one excuse to quench the Holy Spirit, fear of acting in a way you think is not natural.  Make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not make any person bark like a dog, laugh like a lunatic, or crawl around on the floor.  God is a God of order and respect.  When we accept the Holy Spirit, we may or may not speak in tongues, but if we do, it will always be done to honor God, not to bring attention to ourselves. 
 
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
 
In my opinion, man-made religions are the biggest offenders of placing God in a box.  How can one define a religion as man-made?  As Otto said to Branson in the above passage from my novel, "Well, 'religion' is man-made traditions.  You can't place God in a box.  What we have, what I have is a relationship with my Creator.  It is personal and different for everyone."  When we confine God to ritual and obligation, we limit the spontaneous experiences.  By this I mean if we read liturgy or follow the exact same routine in church every week, we quench the leading of God's spirit.  When we pray, we should pray from our heart and use our own words, no matter if we think we sound awkward or don't quite know how to word ourselves. 
 
Religion is a thousand different denominations.  Relationship with God is about a one-on-one experience with God.  If you go to church and only say and do what your leaders tell you to, you are into religion.  If you only believe what you hear and never seek on your own, you are into religion.  

Read your Bible and study on your own.  Closely examine every book of the bible.  Not everything the church teaches is accurate.  I promise if you start reading your bible on your own, you will often find yourself sitting in church saying, "That's not what the Bible teaches."  The grace- for-everything-never-needing-to-repent message is one large example.  The idea of a pre- or  mid-tribulation rapture is another. 

 My point is, not seeking God's face and discovering who He can be to you is limiting God.  When you meet someone for the first time, do you take all the rumors you've heard about him at face value?  Or do you get to know this person based on forming your own opinions?  Would you get married and then never talk to your spouse?  Would you tell yourself you knew your mate well enough before you got married so you don't bother trying to learn all his layers and all he has to offer?  Would your love for each other stop growing after the wedding?  I sure hope not!  No, you would continue to get to know every nuance about each other and fall more and more in love.  Even 12 years into our marriage, Mel and I are still telling each other new stories from our pasts.  It is fun learning something new.  Mel and I fall more and more in love because we nurture our relationship and never let it grow stale.  The same attitude should be applied to Jesus.  Get to know Him better and better.  Walking with the Lord means you never stop learning and growing in Christ.
 
Read all of Mark 7, it gives just one example of how the religious leaders kept God in a box.  Jesus even tells them that they are restraining the gospel.  It also tells them that though they acknowledge God with their lips, they deny Him with their lifestyles.  We can say and do all the right things that look good on the outside; make it seem like we are glorifying God, but if our hearts are full of sin and our vessel is filthy on the inside, God is not honored,  (And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Luke 11:39).  We have to be a Christian in private, not just when others are watching. 
 
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.   For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.  Mark 7:6-9
 
Not acknowledging God's power to perform miracles and speak to His children through dreams and visions, as well as lacking in faith in general, all place God in a box.  When we refuse to see God as sovereign and mighty, we deny His authority.  We all have periods of low faith, but when we say God is not capable of helping us or refuse to see His hand guiding our paths, we rob God of blessing us and us blessing Him.  There are several places in the New Testament where it says Jesus performed less miracles in certain cities because of their lack of faith.  He would have loved to have helped them, but their hard hearts caused Him to walk away.
 
Let me be perfectly clear, no one can prevent God from doing anything.  We are not actually holding him back by our own power.  God is the Creator of the universe, and nothing can truly restrain Him.  It is our actions that make it impossible for God to shine, to get the glory He deserves.  We throw a dark blanket over the Almighty by not sharing Him with others, by not allowing His spirit to move in our lives, or by habitual sins.  God is a holy God and cannot abide in an unholy dwelling.  Would you take a drink of water from a cup that was stained and full of dirt?  No, you would want to disinfect it first before allowing it to serve its purpose.  If God cannot use our talents because we refuse to let our sins go, we are squandering away God's gifts.
 
I hope this all makes sense.  As I have mentioned before, I am not a preacher, I am a storyteller.  However, God is still calling me to write articles and not just stories, therefore I must let God out of the box I have placed Him in and must be obedient.  I do this out of love for my Heavenly Father, not for reward.  I want to please Jesus for all He has done for me and just for being God.  I do not want any part of my service to Him to be boxed in.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust ... For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Backsliding Unto Perdition, Written by my Husband

Backsliding Unto Perdition, Written by my Husband, Mel

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.

2Peter 2:20-22 states that those who have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to return to the old lifestyle and to be overcome by it, the end result is worse with them than the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness or the holy commandment. These backsliders are compared to a dog returning to its vomit or a sow who was washed clean returning to the mire (mud, filth). Revelation tells us that a believer's name can be blotted out of the Book of Life and a lukewarm church (Revelation 3) will be vomited out!

 Revelation 3:5 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.

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. 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. " God Bless!

Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Hebrews 10:38-39 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. 

Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Luke 15:17 -24 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet 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 unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, 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.