I Have Days Too

I Have Days Too 

I too have days when peace is only sort of there. When life seems distant from what I was expecting or wanting. 

I too think about the future in its various layers.  By this I mean immediate future, the next several days, then several weeks, and so on. 

I am no stranger to fearing what's appearing to be coming my way.  I quite often don't understand it. Trusting in God doing something is a large part of the Christian experience. 

I have a fear of many things. The unknown is often at the top of the list.  I seek different things than most people do in life.  In many circles in the last 21 years it's branded me as being problematic or troublesome. 

Seeking God is among the first things in my day.  I have a nearly 20 minute drive to work and we talk.

I still am unsure about many things in my life. Nothing new in that regard. I know that I am getting older and my body isn't doing as well as it used to. Ironically when I was out of shape I felt better. 

I try to always pray with a sincere heart. To see where I am being lead n take what steps God puts before me.

Peace isn't always with me.  I indeed wrestle not against flesh and blood.  Ephesians 2:12 NASB "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."  Write a blog that God tells you to write and things certainly will be interesting. 

I also fight conflicting desires. I desire to succeed at things in life but the conflict is between desiring what I want and what God wants.

Prayer is my cornerstone in getting through the day.  I know that Jesus is coming soon.  I just don't know how soon. 

I know that life is to be lived, but am concerned about wasting it with that which helps nobody find Jesus. God indeed uses broken things to bring people together in ways they otherwise never would have. 

Opportunities exist if we but open our eyes and ears to listen to the Spirit's prompting. 

What doesn't look like anything important just might be that which the Spirit uses to connect with someone.  

I too have dreams.  Some are beyond anything possible with my income or opportunity.  I like to invent buy have come to realize that I will never know if any of my intentions will work until I see Jesus and learn if they were possible. 

Jesus is with me all the time, but truth be told I often feel like I fail so much that I am an embarrassment to Him. 

I am loved by My Savior.  I am forever a Child of God.  My successes and failures will never define me like that statement does.  I long for friendships that last.  I struggle in beginning them.  

These are just some of my thoughts of today.  Thank you Jesus for loving me and making me a part of God’s family. Thank you for never leaving me alone. For always being a step ahead of what's going on in my life. Thank you for forgiveness of my sinful habits and ways. Thank you that are indeed coming again soon.  I love you Jesus!

Don't Say You Will Go Here or There

Don't Say You Will go Here or There...

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. Isaiah 25:1 NASB

Probably a strange thing connecting these passages but then again I write what I am told to write. 

"Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and have followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.” Mark 10:26-31 NASB

When looking over all these passages what comes to mind is the old hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness".  As well as another, "Praise Him! Praise Him!".

With blessings and God's plans coming to fruition in people's lives, both in those of the believers and the unbelieving, He indeed is to be praised for His faithfulness.  

In no way will anyone ever see the review of their life and not see the fingerprints of God. 

When we put our all on the altar of our lives for Self we are going to lose it.

When we put our all on the altar of our lives for Christ Jesus then is when we need to hang on.  He is going to be doing exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that we can ask or think. Just as it says in Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB. 

We also need to notice what Jesus said would accompany those blessings. Persecutions.

We are promised persecutions as we read in Mark 10.

We are promised tribulations John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”.

In Colossians 3:2-4 NASB "Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." we read of a command...not a suggestion.  This goes and in hand with Romans 12:1-2 NASB "Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

We look at life differently than the world. At least we are supposed to. 

We aren't to view life's challenges and circumstances the same as those who do not yet have salvation in Christ Jesus. 

We aren't to be moping around in self-inflicted misery because we aren't getting from God what isn't His plan for us.

We have but One to live for in Christ Jesus. We ought to do as the Scriptures say, honor God in our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

This all works with this: 

James 4:13-17  NASB "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.".

By faith in what we do or don't do in life we prove the Scriptures true.  We prove the good and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2.

If we indeed believe that His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts than ours, as it says in Isaiah 55:8-9, then we must rely on walking in faith, not trying to bend God's Will to ours, but rather our will to His.

If indeed every good and perfect thing comes from above in Christ Jesus then why on Earth are we wanting the things we think we want?

We struggle with life most often when it's our will not happening. 

I know that I have.  I know of my own dysfunctional walk with Jesus has been because of me, my wants, my desires, that have no need or business in the Will of God for me.

I have moped around because of not getting my way with Him. 

Then there's that last verse in that which we read in James.  Knowing what we ought to be doing and not doing it...we are sinning. 

When we force our own way...we are sinning. 

When we stubbornly stand and do not obey...we are sinning. 

When we whine and complain...we are sinning. 

When we intentionally are not going where He, by way of the Spirit, is leading, we are sinning. 

When we know the good we ought to be doing and are not doing it we are sinning. 

We cannot live in our will and God's too.

We who are in Christ need to be where He needs us to be, doing what it is He needs us doing. It may or may not be what we see or understand us doing. We may think we are obeying but in truth we are trying to appease God to not take THAT step through the door that He wants us to.  

We are, as part of the body of Christ, to submit to the other parts of the body of Christ. 

Find where it is you are to be serving and serve.  There are no bench warmers in God's service. 

The Bible's prophecies about humanity have not stopped. We always will see God's plan for mankind coming true if we but look for it. We who are in Christ should be seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness. 

Do what He puts in front of you to be doing. Go where He is saying to go. This is what we see in the Disciples lives.  They gave up their rights to do both when they agreed to follow Jesus. 

Look at who's in the driver's seat in your life.  If it's you...then you had better find the brakes.

Not Getting Your Own Way

Not Getting Your Own Way 

This indeed is a struggle throughout life.  In pretty much all areas of our lives. 

It's interesting that when we don't get our own way we tend to become even more selfish and desensitized towards others.  

Romans 12 speaks to not being conformed to this world, but to be transformed. 

You read in Deuteronomy of the Lord Jesus Christ instructing the Children of Israel to do specific things to teach themselves and future generations about the ways He wanted them to walk in.

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NASB. 

We often also attempt to be our own martyr in going the woe is me with God. 

The job not being what we want it to be, He's clearly showing us that His answer is something or somewhere else, yet we don't listen and obey. 

It can be other things than the job. Can be the home life. Can be our personal space. 

If we truly believed the attributes of God we might obey differently than we do. 

We are each in a place of willingly obeying or disobeying God. 

We can easily rationalize our not following through with what it is that He's put in front of us to do. 

We all who are in Christ have something put in front of US to be DOING. 

As followers of Christ Jesus, show me where whining or complaining, was or is ever acceptable?  The children of Israel paid for their disobeying for an additional 40 years. 

If you aren't happy then maybe you need to reevaluate your position. 

Fear hides itself under many names.  Justification is one. Justifying our not doing what's been put in front of us to be doing by God's direction because of this or that.  I can't because...

Truth is we will never know what it is that God's prepared for us if we don't at least walk into the things we are to obey in. 

We cannot sit and with arms folded in defiance ask God to change what He's been telling us to let go of.

You cannot hold onto that which is going to interfere with your walk with Jesus. 

Money won't make you happy.  Getting your way won't really either.  

Molding your life in what you see as good and right will not bring the happiness you want as well. Scripture says that everyone does what is right in their own eyes...and this isn't a good thing. 

I struggle with me on my obedience to God.  I think on the needs of the here and now while knowing that the physical world is perishing.  It's going to be facing 7 years of judgments from God very soon.  Living life as if that were not THE reality is sin. It's denying God's plan for mankind.  Scripture says to go and make Disciples. Teaching them all that Jesus commanded. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Spirit.  Scripture also says that he who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins.

Scripture doesn't tell us that we should go be all we can be for ourselves. 

Yes, life in your past may have been better from your point of view. But the past is a closed door.  You might not experience it again and that's ok.  Trust God for something better. 

Your life right now, will only find a measure of happiness when we submit to God's plan for you. 

You need to trust Him for your present and your future.  Let go of reliving the past.  Let go of your way of deciding what's best for you and submit to what God says is best for you. 

If we indeed believe that His thoughts are higher than ours and His ways than ours...then if we aren't living that out in life then we are disobeying. The children of Israel had to be taught God's ways.  Had to be taught what obedience was.  The Disciples were taught to take up their own cross and follow after Jesus. Jesus commanded them to teach others to do the same. 

I by no means have arrived in living life wholly as I should.  I often read what all I have been instructed to write and am beyond amazed at the words.  It really was painful to move in such a hurry as we did.  We were forced to learn to let go of things in our possession quickly.  It may indeed hurt for a while to go through change that God is wanting to do with you but it will be worth it.   You cannot see the blessings of God if you don't empty your hands of what you think is right and true and good. 

Pray for your eyes to be opened to what it is that the Spirit is telling you. 

Pray for the needed understanding for your first step and the boldness to take it.

You will never find contentment or true happiness if you are in the center of your will for your life. 

You will only find contentment and true happiness when you are in the center of God’s will for your life. 

Religious Discrimination Coming Sooner Than You Thought

Religious Discrimination Coming Sooner Than You Thought 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NASB

"Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief;  for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NASB 

“Now I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.  But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are five sparrows not sold for two assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God.  But even the hairs of your head are all counted.  Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

“Now I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God; but the one who denies Me before people will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:4-12 NASB 

"And He was also saying to the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. And whenever you feel a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time? Luke 12:54-56 NASB 

"These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11-12 NASB 

In the last 90 days I have seen more of this first hand on, shall we say, one of the most widely used social media platforms. 

I have been targeted by them for supposedly spreading false information. Proof that you do not need to go anywhere to see persecution for speaking what God tells you to speak.

Our world easily fits what we read from Jesus on knowing how to discern the appearance of the Earth and sky but are not looking at the Spiritual signs all around us. 

You and I are going to face stiffer opposition to God's revealed truth. 

People don't want to believe what's right in front of them. 

They will believe an elected official about things that they certainly are no expert on or in, but will not believe what the Spirit shows them about where this world is headed. 

Persecution isn't only in war torn countries. It isn't in big cities under the guise of social reforms.  It's right in your own home without you going anywhere. 

You speak what God says to regardless. 

It's a constant source of irritation to me to see people quote Luke 12:4 as something of substance on this major social media platform of which I speak as if it were something that the Bible was speaking about 2,000 years ago. 

We will face persecution in these last days. We will indeed see tribulations because that's what Jesus said we would face.  We were not promised a utopian future on Earth under human leadership. After the 7 year Tribulation HE will usher in 1,000 years of HIS reigning as King over all the Earth. 

We aren't promised peaceful days. We may indeed be blessed in receiving them but are not promised them. 

Right now I am in awe that regardless of this particular platform's attack on my religious freedom God's still getting what He's telling me to say out there for people to read.  

These things are only the beginnings.  Other things are soon coming.  God's Word says it and God's Word always comes about. Satan's tried since Genesis 1:1 to thwart God's Will. Never will happen. 

You and I are to take comfort in these persecutions because of it putting us with those in days gone by who have endured it.  That God's glorified by our obedience. 

We cannot afford to be silent about this great gift of salvation through Jesus.

We cannot afford to not warn others of this judgment that is coming. 

Millions, perhaps a billion or so might leave when the Rapture happens. Billions more will be dying in that 7 years of Judgments.  Regardless of the view point, life is precious to God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. He isn't being slow in keeping His promised return. He isn't willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance and be saved. 

Likely there's soon coming a day when I won't be able to speak on this particular platform.  My blog www.ascribeonthewall.com might also be claimed to be in violation of some made up global order.  Until then I must continue in what God's told me to do.  

You too must decide whether or not to live out your Christian life in the open where the Spirit wants it to be.  As Scripture also clearly says we are the light of the world, it should not be hidden under a basket. 

You and I will give an account of what we did in the body for Christ Jesus. Will there be nothing to show for you?

Will your silence speak volumes in that day before Him with whom we have to do?

I have always believed that it would be in my lifetime that Jesus would return. My body isn't what it used to be. It's got its own troubles and I cannot be silent while there's still breathe in me.  

Jesus is coming and when He does after the Church is removed, Judgment is coming. Not peace on Earth. Not until the 7 years of judgments comes to an end. Then for a thousand years mankind will know a peaceful existence. Yet at the end of that they will still rebel against God.

No believer is safe.  Satan is fully aware of where you are and knows more about you than you do. We may indeed have a guardian angel, but we also likely get assigned a demon from birth to try to keep us from knowing God's truth. To steal the Word of God before it takes root. To bring out the worst of our sin nature. 

Pray without ceasing. Set your mind on things above. We are in good company with the Saints of old when we face persecution for standing up for God's truth. 

Regardless of what the world might try, as the Bible says, My God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think. 

I will press on until absolutely silenced. 

God is always a way maker.

Your Life is Not Your Own

Your Life is Not Your Own 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares 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 NASB 

"Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body’s parts do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12 NASB 

Are you a believer who's life is day after day of trying to find an elusive happiness?

The first place to start is who are you living life for?  We are not our own, who are in Christ Jesus. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB reminds us "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

We cannot live in the past any more than we can design a future that's our happiness.  Most don't realize that.  Most take solace in gathering things of their past in order to create a world that used to be because the present isn't what they want it to be. 

As the saying goes "you can't go back".

Everything in Christ Jesus begins with obedience. If you are not, for any reason, then happiness isn't going to be yours to possess. 

If you are honest with yourself, are you putting conditions on God in order to serve God?

Are you wanting things like they used to be, when He’s clearly shown you that's not going to happen?  Remember the 2 trips of Israel of 40 years each in the wilderness?  Most of the time the first 40 was filled with complaints of wanting what they used to have. They may have been enslaved but they had daily essentials was their reasoning. 

Are you in a Bible believing, Bible preaching Church? Or are you avoiding that part?  That too is disobedience. Call it what you want, you're avoiding worshiping God because of not getting your own way.

We read from Isaiah and coupled with the first few verses of Romans 12 we see the need to step out in faithful obedience in order to prove the perfect will of God for us.  Forget the excuses for not obeying. 

Are you really going to stand before Jesus and say you didn't obey because He wouldn't give you what you wanted?

Our lives are in His hands.  Our Savior taught the Disciples the necessity of letting go of self in order to bring about what we see in Romans 12.

We are born with a penchant towards disobedience.  Our sin nature rarely needs an excuse to craft excuses to not do the Will of God.  We will complain that this isn't how it used to be so I don't want it. We will complain that that isn't what I want to hear so I won't go and listen. 

If God's ways are higher than ours, His thoughts than ours, and our aim in life as a believer is to become more like Christ, why my Dear Reader are you fighting God?  

If you are intentionally not going where you know He’s sending you, if you are intentionally not doing what He's put in front of you to be doing. Then you are fighting God.  You will never find happiness in your work or home life. You will seek our things from your past that used to make you happy. Then one day you will look around and see lots of things that are not making you happy and see you still are not.

Happiness and contentment begin with obedience to what God's plan is for you. 

You're not going to find it in anything or anyone else. 

As Paul wrote in Corinthians our lives are not our own. 

Are you fighting God for control of your life?  Because if you aren't doing what He's telling you to do, then you are. 

1 Timothy 6:6-7 NASB "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world."

I have found that trusting God's plan for me has brought about more happiness than I can often handle. 

It's a "ok Jesus, whatever you want me to do, I will do" mentality. 

Remember the past, but live in the present, looking towards God's future. That's a theme from the Bible. 

We who are in Christ are in the body of Christ and have a purpose in that body. 

If you aren't doing what God's put in front of you then you aren't being a part of that body. 

Remember the guy who did nothing with what his master gave him to use while he was away?  Yeah, you're going to be in that same boat when you see Jesus.  Remember what happened to Jonah?  Yeah, sooner or later you will realize that obedience isn't optional. 

Your life is not your own when you are in Christ Jesus. Let go of your past. Stop fighting God in the present and start living for Him the way you know that you ought to because of all that He did for you. 

You may still be in a bad situation for doing all that, but then again, God is probably waiting on your obedience before He changes your situation. 

It's From the Heart, not the Hands

It's from the Heart, Not the Hands

"After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person.”

And when He later entered a house, away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thereby He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile the person.” Mark 7:14-23 NASB 

In recent days have heard of wonderful stories of reconciliation in a marriage. Of how God worked all things together for good for those who loved Him and are loved by Him and are called according to His purpose. Prayers must continue in the lives of those who've taken such steps. Prayers are by which God does what God does. 

We live in a world that certainly is bent on blaming everything except for the person involved when evil happens. 

We blame the sibling, the spouse, the stranger on the street. The politicians, the Supervisor, the Boss, and yes even God gets blamed. 

We have people blaming genetics and supposed predisposition towards feelings as to why people do what they do.  

The real problem is a sin problem. 

The real issue isn't physical it's spiritual. 

We cannot medicate or use surgery or psychology to fix a sin problem. If anything man could do to address a sin problem were possible in a cure for it, then again, as we have seen Jesus died needlessly. He would be just another way, not The Way. 

He tells plainly to His Disciples exactly what is needed to be known about the human condition. 

Of how all the window dressing in the world cannot hide where sinful wants and desires come from. 

Sin is in the hearts of every single man, woman and child. Everyone was born in sin and suffers from sin's influence. 

We get taught how to nurture coveting.  We already have the seeds of it in our hearts. 

We get taught how to nurture idolatry. We already have the seeds of it in our hearts. 

We get taught how to nurture lying. We already have the seeds of it in our hearts. 

We get taught how to put ourselves first in life. The seeds of it are already in our hearts.

We get taught in this world how to nurture every type of sinful attribute and activity. 

As Jesus has said here in Mark, these things are in our hearts. He says at a different time in the Gospels that we are to deny ourselves, take up our own cross and follow Him. 

We have no trouble lying to others. 

We have no trouble deceiving others. 

We have no trouble showing idolatry to others. No trouble because we have been taught to embrace it all our lives. We label it peer pressure. The pressure to conform isn't really much. We want to be accepted so we learn quite easily to go with the flow. We learn that conformity is easy if we don't think about the consequences. 

We even lie to ourselves in saying there's nothing wrong with our lives. That we are good people and that if God judges us as unworthy of Heaven, well, He must be wrong!

We want what we want when we want it. 

We are a culture that spans generations that lives for self.

We are a culture impacted by sin, which has been cultivated by Satan in order to thwart the plans of God. 

We believe we aren't bad people. 

We believe we can rewrite the Bible to suit our beliefs and appease our conscience. 

We think all this can change God's mind concerning sin. My Dear Reader, there's no way, no chance, no possible outcome of anything mankind can come up with that will ever do that.

The events in this world are all a direct result of sin and its consequences. Even in the two treks of Israel in the wilderness were impacted by sin in them.

We cannot fight a spiritual battle within us without the power of Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  It's impossible to learn how to please God in our hearts without evicting the deeds of our natural sin nature. We need the Spirit to usurp the desires of our hearts, regardless of what those might appear to be, in order to grow in Christ the way He intended us to.

Our best intentions are rubbish. 

Our best efforts are trash. 

Our best of anything we do will always fall short of whatever is needed to fight against sin's influence in us. We need the Spirit to empower us, to guide us. We are dead until the Spirit makes us alive in Christ. A dead person cannot do anything. A person who is alive in Christ can do all things in Christ Jesus.  

Families cannot truly be families without Christ as a part of it.

Marriages cannot truly be marriages without Christ as part of it.

A life isn't being lived without Christ being a part of it. 

We can legislate away everything man made and mankind will still continue in sin. 

We can destroy every means of destroying one another and the sinful heart will devise new ways to destroy life.  It is exactly as Jesus said here in Mark 7.

Jesus is the answer to sin's issue. He became sin on the cross to destroy sin by taking on the full wrath of God His Father. 

In Revelation, we see aspects of the wrath of God in judgment. We do not see the full wrath of God concerning those alive at that time concerning sin. There would be no need for 7 years. God's wrath could wipe out mankind in its entirety with a thought. Why doesn't He?

2 Peter 3:9 NASB "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."

He wants to save all who would come to Christ Jesus for salvation. Giving everyone the opportunity. Everyone WILL have an opportunity because Scripture also says that everyone will be without excuse. 

Wars and rumors of wars are found in the sinful hearts of mankind.  It's also a prelude to Christ returning. 

In the New Testament we are instructed to pray for our leaders and those in authority over us. 

We can't fight what comes from our hearts without the Spirit to do the fighting for us. The weapons of our warfare aren't possible without the Spirit of God. The full armor of God is only found in God.  

Look at your life today. Are you indeed thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to? Romans 12 again. 

Look at what motivates you. Look for signs of these things that Jesus mentioned.  Look for anything in your life not bearing fruit that leads to repentance. 

What does your heart say about you?

Our Truth is Meaningless, God's Truth is Everything

Our Truth is Meaningless, God's Truth is Everything 

Philip said to him, “Come and see.” JOHN 1:46 

He is always number five. In the lists of the apostles in the Gospels, Philip’s name invariably occurs in fifth place. Matthew, Mark, and Luke give no stories about him. In John’s Gospel, however, we see a glimpse of this shy man with tentative faith, who was determined to walk with Jesus. In John 6, Philip seemed anxious about where they would get enough money to feed the crowds, and later, before the Passover Feast in the upper room, he wanted more information, asking Jesus, “Show us the Father” (John 14:8). But Philip had a true missionary spirit and was always directing people to the Savior. He brought Nathanael to Christ in John 1, and some Greek pilgrims in John 12. According to the ancient historian Eusebius, Philip eventually became a great evangelist in Asia and was buried in Hierapolis after a lifetime of inviting people to come and see Jesus. We may be shy, may struggle with our faith, and may feel we need more information before we can be truly effective. But we can always say, as Philip did, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth. . . . Come and see” (John 1:45-46). The first impulse of a born-again Christian is to win somebody to Jesus. W. A. CRISWELL - Dr. David Jeremiah Turning Points with God

Philip and the other Disciples learned in 3 and a half years how to live.  They learned by letting go of their perception of truth and by grabbing a hold of God's truth. 

A life lived is one that's on the path that God's planned out.  It's the life of believers everywhere that are doing that which is their responsibility in the body of Christ. Using their Spiritual gifts as given.  Not attempting to use gifts that are not theirs to use. 

Living in the truth of God means letting go of our own truth.

Scripture says that there's a way that seems right to a man but it's end is destruction. Proverbs 14:12.

We live in a world where truth of each person is being forced upon others. Mere acknowledgment of another's truth isn't enough. You must openly support it with vigor. 

God's Word never teaches that. God's truth is freely given. It speaks to sin, to death, to salvation that also is free. 

Even social media platforms are trying to enforce ridiculous rules about truth.  You cannot even joke about something that's not 100 percent accurate sometimes without incurring penalties on those sites. Their supposed fact checks are absolute and you have no recourse. I know, I still have a month or so to go on being throttled in my viewership on one platform because of sharing a news article that was shown on that very same platform. 

In the streets you may face people who are determined to force their ideas of truth at you. 

Ludicrous things people today do continue. Removing historical things thinking it will make their ideas about truth more valid. 

God's truth has been proven in some of the simplest ways. In life and in death all know of God's existence. At death, the absolute truth of where you spend eternity is consistent. Rejection of Christ Jesus as your Savior sends you to Hell. Not in celebration, but in painful agony. Not in joy but in suffering, paying for the sins of their former life. Something that was unnecessary because of the free gift of salvation through the Way...Jesus.  Proof of God's truth is found in those who have believed and were saved who joyfully enter Heaven's gates. 

In this life we who are in Christ see daily proofs of God's truth in His answers to prayers.  To our embracing His promises. 

To our forgiveness of our sins by Jesus on a daily basis. 

We see the truth of God in the growth of people in Christ Jesus.  We know because the Truth is in us.  Jesus is THE Way, and THE Truth, He is also THE Life. Truly lived lives are those lived in the way He intended.  Philip, Andrew are a few who's biggest claim to fame is their pointing people to Jesus. 

The further proof of God's truth being truer than the world's truth is the transforming power of the Spirit of God. It's lives that are truly changing either instantly or over time, but it does happen. Every time. 

The Spirit of God was sent to teach believers all things. Truth is those in Christ really are being taught of the things of God. 

In Christ is the Truth about life and death. 

In Christ is the Truth about who we are in the scheme of things. 

In Christ is the Truth about mankind. 

We look for ourselves in God's Word in checking the facts. God's Word has been kept intact by the Spirit of God for thousands of years. 

Forced it is not. You can freely choose, but your choice cannot invalidate God's truth. 

God said the wages of sin, what we get for being in sin, is death. We are born with a death sentence against us.

God said that only the free gift of salvation through Jesus is able to wipe away that death sentence. 

My Dear Reader, if you haven't come to Christ, you haven't at all began to live. 

Your ideas about happiness and joy pale in comparison to what God's got in mind for you. 

If you have come to Christ, continue walking in His truth. We aren't promised days free of suffering or tribulations. We are promised that He would be with us through them. We are never alone. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Romans 12:9.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philppians 4:7.

God's truth is interwoven with peace. 

The world's truth is interwoven with anger and hatred at those who do not accept it.

What do you see in your life?  The Bible tells us that a good tree bears good fruit. That a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 

If you aren't in Christ you cannot produce an acceptable life unto God.  Nothing you can do will be accepted unless you receive the free gift of salvation available only through Jesus Christ. 

Know today.  Know if you stand alone or in Christ.  There's a Heaven or Hell difference in the truth you reveal about yourself.