Tag: #religious

Filth? Evil?

“So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” – James 1:21 NLT

What is filth? What is evil? Everything is so skewed in our world… From the time of Adam and Eve, we have been hell bent on proving we are as intelligent as the Creator. We listen as the Father of lies fills our hearts and our heads with the promise that we are gods, equal to the Almighty. The liar assures us that there is no greater God than ourselves, and that we are free to do and live any way we choose. Satan is correct on one point: it is our choice to live how we we. What Satan doesn’t want us to know is that our Creator built free will into our DNA, because our LORD will never force us to choose Him. He wants us; He yearns for us to have a relationship with Him, and He will always leave it up to us. Have you ever loved someone so much that you feel a physical pull towards them, an emotional, even spiritual connection, only to have them choose someone else? If you have never experienced that connection, my heart hurts for you. If you have experienced it, and lost it – as I have – then you know the agony it causes. Anyone who has lost a child knows it. God loves us even more, more than we can comprehend, yet we routinely turn our backs oh His pure Love for the glittery fake the enemy dangles in front of us.

The only way to know truth is to fall back on God’s Word. If you have never read the Bible yourself, I suggest going online to http://bible.com and choose either the NIV or NLT version, and start reading in John, chapter one, verse one. It’s so beautiful. Throughput the history of the earth, God has employed poets and writers and other artists to share His Love for us, with us. It makes me so sad when I read comments on social media or in the news, or hear people stating that a Creator God is myth, and the Bible is a collection of stories written by old men – as if it were fairy tales. I cry for those people who have chosen the ultimate lie.

Jesus Christ was not a good man. He was not a prophet. He is either Who He says He is, the Son of the Most High God, or He is an insane man. History supports the Son of God. Archeological evidence points to the Garden, and every day brings forth new physical evidence to support the Scriptures. When I say we believe it, or not, at our own peril, I do not say it to be fear monger. I say with the strength of Scriptures and science. There is a heavenly, there is a hell, and there is ONE God over all. I pray you make peace with Him, before it is too late.

Nationality, Not Race

Peter, a disciple of Jesus and who was raised a law-abiding Jew, knew Jewish religion made it illegal for him to go into a Gentile’s house, so when Cornelius, who was a Gentile came and kneeled in front of him, said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!” Then they went inside Cornelius’ house, and he told Cornelius and the others who were gathered there,

“I see very clearly that GOD shows no favoritism. In every nation He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel – that there is Peace with GOD through Jesus Christ, who is LORD of all. And He ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the One appointed by GOD to be the Judge of ALL – the living and the dead. He is the One all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His Name.” – Acts of the Apostles 10:26, 34‭-‬36‭, ‬42‭-‬43 NLT

Are you ready? Are you in the Light? Are you really? I believe that to honestly be in GOD’S Light, we have to let go of the prejudices that drive us. Jew or Gentile, black skin or red or brown or yellow or white or pink; Eastern European or South American or Aboriginal Australian; cowboy, redneck, or genteel southerner, we are all one in GOD’S Light. Peter said it perfectly when he said “I’m a human being just like you!” No one gets to pretend they are better than another person, regardless of color or circumstance.

“The One who is the True Light, who gives Light to everyone, is coming into the world.” John 1:9 NLT

Billy Graham said: “The world is stumbling in darkness from one crisis to another. The crises are getting worse and worse, and are coming closer and closer to home. Inflation, population explosion, hunger, dominate vast areas of the world. Jesus said, “I AM the Light of the world. Follow Me and give your life to Me and I will take you out of the darkness of this world, out of this confusion, out of this mess that you’re in, and I will give you peace and joy. A light will burn in your heart and mind that you never had before. I will command the Light to come on in your life.” ” (November 20, 2013)

“And let the Peace that comes from CHRIST rule in your hearts. For as members of ONE BODY you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15 NLT

I ask again, are you ready to really live for Christ?

Love God, Hate Evil

I love that when I go to Facebook to put my thoughts out there, it always asks “What’s on your mind?” This is on my mind: Loving God, Hating evil; Living as God would have me to. Put another way: Love God, Love people, Love yourself…. Hate evil.

“As I learn Your Righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should!” – Psalms 119:7 NLT

How does that translate into our lives today?

“Jesus replied, “My Light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the Light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the Light while there is still time; then you will become children of the Light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.” – John 12:35‭-‬36 NLT

But, WHERE is the Light? How do we find it? It is so simple, many people can’t accept it. They want to make it complicated, but here is the simple, unadorned Truth: There is ONE source for the Truth; one source for the Light. That source is made available to anyone – ANYONE – who wants it. That source, the Handbook for life, is called the Bible. God-breathed, God inspired, God given. Paul gives us great instructions on sharing the Light of Jesus.:

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:9‭-‬10‭, ‬13 NLT

It’s all about Love, Light, and freedom from an eternity in hell – and yes, Virginia, there IS a hell, an actual physical place that bleeds over into the world. I have seen glimpses, and it literally almost destroyed me, physically, mentally, and especially spiritually. Just as that evil still tries to destroy me, Satan, who embodies pure evil, strives to destroy us all. “HATE what is wrong.” (verse 9b)

The ONE thing that God is adamant about is the LOVE Him; to accept Jesus Christ as the One Way, the ONLY Way, to true contentment. If we love Him, and give HIM the priority in our lives, we are more likely to recognize evil. If we read His Instruction Manual, we are more likely to recognize the “wrongs” in our life.

Are you willing to turn your back on the things the world deems acceptable? Are you ready to have friends and family tell you that what they are doing is all in fun, and not at all sinful, in order to justify their actions?

Loving God and following His Word is often difficult because of the people around us, but the joy and contentment He provides is well worth it! Jesus taught His disciples and entrusted them with His profound message, which they shared with the world through their teaching and preaching. Most importantly, they wrote it all down, so that all further generations would have the Words of Jesus to follow, too. We have heard the Gospel; now, what will we do with it, in light of the current state of the world?

“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of My Name, for they do not know the One who sent Me.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.
If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both Me and My Father.
But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’
When the Advocate comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of Truth Who goes out from the Father – He will testify about Me.
And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning.” — John 15:20‭-‬27

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Pretty powerful stuff…….

Forget Religion

“When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the [Holy] Spirit, using the [Holy] Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach Him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 2:13‭-‬16 (http://bible.com/116/1co.2.13-16.NLT)

SPIRITUAL truths, not religious; no, the Apostles are spiritual, and they have religious fervor when teaching and preaching the Gospel.

As defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary:

Spiritual –

1: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity; a religious person, religious attitudes
2: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances; joined a religious order
3a: scrupulously and conscientiously faithful; b: fervent, zealous

Religious –

1: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit :incorporeal ;

spiritual needs
2a: of or relating to sacred matters; spiritual songs, b: ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal; spiritual authority
3: concerned with religious values

4: related or joined in spirit
5a: of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena; b: of, relating to, or involving spiritualism :spiritualistic
1: the view that spirit is a prime element of reality; 2a: belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living usually through a medium; b: capitalized: a movement comprising religious organizations emphasizing spiritualism

There, under the definition of religious, are the words I take issue with. To be more ecclesiastical than lay is (to me) to give my Christianity over to be defined by a priest or other ecumenical leader. To participate in spiritualism, as defined above, I am surrendering my very soul to the enemy, satan, the father of lies. In order to understand and love the Christ, I believe we need to take Paul’s words to the Corinthians to heart. There is too much “Religion” in our world, and not enough Spiritual Love shown through us to the world. Not spiritualism, but the love of the LORD; the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.