Gideon
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Posts posted by Gideon
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.... we all know what comes next. The love of many shall wax cold. The AGAPE of many. These are indeed perilous times. The political landscape has blown fires of hatred and mistrust even within the walls of God's church. It is almost impossible to read the news and not find oneself picking sides, for news is no longer news. It is a profit-driven business on both sides and what we all read is skewed one direction or the other, not to truly inform but to get more readers, and the dollars that come with them, first and foremost.
As believers, may we all be reminded that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. We wrestle not against those in disagreement with our views, religious or political. It is our our enemy behind the scenes, hoping to infect us with his hatred and venom. Our calling is to pray for those we believe are in error.
Ultimately, as His born again children, we are not of this world. God is neither Republican or Democrat. We are counseled to walk out our time here as sojourners, passers through, in the world, yes, but not of it. I myself am guilty of reading so much about current events that it begins to sour my own outlook on life. That is why we are told to keep our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus Himself, and to concentrate on whatsoever is good, whatsoever is pure, and avoid entangling ourselves with the affairs of this world.
What God has set in notion cannot be stopped. May we all, myself included and at the forefront, remember that our primary calling is to live for Christ and shine so that others may see our peace, even in the eye of the storm, and seek the answer we possess, demonstrated by our victory, our peace, our joy, things that they do not know how to attain.
blessings to all,
Gideon
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1 hour ago, Marathoner said:
The Lord raised me up in the wilderness far removed from human habitation, so my answer to the question you posed above is "yes."
I was a young man when the Lord called to me out of the blue. I had never darkened the door of a church, read the scriptures, watched Christian programming, nor listened to Christian music. I was tasting material success for the first (and only) time in my life as the right hand of a wealthy publisher. My talents made this man a great deal of money and because of this, whatsoever I desired was placed into my hands.
It was late Friday afternoon when the Spirit of God drew near, declaring that I was the work of His hand set aside for His purpose before I was born. The time had come to seek the Lord and when I found Him at last, I would stand before God.
I felt like a child in the presence of His Holy Spirit. My heart was like lead and in spite of never devoting any thought to the Lord, there was no questioning what was taking place. How could this be? I couldn't eat... I tossed and turned in bed and didn't sleep a wink... and when the night yielded to day I realized what was required of me. I answered the Lord and asked Him what I needed to do. I was an ignorant man ignorant of His ways: where should I go?
After I had given away my possessions and delivered a resignation letter to the publisher, the Lord led me to a community of the saints living in the countryside several hours away. It was there I met the man whom the Lord said would teach me what I needed to know. After hearing my testimony our brother preached the Gospel... I believed, was baptized in water, and added to their number. This was only the beginning of my trials, brother.
To make a long story short, I fled from my brothers and sisters in shame and proceeded to wander aimlessly across the United States for many years. I would find a place to stay and apply myself to meaningful work but it wasn't long before the proverbial roof crashed down upon my head. I found myself wandering once more, homeless and destitute until I found another place to stay and constructive work to do. So it went until the words which the Spirit of God spoke long ago were fulfilled:
I came to the aid of a stranger in a remote wilderness. It was there I set aside my life for their sake and when I was close to death, the Spirit of the Lord came to me. God did the impossible, returning me to life and health... but I lost the ability to speak for close to two years after Christ revealed Himself to me.
Yes, I'm confident that the Lord will do as He sees fit come what may. My confidence is in Jesus Christ, not this world.
I have no doubts that what you say is true, dear brother. You are blessed.
Gids
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1 hour ago, JohnR7 said:
We are told that the church age is coming to an end and the 1000 reign of Christ is going to begin. Actually in acts we are told that just as Jesus left He is going to return. Although I am open to the return not being physical at this time. Still the indication is that the Holy Spirit dispensation is coming to and end and the rule and reign of Christ will begin. They talk about the manifest Son (Daughters) of God. This is not just Christians. The Conservative "Jewish" people are looking for the Messiah to come & the Muslims are looking for some sort of religious leader to appear also. So everyone expects that the next 1,000 years will be a time of peace.
If the darkness increases all the more there is light and power from God to overcome. The Final Harvest will be a greater anointing then what the early church had at Pentecost. Even Moses tells us the latter rain is greater than at the beginning.
You sound more doom and gloom then to be excited for what God is doing. I have heard people say that this is greater than the revivals we have had in the past. So much so that they want to come up with a new word to use to explain and describe what is happening now that the Final Great Harvest has begun.
A warning of this magnitude cannot be delivered without the weight of it bearing down upon the one asked to deliver it.
We have been taught that we will all be raptured away and never suffer in the least. I would love for that to be true. But just as we have not been immune to the effects of Covid, we will not be when things really go south. God is offering us a lifeline to safety, a way to overcome when the enemy comes in like a flood, but until we see the danger of staying where we are, many will simply not be moved to seek Him anew to not just save us, but to keep us safe from the attacks and temptations from the enemy that are surely coming our way as well.
blessings,
Gideon
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A brother in the Lord messaged me today and in conversation, this thought was placed upon my heart. I believe it is from God. I pray you do not let pre-conceived opinions about me from the past hinder you from examining your walk as you read these potentially profound but wholly inadequate words..
What if, for some reason, Christians could no longer meet together? There was no more church services. Heck, there is no more "church" as we know it. No Christian T.V. No Christian Radio.. Just Jesus, with the world falling apart outside your door. Your level of intimacy is what it is. How would you fare? Are you convinced you would still thrive spiritually?
I believe for many, they would wilt away. God's love would remain steadfast, , but their "receptor" would be severely limited, hampering them from receiving God's comfort and assurance. Perhaps in your case, you disagree and if so, that is wonderful.
But I believe that as a whole, we are far more comfortable talking "about Jesus", than being with Him. our prayer time more of a duty than a pleasure. Scripture, doctrine fellowship all wonderful. Reflections of light But not the source of light. They assure us we are AOK, not Jesus whispering it to us Himself. For most, spiritual "re-filling" happens on Sundays and yes, by Christian friends and family too, all talking "about" Jesus. These are our sources of life and light. These are the power that fuel us on our Christian path. not Christ Himself. If our prayer time is our true reflection of depth of Christianity, how do each one of us fare?
Why do I bring this up? Because much of what I just shared may soon be in our future. I know I am not popular in some circles here, and I hold no animosity. Despite what many believe, my heart is towards every single person here. I pray you at least consider that what I am sharing could indeed come to pass, and I am led to believe that in what could happen within months, an immense shaking or shakings involving all of society's fabric will occur.
These shakings for believers are not God's anger at us, but God's provision to insure we are brought to where He wants us to be, safe from satan and his minions. Our foundations are about to be examined and It will reveal how deeply our roots go down into Him, so that, if we are found lacking, we can fix it. Glory!
I do not mean to scare anyone. I simply want people to not be caught unaware. The Lord knows my heart in this matter. We are about to discover how deeply the good news actually goes. God wants us to know Him in such intimacy and power, that our peace in the midst of upheaval will literally lead others to know Him. Our shield, our safety is not to be our church, nor our pastor, nor our saved friends. Life is from Him alone, and He wants to have a relationship with you that puts after-burners on your process of sanctification.
My friend recommended a video and it concerned a pastor who has been receiving dreams. A very humble guy. The constant message was "Brace yourself". Months.
The question is... How?? God has an answer for us, a place in Him where we really are kept... kept from sin, kept from falling, kept by the power of God through faith. A true abiding in the vine relationship, all day, every day.
And He is calling all who hunger and thirst for more of Him, and all who desire true victory in Him. He is calling all who are filled with fear as to what is coming, and he is calling all those who have tried their best to be content right where they are, convinced that this is the best God has to offer.
He calls, pleading with us to return unto Him, return again to our first love, admitting we have lost our way, crying out for deliverance from our carnal natures and our blasted contentment with less than true intimacy with Christ Himself. He simply asks that we want it as much as He does.
Perilous times are coming into view. Normal Christianity will simply not suffice. I say this not to anger, offend or judge. I say it because it is true and we finally will be forced to admit it. The only question is "How much pressure before each one of us breaks and cries out for more?"
There is a scripture that says in effect. "If you have run with the footmen and they have wearied you, what will you do when the horsemen arrive? A very relevant question, and one we all need to ponder on. Our hearts and what we have made our treasure is about to be tested. It is fairly easy to be a Christian in good standing today. Not much is expected. No one sees us on the inside, or what we do in secret. So we find it pretty easy to "make a fair show in the flesh" when the skies are sunny. But the winds and rain from the approaching storm will reveal how deeply we are rooted in Jesus, and how much we have grown roots into this world, THIS life.
Do you remember the parable off the servants who were told to make themselves ready, for their master returns, and how they all responded? They all made excuses why they could not come right at the moment, too busy with their own lives here on earth. Are we so blinded that we cannot see that this parable could be about US?
There is a place of safety. A place where peace replaces fear. Where our trust in Him to do as He has promised is so set in stone, that nothing can shake us. A place where, despite our fleshly bodies, our natures ARE new, and they rule that body and keep it under, for here God actually does cause us to obey. Glory!
This walk has been seen in the past as "optional". For those fringe dwellers with a 'religious bent', lol. But that is soon to be changed for each one of us to "absolutely essential". We are told that the name of the Lord is a strong and mighty tower, and the righteous runs in and is safe.
God is awakening us, just as He promised us Faithful God! Thank you Father.
blessings,
Gids
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9 minutes ago, Alive said:
You assume much to indict your brothers and sisters of willful sin and ignorance. This is not of Christ. I simply asked you to provide scriptural support for a statement you yourself made. You have just accused me of not being willing to accept God's word. This is very much not good for you. This is clearly a sin. Do you know my heart, that I would ignore clear scripture? Why do you think I would do that?
I hope that you see this and repent.
Brother, I shared much that shows that the current church is failing miserably in comparison to the early church. You simply do not want to admit it. Do you honestly think the body today is as healthy as in the early church?
I fully understand why there is resistance in the body of Christ to admitting lack. But at some point, as the skies become darker and the temptations greater, the shakings will have their desired effect on God's own. They will seek God's face afresh so that they can walk in full obedience, pleasingHim rather than pleasing themselves. If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. However, if we refuse, confessing we have need of nothing, and all is well with our souls even as sin and self love still run rampant, our blindness shall increase.
Do we not see? Hearts hardened by continued sin and refusal to admit need will prove themselves to be tares. At present, all grow together, but the day comes when the two shall be finally separated. A great falling away is coming, as the righteous awaken and begin to shine in holiness.
The key question is ..... do we hate OUR life, our continuance in sin, our inability to truly do those things that are pleasing in His sight? Refusing to examine ourselves does not reduce our guilt. it magnifies it.
blessings,
Gideon
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2 hours ago, leah777 said:
I think you do not understand born again and the holy spirit in our lives.
I will leave the teaching of you to others.
There is no two step salvation.
There is however, the natural process of growth from small seed to bearing much fruit. And if fruit is absent, does it not behoove us to seek God as to why this is the case?
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3 hours ago, angels4u said:
Annanius and Saphira were not filled with the Holy Spirit yet,we don't know how strong their faith was ,they lived under the law. We don't live under the law..
Always a way out from under the microscope. Always a reason to not seek for the answer as to how to truly walk in obedience. How do we know that we know Him? Again, one more time.
We obey Him.
And if we find we cannot, is it not prudent that we cry out to Him as Paul did to save us from our self-willed, sin-loving, rebellious old natures?
blessings.
Gideon
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3 hours ago, Alive said:
You said something specific regarding the Bride of Christ and I asked you to show scripture for that assertion.
To him who has eyes to see, what I shared gives the evidence needed to see the truth. If you choose to ignore it, I doubt even if one specific scripture showed what you ask, you would find a reason to ignore it.
Seven letter, seven churches, each urging the saints to walk as overcomers. The Word tells us "Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." It is good advice. The only question is HOW? How many there are who right now do not want to ask that question. And until that question is asked, no answer can be received.
blessings,
Gids
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18 minutes ago, angels4u said:
Why can you not trust Jesus for His finished work on the cross; where the Bible does it say that we can do things in our own strength?The tares in the Bible are unbelievers..
When you read the scripture that tells us that the way we KNOW that we know is if we obey His commandments, how do you fare?
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49 minutes ago, Alive said:
Can you show scripture that shows that His Bride once had Glory, but now has a lessor Glory? Please be specific.
Let me ask you a question. If God cannot change, and in the early church, Ananias and Saphira were judged for their pride, simply for wanting to look better to others in the church, does He not feel the same way, with the same intensity concerning such a heart, that He did when the church was first birthed?
And if we were told that same standard were to be held up in our next church service, how many would have the confidence to attend?
If those in the world would exclaim concerning the early church "Behold how they love one another!" and yet today, most of what we hear from the world about Christians is concerning their religious hypocrisy, do you not agree a gap deeper and wider than the grand canyon exists between the glory of the early church and the church at present?
If Paul rebuked Christians for choosing who they followed, Paul or Appolos, telling them they were yet carnal, how pleased do you think he would be today, when we have 500+ denominations, all claiming their way is the correct one?
If the early rain were never ending, with no more needed, why the need for the latter? Whether or not you will admit it, we as His people are in no way prepared to meet our Master. If God could rebuke the Laodecians for their contentment without godliness, thinking they have need of nothing, how can we even dare to believe we do not need deep repentance and for God to somehow deliver us from US at any cost?
As we speak, the agape love of many is waxing cold. Multitudes are drawing near Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. How many there are who possess a form of godliness, but in their hearts, they deny God truly possess the power to deliver them from evil?
And yet, with all this, if you do not see one specific verse to declare to you the church, God's church, is in deep need of repentance so that she might be freed from the grip of self and secret sin, will you proudly declare it untrue?
I can only share what I have been given to share. I cannot make you see. But I can pray that you do, and I will.
blessings, dear brother
Gideon
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12 minutes ago, angels4u said:
Gideon said :When the vast majority of Christians are living out their lives in captivity to their old nature,
David,I agree with your statement ,he probably means those people never really been born again in the first place,things change if we accept Jesus as our Savior when we receive the Holy Spirit ,the Holy Spirit is our Helper and guides us in ALL things,we can't do anything on our own.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
…25All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.…Follow Him and not your own thoughts which will be deceiving.
And how do we KNOW that we know Him, scripturally? As I said, the tares do not presently know they are tares. They are deceived. Thus, we have been safeguards against being deceived, an acid test to insure we know we are on solid, unshakeable ground.
What is this test?
"And hereby we know that we know Him: if we keep His commandments. He that saith, “I know Him,” and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him."
1 John 2:3-4
Many in the elect, if they were to truly apply this to their lives, would recoil from the results, and Satan will tempt them to run back to the assurances of other men, of their pastors, of what they have been taught. But what seems like an impossible test to pass is not impossible at all. God has promised to make a way when there is no way.
That is why He is now awakening us to he HOW of walking in righteousness and holiness. Those who will let God's declaration that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord, bear its full weight upon their hearts, will come to the point of brokenness as their hunger for more of Him, of doing what pleases Him exceeds their desire for self to remain in control. Those who will not will be crushed under the weight of that truth.
Let us understand it is this brokenness that allows us to ONLY believe. A crisis point must be reached in the life of every child of God. The shakings will bring this about if our own wills will not. God loves us far to much to allow us to walk into the approaching storm unprepared.
Many will withstand this truth initially, but God will make sure that all of His sheep hear His voice. Huge changes are coning. As the scriptures exhort us....
"Let all who name the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
The key question, unanswered or ignored so far by our modern take on the gospel, is HOW? How does a man, still living in a sinful body with sinful desires, walk as a true overcomer? There is an answer, an amazing one, but only he hungry will be given eyes to see it.
blessings,
Gids
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40 minutes ago, David1701 said:
Gideon, you keep making the same mistake, over and over and over again. You are confusing tares with born again Christians and lumping them together.
Was the Laodecian church a church of God's children or a church full of tares?
David, we are told plainly that in the last days, because sin shall abound, the love of many will wax cold. That word is not "phileo", human love, but "agape", the love only. Christians can experience. One cannot fall away unless they had once "fallen toward".
I fear many err in thinking that somehow God sees us through Jesus covered glasses. Do we not realize judgement will begin at the House of God? He sees the true intent of our hearts, does He not? Are we merely after forgiveness and securing our place in Heaven, or is there a deep hunger in us to lose our lives, our wills, and to glorify Him by our doing those things that please Him?
Do we not realize that tares do not presently know they are tares? But when they hear the exhortation to 'examine themselves whether they be in the faith', when they read the verse that urges them to make their calling and election sure, they blindly refuse to do so, and thus give satan opportunity to deceive them further.
God is awakening us to satan's devices, and wants to equip us in preparation for what is coming. My sole desire is that His children hear the call of the Spirit and seek His face for full deliverance from their old nature, for it is only in that place where we will find true safety.
blessings,
Gids.
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31 minutes ago, leah777 said:
decided not to bother engaging.
I still dont know what a 'shaking' is or where in the Bible is come from.
Leah, here is where the shakings are promised.
"See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh, for if they escaped not who refused Him that spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him that speaketh from Heaven, whose voice then shook the earth.
But now He hath promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.” And these words, “yet once more,” signifieth the removing of those things which can be shaken, such as things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."
Hebrews 12:25-27God has promised to restore His bride to her former glory, so that she is without spot or wrinkle at His appearing. If one is walking in lukewarmness, content to be saved but with no desire to walk totally pleasing to Him, this brings no glory to the Father. Rather, it stands as a stumbling block to those in the world from coming to God. Our lives are the only Bible many of them will ever read. If they do not see the fruits of our walk with Him outwardly expressed, how will they ever be drawn to Him?
I believe that the shakings that will awaken us to seek His face for more than simply being forgiven have already started, but are in no way over. Like birth pangs, they will grow in both frequency as well as intensity.
God loves us and is determined that we not be caught unprepared for what is on the horizon. The sole purpose of the shakings is to drive us deeper into Him as we flee our old carnal nature and look for Him to deliver us from evil altogether, not just from its penalties.
I pray this helps.
blessings, Leah
Gideon
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On 8/20/2020 at 1:36 PM, David1701 said:
It should; but tares are not known for their reverent fear of God.
It's taught at least from some of them. I haven't been to all of them (have you?), so I can't comment on that.
Some are shining examples.
The reason is that there are many tares amongst the wheat.
Those who have been born again do repent.
God has got the attention of his children.
When the vast majority of Christians are living out their lives in captivity to their old nature, imprisoned in Romans 7 so deeply that they think anything promised more than that is either embellishment or impossible, they are left living their lives in the wilderness of unbelief, robbed of any hope of ever walking in the land of promise.
Paul once lived in Romans 7.... and HATED it. And that is the purpose of the Romans 7 experience, where obedience is fleeting at best, where fellowship with God is always interrupted by sin and self desires. It is to finally bring us to hate OUR life, OUR weakness, OUR pride, and OUR contentment with less than the life God has purchased for us.... total victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.
O, that we might awake to the promises of our Father to set us free from our old weak, rebellious natures. Yes, we still have fleshly bodies which have a propensity to sin, but.... BUT..... we do not have fleshly carnal spirits anymore that steer those bodies. We have been given brand new natures, natures that can steer those bodies.... every time. New natures that can bring every thought into subject to Christ, can fellowship with God non-stop all day.... every day. We are told to keep our bodies under because we CAN.
Where is it then, if this be the case, that we have erred and gone off track? What is the fly in our sweet smelling ointment that keeps us from enjoying the FREE INDEED God has purchased for us? it is simply this. We do not hate our old life. Yet. All that is about to change.
And what happens when our hunger for godliness overrides our contentment without it? What happens when His children cry out to our Heavenly Father to save us from our sins.... not in them? It is at that magic moment that God takes the blinders from our eyes and breathes on our hard, dried, shriveled up faith, melting away the unbelief that has come from years of sin hardening our hearts.
How will God bring about this change in our heart's desires? One of the ways is through shakings. The coming shakings are not meant to hurt us, but rather to drive us to our knees, crying out as Paul did to free us from our wretched, contented 'I have need of nothing' Christianity. They are to being us to the place where all that is not of Christ is shaken out of us.
Do not fear, dear saints. God has our best in mind, even if at present, we are found content without it. Our tears, our fears, our loneliness are soon to replaced with shouts of joy, as we have our feet planted on the highway of holiness, where we are kept from falling by God Himself. Do not lament your weakness. It is your awareness of that weakness that qualifies you perfectly to walk as an overcomer, victorious over the world, the flesh and the devil.
It is to those who have NO strength that He increases might. Look aware from your weaknesses and the sins from which you cannot escape, and look UP. Cry out for Jesus to do what He promised to do for you.deliver you from evil, just as Paul did in Romans 7. To all who do so, they will find to their amazement and delight that the promises of God are real, and sure and mighty.
We, dear brothers and sisters, ARE new creatures.... right now, this very minute. What has hindered us is simply unbelief doubting that God can and will deliver us from our fallen nature. Cast off that doubt, as a filthy rag, and despite what you might see, what you might feel, what your logic tells you is possible, come into agreement with your God! He tells us that we are dead and our life is hid with Christ. Agree with Him!
Yield yourself to Him, but not as a wretched sinner unable to overcome. Yield yourself to Him as one who is alive from the dead, as one who an do all things through Christ who strengthens us. To your amazement, Christ WILL solidify the churning waters beneath your feet, as you walk on the waters to Him as an overcomer, not as the overcome.
blessings,
Gideon
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15 hours ago, Wesley L said:
Hi Gideon,
I see now. In KJV it just says sin. I have NASB at home.
But does that change the context of what God truly means?
I am trying to fight against the false belief that a born again christian is without sin. Which is not true.
Everybody in the flesh is prone to sin.
If you promote that born again christians are without sin, the one who says who is now without sin, please step forward.
Maybe I am too young in faith to have encountered such a born again christian. @GideonWould you step forward? @Peterlag Would you step forward? If you wouldn't? Why put a yoke on others with false teachings?
I am not promoting the false belief that a born again christian can sin freely without consequeces.
Our body is the temple of God, The Holy Spirit dwells within. Although still in the flesh, our spirit has been renewed through the Holy Spirit. A born again christian is with fruit and is being sanctified (changes towards righteousness) through the workings of the Holy Spirit.I am not promoting the false belief that sin is normal for a born again christian and can be taken lightly.
Sin is dead serious, even a white lie or a stolen candy. Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins.
Missing the mark and keep sinning is bad.
Missing the mark an promoting that we are without sin is bad as well.
The truth is in the middle. We can fall off from both sides of the truth.Brother, I believe you are very earnest in your beliefs and that your heart is in a good place in seeking truth. I simply ask you prayerfully consider what I am about to share.
When you say it is wrong for a man to say he is without sin, why? Even if a man has just committed a sin, confesses it and gets forgiven, we are told the blood then cleanses himof all unrighteousness, amen? Is that man not without sin? Of course he is!
Now if you mean, does this man still have a propensity to sin, you may be correct. But.... what if , even while he is in his fleshly body, he does not possess a fleshly nature? is that not what we are told that God has for us.... new natures?
If we are told that if we abide in Him, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, we might still have the possibility of sinning, but we abide in Him by faith, and thus we are kept from falling, just as He promised us.
I fully understand the confusion on this subject and realize as well that the vast majority of Christian churches simply have, up til now, put limits on God's ability to deliver us from evil, and think that if a man stops sinning, it is through his power, his diligence, and thus concludes it is impossible. But this is not the case.
God has promised to be our potter, not us. He has clearly promised in multiple places that He WILL keep a man from sinning and will actually CAUSE him to obey.. always. WOW. Where is such a thing stated clearly? Ezekiel 36, where the new covenant is promised.
"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you;
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them."
Ezekiel 36:25-27
How plain must God state it? Obedience, the backbone requirement of the old covenant, is a promised blessig under the new covenant,,,,OUR covenant! Do we find ourselves excited by the possibility or immediately trying to prove God did not really mean it like that?
Are there more verses? Absolutely!
He has told us our shield of faith will quench all the fiery arrows of the enemy.
He has promised that. can count it all joy when we fall into diverse temptations, for if we resist thecdevl steadfast in the faith, he will flee from us.
He assures us that He will not allow us to be tempted more than we can bear, and will even make a way of escape so we might not fall.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness.
He has told us to bring every thought into subjection to Him.
He has told us He will keep us from falling.
He has taught us to pray "Deliver us from evil."
He has made us more than conquerors.
He has told us He will set us free indeed and then defines the freedom He refers to as free from committing sin.
He has declared that if we abide in Him, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
So, do you see how much we have to outright ignore to continue to hold onto our position?
Let me make several clarifications.
1) Temptation is not sin.
2) Bad thoughts are not sin, unless welcomed and played with. Bad Thoughts are often satan's arrows, seeing if he can get us to bite.
3) Impulsive actions, such as anger, are not necessarily sin, unless we ignore the conviction of the Spirit. These are areas that God will improve in our sanctification.
Walking without sinning is NOT perfection.. It is simply a clean lump of clay wit no impurities that can then go to work on to transform it.
4) Romans 7 is not Paul's testimony. It WAS his testimony before his deliverance into Romans 8. How can we be sure? In 7, he states the things he wants to do, he cannot do. Yet, later on, he declares he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him.
5) 1st John 1:9 is simply reiterating that Jesus came to save us from our sins. Now if a man states he has no sins and thus does not need forgiveness, he is a liar. How do we know this must be true. Just read the 3rd chapter! LOL.
Le me end by saying this. When we read all this, a walk where we never willfully disobey, should not our heart rejoice? Should we not hunger and thirst for such a walk, even if our minds cannot yet wrap our heads around how it is possible?
That is all God requires of us, that we WANT such an intimate walk. As to the how, I will be glad to share on it, but as I stated, until a man wants to truly walk in victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, the HOW of it will totally elude him.
However, I know this. God will move mountains to see a man is brought to understand how to become a true overcomer, if he longs for it..And in these last days, we are going to see multitudes awaken from going through the motions Christianity and discover that grace not only forgives, it empowers us to walk pleasing to our God.
I pray this helps.
Gids
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1 hour ago, Ozarkbound said:
You are human. Even the apostles had this struggle.
Matthew 26: 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
When did this occur? Had the Spirit fallen on them yet?
Paul clearly tells us in Romans 8 that we are no longer in the flesh and owe it NOTHING. Yes, we still have physical bodies and thus temptations that accompany them. BUT, temptation is not sin. Yielding to it is.
Yes, in our own strength, we waver. But when a man or woman reckons themselves as truly dead to sin, dead to self, and alive to God, the promises of God are finally released to see to it that we are kept by the power of God through faith. God has told us that if our shield of faith is raised, we will walk victorious over all the arrows satan casts at us. Amen?
We are not told to being our bodies under control. We are told to KEEP them under, from the point of victory, not from trying to gain the victory.
blessings,
Gids
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30 minutes ago, JohnR7 said:
There are five crowns and Jesus Judges us to determine if we are worthy to receive them. Our works will be tested by fire. This is why we are to be on fire for God now so that we can burn sin out of us. Clearly there are going to be people that will suffer loss.
Just to clarify, the words you quoted me as saying were actually spoken to me by Wesley L. Do I agree with him? Yes. Some will make Heaven but have nothing to show for it. Some will make gain with what He has entrusted to us and receive reward.
As to being on fire for God, I love what Leonard Ravenhill, a dear English revivalist and friend of David Wilkerson said.
"I would rather burn out than rust out."
The key is..... what fuels our fire? Is it our diligence? Our emotions? Our determination? Who or what keeps us from falling backwards into complacency? If it is not rooted in our abiding in the vine of Christ Himself as new creatures, believing it is He and He alone who can keep us from falling, we will be subject to ups and downs and more downs than ups, lol.
What God is presently doing is opening our eyes to His promises to us, both sure and steadfast. They are there and there are plenty of them, but up till now, our eyes have been blinded. All that is about to change.
Can a man choose to not sin? Absolutely! However, in the end, powered by self determination, he will finally conclude as Paul did in Romans 7 that the things he wanted to do, he could not do. Does this mean it is wrong to want to stop sinning? Not at all! Wanting to cease from all sin is highly commendable, for it placed a man on the quick path to seeing his inability to do so, forcing him, like Paul, to cry out to God to do for us what we cannot do, deliver us from evil.
And what does God do when a man's heart cries out as Paul did "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" He responds and delivers, of course, for His promises are yea and amen.
There is a secret to walking in this place. The secret is unlocked only to those desperate to be freed from their old carnal nature. And in these last days, that hunger to experience the FREE INDEED Jesus clearly promised us in John 8 will lead multitudes to see the depth that grace really goes.
A separation is coming. It is called the valley of decision. Some will remain content with forgiveness yet lack any true desire to live free from the grip of their old carnal nature. Others will cry our for true deliverance and rise up with wings as eagles, and discover exactly what God meant when He talked about "the glorious liberty of the children of God".
God is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle. We are not it..... yet. ? But the Holy Spirit is beginning to woo all of God's own to a higher place, a safer place, a place of fellowship with Him that makes what we believe possible pale in comparison.
And there, brothers and sisters, we will discover that God meant what He said when He declared that He will indeed keep us from falling. He will indeed cause us to obey Him. He will indeed deliver us from the power of darkness. It is coming. May all prepare their hearts and set their eyes on the author AND the finisher of our faith. Glory!
blessings,
Gids
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2 minutes ago, Wesley L said:
@Gideon , you applaud to @Peterlag 's statements.
One day, we all stand before the Lord.
We all have to bear the consequences of our words and deeds.
I truly pray that @Peterlag is saved through faith.
But saying that one is without sin... I truly hope he is right and I am wrong. But God's words tells me otherwise.
I pray to God, may God reveal us the truth, give us wisdom to discern His words.
May His peace and wisdom come upon us. In Jesus' name I pray, amen!We must differentiate between sinless perfectionism and being kept from sin by the power of God through faith. One is attained though man's efforts, one through God's ability to keep us from falling. If someone is walking in the new creature, it is done bu faith. Can a man fall in sin? Absolutely. Can a man remain grounded and settled in the faith and not fall at all? Absolutely.
If it is impossible to not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, then it is also impossible to abide in Him. It is not a question of what we can or cannot do. We know that answer. But the real question is, can God cause us to will and to do of His good pleasure?
If we are told that our shields of faith will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy, then if we actually raise them and believe He is fully able to keep us from falling, will God not fulfill His promise to us? Or has unbelief crept into the church to where His promises have been gutted of their delivering power?
In Hebrews, it talks about the blood of Christ bringing us to the place where we have no more consciousness of sins. This is the place of rest. This is the place where there is no condemnation. The question before us then is this. Do our hearts long for such a place or are we content with being forgiven but not free indeed?
blessings,
Gideon
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41 minutes ago, JohnR7 said:
God expects us to keep our body under control. You can not put new wine in an old wine skin.
Brother, that is the old man thinking. If that be the case, how are we as His children doing? Are we keeping our bodies under control? Are we bringing every thought into subject tp the obedience of Christ? Do we even believe it possible?
Self-control IS necessary. BUT, self control is not something we generate, but something He promises to bring about IN us. Self control is, as we read in Galatians 5, a fruit of the Spirit and comes to us naturally yet miraculously, as we abide in Him as those with new natures.
We do not need self control to produce spiritual fruits. We need to abide in Him by faith, resisting the devil when he comes tempting, shields of faith raised high, and when we do, what is the promised result? We are kept from falling and satan flees from us. Oh, that we might cry out for the faith to believe it!
blessings.
Gideon
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3 hours ago, Wesley L said:
Well...you deleted the cells comment as if you never posted it... that would be a lie.
1 John 3: 4-10
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
What does practising sin mean?
It is a habit of sin. Without any regret or self reflection. Without the Holy Spirit's conviction. Because the Holy Spirit doesn't dwell in that person.
I have experienced conviction by the Holy Spirit with certain sins. Even physically, of which I needed two weeks to recover from. The sin and conviction was crystal clear to me. But I don't have the habit of sin anymore, thanks to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I have no worldly excuses anymore to sin. It is not by my own doing, nothing that I can boast about. All glory to God who saved me through faith in Jesus Christ.
Don't keep falling into the hole you dig. Get back to Jesus Christ, He is the only one Who can save you.Just out of curiosity, where does it say "practices sin". If you look it up in Strong's Concordance, it simply translates it as 'sins'. How it relieves conviction to add that little extra word, for it it simply means 'sins", it means we are missing something, doesn't it?
But think of this. Even if it did mean 'practices sin', are we still not guilty? Most who battle sin do so in very specific areas. I call them our 'Achilles heel' sins. Most do not delve into new uncharted territory with their sins. They repeat the same sins over and over, a never-ending fall, get forgiven and get-back-up dance with the same sin. Is this not practicing sin? So even if we try to run from the conviction of God, and re-define the meaning of the verses that promise us real freedom, real victory, real overcoming, to make our walks seem acceptable to us and to drown out the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we still find we are guilty of missing the mark. If we are totally honest, Is this not the truth?
Missing the mark is bad and sinning again and again is bad, but what is worse is that repeated sin hardens our hearts and we end up rationalizing their presence in an attempt to try to make them acceptable in our lives. Instead, it lowers the standard God has for us, a walk of real victory, and instead leaves us running laps in the wilderness of unbelief. Thus, we never come to the point we believe Jesus can actually bring us to real freedom. We are trapped by our own unbelief to a life where we cannot shine with His presence. Instead, we let satan continue to beat us over the head with our sin of choice, rationalizing that forgiveness is the full extent of the power of grace. We are wrong. Bad wrong.
So.... is it hopeless? Glory to God, no! God is even now awakening us to the "how much more shall He not freely give us all things" of the fullness of grace. He has not just forgiven us. He has given us new natures! is this not the 'glorious liberty of the children of God' promised in the Word? BUT it will not just happen to us.We have to cross over from the wilderness of unbelief into the land of promise. We must, by an act of choice, put our new natures on, and reckon that sin's power over us has been broken.
This often only comes when a man or woman reaches a crisis point in their walk, where conviction from God overwhelms complacency brought about by the devil. We are all, every single one of us, going to need the safely and power of our new nature in these coming, ever-darkening days. God has promised to awaken us as to who we truly are. He is going to remind us to 'forget not His benefits'. He is going to re-aquaint us with our birthrights as His children. And it is in this way that we will be made to be ready to meet our coming King. It is in this way we will changed by the Spirit of God IN US to be without spot or wrinkle.
Some will come running to receive such an mind-boggling walk, seeing it as good news beyond belief. Others will be brought to this amazing place of walking as overcomers, kicking and screaming, and relent only when they see their great need as the darkness grows.
Either way, God WILL have a people walking in the FREE INDEED He has clearly promised us through His Son. We WILL put on our new natures and yield ourselves to God, not as sinners saved by grace but still captive to sin, bur as those who truly are alive from the dead. Glory!
Peter, I applaud you for this post, a most needed one. May you be encouraged to continue listening to your Heavenly Father and learn from Him.
blessings to all,
Gideon
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34 minutes ago, David1701 said:
It's the tares who are content without godliness, not those who have been born again.
And if this is true, it should send a streak of fear in the hearts of many, shouldn't it?
However, if it were true, holiness would be taught from the pulpits of our churches, wouldn't they? Older Saints would stand as shining examples of what God can do to a fully yielded heart. They would testify in purity and humility that the promises of God are sure, no matter our weakness, to the younger saints so that they too could follow in their footsteps walking as living sacrifices, wholly and acceptable unto God.
But this is not what we find, is it? Your statement is used by many as an excuse to take the spotlight off their own lack of holiness as well as their total absence of desire for walking in victory over the sins they yield themselves to. Sin IS in the church, committed by real children of God. Unbelief, worldliness, sexual lusts, greed, lack of agape love,self rule....these run rampant in our midst.
Why is it so hard to get believers to acknowledge this? Simple. Because if this is true, something is wrong. Change must happen. Repentance must occur.
God IS going to get the attention of His children, one way or another. The coming shakings will do it for us if we will not do it willingly. He loves us far too much than to let us miss what He has for us, even if we do not yet see our great need for it.
blessings,
Gideon
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26 minutes ago, Glory To God said:
I never actually said I was kidding I said I didn't like the post. Your OP makes no sense to me.
Maybe this will help it make more sense. Think of it this way. God promises certain things to us as His children. Most are not walking in them. One of two scenarios exist.
a) God is lying or at best, greatly exaggerating as to our ability to resist temptation when the devil comes to try to make us fall....
or
b) We are missing some element in our walks that actually triggers these promises to actually work.
If we choose option #1, we need to just throw the whole Bible out, for we can believe none of it, . If we are left with option #2 as our only choice, then the question becomes
1) Do we actually want the promises to be true?
If we do not truly want to be free indeed and see sin defeated in our thoughts and actions, and actually walk as overcomers, we have a serious problem with God, and it needs to be addressed.
However, if we do want them to be true, it brings us to this question.
2) What is the hold-up and what must we do to see them activated?
blessings,
Gids
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2 hours ago, enoob57 said:
We disagree on theology here because God says
1 John 1:8-10 (KJV) [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I look at Pauls life witness he never attained but only in Christ’s life was perfection found...Again, I am in no way espousing perfection. Being freed from the grip of the enemy, however, is the beginning of our sanctification, not the end goal. We do not attain to the fullness of the likeness of Christ in this life, even as Paul stated.
But again, he strove for it according to God's strivings IN him. He gave ALL diligence. He presented his body a living sacrifice, and told us rhis was a mindset not for apostles alone but for ALL, and was "our reasonable service". For us to use his statement as our excuse for living as we do, when our mindset is not the one he possessed, we are fooling no one but ourselves. God sees. It is time we did as well.
The first step in our awakening is to admit our state and our contentment without godliness. It is the hardest step of all, but once it is done, God then can and WILL move mountains to see us established as overcomers, victorious over the world, the flesh and the devil.
blessings,
Gideon
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2 hours ago, enoob57 said:
We disagree on theology here because God says
1 John 1:8-10 (KJV) [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I look at Pauls life witness he never attained but only in Christ’s life was perfection found...That verse is often misread. In the verse previous, John says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Now if we say we have no need because we do have no sins needing forgiveness, we deceive ourselves.
How do we know this is the case? All we have to do is read into chapter two.
"Little children, these things I write unto you that you sin not."
So, if we actually obey him, we are then deceived??
I could accept using Romans 7 and 1 John 1:9 as scriptural reasons not to attain a full walk as an overcomer...... if a man were found pressing in with all of his heart. But how many know nothing of the struggle that Paul had with his old nature. He wanted desperately to be freed from the power of sin, rooted in his old nature. He cried out as a wretched man, imprisoned by a self nature that could not obey. And he did so till the deliverer came and delivered him!
But for men to try to use these verses as somehow validating the sin in their lives when their heart are anything but like Paul's heart, is simply them fooling themselves. God sees through us and our 'scriptural defenses' and knows full well the true intent of our heart. He knows whether or not we truly are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, or if we are simply resting content with forgiveness with little if any desire to be sanctified wholly, body, soul and spirit.
If we do not get brutally honest with ourselves, things are going to go sideways. Any hope for us to be used by God has got to start with truth being acknowledged, even if it is painful to do so.
blessings,
Gids
What would happen if.....
in General Discussion
Posted
What a great reply. Thank you brother. And you are right. Often, God's greatest gifts come from our walks reaching a crisis point. God is awakening His own to return to our first love, and if we have never left, all the better!
We are told to count it all jot when we fall into diverse temptation knowing this, that the shakings and tribulations are for our benefit, not our harm. For many of us, our faith has never truly been tested and tried by fire. I pray we remember that on the other side of that obstacle is a deeper, purer, stronger faith, shining forth as pure gold.
blessings to you, Sower
Gids