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While we won't be condemned for calling someone a name, I think it's best to watch our words. This helps us inwardly, I think. Also, it's more loving to others.

I enjoyed reading this devotional, thought others might like it, too. By Paul Ellis Jesus said the Philadelphians were doing well, "because you have a little power, have kept my word, and have not denied my name" (Rev. 3:8b). What does it mean to have little power? A church with little power is a small or weak church. The Philadelphians weren’t anything special. They lacked the resources of their Laodicean neighbors, and they didn’t have the reputation of the Sardians. Like David, the shepherd boy, they were of little account in the eyes of man. But weakness is no barrier to God. If anything, it’s an advantage because God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:27). A God who shares the stage with no one seems to delight in choosing the least qualified and the most unlikely. When he needed a man to lead Israel against the Midianites, he chose chicken-hearted Gideon. When he needed a herald for the gospel of grace, he chose law-loving Saul. And when he needed a father of many nations, he chose grey-haired Abram. In the economy of grace, the weak and unqualified seem to have the inside track. If you were to tour the churches of Asia, you might be dazzled by the energetic Ephesians, the affluent Laodiceans, and the spiritual Sardians. And you might be tempted to dismiss the small Philadelphian church as inconsequential. But Philadelphia was where the action was. Jesus had given this little church an open door that no one could shut. What a wonderful encouragement for those of us who think we have nothing to offer. You may have no money, no reputation, no ability, no connections, no education, and no chance, but as long as you have the Lord, you have everything you need. You may have no power, but the Lord-with-the-key (see Rev. 3:7) has given you authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). How had they kept his word? They believed Jesus and took him at his word. What made the Philadelphians special was this: They were believing believers who were persuaded that the Lord is good and trustworthy. This is the only clue to their commendation. Nothing else is recorded. Search the letter to the Philadelphians and you will not find seven steps to success, or twelve strategies for church outreach. The Philadelphians simply believed Jesus, and that made all the difference. The question to ask is not why the Philadelphians had an open door, but why some of the other churches weren’t as fruitful. The answer is they were captive to unbelief. They put little stock in the grace of God. The Ephesians’ unbelief was evident in the way they were working themselves to death. The Sardians’ unbelief was in their refusal to receive the gospel. And the Laodiceans’ unbelief was in their boast that they needed nothing from God. Unbelief takes many forms and not even believers, strangely, are immune from its insidious effects. Whenever the promises of God are dismissed or doubted, the result is barrenness. Apart from him we can do nothing. — Extracted from Letters from Jesus, a finalist at this year’s International Book Awards.

and because of this thread, I went and got a five guys cheeseburger and cajun fries for lunch today....

I think His main point was we were all condemned already. That must have been an astonishing statement to those used to judging their own righteousness by their keeping of the Law. To have to consider something so "minor" in our own minds, which almost everyone must have done at some point, was enough to convict us as lawbreakers must have been challenging :). We know now that the Law, as perfect, good and right as it is, was given BECAUSE being born in sin, NO "son of Adam" could be called "righteous" based on keeping the Law. The Law was given as a "child trainer"....to lead us by the hand to KNOWING we needed Him. And the only way we could ever be "righteous" is by Him giving us HIS righteousness. He was speaking into a culture, led by "religious" men who had missed the point and been teaching righteousness was in keeping the Law. There is only ONE who was declared righteous by keeping the Law. And that sinless one, Jesus Christ, then paid the debt of death OUR sin and iniquity deserved and earned the legal right to cover any who would come to Him with His own righteousness. The first Adam failed the test....the last Adam retook the test and passed it.

The Law Of Moses was given to show that nobody could keep it.It was given to show you your need for a Savior.Its one thing not to cheat on your spouse ( Adultery) , it is quite another thing to forbid even lustful thoughts to enter your mind! The Sermon on the Mount was The Law Of Moses on steroids.The impossible demands of Jesus in His Sermon were meant to prick the self- righteous balloons of anybody who thought that they actually “ good enough” and fit to go to Heaven because they had fulfilled everything that Moses Law demanded .They did what legalists “ still” do. They find a way to lower the Standards Of God to a level that they think they can obey . The delusional Pharisee would puff out his chest and say.. “ Look at me! Be like me, be Holy like me.....I ‘ve been married 50 years and NEVER cheated on my wife.” Jesus came to wreck this type of wrong thinking that lead to self-righteousness and Hell ( Having a lustful thought is tantamount to committing adultery ) They will hear.... “ Depart from me I never knew you”. Abandon Satan’s “ fools Paradise”, that place that tells you that even though you ain’t perfect, you are trying the best that you can and you are “ fit for Heaven” as you are.You ain’t.

Donut cheeseburger..... Sorry ain't going there.

What? All we have to be guilty of is calling somebody a “ fool” and we might go to Hell? Gulp.....I’ve used descriptive words MUCH worse than that .We also are told that if we have a lustful thought it may as well be adultery.Scary stuff,huh? James said if you break just one law, you have broken them all . We should really ignore all this “ small time” stuff and get to the nitty- gritty.Jesus said later that we have to be “ perfect” to enter into the Kingdom.I don’t know about others, but I am not perfect.I am never going to “ be” perfect.If only God could muster up enough love to provide another way.Something we,as humans could actually “DO”! How ‘bout we try this? Why don’t we turn to God and just admit we can’t meet His Standard Of Perfection.God Promised to extend mercy to ALL that asks for it.We all know one guy that cried out to God for His Mercy, received it and went home JUSTIFIED ! Saved! Just like that ! “Justified”to God means He looks at you as if you have never sinned.Remember that “ be perfect” thing?God will impute you with perfection and righteousness ,just like He did Abraham if you will believe in a Promise Of God like Abraham did.God is still looking for trust—not perfection .There are many Promises from God, which, if believed , will get you saved and you can sleep better at night, knowing that you do not have to actually live a perfect life to get to Heaven.... One Of the most recent Promises, and probably the best Promise can be found in 1Cor15:1-4.......Jesus gave this Promise and Paul revealed it.....If you simply believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead and don't add to it with your dead works, simply rest in the Truth Of this Gospel, you got a lock on Salvation. “Ease your mind about “ Raca”, calling someone a “ fool” or lusting in you heart.God’s got it covered .His Grace and your faith makes the “ impossible” possible.All that scary stuff He talked about in the Sermon on the Mount That is impossible for anybody to do.....He KNEW it was impossible.....it was meant to scare people....Scare them into “ turning to God”. That is Repentance.” With Faith in Jesus.That is Salvation.

Pe 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 1Pe 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, Peter understood this well. Jesus had asked him, Peter, do you agape me? Peter answered him twice, I phileo you Lord. He had just denied the Lord three times, and he knew his own human weakness and limitations. But here Peter is saying, yes, you phileo your brothers but you have been born of God now and His love lives in you. You now must love each other with God's fervent agape love which goes beyond our human limitations or even comprehension.

Hi friends, is this the right place to post this? We're going camping and will be back in a few days. Dad, stepdad, Amy and her parents, dad's 6 other friends from work. There will be plenty of people there that dad won't have to do anything but go for walks and grill stuff and watch the squirrels play Dad's sister is going to take care of the greenhouse. I have to go and print school work to take with me. See you on Saturday or Sunday. Lots of love!

Another good devotional by Paul Ellis, Escapetoreality. Who were the hardest working Christians in the Bible? The answer must surely be Paul and his friends, but many people will say it was the church at Ephesus. They say this because of what Jesus said in his letter to the church: “I know your deeds and toil” (Rev 2:2a). Commentators make much of Jesus knowing the Ephesians’ deeds and toil, as though an impressed Lord was recording their labors in his scorebook. But the original word for know simply means “I see”. It’s not necessarily a commendation. In these letters, Jesus says, “I know” in regard to both good deeds (Rev. 2:19) and bad deeds (Rev. 3:1, 15). When Jesus says, “I know” to the Ephesians, he’s saying “I care.” Because he loves us he is intimately acquainted with our lives. He knows what we’re doing. It’s a good thing that he knows, but it may not be a good thing that we’re doing, and this was the case with the Ephesians. “I know your deeds and toil.” Many believe that Jesus was commending the Ephesians for their hard work, but the word toil means labors, extreme weariness, and beating. The Ephesians were taking a beating. They were working themselves to exhaustion. Why would the Lord commend them for that? Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). The Ephesians were weary and heavy-laden. They were a busy church in a busy city. They were running all sorts of programs, ministries, and activities. They met every day of the week and twice on Sunday, and they were worn out. Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus doesn’t commend the Ephesians for working themselves into a miserable state. He does not say, “Well done you good and hard-working servants.” But nor does he rebuke them for working too hard. He simply says, “I’m aware of how hard you are working.” He’s building up to something, and it is this. “You have left your first love” (Rev 2:4). Your first love is not your love for God; it is God’s love for you. He is the Source and the Supply of all agape love. To say the Ephesians had left their first love, is to recognize they were no longer abiding in the love of God. Like the prodigal son, they had walked away from their Father’s love. That Jesus would speak of the Ephesians’ labor and lost love speaks volumes. These guys had too much going on. Living in the busiest city in Asia, they were burning the candle at both ends and burning themselves out in the process. By working ourselves to distraction and by trying to earn what God freely provides, we can find ourselves far from the love of God. He certainly has not stopped love us, but we don’t feel the love. We feel beaten down, exhausted, bone-weary. Happily, there is a remedy. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first. (Rev 2:5) What the Ephesians were doing (working hard) was getting in the way of what they weren’t doing (receiving from Jesus), which is why Jesus tells them to stop what they’re doing and return to what they did before. This is a message for all weary Christians: Stop what you’re doing and do what you did at first. What deeds did we do at first? You enjoyed Jesus. When you first entered the kingdom you may have done nothing at all except recline at his feet. “Do that,” says the Lord. “Stop trying to give to me and receive from me. Follow Mary who sat rather than Martha who stressed.” Sadly, this is not the recommendation you will hear from those who elevate works above grace. “Doing what you did at first means praying and studying the word and evangelizing with the enthusiasm you had when you first came to Jesus.” In other words, the hard-working Ephesians need to work even harder and so do you. “Through hard work we prove our love and maintain our good standing with God.” Beware this graceless message! The mindless pursuit of religious busyness—even good works done in the name of Jesus—will distract you from the love of God. You’ll end up with toiling in the kitchen instead of reclining with Jesus in the lounge. The takeaway, the cure, the ticket to freedom If you are worn out from doing the Lord’s work, you can probably relate to the Ephesians. They were a hard-working bunch of believers, but they were dying on the inside. They were busy building, but their labor was in vain. Why do we push ourselves past breaking point? It can happen because we’ve forgotten how much God loves us. We think we have to prove ourselves or come up with the goods, but none of this pressure is from the Lord. You were made to receive your Father’s love. Lose sight of your Father’s love for you and you will lose your way. You’ll fall from the secure place of grace into the realm of dead works. You’ll become restless, insecure, and empty on the inside. You’ll try to replace his love with lesser things. If the Ephesians could leave the love of God, anyone can. But the good news is those who wander can come home again. If you have lost your first love, Jesus shows us the way back: Remember, repent (change your thinking), and do what you did at first. Go back to the place of your first love, when Jesus was your everything. Make every effort to enter his rest and let nothing move you. From Paul Ellis's book, Letters From Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ's Letters to the Churches

I'll look at adding it on Monday.

The best thing you can do for your daughter is to pray for her. That her heart will be opened to God. Christianity will definitely be challenged when she attends a college. You can be the best representative to your daughter of who God is.

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 1:23 1 Peter 1

Stay grounded in her faith and keep a safe mental and emotional distance from others. Colleges these days can be very anti-religious in more ways than one so it's important to stay connected to God. Hopefully she can get involved in some Christian groups to counteract the pressures. Other than that mind the finances! NYC is expensive.

No, he never said that. He was showing the danger in his Sermon on the Mount of believe that your actions alone make you in or out with God. That's what the people had been taught for too long. Jesus was taking some sinful behaviors and showing how they start in the heart. He was talking here of murder - pretty much everyone listening to him was NOT a literal murderer. But Jesus showed that hate, anger, bitterness, and contempt to the point of verbally lashing out those feelings against someone makes you just as much a sinner and IN DANGER of hell as the next guy. Not GOING TO hell, but in danger just as much as any sinner. These people had been erroneously taught that as long as you didn't kill someone, you were good. Jesus said you weren't.

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court.And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matt 5:21-22 NIV 22 ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ· Ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ· Μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. Matt 5:22 SBLGNT Raka is basically a run of the mill daily insult. It seemed to be an insult of one's intelligence. I.e., Perhaps something like the old "Hey blockhead" or the more modern "Hey dumb-<expletive>". In contrast, More, seems to have an implication about one's morals or value as a human and some uses of it and related words pertain to the ungodly. It is perhaps more related to our more theologically based insults telling someone where to go or referencing their status with regard to spiritual condemnation. As far as I can tell, Raka is an insult and More is potentially a curse depending on the tone and intention of the speaker. There seem to be two general approaches to this passage by different comentators. The first is that Jesus is giving three escalating things which are all subject to judgement to death. Being angry, being angry enough to insult (Raka), and being angry enough to call down judgement on someone (More), are all capital offenses spiritually speaking. The second is that Jesus is pointing out that anger itself can bring similar consequences to murder. Merely insult someone and you'll face legal consequences. However, call down judgement from heaven on them and you'll face that yourself. I tend to fit within the 2nd group. My best guess at the general meaning is this. It contrasts annoyance with deep intentional anger. Calling someone a blockhead or the like can set you up for a lawsuit for slander in the eyes of man. Intentionally telling someone to go to <theological term deleted in this context> puts you in danger of it yourself in the eyes of God. I think the comparison Jesus is setting up is being angry enough to murder with being angry enough to curse someone. It's one thing to be annoyed with someone. It's by far another to be so angry that we see someone as subhuman, worthless, and worthy of God's judgement. Anyway, that's a short and quick set of thoughts. There's potentially more to be considered by the context of the surrounding passages and the potential use of the same word "brother" in this passage as is used later in the NT for believers.

And that is where I disagree with you. I Believe in a pre wrath rapture. Which means the church remains for the first part of the final week of the Great tribulation. Tribulation in its very nature is a concept that applies to believers to test their faith. Ask Yourself, when Satan is thrown down to earth, he unleashes his wrath on whom? Those who have sworn allegiance to him? Israelites, who are fully entangled in the beast system, and living in unbelief? If the church is not around, Satan has no one to be angry at, and no one to make war with. If the Mark of the beast is forced upon people, and all of the people remaining are in line with the beast system (Wicked), then who are the people who refuse the mark of the beast? Would not all the wicked be lining up to take the mark of the beast? Do You see how illogical the pre-trib rapture is yet? No My friend, we will go through the fire of testing because judgment begins at the house of God. (1 Peter 4:17) Just like what Jesus says in the Olivet discourse Immediately after the tribulation of those days, we will see our redemption, as Israel becomes the enemy of Satan, when they begin to have their eyes opened. There is no need to make excuses and try to say that Matthew, Mark, and Luke were in error when they all three recorded what Jesus said, all of whom place the redemption of the church after the great tribulation. And this great tribulation is not just a reference to the church age, but a reference to the first half of the final week when the abomination occurs. and the mark of the beast is mandated. The mark of the beast is a seduction, who is there to be seduced if the church is not there in the first place? Like I said, If the pre tribbers are right, then I will be rejoicing with you in heaven, But if they are wrong and have used this belief as an excuse to not be prepared for the wrath of Satan then they will be sorely vexed.

no He never said that. He said if you have called someone "stupid" you're a lawbreaker....and need a Saviour.

The Parable of New Cloth on an Old Garment Matt 9:16; Mk 2:21; Lk 5:36 Luke 5:36 He also told a parable to them. "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old." (web) Discussion Questions What is the patch? The new garment? The old? What are the two reasons why people don't do this analogous to? In what ways might Christians today be cutting pieces out of the new garment and patching them on to the old? In what way is the old worn out? It what occasions would you wear such a patched garment? A wedding? Comments Here Jesus is contrasting the old Mosaic covenant with the new covenant as foretold by the prophets and revealed in the New Testament. The old covenant is a performance-based salvation. One is saved if they live up to a certain level of performance. The new is a salvation-based performance. One is saved through the forgiveness of sins, which requires only faith in Christ's atoning work. And having been saved, God regenerates the person, causing them to live a lifestyle consistent with that of a child of God. The old covenant is made ineffective by man's innate sinful nature. And Israel's example also gives evidence of this. There are those who fail to keep God's standards, but then think that Christ came simply to help them become better people so that they can be justified by their performance. This is putting a new patch on an old garment. They have holes in their garments due to sin. Then they cut a patch out of the gospel and try to attach it to a performance-based salvation concept. This is particularly true of those of a "Hyper-Wesleyan" mindset. An example of this are those who say that salvation is obtained by faith as a free gift, but it must be maintained by one's performance or else lost. They will literally quote verses dealing with the old covenant and an apply them to the new, like: That is the old covenant concept, not the new convenant concept. No one tears a patch from a brand new set of clothes And sews it on an old one, for everybody knows They end up being ruined the ones which are new And neither will the patch match the old one too The Law had its purpose and now it is fulfilled It brought conviction of our sin which is what God willed But now by grace we're saved through faith we cannot ask for more Let's not tear apart that grace to be justified by law. The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

You are preaching to the choir. There is no bigger proponent of Grace on this site than me.Grace was not the subject of my post. I’m writing about Jesus awakening those who never saw the NEED for Grace - the only thing that ever saved anybody! Without God’s Grace you are lost .If you do not see that you are a lost ,hopeless sinner that MUST have Grace— you ain’t gonna get it....Jesus wanted the self- righteous to realize that Truth......The parable about the boasting Pharisee.... “ I thank my God I am not like the rest....” Do you think he saw the need for Grace, much less a Savior? No. The Publican that cried out for mercy—- he did . He went home justified. He turned to God .That is what Repentence is.He knew he needed Grace and forgiveness. The Pharisees did not . They saw no need for Grace.....did not ask for Grace....they did not believe Jesus was who He claimed to be.....No Grace,no repentance, no faith......that’s why they are in Hell today

What these “churches” and so called “pastor's” are doing is allowing the worlds standards take precedence over what God's word says. Christians are to influence the world, not the other way around. Just because the "world" declares a practice or behavior acceptable, does not mean that God, Himself will condone such actions. In Ezekiel 14, God basically is saying to Ezekiel that a person that comes to seek God's blessings but all the while in his / her heart they desire to continue in sinful behavior is the worst sort of lie. Because the person isn't really seeking to do God's will, but their own. The mistake that those who go along with this lie, is that they are trying to make Christianity more palatable to the tastes of unbeliever's. They are more concerned with the world's standards of morality and what will bring them praise and recognition from men instead of from God. God describes sin as nauseating. And this is what abomination means; nauseating or detestable. We human's do not get to say what is or is not sin. God is our creator and designer and it is HE who says what is and is not acceptable. The world at large, likes the idea of having a Christian's approval on sin; because then when God speaks to the world, it can then point the finger at Christians, saying... "they said it was ok". Thus hoping to avoid all accountability for their own sins. The person that entices another to sin, has a bigger problem than the person who was tempted. Psalm 119: 1 thru 3 (NIV) Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart they do no wrong but follow his ways. Psalm 119: 1 thru 3 (living bible, paraphrased) Happy are all who perfectly follow the laws of God. Happy are all who search for God and always do his will, rejecting compromise with evil and walking only in his paths.

One smak changes everything. My son was a born rebel at 2. Smak. He now is a 21 year old pastor and student. I did what a God said. I never had to smak him again. I realize God has him in his hand. Not me. Truth.

I think this is something you need to take in prayer and even with fasting to the Lord, to see His answer. The rapture part doesnt concern me as much as that your husband refuses to let any kids have teachings about the Lord or attend church. Altho that shouldnt be a factor in determining if you have kids or not. Perhaps seek advice from your doctor too. Why did you have miscarriages? Do you both have health issues that affected the babies? Is there any risks if you get pregnant again?

You start now. Bring he/she up in the church of your choice. At about 3 years old explain the Gospel of Grace to your child. Read the Bible to them out loud. Pray for them. Be a decent example as best you can. Don’t yell at them unless totally necessary. Don’t hit them with your hand. Use a wooden spoon on a thigh early when they are horrible in their revolt of you. They will do this at two. Don’t be afraid. You take charge early and you will have a holy kid. Spare the rod, spoil the child. Get control EARLY it’s not mean, it’s LOVE. DONT BE PC.

Unworthyservant, A suggestion, you may want to hit enter on your posts and put some breaks in your post, It makes it easier to read. As for the topic at hand, this is the sermon on the mount, where Jesus was addressing Motives of the heart. So for example he speaks of how if you even look upon a Woman lustfully you have committed adultery. His point being that external obedience to ordinances is not what God Judges, but the motives of the heart. The Pharisees whom he later would call whitewashed tombs, were strict legalists and did everything according to the law as an external show, But when the New Covenant comes into effect, which requires the death of the testator, only then could righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees, because of Jesus' righteousness being imputed upon us. Think of it this way. Adam gave us the Law of sin and Death (Via Moses), Jesus gave us the Law of the Spirit of Life (see Romans 8:1-2) The only way to fulfill the Law of sin and death is to receive Jesus, and the Law of the Spirit of life. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5;12) So here we see one man's sin imputed onto all mankind... and in contrast But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (Romans 5:15) Put simply, And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Cor. 15:45) So what Jesus was illustrating in this passage is that though we obey a Law, we are not being righteous by God's standards if our motives are not right. So when Jesus says calling someone a fool is equal to killing someone in God's eyes he is using this as an expression of how even strict obedience to the Law is not good enough in the eyes of a Just and Holy God. Paul wrote: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Gal. 2:21) That is to say That righteousness is distinct from external conformity. Think of the old notion of a cheerful giver and an uncheerful giver, to Give you an idea of this distinction, Or what Paul wrote of in his Love chapter 1 Cor 13, of how you can be martyred and do so for the wrong reasons and it is not counted as righteousness. Think also of the Words of Malachi below, and notice how at the time this distinction could not be made, But when Christ came, and empowered us by the Holy Spirit we are able to make this distinction. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Mal. 3:18) So despite having the Law, the Israelites could never discern who was serving the LORD in righteousness, and those who were doing so of a Wicked heart, Such as the Pharisees in Jesus time, who were whitewashed tombs. It is Only By the Law of the Spirit of Life that we produce the fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Gal 5:21-26)

1John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” Yes, we have something in us that is incorruptible and cannot be defeated. No wonder Paul cries out : so Great a salvation. May we not neglect it so that the Agape love of God will increase and abound in us yet more and more.

I love what is in your heart , NOT ME. I can see it in the way you write.

Paul said that he had learned whatever state he was in to be content. We are told there is much godliness in contentment. So be thankful that you are having a child and trust that God will provide, will make a way for both of you, and will bring the Christian friends into your life that you need. Focus on bringing this child up to know God. I never told our children stories of Santa or the Easter bunny and never lied to them because I wanted them to know that I told them the truth about Jesus and His love for them.

You can escape Satan's trap in three ways: 1) Realize that fear of losing salvation is a VERY strong indicator you're saved! 2) Meditate on the love of Jesus--God isn't some abusive, angry punisher of CHRISTIANS 3) Make sure you're saved. Are you trusting YOU for salvation or Jesus?

Being married used to be a huge desire for me. Now I just dont want it.. A part of me still does but I don't want to want it. I just want to be okay being alone because I feel that's what the future holds for me. I don't think Ill get married and I don't want to waste a second more being upset about it. I just want to accept it and let it go. I truly wish i were like paul to where it didnt bother him.

Amen, we should love one another as He had loved his disciples.

Uriah, the reason I am such a stickler for such things, is there are terms used often indiscriminately. The tribulation being one of them, the subject of this thread. At Lion and Lamb ministries, I hear Dr. Regan (and I think Nathan Jones) use the term "the tribulation" to refer to the 70th week. Keep in mind that they hold the pre- "trib" view. Which is why I think they use the term "the tribulation" that way. To me, it is misleading.

We have had a lot of posts lately of people saying God has left them or that God does not answer their prayers. Question: "Does God hear my prayers?" Answer: God hears everything, including prayers. He is God. Nothing gets by Him (Psalm 139:1–4). He is sovereign over everything He created (Isaiah 46:9–11). So the question is not whether God is aware of every prayer (He is), but whether God is tuning in to our prayers with an intent to answer them. God wants us to pray. He has created prayer as a means by which we can enjoy Him (Revelation 3:20), confess our sin (1 John 1:9), ask Him to meet our needs (Psalm 50:15), and align our wills with His (Jeremiah 29:11–12; Luke 22:42). One kind of prayer is guaranteed to be granted. Luke 18:13–14 describes the prayer of repentance. When we call upon the Lord in humble repentance, He is eager to justify and forgive us. However, when considering prayer, it is important to remember that most promises of God in Scripture were written to His people. In the Old Testament, those promises were for Israel and all who united with them. In the New Testament, those promises were written to the followers of Jesus. It is a misuse of Scripture to pull out isolated verses and try to apply them to any situation we want, including prayer. Even though the Lord knows and hears all, He has given some circumstances in which He will not listen to our prayers: 1. When we are choosing to hold on to sin, rather than repent and change, God will not hear our prayers. In Isaiah 1:15, the Lord says, “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!” Proverbs 28:9 says, “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.” Example: A young couple are living together in sexual sin, yet they pray for God’s blessing on their home. 2. When we ask according to our own selfish desires, God will not hear our prayers. James 4:3 says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Example: A man is dissatisfied with his three-year-old Toyota, so he prays for a brand-new Mercedes. 3. When what we ask is not in accordance with His will for us. First John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Example: We pray fervently for a new job, but God’s plan requires that we stay where we are and be a witness to our coworkers. 4. When we do not ask in faith. In Mark 11:24 Jesus said, “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” However, faith is not believing for something; it is believing in Someone. Our faith is in the character of God and His desire to bless and comfort us. When we pray, we should have faith that He hears us and will grant every request that is in line with His will for us (1 John 5:14–15). Example: We ask God to supply a financial need but continue to worry and make faithless comments to our families and coworkers, such as “I’m probably going to go to the poorhouse. I’ll never get that money.” God is holy and desires us to be holy as He is (Leviticus 22:32; 1 Peter 1:16). When He knows that we are seeking that holiness as well, He is delighted to answer our prayers in ways that continue our spiritual growth. Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). The secret to prayer is abiding in Christ so that whatever we ask is in accordance with His heart (Psalm 37:4). Only then can we have the confidence that God does hear our prayers with an intent to answer them. https://www.gotquestions.org/does-God-hear-my-prayers.html

I heavily edited your post to show what Im addressing. Folks make a big deal about how solar is wonderful. There are some realities to solar that we experience here in az where solar is everywhere. Solar farms (that is large areas of solar panels) have a bad tendency to self ignite. Which is a big problem for firefighters because of the extreme dangers associated with the panels and batteries that store the power. The last fire in the phoenix area sent 8 firefighters to the hospital for extended stays. Then there is the issue of solar farms blinding pilots. They also increase local temperatures by a few degrees. For personal use, solar panels on the roof cost over 10,000 dollars (closer to 15,000). Now it is coming out that if you need roof repairs, and that happens often enough, then the panels have to come off and be replaced. A cost that is over 10,000 dollars. Few people can afford this. Extensive wind farms, besides the problems willa listed, has been shown to alter wind patterns. That isnt a good thing at all. There are a lot of problems with alternative energy that is glossed over by the green people.

This seems rather nihilistic or at the very least deterministic. Climate change won't end the world but it is causing significant hardship for people around the world and that is only going to get worse if we do nothing about it. If our job as humanity is caretakers of the planet then shouldn't we strive to protect creation rather than labeling it a non-issue?

Hey Omegaman, all right. I totally understand that! Sorry, like I said I'm new here and just have to figure out how to handle the things For future I will be careful! Thank you for your patience!

So what's wrong with having the love of your wife in your mind. I can't speak of this personally but if the need ever comes up I'll let you know. It just seems ok to me if you are not lusting outside of a marriage it should be not considered sinful.

I'm 72 years old and Been married for 49 of those to the same woman. It was best 4 me personally. It has also been a huge responsibility. I don't think I would do things differently for my wife developed M.S. about 30 years ago and she has needed someone to help her and that has been a help to me. If something happens to her I doubt very much that I would ever get married again. But God has his way with us so I would never say never for sure. I wouldn't worry about pushing for a wife, because it I does add a huge responsibility to your life.... But if the Lord thinks you need it he'll send that person by... that's the way it happened with me.

Hi WW, YES......back on topic...... Daniel is a fascinating book. The book of Revelation explains Daniel. In the story of Daniel being thrown into the lions den, I see many similarities to what will happen during the 70th week. Why is Daniel thrown into the lions den? He was betrayed and persecuted by his associates/friends because he worshiped YHWH when worship of the true God was made illegal, by a decree of the king. In the coming days, the worship of God will be illegal, and we will also be betrayed by our former brothers and sisters in Jesus who fall away. .Mathew 24: 9-10..... Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. At that time, many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another"........ This is the apostasy that Paul speaks of in 2Thes 2:3. Notice that Daniel is saved in the midst of the trial....not from the trial. God will save us in the trial. There will be no catching up and being snatched away before the trial begins. Our lions den, during the 70th week, is Satan's den........... 1 Peter 5:8....." Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"

Hi, if you would allow me to speak boldly on this subject. It might answer this question, also it can be extrapolated as far as you are willing to take it. For you already recognize the two contrary wills in you. The answer is; “died to it” For this is what our salvation in Christ consists of; “our deaths in Christ” This “our deaths” frees us from all that “other will” you find in you, that raises it’s head contrary to the will of God. For consider; How could you be guaranteed to never ever sin from now to all eternity? There is but one way, your death. If you were to die right this instant you would be free from that “contrary will” you find in you and all else that would be contrary to the will of God. Sin and the desire of the fallen nature (body of sin or flesh) would still be very much alive in you. But “you” the soul that was “born from Adam” has died. “For He that has died is freed from sin”. (contrary will) “When Christ died you died” Consider if you were to die right this second and Mr Sin came along as said “come on, let’s go sin”. The desire to go would still be there, but you would be incapable of responding to it, for you were dead. In scripture this is also called being crucified with Christ or denying self and henceforth the command to; “reckon yourself dead unto sin and alive unto God” This is the foundation of our salvation in Christ, “our deaths with Him.” This also in scripture is called “our reasonable service, as those alive from the dead.” Hope this helps a little. Take these words before God and ask about them. For freedom from yourself and all that is contrary to righteousness is here to be found. ~~For being dead in Christ is the greatest thing in all the world.~~ (Just so you know the desire to marry is a natural one. Like the desire for food, it is part of life. I can’t speak for God and know nothing about you. But God’s heart towards you is to give you a future and a hope. Don’t sell Him short or put your fears and doubts in Him. Just trust His love for you and let Him orchestrate your life and when all is said and done you will get your “well done” and that my friend are the two greatest words in all the world. Be blessed in Christ, Not me

Hi @Figure of eighty, I understand what you're saying here. You're young, and the Lord has you in the palm of His mighty hand. There are the priorities and responsibilities of bearing and raising a child right now, that take precedence in your life at this time being. That's a whole lot to deal with, and it's not necessary to plan beyond you and your baby's immediate future. God has plans for all that, and it's best to give your life to Him, and He will lead the way. Proverbs 3:6 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Jeremiah 29:11 11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. God bless you. Shalom, David/BeauJangles

@Worship Warriors Hi;..... Paul’s life was such a great example of a life given to God, such a life put forth that we all should strive for. To be just as much Jesus’s servant as Paul was. Though our courses and callings are different than Paul’s. I think/feel are walks and courses should be just as alive with Christ, as Paul’s was. For Christ being formed in Paul, was Paul’s heart, Paul’s desire was “that I might know Him” This is what I think/feel should be all our hearts desire, that we might know Christ Jesus personally in all reality and all truth. Just as much as we can get to know our neighbor or our co-worker. I feel we can get to know Christ Jesus even deeper in a more real way. That we might all finish our courses as Paul did, with a heart full of faith, hope and love, that we might; “know Him” Be blessed in Christ, Not me

milk production is a whole different kettle of fish than meat processing. if you're selling milk for production of curdled products....well any use really... a producer would be out of business real fast if they didn't deliver clean milk ready to be inoculated by the RIGHT bacteria Dairy farmers have a very strong incentive to guard milk parlor sanitation with their very life with or without inspections. and that means some care and concern for sanitation before your girls ever march into the milking stations. Meat packing is a totally different world....and much uglier given the drive toward speed and lowest possible cost sanitation practices Home slaughter and processing doesn't scale and a good full body shampoo isn't possible unless the steer is halter broke and used to human handling...even if the time and labor costs didn't prevent it....it would sure make an exciting show to try to scrub down a commercially raised steer that had never been handled like that before might be able to sell tickets to that show and recoup some of the cost....if you could find people brave and foolish enough to accept the job And yeah...the halter broke ones are not at all fun to put in the freezer....you might have to shed a tear for the steaks...it is a lot like slaughtering a pet....they do have more personality than many might think and you do get attached to them. My last project was a Brown Swiss but I ended up selling her at a show before she dropped her first calf. I swore if I ever saw a woman with big brown eyes like that heifer had I was sunk for life. And I did leak a little while the buyer was loading her in his trailer.....she used to play with me like a dog would. I grew up near Dallas but had a very blessed experience of both suburban and farm life between FFA and relatives that farmed and raised cattle in NW Oklahoma i got to work for during summers growing up.

1 Peter 4:7-8 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." A foreign soldier was brought before his commanding officer and accused of communicating with the enemy. He had been seen emerging from an area where their troops were known to patrol. The poor man summed up his defense in a few words, stating that he had slipped away to spend an hour alone in prayer. "Have you been in the habit of spending an hour in private prayer?" demanded the officer. "Yes, Sir," he replied. "Well," said his commander, "never in your life have you been in more need of prayer than right now. Kneel down and pray aloud so that we all may hear you." Expecting cruel punishment, maybe even death, the soldier dropped to his knees and poured out his heart to God. His prayer revealed a deep intimacy with God. His earnest fluency, humble appeal for divine intervention, and very evident trust in one who was strong to deliver, told without a doubt that he came regularly to the throne of grace. "You are free to go," said the officer. "No one could have prayed that way without a long apprenticeship -- soldiers who never attend drill are always ill at ease for the review." I heard a statistic not long ago, that the average Christian only spends about seven minutes a day in prayer. We need to practice prayer in our lives that we may be able to endure when trials come our way and stand strong against the enemy and his tactics! Let's ask the Lord to help us become disciplined in this area today. There's so much work to be done! The post Become Spiritually Disciplined! appeared first on Worthy Christian Devotional - Daily Devotions. Read the entire devotional.

Shalom @ColorfulBlossoming Interesting, you may be facing such challenges to really test your faith, if you are destined to be an apologist... I would stop doing this. Have faith, my friend. If you have prayed it once and meant it, there's no need to do it again. My advice is to stop doing this as you will get you into a pattern of thinking you are losing salvation or even "earning" back by praying again. Don't concede to the temptation to do so. Stand strong with faith in the goodness of Yahweh. This sentence shows a lot of confusion my friend. You clearly believe in God and and love the Lord Jesus. That technically makes you a believer. I personally don't think you are being attacked by the devil. I think he has bigger fish to fry at this time. But your faith is suffering and it could be as a result of spiritual warfare or even directly from Yahweh. The good news is, in both cases, the fear and confusion will go the more your read and study His Word - which will give you similar situations, remind you of His promises, put discipleship into perspective and build your faith. Not just the New Testament, but the Old Testament as well. For the New makes less sense without the Old. Have faith my friend, have faith! This is a big challenge for you which may even get worse before it gets better but it will get better if you hold strong to your faith and do not doubt. As I said, this might be a training camp in preparation of your ministry as an apologist (in which your faith will be challenged regularly). Therefore, take courage and show Yahweh how much you love Him by having faith in His promises through the Lord Jesus. Recommended reading plan: Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Ephesians, 1 Peter, Revelation, Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and Matthew. Then go through again but read every book with a guide to help you. Let me know if you need links to resources for this. Love & Shalom

Don't believe Satan's lies. He is working hard now on believers. Sometimes Satan whispers those things in our ears. You know you are saved. Just stay focused on God and pray to Him and ask Him to protect you from the evil one. It sounds like you are dealing with a fair amount of anxiety. Do you think that is the case?

You say you are born again and love Jesus and don't want to leave Him. So just reject these thoughts....rebuke them in the name of Jesus, then think on something else or meditate on a Scripture verse. If you keep doing this, I think the thoughts will lessen and eventually disappear.

“In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Hebrews 2:10 God wrote a book on suffering, and its name is Jesus. Joni Eareckson Tada

90% and only that bad because I got really tired of allllllll the questions. Fair warning, it feels like 1000 questions but its something like 130 questions.